Pet ownership is difficult sometimes and those that tell you that it’s a walk in the park might just be lying– or have a far more open schedule than you. Either way, all that glitters is not gold, and sometimes having a pet like a dog requires a lot of you. If you have a dog or more than one you can likely attest to this.

Sometimes the best thing that we can do when we have a pet is to not assume that we know anything. It doesn’t mean go on the Internet and take the words of a bunch of strangers or dubious sources as gospel, but it does mean that no matter where you are on the pet care knowledge scale, it just means that there’s always room to grow and more out there for you to know.

No one wants to be that guy, the pet owner with a dog that thinks he knows everything already and on top of that, knows more than you specifically. This can be annoying when you run into that guy at the dog park and they, of course, want to give you the full lecture where they talk nonstop about what they know and you’re supposed to take it all in like they’re a verified expert. No, it’s far better to actually know what you’re talking about or retain a realistic view about your knowledge and experience level than to act like you’re the encyclopedia of pet owner knowledge.

At the end of the day, it’s pretty simple. If you do the right things for your pet, they’re going to be healthy. It doesn’t require you to turn into a perfectionist, it just requires you to know what you’re doing on some level and following through. This means having the right gear, the right food, going to the pet store to get them what they need, having the time, and making the space to be sure they’re exercised, fed, and happy and have the chance to go to the bathroom.

Pets are fairly straight forward when it comes to their care, and the devil is in the details, as they say. Feed them, shelter them, make sure they’ve got what they need, and take them to the vet when they seem off or ill but you don’t know what’s wrong or how to treat it. They will give you all the love they have to give straight back, so give them that love too in the form of being an informed and responsible pet owner that helps them to be healthy and happy.…