Meeting the parents can be a test for any new relationship. But what about meeting the pooch? Pets are part of the family these days, which means they may have opinions about whom you're dating.

"In the old days, you had to meet the mother. Now you have to meet the dog and get the dog's approval," says Stephanie LaFarge, director of counseling services for the ASPCA and an expert on the human-animal bond.

Now that there are dating services for animal lovers and couples who meet at the dog park, pets are often involved in a relationship from the start. But if they're not, when the introduction happens, it's important to take the time to make it a positive experience.

"A bad first meeting can take a long time to get over - like a bad first meeting with the relatives," says LaFarge.

"Little things that go wrong in the beginning can take months and sometimes years to undo."

What's at stake is not just a potential significant other's relationship with the animal, but your own feelings as well. It's hard to ignore a pet's response: "My cat just loves him" can be a huge positive, but if your animal reacts fearfully, it can raise new doubts.

If you're meeting a pet for the first time, make an effort in advance. You may think you know dogs or cats, but a simple thing like where a dog likes to be petted can make a big difference. Showing concern for and interest in the pet shows concern for the person, says LaFarge.

"A lot of people are more emotionally touched when you do something for their pet, more than if someone brings flowers on the first date," she says.

If you're the pet owner, have your animal under control - no one likes being jumped all over at a first meeting - and offer your date information. If the cat doesn't like to be picked up, don't leave someone to find that out by experience.

As a relationship develops, certain pet issues are typical, such as hygiene and physical intimacy. If your date spends all his time trying to get cat hair off his clothes, or you think it's gross that she kisses her dog, don't assume the problem will magically disappear with time.

"Don't ignore little things early on," says LaFarge. "You can work these things out, but you can't pretend they're not relevant, and they show up very early in the relationship."

It's important to remember that conflicts over pets can be a sign of fundamental differences. Money management is a common relationship issue that often surfaces over the question of how much is appropriate to spend on the animals.

How a person handles these conflicts can be very revealing, says Joel Gavriele-Gold, clinical psychologist and author of When Pets Come Between Partners.

"You learn a lot about the other person and how they deal with relationships," he says. "Is it based on control or cooperation?"