Hills I will die on as a dog owner

You could say my “whole thing” in the dog ownership space is nuance.

I’m a big believer in adjusting to individual lifestyle factors, setting personal goals based on our own values, and being willing to change our minds over time. Middle ground makes me happy. My go-to answer on any dog topic is “it depends”—not as a cop out (I swear!) but as a genuine acknowledgement that so many things affect our decisions.

In short: There are almost no hard-and-fast rules I subscribe to both in dog ownership and life. The more specific the guideline, the more likely I am to take issue with it.

But there are some overarching concepts I really firmly stand behind. I was recently asked to share any hills I am willing to die on as a dog owner. Here are the top ones.