From 2008 until January of this year I had a weekly column in the local newspaper titled Letters From the Doghouse. It was a sort of advice column for dog owners.  I currently am compiling years of said column and my photos of dogs I've trained over the past 31 years into a book I am calling Life in the Doghouse. As I work on the compilation in addition to my current fiction project I plan to share some of the advice I've given dog owners over the years. Feel free to send my blogs to anyone in your life who is a dog lover.

Love Them Enough to Make Them the Best Pets

I believe every puppy is born with the potential to be the best pet you've ever had or the worst nightmare. Each breed of dog has unique personality characteristics. Mixed or designer breeds combine characteristics. It is true some breeds tend to be more or less affectionate, dominant, aggressive, protective, or playful. But, I do not believe there is any one breed that is the best, nor is there one that is the most dangerous.

Since I began training dogs while in college in 1981, and certainly since I began my business in 1988, I have seen dogs of all sizes, breeds, shapes, ages, that were darlings and others that were downright mean.

Puppies are not born aggressive. Some are born with the desire to be the alpha, or leader. Some back down from confrontation quicker than others. But even that is not what makes a dog dangerous.

The most dangerous dog is an untrained dog. Without training, dogs do not learn the humans in their packs are the loving masters. And, at the most basic level, that is the source of a dangerous dog’s behavior. Please note: Saying the humans need to be the masters or the dominant ones NEVER means abuse a dog. And, yes an abused dog is very dangerous. But again, it wasn’t trained, it was mistreated. Training a dog is never abuse.

The best pet you will ever have will be a trained one. Period. Any dog, any size, any age, any breed, or any mix must know its role in the human/dog relationship. Humans must grasp this too. The day you bring your dog home please understand he is your dog, you are not his human.

Training your dog means housebreaking him so he learns self-control. Believe me, for all the wonders those dog litter boxes advertise, they will create huge behavior issues. And smells. And messes. Training him also means teaching some simple obedience commands, teaching him what ‘no’ means, and that he must respect all of the humans with whom he lives humans. Even if the dog essentially belongs to one family member, he must obey everyone his pack.

We are not talking about tricks or agility or games right now. Those are fun to teach and do, but they are not what make the best pet. Mutual respect between you and your dog is imperative. You must respect he is a dog, he will think, feel, and act like a dog. You must love him for that fact alone. And he must respect that you are his master and will always be in charge.

Your dog, whether he’s a puppy, rescue, purebred or mix, deserves the chance to become all he can be. And when you love him enough to teach proper behavior he will be your best pet ever.