Owning a dog can be a rewarding experience for both dog and owner. With all of the nice things that dogs bring into our lives, sometimes they may leave some unwanted surprises. Like putting on a wet slipper in the middle of the night or having to clean up a little mess on the floor.

Take into consideration that the animal is adjusting to the rules of a human household. This is not always easy for a dog to master and may take a little time and patience.

Some of the common problems encountered are going potty in the house, aggression, needless barking, chewing things up, digging holes in your nicely cultivated lawn, escaping or eating things that are not normal for ANY species to eat (like poop, for instance). All of these problems can be easily resolved with a little behavior training and discipline.

Whatever issues you may have with your dog, make an attempt to understand WHY the problem exists and try to correct it. Don't just give up and walk away. Your dog trusts you to take care of it much like a small child does. Helping your dog overcome these behavior problems is a huge step.

Even severe behaviors like aggression, biting and growling can be trained out of a dog. All it takes is love, patience and a little of your time.

As puppies, a dog can be trained fairly quickly to go potty outside or stop chewing things that aren't meant to be chewed. Older dogs may require a bit more stamina on your part, but the results are well worth it in the long run

Show your dog that you are committed to the relationship and give them all the love you can from the very beginning. There are stories of fighting dogs that have been rescued and adopted by families with small children. Most of these dogs went on to be wonderful pets and NEVER hurt a child or bit again. Why? Because for the first time, someone took the time to understand them, show them love and were kind to them. Like any species of animal, dogs have certain behaviors that they are born with. After all, they are animals, remember? Teach that dog to live with you by YOUR rules and you have won that dog's heart forever.

Dogs will offer their friendship and loyalty to us humans almost immediately. They trust us for food, water, a place to live and companionship. Sadly, many of these animals are given up every year because they have a behavioral problem that the owner didn't know how to deal with. A lot of these animals are euthanized (put to sleep) for no reason other than a home could not be found for them afterwards.

As a dog owner myself, I refuse to believe that we couldn't have saved them. Learn and teach others as well. Dog behaviors can be resolved.

Dogs will react in kind to what they are shown. A dog that is shown love and understanding will become a faithful friend to the end.