Given that more than 40% of Americans own dogs, dogs are by far some of the most popular pets chosen by animal lovers. Dogs are part of a co-evolutionary cycle and have evolved to have personality and physical traits preferred by people. If you’re a first-time dog owner, you’ve got so much to learn before you open your home to a pet.

Here are 3 of the most important things to think about when becoming a dog owner.

1. Monitor Their Eating

If you’ve never had a dog before, you might be excited about having a fun and furry companion to go wherever you are. However, you’re also their caretaker and you’re responsible for their health.

Dogs can suffer uncomfortable digestive issues if they eat the wrong thing. Dogs need to avoid avocado, garlic, oils, grapes, wine, and all sorts of things that are fun for humans to eat. For best results, don’t give them anything off the table.

If they don’t drink enough water, you need to either add some water to their dish of dry food or mix some wet food with their dry food. Especially in hot weather, dogs can quickly become dehydrated and might not know where to get access to water, especially in a new home.

A steady diet will keep their GI system running smoothly.

2. Discipline

While you might want to let your dog run free and have fun, it’s also essential that you provide some structure for them. If you’re not putting them through any discipline courses, you need to be their teacher.

New dogs, especially young puppies, should first be trained to walk on a leash in general. Once they get the feel for it after a couple of weeks, they should be walked on a fairly short leash. A short leash keeps them by you, walking at your pace, and paying attention to you as the leader or alpha.

Letting your dog in your bed might be nice, but you need to give them a separate bed. If they think that your den is their den, they won’t have necessary boundaries for when you’re trying to sleep in or when you just need some space.

To keep them always listening to you, tell them to sit before they eat. You need a regular exercise of discipline to remind them of the hierarchy.

3. Keep Them Social

Dogs and humans get along so well because we’re both social creatures. Dogs like to socialize with humans and animals, so long as they get ample opportunity to at a young age, early in your pet ownership.

Those mean dogs that snap at you as you casually walk by them on the street? You can bet they sleep in their owner’s bed and never get time around other dogs. Dogs that run around with other dogs have a better awareness of what a real threat looks like and can behave much better than dogs who don’t.

Being a First-Time Dog Owner is Fun

If you’re looking forward to being a first-time dog owner, your heart is in the right place. It’s a fun and rewarding relationship that brings a lot of benefits. You’ll become a friendlier and happier person knowing the love of a dog.

If you find over time that your dog seems to suffer emotional or stress-related issues, check out a natural remedy that can help.