Your dog is a social being, just like you! He loves to walk in the park with you, play ball or chase you with you, and just be with you. Even when lying around the house or in the backyard napping, your dog is very aware of your presence or absence, appreciating every minute you spend with him / her. If you have a family, your dog loves to be a part of your family and undoubtedly has a special relationship with most, if not all, members of the family.

I have a Rottweiler, Kara and a Staffordshire Bull Terrier, Jet. They are both female and both have just turned 9 years old. I have had them since they were puppies and they are definitely members of my family. I love them to pieces and would be lost without them.

I bet your dog looks a lot like mine when it comes to interacting with you.

I know that my dogs are always beside themselves with joy and excitement. I get home, regardless of whether I’ve been away for a week or just went out for 10 minutes! What human is so excited to see you? Nobody? I thought so. I don’t know of a human who is half as happy to see me.

Kara often stands up and wags her tail when I pass her in the house or when I talk to her. And Jet doesn’t move from his comfortable lying position. But its tail slams up and down on the ground. It just goes to show that each dog has its own unique personality. Just like us.

And my dogs love to be let in from the outside. They consider their place to be in the house, just like the human members of the house!

And why not? Dogs really can be a man’s best friend (or a woman or a child). They rarely ask for anything. As long as you feed them regularly and show them some love and attention, they will be happy. And a happy dog ​​is the first step to a healthy dog. (Don’t get me wrong, dogs don’t have to be allowed in the house to be happy – mind you, my dogs would like me to believe this to be the case!)

Consistency when dealing with your dog is very important. And I’m talking here about both the initial teaching / training of your dog and the reinforcement of those teachings throughout your dog’s life.

It is essential to your dog’s well-being that you are consistent when disciplining, playing, and simply spending time with him. But it’s also important that other household members (and even frequent visitors) treat your dog similarly whenever possible. This is particularly true if your dog has a behavioral problem, such as jumping on people. If you do not ask your family and visitors to make it clear to your dog that this is unacceptable, it is unlikely that your dog will stop jumping completely. And this can simply perpetuate the problem.

Dogs that experience consistency tend to behave better and guess what? You guessed it: better-behaving dogs are happier dogs, and happier dogs are healthier dogs.

So you know what to do: love your dog, spend quality time with him, and make sure you are consistent.