Clean up after your dog. You may think it's not that important, but what if everyone walking dogs felt the same way? Soon our streets and parks would be covered in you-know-what. Every scoop makes a difference. It may seem gross, but you get used to it fast. Use a plastic bag to cover your hand, pick up the offending matter, turn the bag inside out so the waste is securely inside it, tie up the bag and toss it in a trash can.

Keep your dog on a leash. This is necessary for people who live in cities and suburbs, and even owners of country dogs should have a leash handy when walking their dogs. Even if your dog is responsive and reliable off-leash, you never know what might happen. See the section below on Letting Your Dog Off Lead for more on this subject.

Keep your dog under control. If you're walking with your dog and you can see that someone is walking toward you who appears uncomfortable at the sight of your dog, be kind and courteous, reel your dog in, and hold him while the person passes. No one likes a dog — even one on a leash — who approaches enthusiastically and tries to sniff or jump up on them. This can become a rewarding habit for a dog, and it's your job to make sure it doesn't.

Be mindful of trouble. While happily walking your young dog with whom you are totally infatuated, you may think that every other dog must be like her — friendly, playful, cute, and sweet. Hopefully you'll meet many dogs like this on your jaunts around the neighborhood and wherever you travel with your dog, but don't expect it. Dogs get excited about meeting other dogs. Their greeting behavior can often include pawing or spinning to try to sniff each other and find out what they want to know. This can verge on aggressive behavior, and sometimes quickly escalates into aggressive behavior. You are responsible for your dog. Use common sense and only consider approaching strange dogs if they appear calm. When you're a safe distance away, ask the other owner if his dog is okay with other dogs. Approach slowly and be ready to pull your dog away if necessary. If you know your dog starts trouble with other dogs, don't let others approach her. Be nice about it, but keep your distance.

Be mindful of street signs and traffic patterns. Be sure that oncoming traffic has a stop sign before you begin to cross. Pay attention to pedestrian signals in large cities.