November 24, 2025
Congratulations! You’ve Adopted a Dog/Puppy.
Find essential care tips for your newly adopted dog or puppy, including housing, vaccinations, disease prevention, and safe introductions.
What an exciting time! Adopting a new friend can be a big responsibility, and we want to make sure each animal is set up for success in their new home. We encourage you to keep the following tips in mind when you bring home your new dog or puppy.
A check-in with your family veterinarian within the first week after adoption is critical to ensure continuity of care for your new friend, and to create a preventative health care plan tailored to their specific needs and to your lifestyle. The goal is to prevent future disease and illness, which will ideally also help reduce future costs of care.
Environment
Set up a well-ventilated crate or a separate doggie-proofed room for your new dog or puppy. It’s one of the easiest ways to help them successfully transition into your home. Make this a positive space, not a form of punishment. The goal is to provide a quiet retreat and/or to help
with housetraining. Remember, the dog must be allowed appropriate breaks (every few hours) for feeding and potty breaks, as well as lots of time spent out of the crate or room for walks, training and playtime.
Vaccines
Vaccines play a vital role in protecting your new dog or puppy from diseases that can be devastating to their health, as well as keeping other furry and human family members safe. Core vaccines for dogs include DA2PP (distemper, adenovirus (hepatitis), parainfluenza, parvovirus) and rabies. Rabies vaccination is a legal requirement. All dogs adopted from
the Ontario SPCA have received their rabies vaccination, provided they are old enough to receive it at the time of adoption.
Disease Testing
Heartworm & Tick-Borne Illness: Mosquitoes and ticks can transmit diseases to dogs. There is a blood test to screen for exposure to heartworm and tick-borne illness. This is not something your dog has received yet and, based on lifestyle and age, may be recommended by your veterinarian. Internal and External Parasites: Your new furry friend has received routine deworming and external parasite prevention prior to adoption, but further doses may be required. Please follow up with your family veterinarian for testing and treatment moving forward.
Dog-to-Dog / Cat Introductions
Dogs can safely be introduced to one another with some positive encouragement and body language awareness. With time, many cats and dogs can learn to coexist peacefully and may even become friends!