How to Prepare Your Home to Adopt an Adult Dog: Complete Guide 2025
Did you know that adult dogs make up nearly 60% of all shelter animals, yet they are often overlooked for puppies?
Adopting an adult dog can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. These wonderful companions come with established personalities, often have basic training, and are ready to bond deeply with their new family.
But here is the thing - if you decide to go this route, I do highly recommend putting thoughtful preparation, work and money. Unlike puppies who tend to adapt quickly, adult dogs may carry negative emotions due to previous experiences. They do need a carefully prepared environment that helps them feel safe and secure if you want them to thrive. I am going to walk you through everything you need to know to help you decide on how to create the best welcoming space for your new fur kiddo.
Supplies
Food and water bowls
Dog food (We will talk about how to pick food for your cat in a different post)
Comfortable bed
Dog crate (if you plan to crate train- this can also be good for travel purposes and having on hand in case they get injured and need small recovery space, if you prefer)
Either dog poop bags or poop scoop
Clean up supplies (there will more likely be accidents)
Sturdy leash or leash and harness (do you research to see what would be best for you and your kiddo)
Grooming tools if you would rather not go to a groomer (dog shampoo and conditioner, brushes, nail trimmers, *de-matting tools for long hair and curly hair)
Interactive toys
Chew toys
Collar with ID tags
Setting Up the Perfect Transition Room
Unlike cats, dogs tend to be a little more acceptable to change, but this does not make them any less nervous. Coming from a shelter can make any pet stressed, especially when they do not fully know nor trust you, yet. It is good to set up a consistent routine and safe space to help your adult furry kiddo adjust to their new home. A transition room helps provide a smaller safe space for your new kiddo until they feel comfortable to explore more of your home. You may have to adjust these tips to fit you and your new kiddo’s lifestyle and personalities.
A transition room can be a crate or an actual room. For both, choose a designated quiet retreat area where there is not much foot traffic. This can be a bedroom or office room. If you decide to use the crate method, just keep the door open for them to access. Bring their toys, food and water bowls.
Set up a cozy sleeping area. Depending on the personality of your kiddo, your kiddo may either want their own space or be close to you at all times while they adjust. Some dogs want to sleep in the same room as you. If this is the case, bring their bed and toys in your room, if you so choose. If your new kiddo needs some space, set up the sleeping area either next to their retreat crate or designated room with toys and water bowl.
Be sure to provide easy access to water for during the day and evening. In the shelter, they more likely slept next to a water bowl, so this is best to start until they get used to your routine or you are more than welcome to continue to provide water throughout your home.
Now, this may follow the first tip I mentioned above. Consider crate training space. Not everyone believes in crate training so please use this tip to your lifestyle and plans for your kiddo. If you plan to do crate traing
Establish bathroom access points. Create and provide a clear path to either a potty pad or outdoor relief area. It will be good to guide them to the relief areas throughout the day for 2-3 days at the least and bring treats so you can reward them when they go potty where you need them to.
Creating a Safe Environment In Your Home
You cannot 100% prevent your dog from getting sick or hurt, but you can take extra precautions to rule out certain possibilities. Secure toxic substances and plants. Note, even adult dogs will get into and chew on things they are not supposed to. It is best to secure all medicine and chemicals into cabinets or boxes. Plants can either be removed or secluded to a specific room. It is not normal for dogs to go after plants like cats, but it also depends on your kiddo’s personality.
Secure breakable items. Just like cats, dogs will either accidentally break stuff while excited or chew on breakables which can be potentially dangerous. My sister’s dog chewed up her ex’s expensive gaming headphones even though they have let their dog know not to.
Install baby gates. This step is optional and dependent on your preferences and lifestyle. Baby gates can be good for keep dogs out of certain areas like the kitchen, a baby’s room, kid’s room, etc. They are good to have on hand in case you cannot watch your kiddo due to having to leave.
For example, your new kiddo can tend to get into the trash and is reluctant about it. A baby gate can keep them out of the room if your kitchen will allow it (depends on build of your kitchen too).
Check outdoor fencing or gates. It is good to check if outdoor fencing/ gates are secure and secure for the dog breed you are bringing home. For example, if you have fencing, is your super fit Malinois or German Shepherd mix going to eventually figure out how to jump over?
I would personally check for loose spots and holes, first and see how it goes. That is just my own opinion. Some others like to be fully prepared.
Secure trash cans. It is best to be on top of this early on to save some for yourself later. Note, that some dogs are smart and reluctant. My late childhood dog, Mako, loved getting into the trash especially while we were out. Every trashcan tip, trick and method my parents tried before having to get motion sensing trashcan. Mako was never able to figure that one out.
Secure electrical cords. This is also very important to not just save your electronics, but for the safety of your new dog. Some will chew on cords, so it is best to keep them hidden.
