Category: Top Dog

Our 17 week old doberman has finally completed all her vaccines! In a week the vet has cleared her to begin going to doggy daycare. This is a home daycare with a dog trainer who never has more than 4 dogs at a time in her care and several hundred 5 stars on Rover. We've already done the meet and greet and our puppy loved her as much as we did so I'm excited for her to start!

Now the question, her first day is Feb 3rd. My mother is having surgery that morning and I'll be off all day just in case something happens and I need to pick our puppy up early. My question is, most days she will be at daycare from 830-630 (I work 9-6 currently plus travel). On her first day, Mom goes into surgery at 7 and wants me there when she goes back. Should I take the puppy very early for her first day (drop off at 630 instead of 830) or should I kennel her until Mom goes back for surgery then drive home and take the puppy in around her normal time.

Both options disturb her morning schedule. Most mornings she's up at 6 and we cuddle and sleep in my recliner till about 7:30. Then it's training, walkies and breakfast. I feel like kenneling until 745ish is probably the least disruptive to her schedule but would it just be better to take her to the sitter early? I want her first day to go as smoothly as possible so she can have the best possible start!

17week old male cockapoo, absolute Velcro dog that follows us everywhere if he could 😬 He’s been crated since we brought him home, first night was bad. Since then the nights have been good with a slight whine at 10pm and then asleep till 6:30. Toilet training has been well.. can’t remember the last accident in the house.

Our issue is when we leave for work, shops, take kids to school… anything that he needs to be crated for during the day while we go out. He happily goes in his crate in the day to lay down or chill with a toy, but once he’s getting shut in and us go out he whines and cry’s and abit of howling.. now it’s not terrible, it goes on for maybe 5mins, 10mins at the very most and very rarely. After he does settle but how do we go about not having the crying at all? 😬 we’ve considered giving abit more freedom of having the downstairs when we go out and see how that goes.

Any tips or experiences very welcome. Thank you

Hi friends! I picked up my now 11 week old Pomeranian last Saturday, and was hoping for some guidance.

Once we got her home, I figured she would be tired from the 3 hour car ride with us, so I put in the playpen I got her. It had an open kennel inside with a bed, food, water and toys, and I covered it with a blanket to reduce stimulation. Didn’t last long though because she screamed absolute bloody murder when she couldn’t see us.

We took her out and played, and when we tried again it was more of the same. I realized that that night I should probably not cause her so much stress so I did what I read about on this sub, which is to move a crate in my room so it’s right next to my bed so I can smooth her and reach in when she cried. It was irks pretty well, did that for a few nights but she got really scared of something one night and woke me up crying with her back against the back of the crate, and was scared of one side of the kennel.

The last two night, I moved the pen in my room on the floor next to my bed with lots of cozy things. Last night I added a heartbeat puppy stuffie, which she seems to like okay, but she still cries because she hates the pen even during the day. I also have a calming pheromone plugged in nearby, and I also ordered the spray to put on her bed and stuffie. Tonight I am trying a slightly bigger kennel again, and that hopefully we have a better outcome than before.

In the pen, she cries unless she is touched, until she falls asleep. I am a bit stressed because I have been letting her go around the living room while I’m in there to keep an eye on her, and there is totally relaxed. But the minute she is put in a pen, which is still big at 36”x36” she acts like I’m torturing her.

This sub seems mostly on the side of being attentive to them in the crate, but I’m also worried I’m creating separation anxiety. My boss has a one year old at Bernard and used the cry it out method and thinks I just need to do that.

So here’s my question. She’s still a little baby and is adjusting really well to my house outside of this issue. But I’m not sure if at 11 weeks this something I should approach with softness or tough love. How long did this stage last? What worked for you? She’s my third pom but first I’m raising from a puppy.

I don’t want to create problems for her as an adult, and it’s giving me a lot of anxiety and causing me to have puppy blues. Any advice is welcome.

Have a 5ish month old male neutered puppy, had him on a schedule and he had never stopped to squat and pee, with a few small accidents. But had been great for a while and on a schedule.

