October is Love-A-Dog month and the Hawaiian Humane Society celebrates with special offerings for dogs and their people, as well as a few reminders about man's best friend.

According to a 2008 Ward Research poll, 47 percent of O'ahu homes have at least one dog. That's up from 24 percent in 1994. In a few years, the Humane Society predicts that the majority of the population will have a dog, so it's to everyone's benefit to be responsible when out and about by keeping dogs leashed and picking up after them.

The growing population of pet dogs encourages policy makers to examine the "no dogs allowed" policies that abound in housing developments and even community parks, and to plan for a population where dog ownership rules.

As for the dog owners themselves, they would be wise to learn more about what they need physically. In nature, dogs experience the world around them by walking, which exercises their body and stimulates their mind. In our modern lifestyle, our minds are more often stimulated by sedentary activities, such as watching TV, Internet surfing and talking with others. However, frequent and long walks are critical to a dog's healthy state of mind and body.

Dog owners should also consider their interactions with dogs from a canine perspective. It's natural for dog owners to want to coddle dogs as if they were human babies. In the dog world, pack leaders don't project emotional reactions or nervous energy. Pack leaders rule calmly and assertively.

The fourth tip is to consider how owners teach their dogs. Any time owners give affection, they reinforce the behavior preceding it. So it's wise to reward dogs with pats and rubs when they are calm and submissive, after they've exercised or changed an unwanted behavior. It's best to avoid affection, which is perceived as a reward, when they are fearful, anxious, possessive, dominant, aggressive, whining, begging, barking or breaking a household rule.

FIND A NEW FRIEND

Looking for a dog? October is ideal. With more than 50 dogs available every day, the Humane Society offers the widest selection for adoption on O'ahu. This month, each dog adoption will include a special starter kit that includes a 5-pound bag of Nutro food and a coupon for one dose of heartworm prevention, donated by Hawaii Mega-Cor.

The adoption fee is $60 and includes services such as spay/neuter surgery, health examination, distemper and parvo vaccinations, worming, flea treatment and microchip ID. Other benefits are post-adoption healthcare for two weeks and lifetime behavior advice. The adoption fee is waived for people ages 60 and older who adopt a dog that's 6 years or older. Dogs can be viewed at www.hawaiianhumane.org.

In addition, shoppers who buy a dog adoption T-shirt from Crazy Shirts' Ala Moana or Pearlridge stores get a bonus: Each purchase means a donation to the Humane Society and a microchip for their dog. Dog owners simply bring their coupon and their dog to the Humane Society and a microchip will be implanted on the spot.