The SecondHand Dog
By Mark Ruark

Getting a dog that someone else has owned can be very rewarding. You know that you are giving a second chance to a canine friend. It will also be a big job. You and the original owner may have two different outlooks about how a dog fits into your life and home.

Step 1
How Do You Begin?
There are eight different questions you and your family should ask themselves:

1. Do all members of the family agree that they want a pet?
2. What breeds or breed mixes interest us?
   -What type of temperament?
   -What exercise level outdoors/indoors?
   -What hair coat do you want?
3. Do you know enough about this breed or mixture of breeds to be able to train him/her?
4. Can you cover the expenses of this breed or breed mix?
   -Nutritious food
   -Yearly vaccinations/checkups
   -Emergency medical situations
   -Special health situations such as allergies, or other medical problems
5. What is the the real reason for wanting a dog?
6. Can you have this dog?
   -Is a dog allowed in your condo, community etc.? (Will you be living at the current location for an extended period of time?)
   -Do you have enough space?
7. Are you committed to keeping this dog his entire life span?
8. How does he/she get along with:
   -children
   -other dogs
   -cats

Step 2
So, you made it through the first step and you have a new dog. Great!
Now for step two: What are the rules for the new dog?
When a person gets a secondhand dog, some behaviorists theorize that the new owner has two weeks to set the rules. From the situations I have seen, I believe this to be true. For the first week, the dog is unsure of what's expected of him. It takes time for him to totally trust again. So do not be overly free with time, attention, food, treats, etc. Later on when you do not give the same amount of time , attention, treats, etc., he may misunderstand and think something is wrong. This can cause stress for your dog, and stressed dogs can have behavior problems that are not acceptable to us, but which we inadvertently caused. So give attention to the new dog, but not free attention. Make him earn the time, attention, etc. by doing sit, down, come and similar exercises.

By the second week, the dog feels more comfortable and may start testing the boundaries that you set up during the first week. Am I allowed on the furniture, in the kitchen cabinets, in the trash can? Do I have to sit when told to? Do I have to come? Is moving further away from you on the leash acceptable?

Be sure to set your rules before you even acquire the dog, and then stick to the rules. It is always easier to give back some of the freedom than to take it away. Having a pet is something that is relaxing and fun! Don't allow yourself to become overly stressed -keep it simple, teaching a little at a time. Reward the good behavior, ignore the bad behavior, and correct the behavior that you cannot ignore.

Note: Use with picture of shelter and dog