How to help a hound settle into a new household?

One of our Cover Search employees and his wife, a…jovial couple especially at office functions, recently used our tool to get matched for pet insurance for their new doggie.

There were concerns about the adopted pup’s sense of safety and security when it arrives in its new home. It’s not only a new space for the dog, it’s a new family.

Two weeks later and they announced that Harald (the new doggie) was already showing signs of being happier since they tried these tricks to help him settle in.

So, How to help a hound settle into a new household?

Here’s what they discovered:

1. Lots of extra love, affection, + positive attention

They had already developed a relationship before they welcomed him into their home but they also made an extra effort with Harald once he was inside their home so that he feels more confident and acknowledged.

He looks up to them and he needs them more during this tricky transition. There’s a lot of new information for him to take in, new rules, new everything. The humans did not disappoint him!

Note, some suggest a balanced approach—allow the dog to explore at its own pace, using affection as a positive reinforcement tool.

2. Keep some habits + patterns from before

To help Harald transition into his new home life, into a place with new smells and new sounds (he’s very sensitive), they spoke to the previous owner, and found out what routines Harald had at his previous home.

Then they kept them. This includes the times they feed him, using his food bowl from before, importing the tatty old bed he loves to sleep in, and taking him for walks at the same time he’s used to.

It also includes what the previous human calls “floor time”. The floor is a dog’s territory but we mostly only put our toes on it. So they literally sit on the floor with Harald and spend time with him there.

3. No new stuff for now.

Although they wanted to buy all the toys in the pet shop, they realised it’s safer to wait. Too much stimulus can put stress on a dog fitting in to a new environment.

However, they DID get him healthy treats, and use that with #1 above. There’s lots of time for stimulating toys and cool gadgets for furry friends. We really like number 2.

Also, consider a “garden jol”. Some neighbours like have joined their back gardens and now share it. So all their dogs have much more room, plus the pooches can play together sometimes – always monitored by a real person.

And of course they take turns picking up the poop because that’s a health hazard to leave lying around. It’s a brilliant community solution to lockdown life.