The good news is that you'll be getting a full size dog so you know what to expect in that regard. He's likely to have at least some rudimentary training, perhaps from shelter personnel.

The worst thing that can happen is that dog and owner are not well matched. Inexperienced shelter personnel might place a strong-willed, dog with an elderly couple or a busy couple with young children.

Sometimes, owners over-estimate their own abilities and under-estimate time commitment to handle dogs with tricky or troubled personalities.

Many older dogs entering a new home will not behave well. Expect problems like whining, barking, destroying things, and toilet mistakes.

That's because dogs are anxious and do not feel safe in new home. Do not take this behavior personally and try not to become angry.

Osteoarthritis in dogs (or just dog arthritis) can be treated effectively with natural supplements that are as effective as commonly prescribed drugs and much safer because of less risk of side effects. Prescribed drugs may relieve pain, but they also can cause further degeneration of your dog's joints and health, which could include, damage to liver, kidneys, muscles and gastrointestinal bleeding, among others.

Just as human arthritis, dog arthritis tends to get worse with age, and you can find some senior dog food formulas that claim to contain glucosamine and chondroitin, both of them are supplements used to prevent and treat dog arthritis, but in majority of cases, amount included is not enough to do any difference in your dog’s symptoms. So, probably best option is to feed your dog regular dog food and back that up with a supplement. Below you will find some of most effective supplement used for treatment of arthritis in dogs.