Some of you come to Vetstreet for the latest pet-related news or the hottest trends in pet names, while others come to get expert veterinary and training advice. And, of course, some of you love it all! (That's OK — so do we!)

From the dogs new owners should think twice about bringing home to common cat-care mistakes, we've rounded up some of the top Vetstreet articles of the year. Did your favorite make the cut? If we missed your pick, please share in the comments!

Top Data Article

Siberian Husky

15 Most Challenging Breeds for New Pet Owners We polled 218 veterinary professionals to ask them which breeds they thought were the best — and worst — for first-time dog owners. As you can imagine, this article was quite the conversation piece! Although its difficult to make sweeping statements about dog breeds as each dog is different, the vet experts surveyed did name certain breeds that they believed do better with more experienced owners.

Honorable Mentions

Best Breeds for New Owners Interestingly, this was almost as controversial as the worst breeds article. We love that our readers feel so passionate about their favorite breeds!

Quietest Dog Breeds This was yet another data article that really got our readers, and our Facebook community in particular, talking.

Interested in more articles drawing on our veterinary expert surveys and Vetstreet data? We've got that covered here.

Top Opinion Article

Breeds This Vet Wants to See Less of

5 Breeds This Vet Wouldn't Mind Seeing Less of  Dr. Marty Becker loves all animals — he wouldn't be a veterinarian if he didn't! But, that being said, there are some breeds he misses seeing and a number of dogs he worries he's seeing too much of.

Top Medical Advice

How to Know When It's Time to Say Goodbye End-of-life decisions are never easy; Dr. Andy Roark is well aware of this and offers a number of tips to help pet owners with the task of making the choice to end their pets' pain. Plus, he points out a few specific signs that will let you know when it's time.

Top DIY

4 Everyday Items That Work Wonders on Pet-Stained Carpeting Got pet stains on your carpet? Got a decently stocked pantry? Our readers went crazy about these tips for removing pet stains with products they already had on hand.

Top How-To

How to Pet a Dog You might think there's nothing much to petting a dog, but the fact is, there's a right way and there's definitely a wrong way. Trainer Mikkel Becker explains the best way to show your four-legged friend some love, and tells you why it's important to do it right.

'How Are We Doing With Cat Care?' Infographic

Top Cat Care

Don't Make These 5 Cat-Care Mistakes Every pet owner makes the occasional mistake, but some are easily avoided with a bit of education. Dr. Becker provides just that in this article about common cat care mistakes.

Honorable Mention

How Are We Doing With Cat Care? Dr. Tony Buffington's article and the accompanying infographic proved to be an enormously helpful resource for our readers. This is a quick read that offers some useful insight into your cat's body language and what it says about her health.

Top Dog Care

5 Ways You're Stressing Your Dog Out Are your laid-back ways causing anxiety for your pooch? Are you punishing him for bad behavior, or just for being a dog? Mikkel Becker points out five common ways dog owners unwittingly create canine stress.

Top Etiquette

5 Things You Should Never Say in a Vet's Waiting Room It's normal to make small talk while waiting to see your vet, but use common sense — for example, pointing out how big a dog's lump is to his owner is probably not the best icebreaker. Dr. Patty Khuly lays down a few ground rules for things you should definitely keep to yourself.

Top Reader Q&A

Your Dog's Whining Decoded One of our readers wrote in with a common problem: a whiny dog. Mikkel Becker has personal experience with this issue, and she also has a solution. In this article she shares a few potential reasons for the dog's incessant whining as well as training tips designed to lessen the behavior.

Why Does My Dog... Cock His Head?

Top Why Does My …?

Why Does My Dog Cock Her Head? Our "Why Does My …?" series is definitely a hit with readers, and the most popular one of the year had to do with one of the canine species' most adorable habits: head cocking. We took the question to a veterinary behaviorist who offered a few possible explanations, some of which might come as a surprise to you.

Top Video

Get Your Cat to the Vet We'll admit that taking your cat to the vet isn't always the most pleasant task, but that's no excuse to skip the trip, especially since cats are incredibly talented at hiding illness and injury. Dr. Roark stars in a humorous — and helpful — video that offers simple tips and advice on how to get your cat to the vet with the least amount of stress possible. (Yoga may or may not be involved.)

Top Feature

America's Best Cities for Dogs Do you live in a dog-friendly city? We looked at a couple of recent reports about the most dog-friendly cities in America, then talked to enthusiastic dog owners from those locations. How many of you take the number of dog parks and dog boutiques into consideration when you make a move to a new city?

Top News

Pet Scoop: Famed Dog Shoep Dies at Age 20 Last summer the world fell in love with Shoep, a then-19-year-old dog with severe arthritis. Shoep's owner took him out for nightly swims to ease the old boy's pain and help him sleep; a photo of the two of them in the water together quickly went viral. Donations poured in so that Shoep could receive treatment, which allowed him to go on a couple of walks a day.

Sadly, in July, we reported that, just a month after his 20th birthday, Shoep passed away, and our readers responded with love and sympathy.