Since then, the last week or so he keeps peeing a very tiny amount (walking, no squat) in the same spot(ish) near the back patio door, and before that in my guest room or on the kitchen floor. The problem is sometimes he’ll be playing or sometimes mid run and all of a sudden stop and smell the ground as if he was just as shocked as me that he peed a little. It’s always very small amounts and could be cleaned with a single paper towel. He sleeps all night with no accidents for 8+ hours.

I’ve gotten really good at recognizing his behavior to know when I have to search for the tiny puddle or spots. I’m 50/50 on if it’s a health issue, or just behavioral and he has started marking a little while trying to hide it. Was wondering what the symptoms of a dog that actually had a UTI or something else causing the issues looks like.

I had to leave my house just now and go for a drive cause my puppy is overstimulating me today. Let me start by saying some days are definitely better than others. I've been home with him all day cause I'm off and fiancée is at work. I gave him a puzzle this morning and he finished it in 3 min. I played with him a little then sat on the couch.

When we're in the couch he always roams around the couch/hops on and off/ walks on top of me/ sniffs around. I tried everything the internet suggested. I gave him a teething ring which he finished in 5 min then started roaming again. I redirected him several times to his spot on the couch. He stays for 5 min then starts roaming again. So we both took a nap for 3 hrs then when we got up I played with him again for 10 min then sat on the couch to get some work done but he kept roaming and climbing on top of me!! Will this phase ever end?? It's like he has no chill. Will this phase ever end?

SB: he just got neutered 2 weeks ago and he's 6.5 months.

I have an almost 14 week puppy, we’ve had him almost 3 weeks. He sleeps in his crate at night and for naps during the day. He has a play pen where he plays independently or be alone when we are doing things around the house. When he’s out of the crate + pen, he’s on a leash at all times pretty much. We have been giving him more time outside the pen (while he’s ok in the pen, he has been protesting a bit more.. which is to be expected I guess with more time outside of the pen). How long did it take for you to start giving your pup? How did you implement the slow changes? He’s doing pretty well with potty training, but he will have an accident here and there if we miss the signs of him having to pee (twice last week). I’ve read lots online and people say giving too much freedom too soon, is one of your biggest mistakes. Thank you in advance!

Freddie keeps biting. hes 8 weeks old, and an imperial shih tzu. I know hes teething, but he gets more aggressive when we're in bed.

he snaps at me constantly, and my hands are full of scratches and cuts from him. Last night he bit my chin, and went for my eyes. thankfully I wear an eye mask in bed, and it fell down, so he couldn't get to me.

other than that, hes a brilliant boy. he eats loads, hes already mastered recall, and is so close to mastering potty training. this is my only problem with him.

Okay so my puppy is almost 8 mo. has formed this habit that we can’t explain. She will rarely go in the yard by herself during the day. But when it’s dark she goes out by herself no problem and will spend a longer time than during the day. Does anyone’s dog do this? Is she for some reason scared of the yard during the day but not night?

I have a new puppy who is almost 11 weeks old.

He came from a large litter and my understanding is that the foster didn't train any of them and fed them together. This is no judgement, just context.

He is OBSESSED with food. To the point he would prefer to train for treats instead of play independently. On the one hand, he is pretty easy to train, and is learning fast. On the other hand, he needs to play and even "calming" food options like puzzle feeders lick mats, bones, tend to all get him excited.

I feel like this makes it hard for him to settle in his crate for naps. Oh, and his crate is the best bet to get him to sleep! If he is out of his crate, he just looks for food or engages in destructive behavior because he is too tired but won't settle.

I promise you, I am feeding him plenty of food​ according to the guidelines on the bag and other sources, so he isn't underfed!

I read it can be boredom, but I try to engage him with play and he is mentally engaged theough training and puzzles.

Oh and his training "treats" are literally just his regular food. They are not special or "high value"​. All food is high value to him 😂.

He also tries to eat leaves or anything he can get in his mouth when we go outside and chooses to focus on that instead of walking. But of course, if I tell him to "leave it" he will, if he thinks there is a treat involved.

Do I feed him more? Is this normal? Am I messing up my fur baby?