Category: Top Dog

I cant be the only one, I am not looking for training tips because he has a trainer and gets more than enough attention as I am home with him all day. Yes he gets kongs, lick mats and brain games (scent games) every single day on top of $150 worth of chews a month.

I feel SO alone. My golden is almost 14 months old and I love him, I will NEVER give up on him. I know this is temporary. I knew we would have very hard days and I would never ever even consider throwing in the towel on him. I had NO clue just how hard he would be at this stage. I am surprised that it continues to get worse.

But when poeple talk about their dogs I feel like I am the only one who is struggling so hard, my dog is known as a "gulper" and has nearly died 3 times from getting things and trying to swallow them whole. Because of this we have to be VERY careful and section our home off. He even somehow found a sewing needle between the baseboard and the floor from the pervious homeowners and tried swallowing that.

He went to a dog sitter with 30 years of experience and she told me he swallowed an entire half of an apple whole. She told me she didn't even know it was possible and was shocked. She looked completely rattled. I am consumed with anxiety constantly because he could have died. Now I don't trust him with anyone.

I feel like I haven't known peace since this dog turned 9 months old.

He gave me a mental breakdown today because he tried swallowing a small lotion bottle I didn't notice on the counter. I can't believe at this stage of having a dog that I can't even chill with him next to me in my empty office. He knocked over my coffee onto my computer and I was so mean to him, I feel so bad and my voice is hoarse from screaming at him as I begged him to drop the slippery bottle and he just is sitting there with a lock jaw trying to get it down.

I sobbed all morning, granted I am 7 months pregnant so things are just overall more stressful right now. But It's hard to talk to people with teenaged dogs when they say "yeah my dog is hard too, he stole a sock" when mine has separation anxiety so bad he ripped a hole in the wall within 15 minutes of seperation. When mine needs constant stimulation or he barks for hours while I cook so loud that my ears are ringing.

I just feel so alone. I feel like I am surrounded by perfect dog owners who never go through what I do on a daily basis. I am so patient with him generally but sometimes I just can't take the stress and I break down.

My 8 months old GSD mix seems to follow my commands more and more only on the basis of how I command her. That is, with my tone of voice. She’s been a star for ever since I’ve had her (sleeping throughout the night, potty training or crate training) but recently she seems to only respond to commands if I give them in a more ‘authoritative’ voice. I feel like this is a human thing and that she should obey no matter the tone, and I don’t want to sound like I’m yelling at her for her to obey. Will she at some point get it or will I be yelling at her for the rest of her life for her to obey? Anyone with experience about this?

After getting the puppies, we read about litter mate syndrome. There is no option to re home one puppy through the breeder as he seems to have disappeared off the face of the earth. My children have also appeared to become incredibly attached. Appeared a reputable breeder however I think he isn’t anymore especially after finding out about litter mate. Was on the Pets4Homes website, ticks for ID verified and licensed breeder, so I thought all was okay my own fault I know. Dogs have been checked though all healthy, de flead, wormed, first vaccine, microchip, insurance and health plan etc. All was sorted on the Wednesday.

I’ve been reading about litter mate syndrome..relentlessly and mine and my husbands plan is:

– 2 crates (potentially next to each other however obstructed view so they can’t see each other)

– separate sleeping places

– separate places to eat (separate food/water bowls)

– occasionally go out for toilet together but separate regularly

– separate walks/training/socialisation/puppy classes

Is there any other advice at all that can be given by anyone please as I want to get this right for the puppies.

I have a Ruff Weather dog door that seems to be oddly sized, its around 11ish inches wide and 19" tall and I don't see that as an option from their website. Maybe they don't make it anymore? My house is old and I really need to seal the door properly as its killing my heating.

The Ruff Weather doors I see for sale are 9.75" x 17" or 15"x 23.5", which really aren't even close. Are there any door close-ish that have worked for people?

I also am expecting a pretty big winter storm this weekend, so I need to figure out something for the next few days. I was duct taping cardboard over the door frame, but that only lasts a week or so before the tape dries out and starts falling off when its wet.

My husband and I recently just welcomed our twin baby girls into the world. With the shift in priorities, my 2 year old high energy medium sized mutt has started jumping our fence from lack of enrichment. I know she is doing it because she is bored and an easy way to help would be to walk her but I physically cant do that right now and I also cant leave her unattended in our back yard anymore due to her jumping our fence. She is now attached to a lead and a harness for backyard time because she still has to go potty and I can't always baby sit her with two newborns. She is really struggling with this and I feel so guilty. I'm looking into non physical ways I can provide enrichment at home for her to help with her boredom. Does anyone have any experience with a situation like this? Any ideas on how I can provide enrichment for her at home? She goes through licker pads in like 5 mins, a Kong with frozen treats in like 10… I've tried snuffle mats, treats in a towel, paper towel tubes, Beef cheek, bully sticks (both last maybe 15 mins and she finishes or gets bored)… I'm out of ideas at this point. I also don't have hours upon hours to devote to training something new at this exact point in time as I can barely move.

