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The first day we brought our first foster puppy, Lola, home she was very shy and quiet. She curled up in a ball on my lap and slept for an hour and when she woke up she was like the exorcist dog. She ran from one end of the room to the other, pulled blankets and toss pillows off of our couch and shook them till the stuffing started coming out. Next she started yanking on a potted palm that was five times her size and nearly toppled it. And Lola only weighed five pounds!

Luckily I had some experience with exuberant pups and took action before my whole house was demolished. Here are some tips for turning a demon dog into a happy, adoptable pet.

1. Provide plenty of exercise. Puppies, especially, have loads of energy and simply taking them for a brief walk will not calm them. I take our dogs to the park and use the extendible lead that you can let out or real is as the need arises. I then find a large open area and let the dog run in a large circle, sort of like when horse trainers exercise horses. I'd run with them for five miles if I could, but I'm in my sixties now and don't want to have a cardiac incident. A fenced in yard is perfect, but I've found that pups still need to be watched. Young dogs are more likely to chew on things they shouldn't, like garden hoses, electrical cords or a visiting neighbor's shoe. Playing catch is great fun, unless you have a dog like our Beagle who is not interested and will let the toy bounce off of his head and stare at you as if to say, Are you made at me?"

2. Provide plenty of toys. There is a saying that dogs (and cats) feel that what is theirs is theirs and what is yours is theirs too. Be sure to redirect the dog to his own toys if he starts to chew the piano leg or drag the throw rugs into another room. Lola's, favorite game was rug dragging, even when one of our dogs was laying on one!

3. Give the dog a lot of attention when he's doing the right thing. If he's happily trying to kill his stuffed panda, tell him what a good dog he is and play a gentle game of tug-o-war or give him a treat.

When he tries to drag the sofa cushion onto the floor, make a noise like Baaah!" or what you think his mother would growl and then direct him to his own toy and praise him when he starts to play with it.

4. Provide an area he can safely play in when you're not around. We invested in a child's play yard, which is a sectional plastic playpen with no bottom. This way we can make a small playpen for the pup when we're not home, or open it and fence off certain areas that are unsafe, like the fireplace or stairs.

5. Even the most excitable and energetic dog can be calmed given enough time and attention. Attention is they key. Remain calm when working with your dog as dogs pick up on your mood and vibes'. Try to stay on a schedule of exercise and feeding, which will help the dog learn to trust you and know what to expect. If people tell you dog's don't remember such things, come to my house every day at six A.M. and five P.M. and see what happens if I don't let our dogs outside and feed them on time!

Learn more about this author, Pat Merewether.
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