Know the Background of Your Newly Adopted Dog

It's natural to wonder what your newly adopted dog has been through. You might be concerned about the past of the rescue dogs or the ones that you brought home from the animal shelter. As a dog owner, it's important to know how he/she was treated as a puppy, but it's also crucial that you understand certain behaviors and reactions to new people and animals. This will allow you to make informed decisions about how best to help your adopted pet thrive in its new home!

Determine how your dog was treated as a puppy

If you have been told that your new pet was abused or neglected as a puppy, it's important to learn more about their early life. This will help you determine how they were treated and whether they still need attention now that they've become an adult dog. If your puppy had a good start in life (meaning he/she had food available at all times), went outside often enough (and with proper supervision) and socialized well enough before being placed with you, then this is likely not something that needs immediate attention—unless there are other signs of neglect such as malnutrition or illness.

Find out how your dog was treated as an adult

Dogs are social animals, so they need a lot of attention and interaction. They also have a long memory and can be extremely sensitive to touch and smell. This means that your new pet will probably react well to being around other dogs initially but may start exhibiting some behaviors, change in body language that seem out-of-character for him/her later on (unlike cats).

If you've recently adopted an adult dog from a shelter or animal rescue group, ask what kind of treatment he/she received while being there—this will give you an idea about how he/she was raised as a shelter dog.

Look for signs of abuse or neglect

If your dog has overgrown nails, it could be a sign of abuse or neglect. Overgrown teeth and hair are also signs that you should be concerned about the health of your new dog.

Skin problems such as scabs and rashes may indicate something serious going on with your pet’s immune system.

Check to see if the dog has a particular response to common stimuli

If the dog exhibits fear or aggression when meeting new people or animals, this could be an indication that something traumatic happened in their past.

If your pup is fearful towards other dogs, one possibility could be abuse—but it's possible that they were taught bad manners from an early age (such as jumping up on strangers). If you find signs of aggression against other animals such as cats or small children at home but no history of abuse at all elsewhere then again this suggests an early-childhood incident which has left him feeling threatened by other species since then instead; however there may also be another explanation for why his reaction isn't so strong.

Dog adoption is a big step, and it's important to understand your new companion's past before you bring him home. It is important to understand the red flags when adopting a dog, especially when meeting a rescue dog for the first time. At the same time, it can also be difficult to know what to look for in a potential puppy or dog, so, hope that this article has helped you get started!