Preparing for your dog arriving in the UK
When adopting a dog from Romania please remember the below...
1) Most of these dogs are likely to be scared nervous and unsure of their new surroundings.
2) They may have been mistreated by humans.
3) Some have been in shelters for years or lived in the streets so have never known human comfort. They have never heard a TV, washing machine, hoover, door bell, radio etc so remember that everything will be totally new to them.
4) They will likely not be toilet trained so be prepared for some accidents and have a toilet training plan in place.
5) Some have never had a lead on, some are terrified of you putting a collar on or will not like a harness on at first so patience is key.
6) They are leaving what they know as their home in an unknown van full of other dogs with strange people. Then they travel by road for three to four days to come to the UK and they don't know where they are going or what is happening. They will need time and space to adjust when they first arrive.
7) It is very important that you give your new fur baby time to trust you and this doesn't always happen over night and will take a different amount of time for each dog depending on their history.
8) Do lots of RESEARCH ... there are lots of websites and groups that will provide you with tips and advice on preparing for what to expect in the first days, weeks and months so please do some reading to make sure you are as prepared as possible for your new arrival.
Checklist
Make sure you have the below...
-
Dog bed and blankets
-
Dog crate / pen / den / safe space away from other dogs or lots of noise in the home
- Food and water bowls
- Basic dry dog food for the first few weeks as this is what they are used to and will need time to adjust to a different diet if you plan to feed wet or raw food
- Puppy pads
- Toys (some dogs may not be interested in toys for a while)
- Collar and a tag with phone number and postcode but it is advised not to have your dog's name printed on it (dog's must have this in order to be transported from the transport van into your house)
- Slip lead (dog's must have this in order to be transported from the transport van into your house)
- Regular lead
- Harness (measure your dog once they arrive to get an accurate fit)
- Dog poo bags
- Basic training treats
- Register at your chosen vet practice
- Most importantly...PATIENCE, LOVE and UNDERSTANDING