Some advice and handy hints for dog owners gained from personal experience, the experiences of others and sometimes good old common sense.
Dogs have many behavioural traits that can be easily explained, often what may seem strange to us is natural, inherited or learned behaviour to a dog.
The advice and tips listed here should be seen as suggestions, you may or may not think apply to your pet. Some suggestions may seem blindingly obvious to some owners but to others they can be both helpful and reassuring.

Much of what I have listed you may have observed for yourself, gleaned from other owners or read in books but if there is anything you feel unsure about and would like some further verification or explanation then I recommend you consult a Vet, a dog Trainer or perhaps a Dog Therapist.
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Some General Doggy Hints & Advice.

Try to start teaching your dog good behaviour when you bring him home for the first time, training your dog from day one will establish you as the leader of the pack and dogs instinctively want to earn the pack leader's approval (dogs are submissive to those they feel have higher pack status).

From a very early age, dogs engage in play with one another and this play is usually in the form of mock fights. This "play fighting" which is most common in puppies, is fairly harmless and natural behaviour training them for later life.

A dog needs to work off excess energy through exercise every day.

If your dog has bad breath, it may be nothing more than he may need his teeth cleaned. .

Take temptation away from your pet by putting your kitchen waste bin in a cupboard, ensuring your dog will stay out of it.

A dog who causes damage to your home when you're away is usually frustrated and his frustration has been transferred onto household objects.

If your dog reacts anti-socially toward visitors, put him in another room until he calms down. When you let hin out, ignore him. This forces your dog to go to the visitors for social interaction (assuming your visitors don't mind).

The burying of bones is part of a dog's instinctive feeding ritual behaviour and shaking things viciously is related and part of the hunting ritual.

Dogs become loyal not because you are their main food supplier, but because of the companionship you give them.

Though neutering has no effect on the overall personality, male dogs tend to display less aggression, and territorial behaviour when they are neutered.

Dogs are able to see much better in dim light than humans are. This is due to a light-reflecting layer behind the retina. Because it functions like a mirror, it also accounts for the strange shine or glow in a dog's eyes at night.

Dogs can very easily regurgitate and if this happens occasionally you should not be worried.

Most dogs don't like to be left alone so they howl. Leave the radio or television on to keep your dog company when you are away.

Dogs and cats turn in circles before lying down because in the wild this instinctive action turns long grass into a bed.

Pet dogs who growl when family members are playing boisterous games are not upset, they're just asking to join in and become part of the game.

Some Puppy Hints & Facts

Puppies are born "blind" with little sense of hearing and smell, their eyes start to open when they are 10 to 15 days old and full vision can take another two weeks.

Puppies should remain with their mother until they are at least eight weeks old.

Puppies generally are unable to control their bladders overnight until they are at least four months old. Try covering the floor around the puppy's bed with newspapers at night.

Puppies need to chew to stimulate the loss of their baby teeth and replace them with permanent teeth, providing toys or edible chews are good substitutes.

To a puppy or young dog, exercise and play are the most important events in the day but as dogs gets older, they live for dinner time.

Giving your new puppy its own sleeping area/bed, will make him/her feel more secure.

Ignore your new puppy's whining when you first isolate it for sleeping. If you don't you will only encourage it to whine more.

From a young age, dogs engage in play with one another. Dog play is made up primarily of mock fights. It is believed that this behavior, which is most common in puppies, is training for important behaviour they will need in later in life.

Ritual behaiour and your dog

Rituals are important for dogs; they provide them w.ith stability and security.

Rituals are a basic part of dog behaviour so greeting, feeding, hunting and sleeping will all include social performances.

Good examples of ritual soon start to show in a dogs behaviour, a tilt of the head, a certain wag of the tail, a nudge with the nose, standing by doors are all signs that your dog is telling you, something should be happening. He has his daily rituals that must be completed -- some will be ones you've instituted and others your dog has developed