Many people want to adopt puppies but they are very skeptical when it comes to taking one from a shelter. Why? This is because there is a fear of disease and temperament.

In this country there dogs end up in shelters generally as rescued dogs.  Or a few that have been put by owners who cannot have them anymore. Many animal rights groups routinely collect pups and adults and place them in shelters to prevent them from being killed.

First you have to see the types of dog that end up on the street. First there is the dog that has been born on the street as a stray and then there is the dog that has been abandoned on the street.

The dogs that have been born on the street are survivors. Those that make it through puppy hood have learned all the tricks to survive. They generally move in packs. Just like in the wild they have the hierarchal system. To survive within this system the animals have to know there place. Other wise they will be banished from the pack. With out the pack they dog not have protection on sometimes even food is scarce. In today’s state where garbage is plentiful you could see particular pack of stray dogs hanging around particular garbage dumps or spots.

In the pack system the strongest will have its fill and then the others. This means that they have to obey the pack leader. They must know what obedience is.  When the pack leader is replaced then every animal moves up in order.

These are one type of animals in the shelter. Then there are the pups that have been abandoned on the street. Here if they are lucky they will be reasonably well fed and have decent chance to life. But when pups are put together they too form packs. This is because it is their nature here again the same cycle starts.  The difference here is that pups in a shelter have some assurance of their share of food. They do not have to fight for it.

The other type is the dog that has been put by someone who cannot have it anymore.  These animals come in various ages. These animals are very different n temperament to the other two types. This is because they have lived a greater part of their formative years in the company of people.  Here these animals have learned to treat people as their pack.

In doing so they have generally much habit that the other two types may not have.

This could be advantages or in some case disadvantages.

In the case of a dog which has been brought up in a home it would have already learned to be house trained.  It would have been used to eating at certain times. It would have had a particular person it preferred in the family. Or it might be one that does not like children.  When picking up a dog from a shelter make sure you find out something about its background. In the case of an adult this is vital. Because habit that have set are rather difficult to change and it is better to learn what they are and live with them.

This way you will know that if the dog is suitable to have in a family with children or if it is only used to the company of adults.

Also in the case of its’ eating habits  one has to be especially careful.  Animals underfed are generally very possessive of their food while eating and may even bite if you approach.

In the case of pups from a shelter. This is a good choice . Because they have been socialized. They know how to live with other dogs. They also know to be with people  as the keeper that would have looked after them would be familiar. The keepers generally are bit stern with them. A you may well imagine a bunch of yapping puppies cannot be easy to control at meal times. Here the control of the keepers plays an important role. They are the pack leaders for the pups. This same authority can be transferred to the new owners.  This makes the transmission smooth.

When you take a pup make sure you know the times it is usually fed and try to continue that for some time till you phase it out to suit your system of feeding. You must remember that the pup will be missing its mates and will be lonely. You have to give it some thought. It may cry in the night when its lonely. As pups huddle together at night against the cold. Understand this and you will have the most trainable of pets.

When it comes to taking an adult who has been rescued basically the same applies. But you have to be more watchful. This is because the animal that was born a stray and survived to adulthood is one with a strong personality. Make no mistake it will survive and it will defend its’ territory.  This does not mean they are bad animals to adopt. But simply you have to be more watchful.  These types are better for mature people who have rather disciplined lives.    Where their lives are not suddenly disrupted by changes, children running around. Again I must stress that there are very friendly good tempered dogs among strays. Especially ‘Pariahs’. The Pariah Dog as we know is a south Asian breed.  It is generally tan/fawn in colour. It is about 20” to the withers. It is a very good tempered dog.   Many people think that any stray is a pariah but no. The Pariah is a breed.  The unpredictable temperament come from actually cross breeds.  These are the animals that maybe unreliable.

There fore when ever one wants to pick up a dog from a shelter please do so. But be prepared for what you will be getting. The only way to get on well with your pet is first to understand it and respect it for what it is.

The leader of the pack

By Chanaka de Silva

Lots of dogs which are favored pets may adopt a certain dominant attitude. This is generally found among male dogs that are brought up alone. While as pups they are to be cute when they growl playfully at you, as adult that resist you and even challenges you it could seem rather dangerous problem. Like children dogs have to brought up firmly yet with a lot of love. All good behavior must be rewarded and rebellion must be checked.

This stems from the wild nature of the dog being a pack animal. They will simply behave this way unless you the pack leader put it in its place. While the well trained dog is a joy and an asset to possess an uncontrollable and aggressive dog is a life threatening liability. Take the a business of keeping a dog seriously, give it basic training and you will have the best companion for life.

Listed below are some of the more commonly faced problems associated with bossy dogs, and how to tackle them.

