Category: Top Dog

hi! i recently posted about struggles with a foster-to-adopt dog and i have decided not to continue with adoption. They were looking for a foster in a different state, and I offered to foster and also see if it was the right fit, and sadly it was not. I truly believe this is the best decision for us! I will be continuing to foster until the rescue finds the right home, and until then if anyone has any tips to work through the anxiety/depression feelings of having a puppy for the upcoming days/weeks/months until she goes off to her forever home i would love any advice!

I’m in the middle of raising my first puppy (she’s 5 months now) and i wish someone had sat me down and told me the really practical stuff beforehand (not training)

For example I had no idea:

-how many pee pads I would actually go through (ended up not having enough and overpaying at stores to having too many now siting and catching dust)

-that enzyme cleaner was basically non negotiable and how much of it i’d actually need. I ran out and had to wait loads for delivery. Because of that my puppy kept peeing in places she had already marked which i didn’t even realise was a thing since I assumed they were clean.

Another one I learned the hard way was how to actually wash sheets or blankets properly after an accident so the smell doesn’t stick. I would wash them but she could still smell it and would think the bed was an ok place to pee again. PS: don’t use the dryer and try to add vinagre with the detergent.

these feel like such basic things but nobody really explains them until you mess it up yourself.

What do you wish someone had told you before or during the first weeks/months?

We live facing woods. Our neighbors have a giant grey hound mix that is not on any sort of fence (electric or otherwise). It sometimes (but seldom) runs wild through our yard. I just caught it out in my puppies “potty spot” sniffing around.

Is my puppy going to be bothered by this? I don’t want to ruin our potty momentum. I feel like I need to have a conversation with them regardless

Does anyone have recommendations on books or websites/pdfs give high level info and timeframe targets for vet care and development in the first year? I’m thinking like What to Expect When You’re Expecting but for puppies. Bonus if it’s specific to Golden Retrievers.

My 13 week mini dachshund has been with us a little over 4 weeks now and while there has been progress with his crate training I’m still surprised we are still struggling a month in. Can someone tell me that’s normal 😅

He does well 80% of the time, he does best for day time naps and sleeping over night. However from 6pm-10pm if I try to put him down for a nap that’s when he loses his mind in his crate biting it, crying loudly, biting his bed/blanket draped over it and won’t settle for more than 5 minutes at a time. Then at that point he’s extremely over tired or a psycho biting monster if I let him out of the crate. I feel like this happens during his “witching hour” part of the day probably? Idk but I’m exhausted and I find myself getting so frustrated and overstimulated when I’ve been working all day and I can’t relax because that’s when he acts up the most. Any tips are welcome!!

I’m hoping to hear from others who’ve been through this, especially families with young kids and puppies.

We have a young lab puppy (still very much a baby). Overall she’s sweet and social, but we’re navigating some challenging interactions with my almost-5-year-old.

When we first brought her home, she had to be tethered almost 24/7 because she constantly tried to play rough with the kids. Over time, this has improved a lot. Now I can let her be loose and she will leave the kids alone for the most part.

The main struggle now is when she becomes overtired or overstimulated.

Some of what we’re seeing:

• She jumps mostly on my son, not adults • My son tries to hug her around the neck, touch her ears, and plays very rough despite repeated reminders • If she jumps on the couch with him, he will sometimes shove her off • She grabs onto his clothes and tries to rip at them during play • She also counter-surfs and grabs food if a kid walks away (working on management for this) 

When Luna is very tired/overstimulated, she can:

• run at me • growl • jump up • occasionally bare her teeth • be extremely wiggly and sometimes slam her whole body into my legs 

When I put her in her kennel during these moments, she lays right down and passes out within a minute.

She does not bite, doesn’t latch on, and the behavior stops once she’s separated and allowed to rest. It feels frantic and overstimulated rather than focused or intentional aggression, but with young kids in the house it’s understandably concerning.

One thing I’m also struggling with is teaching her to relax in the living room. She will not lay down or nap in there at all — she stays alert and restless — but she will relax and sleep when she’s tethered in the kitchen or in her kennel. I’d love any tips on helping a puppy learn how to settle in a busier space like the living room.

I know a 5-year-old isn’t developmentally great with impulse control, and we’re actively working on boundaries and supervision, but I’m curious:

• Has anyone else experienced puppies reacting more intensely to kids than adults? • Is this kind of overtired/overstimulated behavior common at this age? • Any tips for helping a puppy relax in common areas? 

Mostly looking for shared experiences and reassurance from people who’ve been there. Thanks.

Hello! I’m new to this thread, and to this puppy of mine. I have a 7-9 month old Great Pyrenees mix (She’s 70% great Pyr, 10% Husky, 10% Malamute, and 9% GSD, according to Embark), so she's going to be a big girl!

I’ve had her for a little over a month now (and I love her to pieces), she’s pretty much perfect! Except for when she gets into her, what I lovingly call, “Marnie Shark” moods. She’s almost 60Lbs now with all of her grown up teeth, so when she gets into these hyped up moods and starts mouthing, it hurts!

And she isn’t shy about going for my face which is so not okay! I’m trying the “yelp and leave” method, but this doesn’t seem to phase her at all. I won’t use aversive tools, but if anyone has any advice or could share what worked for you, I’d love to hear it 🥲

SOS <3

We have an 11 week old golden retriever puppy. Who's going on week 3 at home. I have a demanding work from home job and my wife goes into the office usually daily but has flexibility.

We're really struggling with getting our puppy to settle either in his crate or playpen alone to take naps during the day. We give all meals and frozen treats in the crate, try crate training with treats going in and out, closing the door and waiting for him to settle during the day, but once he's done with the frozen treats or his meal/training treats stop coming, he will just panic to get out (even if we are right in front of the crate). Similar for playpen, he's having a hard time settling and just laying down even if we are 2 feet away and all needs have been met. Before going in the crate/playpen he's going potty, playing, eating, small training sessions- and even when we know he's tired he takes so long to settle/won't (but he'll fall asleep anywhere and everywhere outside the crate/playpen easily, moving him into the crate then wakes him up and panic ensues).

Funny enough, the past 4-5 days he's slept through the night in the crate perfectly fine no wakeups. But again, he falls asleep outside the crate first most times, then we put him in.

Any tips or advice here would be really helpful as we're reaching the breaking point 🫠🙃

Hey all,

I have a staffy beagle mix – he is almost 11 weeks old- he is at around 5.5 kgs.

During the day – getting him to sleep during the crate is fine – but between 16:00 (his third meal) and his last meal – at 19:30 – he is out of control. I’ve tried settling, training, playing, kongs – all sorts – and he will not rest or sleep. He’s asleep now at about 18:40 – but he has been going since 16:15. Any tips or advice for this period?

He isn’t fully vaxxed yet so we can’t take him out – but over the weekend my partner and I walked with him in his sling – and he was wiped out after. Should I try doing that during this time?

I tried to force nap him – but he was really distressed so I had to stop.

Thanks for any help!

Yes it sounds superfacial. But does/did anyone find a brand or website that has cloths or vests for dog training for the human, so it can contain your snacks/toy/other training things for your dog. lots of pockets and doesn't look like fishing gear for men?
I want to have a cute bag or jacket with lots of pockets to go training with or walking the dog without looking like a fisher men or a potato sack.