Having a pet is a wonderful thing. A pet provides companionship and is a loving addition to your family. I couldn't imagine our life without our pets because we absolutely adore them. But having a pet is a great responsibility and they require great care from you, their 'master'.

And don't forget that pets love to play. Dogs for example, have a lot of energy and they need to play to help burn that energy. They'll need toys for both indoor and outdoor play and PetSmart has a really great selection of Chuckit! toys, which our dogs love.

All 3 of the dogs really love to play fetch - it's their favorite. In fact, they'd play fetch all day if we let them! Max is almost always the fastest, catching a flying toy right in his mouth, before either of the other dogs get to it. Gunner's usually chillin' out back waiting for it to land, not realizing that Max got it and is already back to the person throwing it. He's smart though and will stay back once he realizes so that he has a better chance to grab it next time.

I know a lot of new pet parents have questions and need advice so I'm going to share some tips with you all and I hope that they're able to make your transition with a new pet run as smoothly as possible!

6 Tips for New Dog Parents

• Be prepared for whining, crying and maybe a bit of chaos. Now that's not to scare you, it's just reality. Bringing in?a new puppy, or even an older adopted dog can be a challenge at first. It'll take a bit for him/her to get used to its new family. Be gentle and kind through this transition and your pup will grow to love and trust you.
• Build Trust. The pup has got to get to know you and trust you so show him that you care by petting and cuddling with him.
• Set boundaries. Boundaries are easiest set in the beginning. If you don't want your dog to beg for your food, don't ever give him table scraps. If they learn from the beginning, they'll be less likely to beg. Most of our food isn't good for a dog's diet anyway. The same goes for the couch, teach him no from the beginning.
• Never leave your dog in the car.?Leaving your dog in a car, especially in the summertime can be brutal, even deadly. Leave the pup at home if you're running errands.
• Make your dog rest. My dogs would play all day, no lie.?When they've had enough of playing fetch, we either have to take the dogs in or put the toys up so they'll just relax.
• Bring fresh water when playing at the beach. Your dog will be tempted to drink water if it's near and lakes and pools aren't exactly suitable for drinking, even for your dog. - fresh water contains parasites and algae, pool water contains chlorine and ocean water contains salt.

There's a lot more advice that I could give, but PetSmart summed it up pretty well with their tips on How to Keep Your Dog Cool this Summer and How to Keep Your Dog Safe Around the Pool, Lake or Ocean. They've even shared their own Summer Tips for New Pet Parents.

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