Bringing a new puppy or kitten into your home is an exciting time for pet and person alike. I want to encourage you to get your relationship with your new companion off to the best start. The good behaviors that you help to develop early on will lead to a loving home environment for many years to come.

When your new pet is a puppy or kitten, it is helpful to bring something from his or her first home that holds the scent of its mother. If that cannot be done, there is a product called D.A.P. (for dog appeasing hormone) that mimics the scent of a mother dog and helps ease any anxiety your puppy may be feeling in its new home. The cat product is called Feliway. The diffuser is plugged into a wall outlet or available as a spray and is not detectable by the human nose. Give it a try to see if it will help with any nervous whining or crying.

The place for your new puppy or dog to be when you are unable to be with them is in a crate. They should be crate trained not only to help with potty training, but also because it has a likeness to a cozy cave that your dog’s ancestors once stayed in. You can drape a blanket over the outside of the crate to make it feel like an even safer place to rest and sleep. Kittens will feel cozy and safe in a little fleece bed with taller sides or cat tree nook.

Finally, if you already have pets in your home, keep the new household member isolated for a few days. Allow your current pets and your new pet to sleep on a blanket or towel for a day or two and then exchange them so that the animals can become adjusted to the scent of each other. Then be patient and introduce them on leashes so that you can control their movements.