Category: Top Dog

I want to send my dog to daycare and he has a great time. It’s costly but a good investment. There are days and I just think he’s tired and he should stay home. What is the longest amount of time a dog should be left alone to be happy and healthy?

Hi,

As the title says really. My dog is mostly blind and if I try and pick him, he gets freaked out by the fact I’m reaching over him and scrambles away. I always try and pet him from the front and never over his head/respect his boundaries. I am always very aware of whale eye, any attempts to move away, etc. He never bites, he just kind of gently grabs your hand with his mouth. He’s one of the most patient dogs I’ve ever had.

However, there are times when I have to pick him up. For example, he whines and barks until I lift him on the couch. Or he needs to be lifted into the car! He’s only a small dog, and can’t jump very high. We did have a system of me patting the couch before I lifted him and he would back away if he didn’t want to go up. Sadly his hearing and sight have now faded further, and this doesn’t work anymore. I also can’t “grab” him more firmly because he has several non-cancerous lumps that can hurt him and I’m worried about trying to keep a firm hold of him if he’s wriggling.

The other day I needed to pick him up to take him to the car, and I had the idea to completely cover him with a blanket and gently lift him IN the blanket. He stayed completely still, didn’t struggle, and when I got to the car, he was relaxed and half asleep. Since then, I’ve done it several times and he now stops and sits when he sees the blanket. 🤣

I still feel evil though! I don’t want to scare him or freak him out with the blanket. He’s 15 and everyone I pick him up, I feel like I’m kidnapping him. At the same time, he seems to be LESS stressed.

Has anyone else had a similar issue? Do you think I could cause issues with covering him with a blanket and picking him up longer term? It is far easier for me, but it still feels mean.

Thank you!

Also ETA: I didn’t mention my main reason for asking is that I’m concerned about missing any physical signs of discomfort. For example, if I covered him in a blanket and he was in pain, I might not notice unless he a) growled/whined or b) bit. My previous elderly dog bit me once as I picked him up and he was in pain, and I wasn’t receptive enough to the signs he was in pain. I’m worried about something like that.

Hello everyone! My vet would like to prescribe my 10 year old maltese Gabapentin, due to him being very anxious, so I would like to know if anyone has made good experiences with this medication?

Thanks in advance! 🩷

I have a 16-20 lb range dog, and I’m trying to figure out what the safest setup is for taking him in the car.

Ideally I’m looking for two features:

1. A crash-tested seatbelt harness that hooks directly into the car seat belt.

2. Some kind of either booster seat, hammock like seat protector, or dog bed to go over the leather seat, etc that is compatible with the seatbelt mentioned above.

I don’t want him bouncing around and sitting directly on the leather car seats, but can’t see to figure out the right combination of products to both protect the car seat and also protect him. Thoughts? Again he’s 16 lbs, may get to 20, so he’s right above the threshold for Sleepypod and some other products.

PLEASE for the love of god give you more honest advice about what is the best vacuum for pet hair. For context, I have a lab who has dark black hair that sheds everywhere. I currently have a shark and I do like it, but bought it back in 2021 so I think it has run its course. I'm leaning towards dyson but just wanted to get others advice?

Ideally it's a cordless vacuum, but open to other options!

I stepped out to get something from my car, which took maybe five minutes or so.

When I came back in, my dog greeted me like I had traveled the world and had been gone for ages. The full monty, including full-body wiggles, zoomies, and whining.
But if I have been home all day, I get nothing more than a glance, unless food is involved.

I find myself thinking, does my dog really see time differently, or is this their way of letting me know that my leaving home is completely unacceptable, no matter what?

I'm not complaining, by the way, it's the best welcome in the world. It just makes me laugh every time.

Does your dog do this too, or do some of them seem more easy-going about your coming and going?

How can I train my dog (1.5yr old golden retriever female) to stop eating sticks in the back yard? I don’t want her to get splinters, and she also loves to eat rabbit poop. I want to be able to leave her out alone since she loves outside, but she can’t be trusted. Even when i’m out with her I have to constantly chase her to rip stuff out of her mouth. She also loves to not listen to go inside and runs away from me in the backyard