Hello, mi gente! Bienvenidos again to my monthly column. By the time this is published, we should know who the next president of the United States will be, and we can only hope we all did our part in shaping the future of our country.

With this column, I would like to touch on a subject that is technically not of a medical background but still related to our fur babies, of course: “Pet Etiquette.” What I want to bring to the table is how to manage situations that should involve common sense but can sometimes prove to be challenging.

For those of us that may not have the privilege of owning a backyard but do have dogs to take outside, there are two common mistakes I see people making. The first common mistake is not walking our dog on a leash at all times. Walking your dog on a leash includes putting their leash on while still inside your home and not removing it until you are safely back inside. This may seem a bit too much for some people, but it is important in order to avoid conflicts with other dogs or even people.

If you walk your cat on a leash, please stay away from areas frequented by dogs because many dogs do not like cats.

The second common mistake with pet etiquette is leaving your dog’s poop-mines behind. We should always pick up our babies’ poops, right when they are fresh and warm (lol). This practice not only avoids potentially leaving parasites in the environment, it also helps with keeping common areas clean and keeps others from stepping in these lovely butt gifts.

We should also be mindful of our surroundings and other pets when walking our dog. For example, if someone has a dog and is walking towards you, a good practice is to cross the street whenever possible or walk away from the other person and their dog in order to avoid any type of conflict.

This type of situation can be dangerous because we do not know how friendly the other dog may be. Some dogs are very friendly with humans but may not be friendly toward other animals. There are even dogs that do not like dogs that are bigger than them and some don’t like dogs smaller than them.

Along this same line, it is also important to avoid petting dogs that you do not know without the parent’s consent. Always ask if it is OK to say hi to their baby before attempting to pet a dog. If children are involved, please make sure you ask if the dog is OK with kids and make sure you tell the kid to be gentle. If the kid is too young to know how to interact with dogs, it would be better to refrain from having any interaction, as some young kids may grab and pull, leading to potential — and unnecessary — problems.

When taking dogs to a park or common area where the use of leash is optional, make sure your dog has manners. For example, if your dog is trying to hump every living organism or is barking at everything or is being a bully, then your dog may not be “park” ready. Babies like this need to be assessed by a behaviorist before you allow them to be a part of any doggy social gathering.

Also, if your baby is very shy or submissive, you may want to address that first as well because some shy/submissive dogs can feel stressed out at the park. This means that instead of being a pleasant time outside, it can turn out to be a torturous experience for them.

When it comes to dogs that bark when left alone at home and dogs that destroy things while parents are gone (or even when still there!), it is important to address these issues as soon as possible. This not only allows us to raise our babies with manners, it helps avoid conflicts with neighbors. And more importantly, it allows our babies to be as happy as they can be.

There are ways to help these furry ones, so please consult with your veterinarian and with your behaviorist of choice.

I hope these ideas help start a conversation at home that will lead to forming a healthier family, while keeping in mind that we should always be nicer to people around us, especially when the world seems to be falling apart.

As usual, of course, abrazos and hang in there!

Dr. Josh owns Isla Veterinary Boutique Hospital, 14380 Marsh Lane, Ste. 110 in Addison (next to Tom Thumb). Visit them at IslaVet.com or call 972-738-1111.