What Should You Do When You Bring a Stray Dog Home

Bringing an abandoned or stray dog home requires just much preparation as you would when you bring home a new puppy. However, you need to take a couple more preventive measures before really getting acquainted with your new found friend.

7 Steps to Make Your Once Stray Dog Feels At Home

Check-Up. Have a veterinarian give your dog a thorough check-up. It may have picked up illnesses during its time on the streets, or through a previous owner’s mistreatment. A veterinarian will identify the health problems and advise you how to manage them.

Vaccination. Get it vaccinated against serious diseases common to its species. It is always heartbreaking for any caring owner to lose a dog to an illness that could have been prevented.

Dog-Proofed. You should, of course, have dog-proofed your home so nothing within reach poses a danger to your new friend.

Diet. Try to learn what its regular diet was before your adopted the dog so that you can gradually ease it into a new one. If you just take a stray off the streets and feed it nothing but premium dog food, it may suffer digestive upsets. First, give meals that are three quarters of its usual food (table scrape) with a bit of the new, then decrease and increase the relevant quantities over a week until it is comfortably eating the new food only.

Take It Slow. Do not overwhelm your new dog with too much attention. He’s likely to be frightened and disoriented in a new setting and having spent days wondering in streets.

Get Aquatinted. While puppies especially need a lot of time to sleep and rest, full-grown ones must also be given space to check things out. Your new dog will need time to get used to your home. Your family members must also get used to the dog’s personality and needs.

Training. Toilet training, obedience training, and understanding household rules will take time. Be very patient. Never hit, frighten, or scream at your dog if he makes a mess. The dog had been through a lot before you found him, so don’t make things too complicated for him to adjust.

Why Would Someone Want to Bring a Stray or Abandoned Dog Home?

Great question! For simplicity sake, let’s assume that this isn’t one of those dogs (hopefully his dog tag is intact or tattoo is easily seen) who gone missing for a day or five. I can’t say this applies to all states and countries, but many SPCAs and Animals Control Authorities don’t have rooms to house all stray dogs or cats whenever someone reported to them. What this means is that they will still go out and capture those reported stray dogs and cats, maybe house them for a day or two, and then euthanize them even they are in perfect health. To many, especially activists, this seems like a cruelty act. But if you look at it from their perceptive, it is not. I’ve touched a bit on this here, so I won’t rehash. With that said, my heart bleeds every time I talk about it.

Whether or not one should bring a stray or abandoned dog home is very much a personal issue. There is no wrong or right answer.

Having your heart in the right place is a good thing, but if you aren’t prepared or ready to house an abandoned dog then it won’t make much difference to his current situation.