The hardest part of loving a dog is knowing that, someday, there will be an inevitable goodbye. As the saying goes, for every hello, there is a goodbye.

But somewhere between those two moments is a lifetime of tail wags, muddy paws, comfort, laughter, and unconditional love. The goodbye is painful because the bond was real—and because they gave us so much while they were here.

Puppies: no one is ever truly 100% ready for that tiny, adorable whirlwind of chaos—and that’s okay! Every pup is different, which means you may need to switch up your battle gear at a moment’s notice. One day, they are chewing toilet paper and shoes; the next, they are pooping in the shoes and treating the toilet paper like a gourmet topping…the good news? Well read and find out!

Herding Dogs: Pull, yank, yell, smack, repeat. That is NOT how you extinguish an instinct. Prongs, chains, sound tasers, etc. All too common to quiet a drive within them that was once globally desired. There should be more restrictions when it comes to adopting and rescuing herding dogs. Why? If you care enough, read and find out!

Wolf dogs: are they more “Wolf” than “Dog”? Or more “Dog” than “Wolf”? The misinformation about them is exactly what is landing them in the wrong hands and unprepared handlers.