11 signs that you are a bad dog owner

The best thing about being a dog owner is knowing that your dog is happy and thriving. But some people do not know that they are actually bad dog owners, whether that be on purpose, or even on accident.

1: Hitting your dog

Number 1 should be the most obvious, so I put it first. Hitting a dog is never okay, simply because they do not understand right from wrong. People will hit their dogs when it has a accident or it keeps barking or it lunges at a squirrel All of this can be fixed with patience and an owner training the dog positively, such as giving the dog a treat when it uses the bathroom outside, or when it ignores that squirrel.

2: "She's not fat, she's just thick."

If your dog is fat enough for people to call her fat, then she is most likely fat. If your dog is fat, then you are giving it to much food or not enough exercise, two signs of a bad dog owner.

3: "She needs to go to the vet when she's sick."

It is true that you need to take your dog to vet when she is sick, but she also needs monthly checkups, so that the vet can have an evaluation. Even if your dog doesn't seem sick, there could be something wrong internally. Plus, dogs always need vaccinations. If you seem that you don't have enough time or money to take a dog to the vet every month, then you do not need a dog.

4: The dog doesn't answer to simple commands

A dog that doesn't come when called, sit on command, get off the furniture, lie down, or even be quiet is a sign that the owner is lazy and didn't train the dog. Every dog can be trained with just a bit of effort.

5: "He'll come back when he's ready."

If your dog runs off, it is your responsibility to make sure that he comes back safely. A dog doesn't always come back when hes ready, simply because he can get lost, or even worse, get killed. If you do not want to take the effort to go and get your dog, you are a bad dog owner.

6: Giving up a dog that doesn't work for you

Adopting a dog and promising him a good home, and then giving him away because you 'can't deal with it anymore' is perhaps one of the cruelest things you can do as a dog owner. It's like giving away a child that doesn't suit you. You were the one to take in the dog, you should be the one to make him work.

7: Not cleaning the water bowl unless it is empty

This one is just gross. How would you like to drink water that has been sitting in the open for days on end? Get off your butt and clean that bowl!

8: Treating the dog like a child

A dog is not a person and shouldn't be treated like one. Dressing your dog up in costumes for a quick picture is cute and all, but the dog shouldn't be dressed like a human (minus hairless dogs). Dogs do not need human food, as a majority of it is toxic to them anyways. Dogs do not like to be held all the time either.

9: Not enough exercise

Most people will let their dog out to use the bathroom and then let them back in. That is not enough exercise for a dog, of any size. Most dogs require at least 30 minutes-2 hours of exercise a day. A day. If you can not meet that need simply because you don't want to, then you are a bad dog owner.

10: Leaving the dog exposed to the elements

A dog left outside exposed to the elements deserves to be taken away from their owner. People get dogs as companions and then tie them outside, where they get no companionship.

11: "It's okay, she's friendly."

If your dog runs up and greets someone that doesn't want the dog near them, then it is your responsibility to remove the dog away from them. The person doesn't care that she is friendly. And your dog shouldn't run up and greet a stranger, just like how children shouldn't speak to children.

Do you or someone you know fall under one of these? Please, change your ways. Happy reading! And of course, Canine Good.