Hi. There have been a number of threads on this subject. Have a look through for people's suggestions.

The only thing I would say, is it is about having a positive attitude. If you immediately take on the role of pack leader, from day one, you will be able to deal with any problems. Have you ever watched the Dog Whisperer on Sky 3 and Nat Geo channel? This is a good place to start.

Problems with dogs are caused by lack of knowlege in dog psychology. Because people do not understand how they think, they inadvertandly end up dealing with things the wrong way. A good example of this is a dog who shows fear, say through fire works. The owner feeling sorry for the dog, gives it attention and comfort and says "don;t worry", similar to how they would deal with a small child. However, dogs not being small children, do not understand the human's intention. If you give attention and fuss to a dog, what are you saying? You are AGREEING with the behaviour and therefore the dog thinks he done what you want. therefore next time there are fire works he will become more afraid, because he thinks this is what you want. This is how phobia's can start.

You have a fantastic opportunity because you are seeking help before you take this dog on. This gives you a massive advantage and if you set rules and boundries for the dog from day one, you will not have a problem.

When I took on my first 2 rescue's, I knew nothing about dog psychology and I made thiings even worse. I wish I had the opportunity again, with the knowledge I have now, because I wouln;t still have problems a year and a half later. Don't let this scare you as my 2 were street dogs from Greece and a lot different to a domesticated lab. However they are all dogs and I believe we do them a dis-service by not understanding them.

Well done for getting advice, take it the next step and learn about dogs properely. How you deal with the dog in the first few weeks, will set the tone for his behaviour and your relationship. Go easy on the fuss, and to start with just use it as a reward as opposed to "just because".

Best of luck x