{"id":93,"date":"2023-10-11T13:26:25","date_gmt":"2023-10-11T18:26:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/richlandrescue.com\/unicdn\/?page_id=93"},"modified":"2023-10-11T13:26:25","modified_gmt":"2023-10-11T18:26:25","slug":"gotcha-day","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/richlandrescue.com\/unicdn\/gotcha-day\/","title":{"rendered":"Gotcha Day"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n

Thank you for adopting and becoming part of the Richland Area Rescue family! We are a non-profit 501c3. Your adoption fee funds necessities such as food, shelter and veterinary care for our animals. Your adoption also created space for another animal in need, so you should feel good about taking home your new fur-baby. Below is a list you may find helpful to get your home ready for your new pet:<\/span><\/p>\n

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  1. Food and water dishes (stainless steel is easy to clean and does not break)<\/span><\/span><\/li>\n
  2. Food and training treats. Be slow to change up their food and avoid giving human food.<\/span><\/li>\n
  3. Dog crate and\/or puppy play pen.<\/span><\/li>\n
  4. Identification tags\/license-see your vet for implantable microchip<\/span><\/li>\n
  5. Well-fitting collar and leash<\/span><\/li>\n
  6. Provide safe chew toys to occupy them. Keep him\/her away from electric cords, valuables and anything they can swallow. Monitor the integrity of any chew toy, some toys break apart and become a swallow hazard.<\/span><\/li>\n
  7. Comfort toy such as a \u201cSnuggle Puppy,\u201d also, some puppies like relaxing You Tube nature channel sounds to help them sleep (waterfalls, bird songs, etc)<\/span>.<\/span><\/li>\n
  8. Stain and odor remover such as \u201cNature\u2019s Miracle\u201d<\/span><\/li>\n
  9. Schedule a wellness visit with your vet and discuss appropriate timing for spay or neuter. Also discuss testing stool sample for worms and when to start monthly Heartworm and flea & tick prevention.<\/span><\/li>\n
  10. Consider purchasing health insurance for your new family member.<\/span><\/li>\n
  11. Patience!<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    It\u2019s helpful to remember the 3-3-3 rule as you welcome this new dog into your life\u2026.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The first 3 days may seem overwhelming at times. It is not uncommon to think \u201cwhat did I get myself into?\u201d Give your dog time, patience, training and love. He has just been thrust into a brand new environment surrounded by people he does not know. Remember, Rome was not built in a day.<\/span><\/p>\n

    The next 3 weeks you will start to establish routines (food, potty, exercise, bedtime, etc.)<\/span>, your dog\u2019s personality will start to shine, and behavioral issues may emerge. Basic training also begins; remember every encounter with your dog is a training opportunity. Set your puppy up to make good puppy choices! (i.e., provide chew toys, frequent potty-breaks, give him a safe space like a crate)<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

    At the end of 3 months your dog feels secure with you and comfortable enough to fully be themselves. Your bond is strong and you couldn\u2019t imagine not having her in your life.<\/span><\/p>\n

    \u00a0<\/p>\n

    Tips on Potty Training<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

    The first item on any new dog owner\u2019s agenda is teaching their dogs where and when to do their business. Dedication and consistency to the following tips will help your dog learn faster. This was written with puppies in mind but much of it is applicable to adult dogs as well.<\/span><\/p>\n

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    1. Supervise your dog at all times when he is in the house. The first weeks, you may want to tether him to you with a leash. When he shows signs of needing to potty (i.e. sniffing the ground, circling, restlessness, barking, looking at the door, waking from a nap, etc.)<\/span> take him outside to do his business.<\/span><\/li>\n
    2. If you catch your dog in the act of relieving herself take her outside immediately to finish. Do not punish her by putting her nose in it or swatting her with paper; this will only confuse and scare her.<\/span><\/li>\n
    3. If you cannot watch your dog put him in a secure crate or a safe space. Do not leave a young pup unattended; you will find puddles and poo to pick up if you do.<\/span><\/li>\n
    4. Take your dog to the same spot every time. Through consistency your dog will start to learn what he is out there to do.<\/span><\/li>\n
    5. Use a phrase like \u201churry up\u201d to help her learn to go. It does not matter what the phrase is just that everyone in the family uses the same phrase.<\/span><\/li>\n
    6. When the dog starts to potty, enthusiastically tell him he is a good boy and give him a treat immediately after he is done. He will associate relieving himself outside as a positive experience.<\/span><\/li>\n
    7. In the beginning, expect to be taking your dog out frequently to do her business. In the morning, after meals, after a nap, after play and before bed a dog should be relieved. An adult dog may be able to \u201chold it\u201d for 6-8 hours but a 4 month old pup may only be able to go 3-4 hours without a potty break. In general, expect a puppy to hold pee per month of age once they have been house trained.<\/span><\/li>\n
    8. Puppies have efficient GI systems; he will probably need to potty as soon as 25 minutes to an hour after consuming meals and\/or water.<\/span><\/li>\n
    9. If your pup has an accident in the house thoroughly clean the area with an enzymatic spray, otherwise they will return to the same spot to do it again.<\/span><\/li>\n
    10. Do not consider your new dog house trained until they have gone, at minimum, 4-6 weeks without an accident.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

      \u00a0<\/p>\n

      There are many books and online resources to consult when it comes to bringing home a new dog, training, and general problem solving. But if things are really not going well contact the Rescue or your foster for some ideas\/advice. We want to help you and your new family member succeed.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

      Thank you for adopting and becoming part of the Richland Area Rescue family! We are a non-profit 501c3. Your adoption fee funds necessities such as food, shelter and veterinary care for our animals. Your adoption also created space for another animal in need, so you should feel good about takingContinue Reading<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/richlandrescue.com\/unicdn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/93"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/richlandrescue.com\/unicdn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/richlandrescue.com\/unicdn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richlandrescue.com\/unicdn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/richlandrescue.com\/unicdn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=93"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/richlandrescue.com\/unicdn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/93\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":94,"href":"https:\/\/richlandrescue.com\/unicdn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/93\/revisions\/94"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/richlandrescue.com\/unicdn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=93"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}