Dominant Dogs
For some people, the phrase “top dog” isn’t just a saying It actually describes their dog. If you’ve got a dog who likes to boss you (or others) around, chances are you’ve got a dominance aggression problem in your household—a problem that could endanger you, your family, and others. Most dogs assume a neutral or submissive role toward people, but some dogs will challenge their owners for dominance. A “dominant” dog may stare, bark, growl, snap, or even bite when you give him a command or ask him to give up a toy, treat, or resting place. Sometimes even hugging, petting, or grooming can be interpreted as gestures of dominance and, therefore, provoke a growl or snap—and this is true even though your dog may still be very affectionate and often solicit petting and attention from you.

To understand why your dog behaves in these ways, it’s important to know some things about canine social systems. Animals who live in social groups, including wolves and domestic dogs, establish a social structure called a dominance hierarchy within their group. This hierarchy serves to maintain order, reduce conflict, and promote cooperation among group members. A position within the dominance hierarchy is established by each member of the group, based on the outcome of interactions between themselves and the other pack members. The more dominant animals can control access to valued items such as food, den ites, and mates. For domestic dogs, valued items might be food, toys, sleeping or resting places, and attention from their owner.

For your home to be a safe and happy place for pets and people, it’s best that the humans in the household assume the highest positions in the dominance hierarchy, particularly with dominant dogs.

Is Your Dog Dominant?
You may have a dominance issue with your dog if he:
Resists obeying well-known commands.
Won’t move out of your way when required.
Nudges your hand, mouths your arm, or insists on being petted or played with—in other words, he “orders” you to obey.
Defends food, toys, or other objects from you.
Growls or bares teeth under any circumstances.
Resists handling by you, the veterinarian, or the groomer.
Gets up on furniture without permission and won’t get down.
Snaps at you.

What to Do If You Recognize Signs of Dominance in Your Dog
If you recognize the beginning signs of dominance aggression in your dog, consult an animal behavior specialist immediately. Avoid using any form of physical punishment on your dog. Getting physical with a dominant dog may cause the dog to intensify his aggression, posing the risk of injury to you.
If your dog has shown signs of dominance aggression, take the following precautions to ensure the safety of your family and others who may encounter your dog: Avoid situations that bring out aggressive behavior.

Back off and use “happy talk” to relieve the intensity of situations in which your dog acts aggressively. Supervise, confine, and/or restrict your dog’s activities as necessary, especially when children or other pets are present. Use a head halter or muzzle to help control your dog when you’re outdoors. Brand names of head halters include Gentle Leader, Promise Collar, or Halt.
When you’re indoors with your dog, control access to parts of the home by using baby gates or by crating your dog. You can also use a cage-type muzzle, head halter, or leash for control purposes—but do so only when you can closely supervise your dog.
Dominance aggression problems are unlikely to go away without your taking steps to resolve them. Because dominant aggressive dogs can be potentially dangerous, treatment of dominance
aggression problems should always be supervised by an animal behavior specialist.

Becoming the Leader of the Pack
Use the following techniques—none of which require a physical confrontation with your dog—to help you gain some control over your dog and establish yourself as the “pack leader”:Spay or neuter your dog to reduce hormonal contributions to aggression. Understand spayed or neutered, it may take

You lead the pack

time for those hormones to clear from the body.In some cases, long-standing behavior patterns may continue even after the hormones or other causes no longer exist. Use a training technique called “Nothing In Life Is Free” to establish your leadership in a safe, non-confrontational way. This technique requires your dog to “work” for everything he gets from you. Have your dog obey at least one command (such as “sit”) before you pet him, give him dinner, put on his leash, or throw him a toy. If your dog doesn’t know any commands or doesn’t perform them reliably, you’ll fi rst have to teach him, using positive reinforcement techniques, and practice with him daily. You may need to seek professional help if, after two or three weeks of working on a command, your dog does not obey each time you ask.
Don’t feed your dog ‘people food’ from the table and don’t allow begging.

Ignore barking and jumping up.
Don’t allow your dog on the furniture or your bed unless invited to do so by you, because this is a privilege reserved for leaders. If your dog growls or snaps when you try to remove him from the furniture,
use a treat to lure him off. Otherwise, try to limit his access to your bed and/or furniture by using baby gates or a crate, or by closing doors.

Always remember to reward appropriate behavior.
Consult your veterinarian about acupuncture, massage therapy, or drug therapy. Your veterinarian may prescribe the temporary use of medication to be used in conjunction with behavior modification. Consider enrolling your dog in a training class. This may help establish a relationship between you and your dog in which you give commands and he obeys them. Be sure to choose a trainer who uses positive reinforcement methods. Understand that obedience classes alone, however, won’t necessarily prevent or reduce dominance aggression.

A Note about Children and Dogs
From your dog’s point of view, children, too, have a place in the dominance hierarchy. Because children are smaller and get down on the dog’s level to play, dogs often consider them to be playmates rather than superiors. Small children and dogs should never be left alone together without adult supervision. Older children should be taught how to play and interact appropriately and safely with dogs. Under no circumstances, however, should a child be left alone with a dog who has displayed signs of aggression.