Briar

Welcome to the next chapter of the rest of your lives!

Maria

Setting the Stage for a Pawsome Beginning

We are thrilled that you are considering welcoming a canine companion into your family, home, and heart. Adopting a dog is a journey filled with joy, loyalty, and unconditional love. However, it’s important to understand that helping a potentially nervous or unsure dog adjust to their new environment requires more than good intentions. Success will take patience, dedication, and a solid plan.

To help you and your new family member thrive together, we’ve compiled essential resources and guidance below. These tips will ensure you’re equipped to provide a safe and loving environment while building a lifelong bond.

Espiga

Meet ‘n Greet: Taking the First Step

A Meet ‘n Greet is your opportunity to meet your potential new family member, ask questions, and explore the possibility of adoption. It’s a chance to see if the dog’s personality and needs align with your lifestyle.

We believe taking a thoughtful and deliberate approach is better than rushing the process, so even if you fall in love, we ask that you sleep on it. This will also give our Team time to conduct a home visit and for you to ask more questions, sign the Adoption Contract + pay the Adoption Fee in the event you move forward with adoption.

Our Foster Families and the Familiar Hearts Animal Society (FHAS) work closely to ensure each dog finds a situation where they can truly thrive. Please understand that the Foster Family and FHAS reserve the right to make the final decision on adoptions, with the dog’s best interests at heart.

Chewy

Before Your Meet n Greet:

  • Required for all Adopters - watch the How to Approach a Dog Safely video below on meeting a dog for the first time.

Before You Bring Your Canine Family Member Home:

  1. Home Visit (can be done virtually) with a qualified Familiar Hearts team member to answer any questions you may have + make sure your living spaces are set up for a successful homecoming.

  2. Virtual Consult with one of our trainers to discuss what to expect when bringing a new dog home.

  3. Pay the Adoption Fee through the link HERE. To learn more about where your fees go, check out our Donate page.

  4. Sign the Adoption Contract - a qualified FHAS staff member will need to be notified to send this email from our database partner, Pawlytics.

  5. Schedule a Training Session with one of our trusted dog training partners - on us! - to be completed in the first 30 days of bringing your new family member home.

We also recommend:

  • If you already have a dog or dogs, please watch the How to Introduce Your Dog to Other Pets video below

  • If you have a cat or if your dog might be expected to meet cats, please watch Can Cats and Dogs Be Friends? below

    • $475

    • non-refundable

    • adoption fees are not tax deductible

    • if you feel compelled to support us beyond the required fee with a tax deductible donation or you wish to share our donation link with your friends, use: https://givebutter.com/FHASbespoke

We’re here to support you every step of the way. Let’s work together to make this transition as smooth and rewarding as possible for you and your new furry companion!

How to Approach a Dog Safely

Watch this before your meet n greet

Our Most Recommended Video

in the event that you adopt a dog is The 3-3-3 Rule

The 3-3-3 Rule

The goal of the 3-3-3 rule is to help your dog adjust to their new environment and build a strong foundation for a long and happy life with their new family.

  1. three days for initial decompression

  2. three weeks to learn the routines of your household

  3. three months to start to feel relaxed and at home

How to Introduce a New Dog to Your Other Pets

We encourage you to take advantage of the included training session with one of our trusted training partners within the first 30 days of bringing your dog home. They have helped countless dog adopters successfully introduce their new furry friends to their families, work on loose leash walking, crate training, and much more.

They can also help with enrichment activities + explain the importance of not allowing the new dog to interact with people + other dogs on the street right away. Have questions about positive reinforcement? They can help with that too.

More Resources

Can Cats and Dogs Be Friends?

That depends. It all depends on YOU, your dog, your cat and your management of all those moving parts. One foster might say the cat was fine with dogs while another foster of the same cat might say the opposite. YOU decide what is true for your special family based on how you allow them to interact.

Ladybird

Last But Not Leash-t

Here’s a list of some of our favorite trainers that you can search for nearly any question you may have about integrating your dog not just into your home + routine, but to a host of other situations:

We generally agree with the theories + techniques of: