Hi,

Pretty much the title.

I’m working part time, living alone, but with family a ten minute walk away. I have a big, secure garden. I’m home all the time. Downside: I’m studying for two pretty big exams this year.

There will never be a more perfect time to get and raise a puppy with my work schedule. I’ve had dogs my whole life, but this would be the first dog I’ve raised alone.

It would be a dachshund.

The cons are, obviously, that I’m studying. But at the same time, I think a puppy would also give me more of a reason to be strict with routine. I’ve had to give up the city I lived in and the job I loved to go down to part time work and accommodate my exams. A dog would give me purpose and somehow to focus my energy whilst I’m otherwise feeling a bit lost, and feeling like I’ve taken a step back in life. I can’t really go out due to studying, and I had to move to a much cheaper, suburban town. All my friends are miles away.

I’m also used to studying with a lot of distractions and noise around me. I’m very good at studying and managing my own routine. I’ve taken similar exams whilst working a very stressful, full time job, living with a controlling partner who made studying hell and still managing a dog on top of that. (Sadly I lost that dog in the breakup- he was not registered to me, or legally mine, but that’s life.) I’m not worried about this. I would crate train and have a dog in a set routine. I have a big enough house to have room to study away from a puppy, and have space. I’ve raised multiple puppies, had dogs with behavioural issues and I know what I’m doing.

Having my own dog would give me so much joy when I’m feeling a bit meh. It would make all this time sat at home worthwhile.

I’m also not going into this innocently. I know the breed well and have raised dachshund puppies before specifically.

There is never going to be a time in my life again where I have so much willing help from family, will be home so much and am working so little. The only thing I need to do is still dedicate time to studying, but people take these exams with full time jobs and children.

It’s really something I want to do. I wouldn’t get a dog without truly thinking it through. I’ve wanted my own dog since I was a child, but the dogs I’ve had have been my parents or my ex-partners. I have so much experience, but I’ve never had a dog which was truly *mine.*

Am I crazy? I read so many stories here about puppy blues and the stress people go through. And whilst that’s all very valid, the idea of having a puppy/dog around whilst I’m sat at home and being able to care for something in this time would be something I’d love to do.

I’m also going through a pretty rough time with family with terminal illness/deaths in the family and having a dachshund again would be a dream. I know the reality well, having done the puppy stage a few years ago with my exes dog. I know what I would do differently, and where I went wrong before.

I’m also very open to rescue dachshunds but a lot have quite specific requirements such as never living with another dog or children, and unfortunately, I can’t always guarantee that. But if the right one comes up, this is also definitely an option. I also have no desire to own any other breed than a dachshund. Call me biased, but once you’ve had a dachshund, it’s hard to have any other breed 🤣

The main thing is that I can promise 100% dedication and a secure life to a dog. I think that’s the main thing.

And the other thing I want to stress is that this isn’t some random decision I’m making because I feel it would be ‘cute’ or ‘fun.’ Whether I get a dog now or early next year, I will be getting one. It’s more the evaluation of taking advantage of my free time and lack of social life as an ideal situation to raise a puppy versus the cons of studying with a puppy.

Hi guys, so recently my mom adopted a German shepherd puppy, for the first two nights all was fine she was still getting situated in the house i took her out she would curl up on my feet and nuzzle my leg and stay with me, when she wouldn't go pee i read that they usually do when they get some good sleep so i took her inside she curled up on my chest and slept for an hour or two and she went eventually, but now she wants nothing to do with me since about 4 days of being in the house, when i get home from school she stares at me but as i enter the house her ears go back and she runs away low to the ground leaking pee, she tries to get nowhere near me so i don't press but she goes right up to my little brothers and plays with them hops on them and she is always around my mom laying at her feet while shes in the kitchen. I have not yelled at her, i haven't swore at her, I havent hurt her, I'm so confused and honestly feel like crap because I was so excited to have a puppy and anew friend yet she wants nothing to do with me, the only one in my family who hasn't done the yelling or swearing at her.

