Treats usually do this. Comforting words, your presence, and assurances does it too. See, dogs more the most part are like children. They could suffer from associating with other animals and people. Negative interaction could reduce their confidence, or result to aggressiveness, sometimes in ways that we could not see or predict. Excessive barking, jumping on people, quarrelling with other dogs and house pets, chewing on furniture, scratching the carpet are just some of the examples untrained dogs do that often results to embarrassment to their owners. Different dogs have a variety of temperaments. These do not only differ from one dog to another, it also differs depending on the breed and the size of the dog. One of the downside to having a companion dog is that because of their size, they are vulnerable to larger animals. When you are located in areas where winters could be very cold, you would want to consider companion dog breeds that are fluffy or are longhaired. The benefits far outweighs the risk though as these dogs are content to follow wherever their owners go, are very easy going, and are content to sit with their owners for long periods of time. It is embarrassing though when the dog does the same when there are other people around. On occasions such as these, the owner will attempt at stopping the dog from continuing, but when the dog is not trained, all the dog hears from its owners is just another bark, an important bark maybe but incomprehensible. Very huge dogs, on the other hand, are a big no-no for small kids. Children could be hurt around powerful, muscular, and oversized dogs. Also check into the policies of the neighborhood you are living in. If you are living in an apartment, check with your apartment owner for their pet regulations. You don t want to adopt the perfect dog only to give it back to the shelter because of your living area's no-pet clause policy. A little planning can still go a long way when deciding which dog to adopt. Even if your previous plans are all but forgotten, remembering the tips below can still help you resist that overpowering desire to bring them all home. Try talking yourself out of it. Debate with yourself about your options.