Category: Top Dog

I am looking for advice on my new puppy. He is doing okay with the basics. He uses his pee pad and goes into his crate as long as I am standing right next to him.

The second I leave the room he is in or head out of the apartment, the crying starts. I live in a tiny Bay Area apartment so I am trying to keep a strict layout: he eats and plays in the living room pen with lockable dog door; he sleeps in the bedroom crate; and he potties on the pad by the front door. I’m also trying to get him used to the travel bag since we’ll be flying in a couple months.

I have been using treats to lure him to these three spots but I think it backfired. He figured out that the treats are just a trick to get him where I want him. To top it off he is extremely sensitive to noise. Even opening a window or running the laundry seems to scare him. His attention span is very short. Sit command is not consistent and he does not even know his name yet.

How do I restart training without him feeling like he is being tricked? Does anyone have tips for separation anxiety and noise sensitivity in a small space?

I’m getting my German shepherd puppy soon and this is a schedule I’ve put together. My puppy is going to have a large playpen with a crate, water, safe toys, and fresh patch until 4-5 months when he can comfortably hold his bladder for more than 4 hours or so. I work M-F so this will be his schedule for weekdays. Weekends will involve long walks/adventures/public trainings/socialization classes etc.

My husband’s work schedule varies, so he will be home sometimes as well. Puppy is my responsibility because my husband isn’t a big fan lol but he will help me out if needed. I would love any feedback! I will also wake up earlier as time goes on and puppy needs longer walks in the AM as time goes on :).

Pre vaccine schedule (8-16 weeks old)

6:00AM: wake up; take out of crate, use potty (fresh patch in playpen), feed breakfast

6:10AM-6:25AM: personal hygiene, get dressed

6:25AM-6:40AM: mental stimulation; training, and lick mat

before I leave home

Leave home: 6:40AM-11:05AM

Come home 11:05AM-11:20AM; give frozen Lunch

Leave house 11:20AM-3PM (may come home at 1:30PM-1:40PM before gym if needed)

3:00PM: Outdoor walk with stroller/lowes training (depends on day)

4:15PM: Shower/cook/clean etc.

6:30PM:Train/puzzle with dinner

7:30PM-8:30PM Play/train/stimulation/lickmat

Puppy bedtime (crate) 9PM

After 16 weeks (or fully vaccinated)

5:45AM: Wake up,take out of crate, use potty (fresh patch on patio), feed breakfast

5:55AM-6:15AM: Get ready personal hygiene, get dressed

6:20AM-6:40AM: Relaxed walk/some training/ fetch,lick mat before I leave house

Leave home: 6:40AM-11:05AM

11:05AM-11:20AM: Come home; outdoor break; potty/fetch, give lunch (frozen or puzzle)

11:20AM-3:00PM: leave home

3:00PM until whenever: Outdoor walk/training/fetch etc.

Whenever home -6PM: Shower/cook/clean etc

7:30PM:Train with dinner/ lick mat before crate time

Puppy bedtime (crate) 10/11pm (whenever I go to sleep)

If anyone of my family members leave the room even if someone is there he starts to bark and cry. If I close the door to use restroom he cry and bark. We go downstairs he barks. At night he barks but not as much. It does not matter that there is 3 of us still in the room he cries. What can we do i know prob because he just came from the pound but it never stops I have never had a puppy like this i have had a lot of dogs

Hi I have a toy Cavoodle puppy, around 5 months old and 3.5kg currently. He eats the Royal Canin puppy dry food, as this was the one he had with the breeder too, and up until he started teething/growing adult teeth around a month ago he was loving it!

The last week or so he really hasn’t been eating much, and when he does he tends to rub his face on the couch/floor afterwards (seems like itching?) – is this a normal thing with teething or an indication of an allergy perhaps?

Any insight or advice would be much appreciated!!

sadie is a 6 month (omg i can’t believe she’s 6 months already) old english cocker spaniel. she’s crazy and loving and all the things a puppy is. she’s crazy bitey, has accidents sometimes still, ya know the normal puppy behavior.

HOWEVER. i live in an apartment and we brought sadie home dec 2025 so she’s had a solid 3 months to get used to the apartment and surroundings outside. now it’s march 2026 and our apartment just put down fresh pine straw and it’s all fluffy and not what she’s used to. i’ve noticed in maybe the past few days or so, she isn’t pooping as easily outside and comes inside and immediately poops in the house even after being outside for like 10-15 mins. is it because of the pine straw or am i crazy? could be the teenage phase creeping in where shes testing her boundaries or maybe she just isn’t as fully potty trained as i thought. but am i making excuses for her by saying “oh she’ll grow out of it and be used to the new pine straw in a week or so” or am i crazy lol

My dog’s absolute favorite toy is the 10 inch lambchop. She has some of the tiny ones too, but she loves the medium size. Shes had two so far, and both of them have had their faces torn into within a week, because they are knitted and easier to pull apart. I know the small and large lambchops have a regular fabric face, but are there any medium ones like that??

Hi everyone! I am on the hunt for a leather dog collar thats raised and fancy stitched preferably wide. I have a dalmation so he’s a bigger guy nothing for a small dog. But I don’t want padding underneath it. I was wondering if anyone has found anything similar or has someone who works with leather that could customize the collar! The one I love is a Butet but its $220 without CA sales tax and my dog adventures a lot so I have a hard time justifying that price for something I know will see salt water, mud, etc. Unfortunately I can’t post a picture of the collar I like but if anyone has any leads TIA!

My buddy is 10+ years old. He's a very good boy, but was never the most engaging or brightest boy.

I've tried playing with him in so many ways, but he doesn't really play.

He used to love long hikes and walks, but with a bad hip he now can't walk more than a quarter mile. Most times I take him out for walks now (off leash in the country) he doesn't want to go past the driveway. He just pees and goes back inside.

He used to love riding with me in the truck and still does, but now he shakes with discomfort and can't quite get his leg to sit right underneath him.

He used to sit next to me on the couch, but now he can't get up here.

He lays around a lot, loves his biscuits and chews, and I give him love when I can.

I'm giving him lots of jerky and what not, but I see the boredom creeping in.

He absolutely LOVES rolling in the snow and it's been a great winter for that, but now that's gone for the year.

He's an old dog. Poor sight, a little deaf, can't move around a ton, but internal organs are all fine.

Does anyone have any suggestions I'm not thinking of to keep him entertained or stimulated in these twilight years (months?) that he has left?

I love him and really want to help him enjoy life while he's still with me.

Been browsing online but I'm having a difficult time finding decent reviews. My girl is about 95 lbs and we are probably going to be traveling on rides that are around 8 miles One way (12 Kilometers).

my dog is a border collie and i love her a lot! we had an old border collie who i also loved a lot and we had to put him down because he bit a couple people and his health was declining. i was bit by him twice and so i know the signs

this new girl has the same permanently stessed look, and she LOVES to come up to me and jump or get on my lap.

when she does this, though, she always gives me all the signs you'd see before a dog bites. whale eye, she snaps at the other dogs, swallows, ears back. she only nips at me when we play, and hasnt actually tried to bite me yet, but i am a little scared.

should i be worried?