Do not name your dog Cujo. No really. Names can affect how a dog is perceived by others and in turn this can affect your dog’s behaviour.

I work with dogs. I’ve worked with hundreds of dogs. Training is important from early on. There are so many dogs that are out of control. Appropriate amount of exercise for high energy breeds is important. Look into doggy daycare if you must leave a high energy active dog for long hours.

Establish a good relationship with a vet and have regular checkups and vaccinations done. Get pet insurance that fits your needs and budget. When of appropriate age, spay/neuter your dog.

Be prepared for a big expense. Even routine visits and shots are expensive -- if anything goes wrong (illness/injury), it will cost a LOT. Without knowing anything about your finances, you may want to look into a Care Credit card -- it covers vets and is almost always 6-24 months zero interest.

Don't ever use physical punishment with a dog - including when they have accidents in the house. And, please don't ever be that ignorant person who thinks rubbing a helpless animal's nose in their own urine or poop is going to teach them anything. (Not saying you would, but it's shocking how many people ignorantly use this method -- and don't get the result they are seeking.)

Have a variety of really good chewing stuff -- toys and bones. We used to get our dog a big knuckle bone (a real bone) for when we'd have barbecues or whatever, so he would be happily content chewing on his bone when people were preoccupied.

Keep the supply of toys out of reach and rotate them so he doesn't get bored with them.

Research good quality foods on the Internet. Here's a link from Chewy on why it's important. [chewy.com]

Don't feed him people food from the table where you are seated and also especially don't give him processed foods (crackers, desserts, dairy, salami, etc.). Real food in his dish -- whether specifically for dogs or what you make from whole foods. There is nothing more annoying than being a guest in one's house and the dog is sitting at your feet begging for food. One of my dear friends fed her dog filet mignon (from her plate and from her fork), Nilla wafers, etc. The fork thing was unbecoming, and the cookies thing made me cringe thinking about his health.

Professional training. Professional training. You will enjoy it. You will be grateful. He will enjoy it. He will be an enjoyable dog because of it. You will be an enjoyable human because of it. His canine friends and human acquaintances will appreciate it.

Lastly, give both of yourselves the joy of off-leash (enclosed) dog parks! They have sooo much fun!

Please do not give your Dog:
Chocolates (Carob is OK)
Raisins
Grapes
Onions
Garlic
Avocado's
and any chewing gum that has the artificial sweetner XYLITOL,as it's toxic to Dogs,affecting their Liver.

Dog training is a full time job for several months. Socialization (with humans AND other animals) is super important!

That's easy just treat it like a small child who's never going to grow up and realize that you committed yourself to around 15 years of the most loyal faithful friend you can never have but garbage in garbage out the more time and attention you spend with your dog the better friend you are going to get I'm fortunate that I'm self-employed my dog is literally with me 24/7

I'll start with the most important...
Dogs are for life! ♥

Take the time to train your dog. In the end it saves more time and money than it costs.

You are bound to discover unconditional love

Definitely socialize with other people and animals as much as possible.

I’m a horrible pack leader, thankfully my Barney is submissive.

Take it from a certified dog trainer: Positive Reinforcement Training, Exercise and Socialization are key to having a well-behaved polite dog. Remember, you are the pack leader and your dog will look to you for cues on how or what he/she should be doing/behaving. Crate training works and is not a punishment and should never be used as one. Corrections (always positive) in behavior should be made as soon as possible while the dog is in the act of the non-wanted behavior. Lots of exercise will be essential for this breed (think running/jogging), and he/she needs to be doing a job (fetching a paper, helping with laundry,etc.) Also, make sure your cats have a safe place to go to, where they're not always on edge, as a puppy may frighten and chase them. Have fun with your new pack member! ?❤

Prepare to redefine what you think the definition of patience is. Totally worth it, though.

Patience with your new friend. Dogs are a source of unconditional love. Return the love. You will be amazed.

Learn about your breed and it's tendencies.

Use the same word with the same intonation when training...harder than it sounds! And you Must reward, with food (Tiny bits!) and/or praise, immediately upon the correct performance...even 5-6 seconds later is too late, especially for a ypungster.
If you Must leave it alone all day, leave it in a "safe" space like a crate or small room....they are a pack animal and "alone"=death, very stressful!

Don't leave it on its own all day. That's animal cruelty.

Some durable toy advice. Kong Balls, the beehive shaped ones. Also search Jolly Soccer Ball and Joll Flyer on Amazon. Best (most durable) I have ever found for a dog. They are soft enough to grab and durable enough to last. I have had 3 labs, non of them have chewed them up. Good luck and congratulations.

Remember it's a dog not a person. It has its own perceptions and understandings of the world. You will have to always stay patient.
It may destroy some things and only realize that is wrong when it finds out what your desires are. A puppy will tend to chew.

It only gets the limited vocabulary that you give it. It will learn some words and sounds (a gutteral 'uh, uh, uh' will be clear to it) but other words are just noises to ignore (except of course for your tone -- it will be very aware of that).

It has very few perspiration glands. It could be more temperature sensitive than you might think. Water should always be available. And you will have to help it stay clean -- take to heart the hair comment elsewhere in this comment thread.

Remember that it will be a child in a lot of ways for its entire life. For example, it doesn't know some people foods are poisonous (as chocolate). It will rely on you (and devote itself to you).

Be sure to do some manner of training class, even if it's just a petsmart thing. You will learn a lot about your dog - Its a bonding experience. ?

Some breeds are harder to keep than others. I'd pick something easy for a starter dog.

Thanks for all the awesome advice. We hope to get a malamute puppy as soon as we move into a bigger place. We have 2 cats now.

Train and train often. Establishing the master pet dynamic is key to a happy companion life

They do not understand things the way we think they do. A lot of how they react is based on what they are feeling from us. When they get up and start sniffing... take them outside... immediately... every time.. whether they go or not...

Keep your hand in the food dish. Not always while it's eating but often enough it doesn't become food aggressive. Same with toys. DON'T give it an old shoe to chew on. It doesn't know the difference between old and new. Socialize it forever. Praise it when it potties outdoors. Don't scold. Use short commands.
Research the breed before you commit. It's not going to be a replica of the traits it's supposed to have. It will have it's own quirks. If you can't afford the vet bills don't get one. I know that seems like common sense but, as a rule, the larger the dog the more expensive. We had rottwiellers for years. The heartworm meds alone was $16. each a month. That's when a medium size dog would have cost less than five.

Always remember when adopting that the dog chooses the human. The human does not choose the dog. When you're visiting the shelter, adopt the dog that wants to hang out with you for more than the couple of seconds it takes to sniff your hand. Do not adopt until that happens.

My best advise:

if you are getting a puppy, manipulate it several time a day like tug his ears and look inside, Open his mouth, touch his tongue and teeth, open the toes of his paws, manipulate his paws and legs. Do it until it gets bored by it. This will become handy later when you need to treat an injury or have the vet look at him/her.
Reward desired behaviour. Do not react to bad behaviour.