By Ashish Jain
Giving home to a homeless is among the most noble things, a man is capable of doing. A stray dog who scavenges to eat and lives at the crumbs thrown by others is not a pretty sight for most of us, and that's the reason why most of us have entertained the thought of bringing a stray dog home at some point of time in our lives.
However, most of the time we did not act upon the thought because we thought it would be too difficult to train a grown up stray dog for these two reasons-- his being grown up and his being a stray dog. We were wrong on both counts. Old dogs are not less capable of learning than puppies and can learn even faster having seen a lot of life already.
Stray dogs are hard working as they have spent a large part of their lives struggling for food and life. They are grateful for the security and nourishment you provide and are ready to show that it was all worth it.
There are, however, a few things that you must do before taking a stray dog as a pet. Take the dog to the vet and have him examine it, for contagious diseases are a big risk in the strays though there is nothing much to worry about, as they can be easily treated.
Once you are through with the medical examination of the pet, it is time to train him a little because having spent most of his life scavenging, he would still try to find food in the dustbin. Gently tell him "No" if that doesn't work, say a firm "No!"
That should work. After telling him not to look for food in the dustbin take him to his meal bowl, put some food in it and let him eat so that he gets the message as to where he would find food in the house.
Make them associate right. For instance, if he is being punished, he should be able to associate it with the fault. You come back home and find your pillow chewed upon, the dog gets punished. He'll chew it again and would hide when you come back. He fears punishment but has not been able to associate it with the mistake. He associates it with your coming back home and not with his chewing the pillow. Show him the pillow, tell him not to do it again and if he does it again, punish.
It may be a little difficult at first but the dog would eventually learn "to learn." No matter how bothersome be the initial roadblocks, nothing diminishes the satisfaction of having a saved a creature from a life of torture, misery and endless struggle.
About the Author: To get more information on pet dogs, dog breeds and dog training and care visit http://www.thepetdogs.com/
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