This dog I'm dogsitting for a few months won't pee at night and in the morning unless I'm out in the cold with her. It's on a balcony, and there is a fake grass surface that she pees on. She goes to the exact spot and then spins around sniffing a couple dozen times before finally doing the deed. She's around 2. Is it too late to fix this, and is there any point trying?

Hi all, I was invited to a dinner party tonight for our church social, I was pretty nervous as new to the church and didn't know the other 9 people. Nonetheless we gelled.

I personally have never owned a dog, loveee them and want to get on on the future. The hosts had a 12 year old golden lab, beautiful, very chill and quiet. I didn't notice him until he came over to me during dinner, leaned up to say hello and then sat his face on my lap and wouldn't leave me for a while. The others, especially the owners were a little surprised as this is unusual for him. I did pet and stroke him while he was on my lap but was mainly focused on my conversation. The girl I was sat next to showed the dog a picture on her phone, trying to interact with him but he immediately left disinterested.

I'm obviously a stranger to this dog so why could the dog have done this? Should I be concerned?

Hi everyone, I’m posting because I’m really struggling and could use some experienced, thoughtful input.

About 6 months ago, my partner and I took in two dogs (not littermates, but close in age and from the same household). We were told they were a bonded pair at the time of adoption. We love them deeply and have put a lot of time, effort, money, and emotional energy into making this work. We’ve tried training, management strategies, routines, enrichment, etc.

Here’s where I’m stuck:

One of our dogs (Ty) is incredibly sweet, people-oriented, affectionate, and adaptable — but also very anxious, high-arousal, and often the instigator. AKA a Pug. He has a hard time settling, escalates play quickly, and seems to constantly disrupt our other dog’s ability to relax. Our other dog (Echo) is calmer by nature, but it feels like he rarely gets true peace because Ty is always “on.” Echo is a Border Collie / Lab mix and turned 1 in November. Ty will be 2 in March.

The energy between them is pretty constant. A lot of going after each other / riling each other up / only wanting what the other has. It keeps the stress levels in our home pretty high at all times. At the same time, they do occasionally cuddle up to sleep together and can coexist peacefully side by side sometimes. That being said, I’m starting to wonder if this is a dynamic problem where one dog’s nervous system keeps the other unregulated, and neither is actually thriving.

My questions are:

• How do you tell the difference between a healthy relationship vs genuinely making each other worse?

• What are signs that one dog might do better as an only dog – or in a different environment altogether?

• If you’ve gone from two dogs to one, did the remaining dog struggle long-term, or did they eventually seem more relaxed?

• Are there cases where rehoming one dog (thoughtfully, not impulsively) actually improved quality of life for both dogs?

This is incredibly painful to even consider. We love them both. This isn’t about convenience or lack of attachment, it’s about whether the current setup is fair or healthy for anyone involved.

For added context: I truly believe Ty would adjust well in another home. He loves people, bonds quickly, and can settle and snuggle with almost anyone. That belief doesn’t make this easier – it actually makes it harder – but it feels relevant.

I’m asking because I want to make the most ethical, compassionate decision possible, whatever that ends up being.

Thank you for reading.

I adopted my first dog two weeks ago and to say he’s been a great dog is really an understatement. He’s extremely well mannered and while he needs some reinforcement on good skills it’s evident he was pretty well trained before ending up in a shelter. For context he’s a large dog but I fell in love with him when I met him. Now that I have him and am getting him adjusted to my life there’s always the nagging feeling in my mind of what and when is something going to go wrong. Is he going to tear up the house while I’m gone? Is he going to lunge at a child on a walk? Bark his head off? Snap at ME? He’s shown very few tendencies for any of this but I’m having a hard time settling into accepting that. For those who may have felt similar, how long before you really felt confident in your dog and his training?

We moved into the apartment a few months ago. I knew my roommate had a two year old high energy dog but didn’t realize hed only be house trained. He can barely walk on a lease. Ive noticed she refuses to take him on actual walks and just takes him outside to go to the bathroom maybe 15 minutes a day. Because of this he’s insanely bored. Hes very destructive and gets in the trash constantly. We locked the trash and he managed to break the hinges. We crate him and he breaks the crate. Idk what to do, he was alone for 10 minutes and he already got into the trash. I know she has good intentions but theres always an excuse about why she cant do it. I realized he needs to live a better life. Maybe someone has tips to help with talking to the roommate. Ty