Setting Up Training and Exercise Areas
Dogs are very active, just like cats, just at times can be bigger, therefore, more prone to cause destruction. Coming up with goals to keep your kiddo active will help them stay mentally and physically stimulated; it can keep you active and if you plan a routine, it can help your kiddo adjust to their new life.
Identify indoor and outdoor training spaces. Having a set training space(s) can help your dog focus more on what the task is once they are aware of what the specific space is used for.
Plan walking/ play routes and schedules. If you plan to let your dog outside with minimal supervision, disregard this tip. This can be important because just like a toddler, adult dogs will have energy they will need to let out and they can get destructive with their environment if they have nowhere else to put that energy.
Planning and setting goals for walking and being active especially if you work full-time will bring your new kiddo much joy.
Plan socialization opportunities. It is best to wait on this until your kiddo is fully established and comfortable. This is a crucial step in your kiddo’s adjustment to your home. Lack of socialization can cause anxiety and fear.
Your new kiddo could potentially learn to not like other animals and people which can risk them to become aggressive. Socialization can help bring down that fear and anxiety and help their overall being.
Understanding Possible Behavior and Adjustment Expectations
When you bring your new furry kiddo home, they will either be nervous and curious or very nervous and upset or a mix of it all. With that, this can be an adjustment period, not just for your dog, but for you as well. You will have to get to know your new dog and their boundaries, just like when you make a new friend or start dating someone.
It is normal if your new furry friend wants to hide or lay in a less traffic corner at first. Many dogs tend to get curious and will sniff around your home almost immediately, but there are some who have had negative experiences with people or other animals that make them more nervous about their new home. It is best to respect their boundaries and allow them time and space to get comfortable and used to your presence and environment.
Territorial instincts can be stronger in adult dogs, especially males. They may mark (spray or urinate) on things you would prefer them not to. They do this to let either any person in the house or other animals that certain things belong to them.
This tends to be more common in dogs who are not spayed or neutered. If your new kiddo was neutered at the shelter, allow some time, by cleaning each area, increase potty break times to try to empty their bladder more and also do training with them (provide positive reinforcement and treats when they potty where you want them to).
Note, that territorial behavior can make a dog aggressive towards people and other pets. It is best to try and start training once they are a little more comfortable and used to their new space. You can help this by consistent positive reinforcement training, providing a calm and under stimulated environment if possible (I know this can be hard especially if you have multiple animals or kids), socialization and even seek professional help from a veterinarian, behavior specialist or dog trainer.
It is good to note, when it comes to giving your new kiddo attention, some dogs will prefer to be left alone while others enjoy more affection. Most dogs are excited to have someone who loves them, but some come with trauma from people or animals or both and need time to know they are safe. Give it time, consistency and patience.
Lastly, health issues can impact behavior. Older dogs may have health problems like arthritis, teeth problems, kidney disease, etc. Issues like these can make a kiddo more nervous or even defensive because they feel more vulnerable due to not feeling well.
Health and Veterinary Considerations
Gather medical records from the shelter. You can read the medical records if you would like, I personally did not understand those records until I worked in the field, now I know what to look for. This will help a veterinarian know what vaccines they have had, if your kiddo has any pre-existing conditions and if they were spayed or neutered.
Be sure to research and contact local veterinarians and schedule an initial wellness exam within the first two to three weeks of brining your kiddo home. This is especially important if your kiddo has pre-existing conditions, on medication, or a vaccine is due. You will be able to get a second opinion on their medication and issues. Getting a second opinion also sees if the shelter or previous owners missed any existing conditions.
Budget for immediate health needs. This includes parasite treatment, chronic conditions or potential dental work. If you did not plan enough for the cost, you can ALWAYS ask your veterinarian for an itemized receipt with prices for treatment and consult with them on what is important now and what can wait.
This is not required, but it helps to prepare, especially if the shelter helps you be aware of your new kiddos pre-existing conditions before you take them home. Understand common adult dog health concerns. This includes, but is not limited to kidney disease, periodontal disease (teeth issues), anxiety that needs medication, arthritis, Cushing’s disease, hypothyroidism, diabetes, etc.
You, usually, do not need these items immediately (I do not want to promise anything), but it is good to eventually prepare- stock on basic first aid supplies. This can be important if you live on land or plan to take your kiddo outdoors a lot (hiking, camping, etc.).
Plan for potential behavioral issues. Usually, shelter can be good at catching obvious behaviors, sometimes certain behaviors do not show until they are in a more settled state. Behavioral issues take time, consistent training, positive reinforcement and experiences and even can require professional help. Do your research and talk with your veterinarian for a second opinion.
Lastly, plan for a quarantine period, if needed. This usually happens if the kiddo was diagnosed with a contagious condition that the staff had to treat. This is usually an infection (parasitic, viral or bacterial). Whether you have pets or not, they will you ask to keep your kiddo indoors, possibly a single room for 1-2 weeks to make sure the infection is cleared and so you have a smaller area to disinfect. Then they will recommend you to follow up with a veterinarian, either their own for no cost or your own local vet.
