Category: Top Dog

Hi all! My husband and I are picking up our puppy this week. We feel decently prepared, we did all the research, got the set up and necessities. I’ve read up on training techniques and consistencies. This is our first dog together, also first dog we’ve owned as adults. We’ve both had dogs growing up.

But the tips and tricks only get you so far.

If you’ve been a dog owner for a while. If you could go back, what is something you would change if you went back? What’s something that was totally missing from all the advice posts? What would you tell a first time dog owner?

Thanks so much!!

For the record, the pup is a small breed. Currently 10 weeks old. Male. 🙂

I’m getting my first dog soon after 7 years of training on the side and 9 of fostering/volunteering at shelters.

Here is my list of supplies for before I get the dog.

I should point out the lack of washing supplies is due to the fact we are rescuing an oodle mix of some kind so will regularly professionally groom once I’ve essentially them to the sensations, paw touching, dryer etc. There is a dog shop within talking distance so if we really need to home bathe I can get supplies in under half an hour.

It gets very hot where I live which is why I’ve included the boots.

My list:

Bed

Water and food bowl (metal)

Walking collar

Regular collar with tags

Long leash

Regular leash

Poo bag+holder

Toys (fetch, hard, soft, enriching etc)

Crate

Pee pads

High value treats

Good food both wet and dry

Food toppers tbd

Water bottle with attached bowl

Boots

Slicker brush

I had her out in the yard with me while I was spraying weeds with a mix of vinegar, salt and dish soap. I noticed she was following behind me and sniffing therefore I’m sure she licked too. About 10-15 minutes later she threw up. She’s fine now, and has been fine all day. Is it safe to assume it was the vinegar? She’s a 70 pound dog.

And YES I realize I should have left her inside while I did this- my initial thought was well the ingredients aren’t toxic and I’m only spraying under the fence line- not in the yard itself where she roams and lays. Vinegar or not this won’t happen again. Thank you for kindness!

Hi everyone! I'm debating collars for my Red and Rust Dobie boy, Forrest. He's 7 months, so I'm working on finding a more permanent collar for him.

Im trying to decide if I want to do a collar with engraved info on the collar vs a tag, and what kind of collar I want. It will be specifically for off leash and public outings. I'm struggling on colors, material, and which of the two I want. Please comment suggestions!

My wife and I are getting a shelter dog tomorrow (Jack Russell Terrier/pug I believe the breed description said) and I have no idea what to expect. Is there anything I can do now to prepare for him? What should I get? ECT.

Hi all,

I'm looking for recommendations for a crash tested carrier for my pomeranian that doesn't require the use of a shoulder belt or harness (he's currently too small for the smallest harness I could find).

We can't use a shoulder belt because the carrier needs to go in the middle of the back seat and neither of our vehicles are new enough to have a shoulder belt in the middle seat. Our human children currently occupy the seats that have shoulder belts.

Is there even a carrier out there that fits this requirement?

My dog is one and half year old I got him pretty late I love him and want what’s best for him. I have tried EVERYTHING in my book to get him to like going outside. I got him when he was already 4 and half months. I don’t know his previous life I manage to be patient and at first he wouldn’t even like leaving the apartment just walking outside would make him want to rush inside. After months and MONTHS! If it I finally manage to have him enjoy going around the apartment but it feels like there’s no progress anymore. I know i can’t pressure him to walk further away cause it’ll create even more negativity with it but I am so lost and disheartened I have no idea what to do anymore. It’s Been MONTHS! And months and he refuses to go anything past around our apartments. And even then he’s super skittish, I’ve been wanting to socialize him more but when there’s dogs nearby he jumps and tries to run away. And I keep trying to give him treats to walk further but nothing works. He only walks to the treat and wants to run back home again. He’s still a puppy and I try to play with him a lot but I really want him to enjoy the outdoors. Playing inside can be a. Hassle and he obviously has high energy and I want him to enjoy being outside so that energy can be dispersed. Please if anyone has any tips or ideas anything I’ve tried all the tricks the ideas but maybe there’s something. Again he only walks around the apartment anything pass it he 10000% refuses to move. I want to take him to dog parks and dog meets but he doesn’t even enjoy going into the car let alone a near park or area. He’s completely hard stuck on being home no matter what and I feel horrible trying to force jim into the car or into a park cause I feel like it’ll just create more anxiety and fear of the outdoors

i am trying to desensitize my dog to other dogs in public and am treating her before and during watching a dog walk by. being stationary is easy to treat but while walking, it’s harder because she’s only 8 pounds.

i want to buy a lick mat on a stick and smear it with some sort of wet food or treat that i can walk around with and have the stick vertical so i just reach down with it. im looking for recommendations that are almost as sticky as peanut butter but not peanut butter (im afraid we’d run into someone with allergies)

preferably something that has a squeeze pouch so it’s easy to refill the stick on the go. any suggestions of brands of treats/wet food?

