If dogs could choose their owners, would you make the cut? Perhaps you deliver a pretty intense belly scratch, enjoy a rigorous game of catch, or indulge in extended afternoon walks. That’s a good start, but any dog would tell you that loving, responsible human companions need more than a penchant for play.

Gender probably isn’t as big a deal as you think when you’re picking out a puppy, but male dogs do get bigger and weigh more than females of their breed.

Just because you adopt a dog that used to be somebody else’s pet doesn’t mean you are adopting trouble. Sometimes, perfectly nice, even virtually perfect dogs are turned in to animal shelters and rescue groups. Some of the most common reasons why people abandon or relinquish their pets include:

Even if you’ve had your adopted dog for months, even years, you can start over and re-set your own behaviors, which will in turn re-set your adopted dog’s behaviors.