In the past we have thought of ourselves as "owners" rather than "stewards" of our dogs. Stewardship implies commitment and caring. Too often, as "owners," we think of dogs as property. Therefore, when our dog develops a problem, often because of our own ineptness and lack of understanding, we get rid of him instead of getting rid of the problem. When we choose to become the steward of a dog, we are making a commitment to that dog’s lifetime which, with some dogs, can be twenty years or more. Giving up a dog for adoption because of a behavior problem is not only traumatic to us, it is psychologically harmful to the dog as well.

Many dog problems are really people problems. Making a lifetime commitment to a dog is understanding that natural dog behaviors, such as barking, digging, and chewing, can be changed with patient consistency in establishing your leadership. Much misbehavior is caused by boredom, overabundance of energy, loneliness, stress, lack of leadership, or medical problems. With information, you can help your dog overcome these causes.

Bonding involves building a trust between you and your dog. Only establishing your leadership, showing or telling your dog what behavior you expect, and giving lots of praise for good behavior can build this trust. Having a leader is essential to a dog’s security.

Before any of this can be done, your must choose the right dog for you and your family. A dog, which may be a problem for you, might be a pleasure for someone else, even though his behavior is the same for both. You must be aware of his activity level and his ability to get along with humans. It does not matter whether you choose a purebred or mixed breed dog. It is more important to know how well he can adapt to stress. This will determine whether or not he will have a behavior problem. Stress can be caused by being left alone at home all day, tied up or punished.

You can inadvertently teach your dog to misbehave. For example, your puppy runs barking to the door upon hearing the doorbell ring You pick him up and say, "That’s okay, that’s okay, it’s only Martha. You don’t need to bark." You have just told your puppy that his behavior is okay. By picking him up, talking to him in soothing tones, you have reinforced his behavior. Instead, the pup should have heard a firm verbal "NO!" followed by a ‘SIT" command and then, "GOOD DOG!" when he sat and stopped barking.

Physical punishment should never be administered to a dog. Hitting, kicking, and screaming are forms of punishment, which do not help to establish a bond, the trust needed for a dog to see you as a fair but firm leader. Verbal praise and a good rub or two on the chest is all a dog really needs to know that he’s receiving approval. Training a dog to sit/stay, down/stay, etc., is important in establishing your role as leader. Absent a leader, a dog will assume leadership. Food tidbits can be used as lured and rewards during training sessions. After learning has taken place, only occasionally reward with food, but keep up the praise to maintain the learning level. Be sure to be consistent in your commands and corrections, using the same ones each time. If you must reprimand your dog, do it with a firm, "NO!" always followed by a simple command, such as "Sit," then, "Good Dog!" This praise, following a reprimand, maintains the bond. Use a quiet, steady voice in giving commands. Dogs have an excellent sense of hearing. Raising the volume and repeating the command numerous times will not help. Say it once, use the food tidbit lure, expect the correct behavior, and wait. Then repeat. Your dog will eventually perform, and then you can praise and reward him with the food tidbit.

Try to understand the motivation for your dog’s behavior. If your dog is digging, ask yourself why and try to eliminate the cause. Filling the hole with water and sticking his head in it is a futile attempt at treating the symptom rather than the cause. Also, this is a form of abuse and breaks the bond, thereby increasing stress and creating more behavior problems.

Many behavior problems are medically based, so if your dog suddenly starts messing in the house, whining, or chewing, see your veterinarian for a thorough check-up.

To adopt a dog is to make a commitment to care for his health, solve his behavior problems, give him praise, and provide leadership. To reduce his stress, give him plenty of exercise, good food (no table scraps), and do not physically or emotionally abuse him for behaving badly. If need be, take him to an obedience training class to help establish your leadership.

Every member of your family who is going to live with this dog should be present and participate in his selection. Family commitment is an important first step.

Try not to make the mistake of selecting a dog based on your past experience. Some people choose a dog like the one they had when they were growing up, or they select one just like the one that died. Not all dogs of the same breed are alike! In fact, two dogs from the some litter can be totally different. Before making your selection, know what kind of personality best describes you and your family, then find a dog that will fit your personality.

