[header] How to become close with your dog [title] Be calm around your dog. [step] It's not always easy to tell whether your dog came from a place where it was cared for or a place where it wasn't, like a puppy mill or kill shelter. If you adopted from a shelter then you know at one point it was left alone. 
Be aware of the emotional (and sometimes physical) baggage your dog may carry when interacting with you. Try to be a tranquil, calm, and unthreatening presence.