What does your dog expect from you? Most dogs need and want a leader. Dogs are social animals and like being part of a group, but every group must have a leader to prevent chaos. For your dog to feel relaxed, he needs to know that someone is in charge. If you don't take on the role of leader, your dog may feel that he has to fill the position.

If you have a dog and a new one will be entering or visiting your home, there are things you can do to ensure that the meeting goes off without a hitch. A new dog can mean you are bringing home a foster or a new family member, someone who has a dog is moving into your house, or someone is visiting with a dog.

Dog trainers regularly use language that you may find confusing at first. Don't worry. This article gets you started by providing you with dog training and animal behavior terms and definitions. Once you understand these terms, you'll speak the same language as your dog trainer.

Bringing a dog into your family causes great joy all around. But making a commitment to a dog is much like making a commitment to a human being: Both relationships require daily care and nurturing in order to flourish. So, as you embark on this new commitment, here are some promises to consider making to your dog.

Dog trainers regularly use language that you may find confusing at first. Don't worry. This article gets you started by providing you with dog training and animal behavior terms and definitions. Once you understand these terms, you'll speak the same language as your dog trainer.

If you're thinking about getting a dog and you've never had one, please do some research first. Learn about what's involved in having a dog — basic dog care, medical needs, training and behavior. In particular, ask yourself the following

Dogs need guidance and consistent training from their people if they are going to live in harmony with humans. All dogs must be taught acceptable behavior, and one way to do that is to train your dog or pay a trainer to do it. Dogs are happiest when they know who's in charge and what's expected of them.

Proper training is essential for a long, happy, and safe relationship with your dog, setting the foundation to ensure your dog stays physically fit, mentally alert, socially engaged, and emotionally happy. Remember, training a dog takes time, understanding, patience, and consistency.

The dogs of today have been bred by people into hundreds of different breeds that come in a wide range of sizes, from toy dogs that weigh a few pounds to large dogs who top the scales at over 100 pounds. This disparity in dog sizes is very different from what nature would have created — that is, extra small sizes are not found in the wild. The result is that people with pet dogs need to be aware of some safety issues.

The dogs of today have been bred by people into hundreds of different breeds that come in a wide range of sizes, from toy dogs that weigh a few pounds to large dogs who top the scales at over 100 pounds. This disparity in dog sizes is very different from what nature would have created — that is, extra small sizes are not found in the wild. The result is that people with pet dogs need to be aware of some safety issues.