Before adopting a dog, there are plenty of things you should think about. These ensure that your dog's life with you is a pleasurable experience. Are you committed to taking care of a dog? Many people who adopt dogs do so just because they woke up one day wanting to have a pet. That's irresponsible, not to mention very selfish. A fifteen minutes walk will already be enough during the first time out. This could be increased gradually but the dog should be allowed to rest whether it wants it or not. Another reason for this is because of the excitement, the dog will pull hard at the leash that could injure his neck. Even so, the dog will keep on tugging. Adopting A Dog Going Through The Adoption Process Adopting a dog does not end and begin with picking your future best friend at an animal shelter or a rescue group. It's more than giving a homeless dog a home either. There are plenty of things that go into the adoption process, which could define your long-term relationship with the dog you want to adopt. For the sake of argument, let s say you are relying on pure instinct to guide you to your dog, without prior plans. The dogs in the animal shelters, on the other hand, rely on their animal instincts to find their suitable owners. If this is the case for you, it is advisable to first test the dog. Do this by allowing the potential dog to sniff you. The loyalty that dogs show is a trait that they have while still in the wild where they have to learn to stick together and take care of its other to survive longer. Human sees this devotion and treats dogs as family members. Dogs on the other hand see humans as pack leaders although members of their pack nonetheless. Positive reinforcement is a very old philosophy based on the premise that reinforcing good behavior is more pleasant to both the dog and the owner aside from not resulting into developing undesirable characteristics in the dog. Positive reinforcement creates trust. It creates a structure for more definitive behavior rewarded when pleasant responses are achieved.