Welcoming a new member of the family always requires a lot of changes around the house. From the family dynamic to the layout of the house, there have to be changes in almost every single aspect of life. This is also true when you are bringing in a four-legged family member, specifically a dog. Dogs need a lot of space to run around and be free, so the ideal home for a dog is the one with a yard. But not just any yard: you have to prepare it for your dog, and here’s exactly how:

Remove any danger

If you share your yard with any neighbours, this can be the trickiest thing to do. You have to protect your dog to make sure there isn’t anything that can hurt them while they’re snooping around. The first rule of dogs is: they will try to put everything in their mouth, especially if it’s a natural material. This means that you should immediately remove any kind of plants that might be poisonous for your pet. If there are other animals in the yard, you have to make sure they stay away from each other until you are sure they won’t do any harm to each other. This might mean putting in place leashes or making a schedule for when each animal can be outside. Of course, you should also make sure there is a fence around your yard that will contain your pet inside and keep any other animals outside.

Make it low-maintenance

If you have a small pet, you have to keep in mind that they are just babies and that they don’t have that much respect for their surroundings. That means that the grass you’ve been carefully tending to for so long is now filled with holes and patches are completely flat, because your pet decided that it’s the absolute best place to roll around every day. When my family decided to get a puppy, the first thing I did was call the experts in landscape design from Sydney to help me arrange my yard so that it looks good even when the little one is done running around through it for hours. This might just be rearranging your seating arrangement, but it might also include planting something new, changing the type of grass you’re growing or pruning your plants in a different way.

Good manners

Above anything else you do, you have to teach your dog manners and train them from day one. They have to learn where they are allowed to go and where they aren’t, where they should go to the bathroom and when they are allowed to go out. Of course, you should never abuse your dog in order to train them, but they have to understand that there are consequences for breaking the rules and rewards for being obedient. Training your dog to follow the rules is the best way to make sure they are safe inside and outside of the house. It will also ensure you don’t have any problems with your neighbours if your dog knows exactly where they are allowed to go and when they can bark.

A dog will bring so many great things into your life. They are a lifelong companion, and kids that grow up with dogs enjoy so many health benefits, both mental and physical. So, if you have space in your home and heart, and if you have time in your life to spare for another friend, then rescuing a pet from a shelter or from the streets is the best thing you can do. Remember that pets are a responsibility, but they are also one of the greatest joys in life.