If you consider yourself to be highly assertive and have a very active, busy family, you will probably be happiest with an assertive, outgoing, very friendly, and vivacious dog. You may not be as happy with a shy or submissive dog. Some people, however, greatly enjoy shy, quiet, submissive dogs. These dogs are excellent for senior citizens or for people without children. They take less effort to control and are happy with a quiet, laid-back life-style. Assertive, high energy, outgoing dogs will need more training and obedience work. Be willing to give time for this effort. It will eliminate your having to solve future behavior problems.

There are many ways to find out about the personality of purebred dogs. You can go to the library and read about dogs. You can talk to breeders, behaviorists, veterinarians, and others who work with dogs. Before you decide where to get your puppy, let me advise you to find out as much as you can about the puppy’s mother and father, his litter relationship, socialization, and his health. As a general rule female dogs tend to be less dominant than males and would be a better selection for young children. A mixed breed will be every bit as good a friend and companion as a purebred and have fewer inherited genetic defects.

Do not select a pup whose mother is surly or cranky. A pup will mimic his mother! Make sure that the puppy has been taken out of the litter from time to time to be handled and played with by a variety of adults and children of both sexes. A pup should be socialized to other dogs and cats. You want this pup to grow up liking the warmth and affection offered by people and other animals. Sometimes the runt of the litter is not a good selection because he has to fight for space at the lunch counter and is picked on by the bigger, more dominant dogs. Runts can grow into adult dogs with a competitive, fight-for-your-rights attitude. Make sure the pup you select is of a proper weaning age, generally around eight weeks. Early or late weaning can result in adult behavior problems.

Consider the following in selecting an appropriate puppy. In a litter of puppies determine which is the active, dominant one as well as the quiet, submissive one. The latter would probably not be good for a family with children but fine for a single or elderly person where there will not be as much excitement or activity. Check for assertiveness. A pup that mouths and chews your hand is more assertive and will require a firm hand in training. Cradle the pup on his back in your arms. If he struggles to get down, he is independent and may be difficult to train. Hold him out at arm’s length, and if he shows no fear, it indicates that he trusts you as his leader. Put him on the floor and gently pinch him between his toes and on the fold of skin on his flank. If he shows very little sensitivity, this high pain tolerance indicates that he would be a better adoption for children. Throw a set of keys alongside of him. If he goes to the keys, smells them, and wiggles all over, this is a good sign. If he acts fearful by withdrawing, he may not be able to tolerate the loud noises and unpredictable behavior of young children. Take the puppy to a quiet area. Bend down, clap your hands, and call him. If he comes happily wiggling all over, this is a good sign. If he does not, he may be aloof and independent as an adult dog.

Here are some tips on selecting an appropriate adult dog. It may be difficult, but find out as much as you can about this dog’s past. You may be adopting a dog with a behavior problem. On the positive side, most behavior problems are solvable and, contrary to popular notion, you can teach an old dog new tricks! It just takes a little longer and a lot more patience. A definite plus in adopting an adult dog is that someone did not want him, and, if you do and are patient and caring, you will have a devoted friend for life. Look for a dog that is happy and active, not one that is fearful, withdrawn, or aggressive. Keep in mind that wherever you look for an adult dog he will be under tremendous stress, having just been given up or picked up as a stray. As with a puppy, check his tolerance for noise with a set of keys. If he withdraws, he may be shy or fearful, but a patient single person or an adult family could help him overcome his fear. If he returns your glance with a glazed stare, this indicates distrust and aggression. He would not be a good adoption for a family, Take him to a quiet spot and find out if he likes to play, be held, walk alongside, and act equally responsive toward all members of the family. If he was not properly socialized as a puppy or was abused, he may react fearfully to a particular member of your family who may remind him of a former abusive person. The last thing to check is his health. Adopt him on condition of a veterinarian’s satisfactory examination.

An advantage of adopting an older adult dog is that you save yourself the craziness of those puppy years. Also, an older dog is more likely to be content with being left alone all day. The advantage of adopting a puppy is the absence of learned behavior problems.

