Highly energetic games, for example a game of fetch, would be good to release extra energy, just do not play tug of war with the pup. Playing tug of war will teach your pup to compete with you. Introduce games where you are in control over the pups activities. If you chose to adopt an energetic/athletic dog, chances are you are athletic as well and love the outdoors. All it takes is patience and how ready you are because bringing home a new dog to the house will take responsibility. The hardest part is just until the puppy gets used to the routine. Until then, everything hangs on your commitment to raising a housebroken dog. Likewise, feed the dog on a regular schedule. 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. - Do not adopt a new dog without the agreement of all members of the family. There are different dog breeds with different attitudes and temperaments. Dog sizes also matter. Larger dogs are best when there are children in the house as they are generally more placid. Small dogs on the other hand are high energy and fast rambunctious creatures that the children may not be safe to be around with. Why You Should Choose An Adult Dog You'll have a much calmer, more behaved dog Ten to one, would-be dog owners prefer puppies for adoption based solely on their looks. What they do not know is that it is often very hard to keep up with puppies. They may look as cute as toys, but they are not. You just can't send them off to their puppy houses when you don t feel like playing with them or turn them off just like you would a toy. Listed are characteristics and traits of dogs that you may want to consider. Size People living in small apartments have the tendency to adopt small breeds. Understandably, the consideration for many is the available space. When you have small children though, it is not wise to have small dogs around a small space.