We do so love our resolutions at the start of a new year. While your dog has no concept of New Year’s Day; he might still enjoy it if you made a few resolutions on his behalf.

#1. Your dog is a dog. He is not a furry child. Let him be a dog and keep four feet on the ground even if he only weighs 8 pounds. If you need to cuddle something; find a stuffed dog that resembles your dog. Your dog will thank you for it.

#2 Your dog is a dog. Let him stop and smell the pee. There is absolutely no reason your dog has to walk by your side. It is BORING for him. He can walk ahead of you (as long as he isn’t pulling you so hard you can’t hang on to the leash). There is absolutely no truth to the idea that if he walks ahead of you he is dominating you. You are just slower than he is and he can smell much better than you can so he is already smelling that super interesting pee spot 200 yards ahead of you.

#3 Your dog is a dog. Dogs love to shred things. They wouldn’t have survived long on their own if they couldn’t tear up a dead rabbit. Find safe things your dog can shred such as tissues or some cardboard (always with the caveat that if your dog has allergies, swallows everything, etc. that you use common sense).

#4 Your dog is a dog. His sense of smell is 100,000 times greater than yours. It is his strongest super power. How boring is it that you feed him out of a food bowl? Let him hunt for his kibble or hunt for his treats. Hide things for him to find. Mix up when you feed him and how much (unless he has a medical condition that requires certain food or you are housebreaking a puppy).

#5 Your dog is a dog. He gets to say what scares him; not you. If small children terrify him; protect him from small children. If men wearing baseball caps and sunglasses terrify him; don’t push him at those types of people. Find a positive, reward-based trainer and help your dog overcome his fears slowly. Don’t try and understand “why” the dog is afraid. We can’t ask him. He just is; so help him.

#6 Your dog is a dog. Just because he is a dog doesn’t mean he wants to play with every dog he meets. Do you like all people equally? Maybe he doesn’t want any doggy friends. Maybe he is selective. I see lots of people in dog parks because they think their dog wants to be there. Don’t force your dog to do something just because it makes you happy.

#7 Your dog is a dog. He is not Lassie. He will not always understand everything you want to say to him. If he doesn’t understand he is not being stubborn. He just doesn’t know what you want. Dogs enjoy black and white rules; not our gray area of hoping they understand why we want them on the couch sometimes; but not others.

#8 Your dog is a dog. He will do things that you consider to be “mistakes” or that are “wrong.” Are you perfect? He is not doing this to dominate you; spite you; make you mad, etc. He just made a mistake because he either didn’t fully understand the rules or he was confused. Don’t punish him for making a mistake; ask yourself where you failed in showing him what you wanted.

#9 Your dog is a dog. You can choose to reward his efforts with a payment such as a treat; affection or a toy. Or you can punish his mistakes and make him worried about his choices. The power is yours. Ask yourself which one you would enjoy the most.

#10. Your dog is a dog. He does not speak English and cannot tell you in words what he needs or wants. But, his body language is extremely expressive. Rather than trying to teach him your language; perhaps spend some time and learn his.