Ok I know there is a lot of information on resource guarding but my dog’s circumstance is different and I’m having trouble finding resources. I raised/trained her to the best of my ability not to resource guard and she has no issue with me, other humans, or my other dog that she grew up with. When my boyfriend is over with his dog though, it’s a problem. All the training info I’ve seen to fix this like walking by and throwing treats, trading food for higher value treats, leave it command, etc she excels at. I can do all of this with her. It’s just other dogs she didn’t grow up around where this comes out. Is there anything I can do more training-wise to help when it comes to this behavior towards other dogs specifically?

I have a nine month old Japanese spitz who is the light of my life. This is my fist time having a dog. I am a single mom with a 14 year old daughter. He was singleton puppy and has always been pretty stubborn. The breeder was amazing, she had other dogs around him constantly when he was young to get him used to other dogs and the other dogs would “raise” him and correct his behavior. He came to me at 8 weeks old which is the standard in my country. We bonded very quickly and I went straight to socialize him, took him with me on short trips and we sat on park benches etc. He would sometimes growl as a puppy when he was overwhelmed and I would take him for a nap. Now getting older he has had a few issues. We have gone to see two different behaviorists and taken him for puppy classes to try to work with the behavior. Below are the issues and what we have done:

1. He always loved kids and I introduced to my nephew (4 years old) slowly. He seemed to really like him and played appropriately. When he got a little older there were two separate incidents with kids that made him a little wary (a kid accidentally stepped on him while playing and another time while playing with a stick the stick went into his mouth and hurt the dog). Now he does not want any contact with my nephew which is understandable. I have been keeping them apart for the most part and only have the together in very short, controlled environments. I have my nephew call him and give him a treat, but don’t allow him to follow the dog or pet him. He has pet him while the dog is walking by and the dog growls at him, dog has bit him (no blood) twice. I am managing the environment and keeping them completely apart right now. Nephew doesn’t live with us, but we are very close and together often.
2. He is sometimes wary of strangers, will growl if people reach over and pet him and I have been telling people when they want to pet him that they have to call him, if he comes over they can pet him shortly on the side (not on the head) for a few seconds. If they stop and he leans for more pets then they can pet him more, otherwise he is getting an opportunity to walk away if uncomfortable. Although he loves some people and will go up to some willingly and ask for pets.
3. He does not like handling. As a small puppy I had a hard time brushing him and cutting his nails. I have worked very hard to get him to tolerate handling with short sessions and lots of treats. He now lets me do everything with no issues, but does not allow others (vet, groomer). He will growl, show teeth and snarl. He used to do that to me as well. He has tried to bite while handling.
4. Has had a history of resource guarding. Growled a few times with his food. I ignored it, gave him space while eating and he stopped. He has always let me open his mouth and take things from him that he’s not allowed to have. I’ve taught him leave it and to let go when he has something he’s not allowed to have with trading. He’s very good with me and my daughter, but will resource guard with others (my mom for example). He will do it with small things like toys and napkins. He bit my mom recently who grabbed a napkin from him without thinking. I understand that she should have used a trade to get it away and have taught her what to do if this happens again. But it does concern me that he is so quick to snap.

INCIDENTS before meeting behaviorist 1. Around 4 months old. My daughter has friends over and there was way too much stimulation. A friend of hers walks by him and pets him while he’s laying in the hall way. He bites her. I know that I should have kept him in a separate room and that he was overwhelmed. I now put him in place when people are coming in and in his crate if we have guests over. 2. He bit nephew when nephew bent down to hug him. I know that kids should not hug dogs and it was very quick to happen. Has bit nephew again when nephew was trying to pet him. I am now managing and not allowing them together unless in very controlled, short games. Nephew gives treats. No bites and more tolerant after months of work. Still does not want pets from him but will growl and walk away. 3. Bit my daughter when she was leaning behind him and she had her hands around him like she was about to touch him. He had a sock that was taken away from him before this happened. Maybe still tense after that? 4. Bit my mom who took a napkin from him without thinking.

I have gone to two separate behaviorists. The first used positive reinforcement and management, which helped a lot. But she wanted me to keep him from situations that made him uncomfortable instead of teaching him to tolerate these situations (like the vet and grooming). The second behaviorist was very alpha and dominant focused. She encouraged me to use harsh corrections and wants me to ignore him completely to show him that he doesn’t control. I have created more boundaries at home and don’t give him as much freedom because he was starting to have too much freedom at home, but do not agree with harsh corrections. I have though taken things from both behaviorists that have helped.

Right now I am managing the environment more. I used to take him with me everywhere to get him used to everything, but I am leaving him at home when there is a highly stimulating environment. Use place and settle, trade for items and training sessions often. Only let people say high if he comes when called, but very quick greeting.

He is wonderful with me. Very focused on me on walks, listens well, no reactivity with other dogs. He is usually very sweet with others but sometimes will all of a sudden be nervous and just not like certain people and will growl at them. I have a third behaviorist lined up that I am meeting with in two weeks who is very highly regarded and I believe will help a lot. But I feel a little hopeless and am scared that there will always be some aggression. Has anyone dealt with similar issues and had some real success?