As a dog owner, I look back to my childhood in horror and cannot believe what awful dog owners my parents were.  I know that sounds harsh, but the level of pet-parenting dogs receive today is vastly different than it was 20 – 30 years ago.  Today I am what might be called an over-protective pet parent, but I am probably this way due to years of learning from my parents’ mistakes.  Here are my top do’s and don’ts for dog owners, gathered from my own experiences growing up. Don’t Assume All Dog Breeds are the Same Before I was born, my parents had only ever owned purebred cocker spaniels.  Until I had a spaniel of my own, I never understood why my parents thought dogs didn’t need training or exercise [note:  I do not recommend not training or not exercising a spaniel; rather, some dog breeds just happen to...