A Dog's Needs

1. Daily opportunities for the dog to act as a dog, both in its instinctive dogness and in its individuality.

2. Trust in us, its humans, to provide it with safety, security, stability: being able to predict that its needs will be met in a reasonably timely way.

3. Social feedback, including full membership in the family-group: being with its humans, active and effective communication that flows in both directions.

4. Safe, comfortable and interesting places in which to be a dog: places in which to rest undisturbed, places in which to explore and to play.

5. Water, food, shelter, protection from the elements.

6. Grooming and medical care; touch to the body, opportunity to touch other warm bodies.

7. At least adequate mental stimulation;

8. At least adequate physical exercise and rest time;

9. Human recognition of and relief of any distress the dog may be in that it cannot itself relieve.

10. Dogs we breed or adopt as companion or family dogs cannot survive long nor well on their own. They have evolved over the centuries to be part of the social groups that humans create.