There are several important reasons for taking care to introduce your dog properly into your home. How he behaves in the future depends largely on the parameters you establish for him in that initial introduction.

Plan to stay home with him for at least a week. Be patient with his behavior for three or four weeks. It takes time for him to get over the stress of being surrendered by his previous caretaker. Give him time to make the adjustment to his new home.

Keep him in the house during this three to four week period to allow him a chance to become comfortable with the household routine. Take him outside on a leash only to go for walks or for housetraining routine.

Your new dog may already be housebroken. If he is not, there are reasons for this. A change in diet is going to cause some digestive upset until he is accustomed to the kind of food you are serving him. Feed him a good quality dry dog food twice a day and give him water only at feeding time. After he is housetrained, water can be available at all times. Do not feed him table scraps or give him any between-meal snacks. Within an hour after feeding and watering him, take him outside to the place for urinating or defecation. Do not punish him for having an accident in the house.

A dog needs lots of exercise and prefers the company of people. Take him for walks. Take him with you in the car. If he must be left alone for long periods of time, do not leave him tied in the yard or confined in a garage or basement. Leave him in the house. Before you leave him, however, take him for a long run or play with him for at least thirty minutes. When you leave, do it without fanfare. Turn on a radio to keep him company.

Most dogs want to sleep close to their caregivers, so a doggie bed in or near your bedroom will comfort him and eliminate nighttime behavior problems such as barking, whining, and wandering.

To lengthen your dog’s life and to keep him healthy, get him neutered and keep him in your house or yard.

Never physically punish your dog by hitting or screaming at him. The way to teach a dog is to tell or show what you want him to do. Catch him doing something right, then use verbal praise, food tidbits, or a pat on the chest to reinforce this good behavior.

Your new puppy should be adopted when you will have time off to give him that good start which is so important. Remember, a pup will be under a great deal of stress leaving his former home or temporary shelter and learning about your home. He will miss the companionship of his littermates, have a tummy upset from a change in diet, and will be unsure of you, his new caregiver. This is one of the most upsetting transitions in a young puppy’s life—going from canine companionship to human. The first impression or imprinting you make will shape his long-term behavior.

Beginning with the ride home, it is important for you to let the pup sit next to you in the car. He may even want to crawl on your lap for security. Give him lots of pets and hugs on the way home. If he whines, do not try to reassume him with words or by cuddling. Words of assurance and touching will reinforce and encourage this behavior in the future. Touch and talk to him when he is not whining. Also, if he gets carsick, say nothing. Just clean it up when you get home. If you make a fuss over his first carsickness, a lifetime of carsickness may be imprinted.

Upon first arriving home, take the pup to where you want his permanent toilet. Wait until he goes, then praise him profusely. Take him in the house and let him roam and investigate at will. Put his food and water bowl hear the door where you will let him outside to eliminate. During the remainder of the day, take him outside periodically to eliminate. He will need to go especially after eating, drinking, playing, and waking from a nap. Take him to his toy box and show him his chew toys. Take a toy out of the box and give it to him saying, "Chew, Good Dog!" Young pups have a great need to chew, especially at the four to six month teething time. Do not put any items of clothing or shoes in the toy box. He may get the wrong idea when he sees these on the bedroom floor. Take him outside to eliminate after a vigorous chewing session. Remember to praise him each time he eliminates outside. Never scold, hit, or rub his nose in the mess in case of an accident inside. Accidents will happen during the first three-week settling-in period. A quiet, calm, consistent approach to training with lots of laughs will build a bond quickly.

A puppy will feel most comfortable sleeping in your bedroom or a family member’s bedroom. He should never be left alone those first few nights in another room, the garage, or the basement. The trauma of this will result in stress that will manifest itself in behavior problems later on. Put his bed right alongside yours and remember to take him outside upon his first awakening in the morning for he will have to urinate immediately. Eventually, he will sleep until your first stir.

Change over gradually from his former food to your choice of a high quality food. Add a little of the new food to his old food each day for about a week to avoid digestive problems.