Dog owner lessons you learned the hard way/you wish someone had told you

Fran101

Resident fainting goat
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#1
- Never leave home without poop bags.
If your dog poops and you don't have bags, nobody will take pity on you. You might get called out for it, you might have to use something else to pick it up.. it's not fun

- Dog hair gets everywhere, sometimes in your shirts and then it makes your boobs itch

- If your dog has poop stuck to his butt, try to get it out as soon as it happens. If you wait and hope it falls out, he will probably sit on it or try to rub it off..getting it everywhere.

- When they say hydrogen peroxide will cause your dog to vomit..they mean like..immediately.

- Don't lock your knees at the dog park. They will run at you, you will fall, it will hurt.

lol add your own
 

meepitsmeagan

Meagan & The Cattle Dog Crew
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#5
- Not all other dog owners are like you.

- You truly DO have a chance at becoming that crazy dog lady.

- Never leave home without AWESOME treats. Your dog WILL mooch off of others with awesome treats and ignore you; you will be made a fool.

- Never expect a planned outing to go as planned.

- When setting an example of your dog, or giving helpful advice, your dog will begin to act a fool.

- When fostering, you or your DH DO have a chance of falling in love with said foster.

- When in doubt, always get the next size up in mattresses.

- Buy clearance dog toys. They will just get destroyed anyways. Frozen Kongs will be your best friend EVAR.
 
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#7
If someone gives you well intentioned advice that seems to make sense but makes you feel icky, don't do it.
 

FG167

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#8
Your dog does not need other dog friends.

What works for one, most likely will NOT work for all.

You CAN say no to people wishing to pet, let their dogs meet, or play tug with your dogs. This does not make you a bad person. If you say yes, people will do inappropriate things. Make sure you and your dog are prepared and all is well.

The greatest dog in the world is the one you own.
My favorite :)
 

Shai

& the Muttly Crew
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#9
If you realize you have left home with poo bags, go back. Keep a spare roll in your car. The day you don't will be the day your dog decides to poop on public property directly in front of a manned police car.

If you have a collar break, you can still use the leash as a slip lead to get home (loop through the handle or the clasp).

Sometimes your trainers and veterinarians will be wrong. Educate yourself before, not after, this happens.

Sometimes tennis balls sink. Have a spare.

The hair is expected, but there is also just a huge increase in household dust. Sooo much dust.

You will know your dog beyond all expectation. You will be able to pick your dog's voice out of crowd, know by the twitch of an ear or eye what s/he is thinking or about to do, and your dog will be able to do the same for you. You are a team, a partner, with each of your dogs and with your dogs as a whole. Embrace it, respect it.

Some people forget dogs are dogs. Others think that thinking of your dog as a dog is insulting. They are, and it isn't.
 

Romy

Taxiderpy
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#10
When a dog feels sick, they go out of their way to find the most difficult surface to clean to be sick on.

This was true when my entire house was tiled, except for one tiny piece of fancy carpet underneath a 100-ish lb coffee table made of glass and wrought iron. T.T Why dogs? Why?!?
 

Paige

Let it be
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#11
If you don't have a sense of humor it's time to get one. A dogs life can seem awfully long and annoying without one.
 

stardogs

Behavior Nerd
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#12
Sometimes tennis balls sink. Have a spare.
As do chuckit balls...

A 35lb dog can and will fit through a 4" gap in a fence.

Those fields you think are clear of wildlife WILL have wildlife AND abovementioned gaps. >.<
 

Katem

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#15
You don't need that.

If it's quiet and you can't actually see the dogs, chances are they (let's be honest, she) are getting into trouble

I will also echo all previous statements re: poop bags.
 

MericoX

Roos, Poos, & a Wog!
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#16
Dogs are not cats, and must be gently placed back onto the ground (no dogs were harmed in the learning of this lesson!!).

Orange dogs are the strangest.

Laugh every day. Make every day like it's your last, you'll never know when you'll be thrown a curveball.
 

Grab

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#18
Your dog with the cast iron stomach will decide to have diarrhea emergencies right before you're rushing to work. Always.

In regards to poop bags, none of my dogs poop outside of the yard. Ever. While I have poop bags, I've never had to use them. It's weird. Did one of them decide that this was taboo and teach all the others?
 

Toller_08

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#20
Yeah, poop bags for sure. I learned that lesson the one and only time I took Tango downtown without any by accident, and she decided that the middle of a heavily trafficked sidewalk was an excellent spot. So embarrassing.

Don't fret over little things.

Let your dog be a dog. Don't worry about making them into the perfectly mannered dog you want as soon as possible. In the end, chances are if you've laid a good foundation, you'll have a good dog (for you) in the end anyway. Heck, the dog I stressed over the most to mold into my 'ideal' is the only one of mine with issues lol. Go figure.

If you're planning to play in water, bring a plastic bag (or extra poop bag) to put the soaking wet toy in.

Know that the moment you actually need your dog to be on it's best behaviour, it will probably embarrass you instead. And you'll likely laugh about it later, even though it doesn't seem like it at the time.


And yes, definitely enjoy the dog you have with all that you have. You never know how long or how little you might have. The idea of a next dog is exciting, especially for those of us with dogs with an issue, but don't forget to enjoy all of the things that make your current dog special and love them for it.


- Dog hair gets everywhere, sometimes in your shirts and then it makes your boobs itch
This has got to be the biggest downfall of owning Dobermans LOL. I hate when that happens! Those sharp, pokey little hairs are awful sometimes, as easy-care as they are.
 

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