Shelters tend to spay and neuter dogs, so as long as their health is good to go under anesthesia. But it is good to consult your veterinarian about spaying and neutering if it has not been done already. The veterinarian will be able to go over the pros and cons of spaying and neutering (I will go over this in more detail in a different article).
Introductions to Other Pets and People In Home
Start with separate spaces. Not allowing them to see each other, but be able to sniff each other from under the door, through a kennel or baby gate with a blanket covering if they are not happy with each other.
Try the scent swopping technique. You can allow each pet to sniff each other’s toys, blanket, bed, etc. and see how they react. You can do the same with your other family members (I highly recommend this first if one or both pets are upset or still very nervous). Then you can lock your other pets away to allow your new dog to explore once they seem more curious to visit more of the home. This will allow them to smell your other pets and allow their scent to fill the room so your other pets can smell them once they are back out. Do not allow your other pets into your new dog’s environment just yet.
Feeding on opposite sides of the door or gate. This creates a positive experience during meal times.
Once you feel both of your pets feeling more comfortable with the other’s scent and they both seem more curious of each other through the door or at least can tolerate each other, you can start visual introduction through the door, baby gate or crate. You can crack the door or uncover the gate you covered with a blanket to allow them to see each other and see how they react. If they seem to want to play you can move on to the next step. If one or both pets seem spicy still, you can try again later.
Supervised meetings can be an exciting and nervous time because it can either start out great and go bad, start out bad and turn out great, or just be a great experience overall. This allows both pets and your family to explore the room together and get used to each other’s presence. I do not recommend this in the new pet’s room, so they still have a safe space to fall back to if they need more time to adjust.
Allow your new dog to sniff your family members. It is best to have their hands held at a small distance below their head as dogs can get nervous; they can find the overhead approach more threatening. Your family member can have their palm up or down, just have their hand relaxed. Your new dog will either approach and sniff or walk away because they are not ready.
If they are not ready, continue earlier steps and continue having supervised meetings so your new kiddo can get used to you and your family.
Long Term Success Strategies to Please Your New Dog
This can be considered the most important one. Be sure to maintain consistent routines. This is not easy especially if you work non- consistent hours, but it is important to try especially for older cats getting used to a new environment. Adult kitties thrive in predictability and structure.
Establish boundaries gently. Not everyone may agree with me, but this is how you start to earn your pet’s trust and respect. You do not know the previous environment they came from or what they have been through before. Using positive reinforcement like treats or pets can be beneficial. Some people have even used clicker training with dogs and have been successful. Please note it can take more time with adult dogs since they have established personalities and habits.
Provide mental stimulation. This includes bones, puzzle feeders, battery operated toys, tennis balls to throw and even you can interactively play with them. This gets their brain working since they are not out in the wild and can help them from getting bored.
Monitor weight and nutrition as adult dogs are more prone to weight gain and dietary issues. Senior dogs tend to have more sensitive stomachs or are more picky eaters.
Groom regularly for most dogs. Some dogs need to be brushed weekly, some monthly and others seasonally. It can help to use dog sensitive wipes and give baths (how regularly baths happen depends on your dog’s coat). You may have to bathe your long haired and fluffy dog more regularly to help prevent or get rid of mats. Some owners like to shave their dogs down during summer, but I would take caution to this as fur may not grow back the same or may not grow back at all on certain breeds.
I would note though, dogs tend to strongly dislike the groomers and usually dislike being bathed.
If you like to trim nails regularly, it is good to start as early as possible and bring treats! Teaching adult dogs to get used to nail trimmings can go decent or horribly. Some may get unhappy but eventually tolerate you with some growls in between. Some dogs get very spicy when held down and sometimes need a “sedated nail trim” at the vet.
If you are recommended your dog needs a sedated nail trim it may be best to just let them have their nails to prevent stress on both ends for yourself and your dog at least for a couple months. It is good to keep dogs’ nails on the shorter side to help prevent nails curling especially into the paw pads as that can be painful and even cause infection.
Preparing your home for an adult dog adoption is not just about buying supplies – it is about creating a foundation for a lifetime of love and companionship! Remember, adult dogs often come with their own unique histories and needs, but with proper preparation, patience, and lots of love, they can become the most loyal and grateful family members you'll ever have.
The key is taking it slow, staying consistent, and giving your new furry kiddo time to adjust. Every dog is different, and what works for one may not work for another. Trust the process, celebrate small victories, and do not hesitate to reach out to trainers, veterinarians, or the adoption agency for support.
Ready to open your heart and home to a deserving adult dog? Start with this preparation checklist, and you'll be setting both yourself and your new companion up for success. Your perfect four-legged friend is waiting for you at a shelter right now!