Your life enters a whirlwind of joy and sloppy kisses when you adopt a new dog, but you realize you must keep this tiny furry friend both alive and happy. It’s a massive deal! The thrill of selecting the ideal dog bed and buying toys often leads to many questions emerging.
How do you help them settle in? What experiences should you anticipate during the initial weeks? What is the method to create the incredible lifelong bond you’ve always wanted?
The 7-7-7 rule becomes relevant at this point. The concept functions as an adaptable guideline to guide you through your new mate’s journey.
The First 7 Days: Decompression and Discovery
You find yourself in a new country where the language spoken is entirely unfamiliar to you. Your surroundings feature unfamiliar food and strange sounds, and you have no acquaintances in this new place. You’d probably feel pretty overwhelmed, right? That’s exactly how your new dog feels.
The initial seven-day period focuses entirely on decompression. Your dog has not yet revealed its genuine character to you. They are processing observations while experiencing substantial stress and uncertainty. During this week, you need to maintain a calm and predictable demeanour while providing a safe atmosphere.
Your Action Plan:
- Create a Safe Haven: Provide a crate or a bed in a quiet part of your home. They can go there when they feel overstimulated. Make sure everyone in the family knows that this space is off-limits, especially the kids.
- Keep It Low-Key: Don't throw a party to introduce your new arrival to your friends. Keep your house calm and quiet. Too much stimulation will only increase their anxiety.
- Establish a Simple Routine: Dogs live by a schedule. You should have a regular time for digestion, eating and sleeping. A washroom break outside should happen first thing in the morning after your dog wakes up, as well as after each meal and before bed. The simple routine helps dogs to understand what is expected of them in their new life.
- Let Them Come to You: Don't try to force cuddles or interaction. Stay silent in the same room and wait for them to come to you when they're ready. Trust becomes important when you respect their boundaries.
Dogs are also known to show great stress symptoms. Stress is indicated by high levels of cortisol when dogs are moved to a new environment such as a shelter or a new home. Dogs acclimate best when they are in a consistent and relaxed environment. (Source: NIH)
Healthy Nutrition Builds Healthy Relationships
As is common knowledge, food is one of the most effective happiness agents in establishing a perfect bond. Thus, food diplomacy will bring your pet closer to you. But what if the food also enhances health and well-being? Dog nutrition supplements in Australia, like MIHIJO’s, address this area with flying colours.
Just add the nutritional supplement powder to your dog’s regular food and see the magic happen. The supplement enhances the nutritional value and taste of the food. So, your would-be canine friend falls in love with it and, gradually, with you.
The First 7 Weeks: Building Trust and Routine
Right, you’ve survived the first week! Your dog probably feels more secure at this stage. During this stage, their authentic personality starts to reveal itself through their silly antics and impish behaviours, along with their ear twitching during moments of curiosity.
The upcoming seven weeks will develop further upon the initial safety foundation that has been established. During this period, you will concentrate on establishing clear communication while beginning basic training and reinforcing the daily routine initiated in week one. Your bond begins to develop at this stage.
Your Action Plan:
- Start Positive Reinforcement Training: Keep training sessions short, fun, and positive. Begin your training by focusing on essential commands such as ‘sit’, ‘stay’, and recall. Use tasty treats and heaps of praise.
- Through training, your dog learns better behaviour while enhancing your mutual bond. Research consistently indicates that positive reinforcement training methods build a stronger human-animal bond than punishment-based training techniques. (Source: NIH)
- Introduce New Things Slowly: New experiences should be introduced to your dog only with caution. A brief and cheerful drive to a peaceful park makes for an excellent outing. A loud marketplace visit might overwhelm your dog.
- Manage Your Expectations: The rules of your home are still new to your dog. There will be accidents. They might chew on something they shouldn’t. Stay patient and consistent with your guidance.
- Show Them Your World: Continue to be their guide. Demonstrate to children that vacuum cleaner sounds signify nothing terrifying and postal workers do not pose any danger. Your calm confidence helps them feel secure.
The First 7 Months: Cementing Your Bond
After seven months, your dog will have become completely comfortable in their new environment. The dog has become familiar with the daily routine and recognizes the family members while learning basic behavioural rules. You are the one they rely on while they function as your loyal dog. During this time, your relationship evolves from one of caretaking to that of a faithful companion.
The stage poses new challenges, particularly when you own a puppy or adolescent dog. Like human teens, they begin to test limits to figure out what behaviours will succeed.
Your Action Plan:
- Stay Consistent: Adolescent brain development can lead them to “forget” their training. Don’t get discouraged! Maintain regular training sessions and consistently enforce rules. This phase will pass. Studies of adolescent dogs demonstrate this stage brings major behavioural shifts, which necessitates continuous guidance for successful management.
- Continue Socialisation: Gradually introduce them to new visuals and sounds while interacting with calm dogs in a controlled setting. Experiences where puppies positively interact with their surroundings help shape them into confident and well-rounded adult dogs.
- Embrace Their Personality: You now know their unique quirks. While these dogs enjoy belly rubs, they do not appreciate head pats. You understand which biscuit triggers the quickest tail wagging from your dog. Use your acquired understanding of the dog to celebrate their unique personality.
Beyond the 7-7-7: The Role of Dog Nutrition Supplements Australia
Your dog’s emotional and behavioural adjustment benefits from the fantastic framework of the 7-7-7 rule. For your dog to continue thriving throughout its whole life, you must ensure its physical health is maintained from within outward. Premium nutrition becomes the primary focus of this approach.
A good diet is the basis of good health through growth or stress periods, and because of specific health conditions, it may be lacking in providing all that is needed. There are caring dog owners in New Zealand and adjacent Australia who regularly use dog nutritional supplements from Australia to help fill in the gaps and provide targeted support.
