Okay, the kids have finally worn you out and you go to the local animal shelter to adopt a family dog, or a dog “follows” your child home and you’re beset by pleas of “Can I keep him? Huh? Huh? Can I keep him?” And in the end you give up. No matter what, suddenly there is a new four-legged member in the family. Now what?
No matter how you come to have a family dog, whether on purpose or by accident, the first thing you should do is take the dog to the vet and make sure it is healthy. He should also get his shots and most likely dewormed.
The next thing you need to do is teach this new family member how to behave. The first order of business is usually to educate a puppy. Housebreaking is not that difficult if you remember to feed the puppy only three times a day and take him to the designated bathroom immediately after eating, sleeping or playing. But buy a good mop, anyway.
The next order of business is obedience training the pup or taking him to obedience training classes. Trust me, no matter how big or small a dog is, if it is not obedience trained, it will not be socially acceptable. Your friends, your neighbors and society in general will not tolerate a disobedient dog.
The dog must learn basic obedience commands. He must learn to “come”, “sit”, “stay”, “lie down” and “lean”. If he never learns to roll over and play dead, it’s not a big deal, but he needs to know and follow basic obedience commands. You will be happy and the dog will be too.
