Your dog is a social being, just like you! He loves to walk in the park with you, play ball or chase you and just be with you. Even when lying around the house or in the backyard sleeping, your dog is very aware of your presence or absence, and cherishes every minute you spend with him or her. If you have a family, your dog loves being a part of your family and no doubt 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 just turned 9 years old. I have had them since they were puppies, and they are definitely members of my family. I love them so much and would be lost without them.

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

I know my dogs are always beside themselves with joy and excitement every time I come home, regardless of whether I’ve been gone for a week or just 10 minutes! What human gets so excited to see you? Neither? I thought so. I don’t know any human who is half as happy to see me.

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

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

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

Consistency in 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 in disciplining, playing, and just spending time with your dog. But it’s also important that other family members (and even frequent visitors) treat your dog similarly whenever possible. This is particularly true if your dog has any problem behaviors, such as jumping at people. If you don’t ask your family and visitors to make it clear to your dog that this is unacceptable, your dog is unlikely to stop jumping completely. And this may simply perpetuate the problem.

Dogs that experience consistency tend to be better behaved and guess what? You guessed it: better behaved dogs are happier dogs and happier dogs are healthier dogs!

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