Being a dog owner is the same as being a parent. You will get several perks from the job. Sometimes it will be challenging, and you WILL make mistakes. There’s no doubt about that.

After all, we are all humans and we make several mistakes in our lives. But the great part is that with those mistakes we learn valuable lessons along the way. But some mistakes can be easily avoided such as the following that most dog owners make.

If you’re soon to be or you’ve just started this amazing journey of being a pet owner then you should learn about these current faults:

1. Believing that your dog will simply grow out of bad behavior

They don’t simply grow out of bad behavior. You have to teach them and not spoil them for their bad behavior. You should also consider training them from a young age.

I know that their adorable and fluffy faces will tell you differently, but in the end, it’s for their own good.

2. Punishing for accidental ”stuff” in the house

These things happen. Especially if they haven’t been trained from the beginning to tell the difference between going to the potty inside or outside. You can’t expect them to just know this stuff.

Like I mentioned before, they are just like toddlers and you need to have patience with them.

3. Thinking they are all friendly

Are all humans friendly from the get-go? You bet they aren’t! Just give them time to adjust and get to know them. They might be shy or just not that into a social life. No matter the case, don’t set high expectations on them and give them time to be comfortable around you and get to know you.

4. Not imposing rules

Dogs are adorable and fluffy, but they are still animals. They will fall back into their basic instincts. So, they need rules and boundaries.

5. Not going to regular vet check-ups

You need to get your dog to the vet regularly. Skipping visits CAN and WILL harm their health and wellbeing. Many of them are overweight and suffer from a lot of diseases, which is due to the fact that their owners aren’t taking them to regular visits.

6. Giving them your medication

Before even thinking about this, you need to talk to your vet about it. Our medication can have a very different impact on dogs. Some can be very toxic to our beloved puppies and we don’t want anything bad happening to them.

So, before making any drastic moves, call your vet.

7. Not giving them enough attention or socialization

Dogs, just like us humans, can suffer from depression or anxiety, and if you don’t spend enough time with them they can be very upset. That can also be the main cause of diseases or illnesses they may have over the years.

Don’t get a puppy just because they are cute. Spend quality time with them!

8. Waiting for the ”training” age

There’s no such a thing as a training age. Some owners tend o believe that their puppies should reach a certain age before they start training. That’s a huge mistake! They will end up reaching their teens and it will be very difficult to train them.

Start while they’re young!