This is my first time ever writing a reddit post but i’m really desperate. Me and my boyfriend just got a nine week old, mini golden doodle puppy and during the day he’s so good he doesn’t potty inside the house. He’s sometimes bites but when he’s playing, he’s very cuddly and he’s very good with our cats and other people and outside and walking in general, it’s just the crate training that’s driving me insane. when we put him in the crate he cries and it gets louder and louder and louder all night for hours and me and my boyfriend work full-time but we took four or five days off just to take care of him, but we haven’t really been able to get any sleep because of how loud he’s been crying and we live in an apartment so I’m worried that we’re gonna get a noise complaint or possibly not get our lease resigned. Is there any way to help this be any better? We’ve had him for three days now and it’s all been the same story. We’ve been trying all the tips that we’ve read online by putting blanket on three sides of the crate and putting a blanket that smells like us inside the crate and also feeding him inside the crate and giving him treats and his Kong inside the crate only and it seems like as soon as we close the door, he starts panicking and yelling and screaming. he only calms down once we take him out in the morning. We’ve also tried putting on some white noise and most of what we’ve seen on the Internet. Is there anything we can do to help speed up this crate training process or maybe help him feel better without going insane?

Hi there,

I have a 4 month old basset/aussie female mix who I adopted at 10 weeks. We're doing great with potty training, commands, etc. However her resource guarding has crossed into concerning territory for me.

I have two male 5 year old cats. They can definitely be rude and entitled in the way cats are sometimes. They used to steal food and things from our senior dog, who passed away in June.

I do feed the cats upstairs and the puppy downstairs so their meals are nowhere near each other.

When they first started attempting to do the food stealing with my puppy, she set a healthy boundary by barking at them. I thought that was fine. However, she seems to be getting more and more defensive. If she knows there are treats out, and the cats are simply existing in the room, she'll chase them out and bark. Today while we were working on commands, my cat passed by and she snapped and attempted to bite him. Later, when she was sleeping on my lap on the couch, the same cat jumped on the couch and she woke up and attempted to bite him again.

Immediately after that, I felt so tense and put her in her crate so that I could diffuse the situation and I could calm down myself. I'm just so scared and I can't stop crying. I left a message for a trainer but I'm so scared and I don't know if I can handle 10+ years of constant tension in the house. Our house isn't really set up in a way where keeping them separate forever would work meaningfully.

After going 2-3 months without an accident in the house, our 8.5 month out puppy has started peeing inside. It happened twice this week, and I think it is marking rather than accidents. He has started to mark outside, too. I think. He’ll pee in multiple different spots while outside, sometimes lifting his leg a bit.

The first time he did it inside, it was on my winter coat (it’s a long coat that hangs to the floor when I have it on the low hook, as I did that day)

The second time, it was on the trash bag while my fiancé was putting a new bag into the bin before taking the full bag outside.

Thinking about getting belly bands? Yay or nay?

I can train my dog to do almost anything EXCEPT not jump on people. I hate it and it’s especially embarrassing when she tries to jump on elderly people and small children. She’s never hurt anyone and clearly wants to play. But I don’t play with her like that and I don’t know how to break her of the habit of jumping on me when I come home. I’ve tried turning my back, swatting her paws while giving a command to sit, and even blocking her attempts with my elbows or knees or by stepping backwards. What’s working for you guys??

Picking up our 8 week old puppy on 2/14. When we put him down for his nap for an hour or so, can we leave him in his crate for that time to run to the gym or run errands? Or should we wait a few weeks before he’s fully home alone?

Help!! I have just adopted a 4 year old border collie mix, I would not have if I knew how old she was BECAUSE she has been the only dog, has no training to speak of, etc. I have a shepsky I have raised from puppyhood and she will be two on mother's day. My question is this, she is a freaking resouce hog, she has never had to "share" anything or anyone before. She just quit snarling at the humans but is still mean to my original dog. what is the best I can do? Thank you all in advance.

I have a 6 months old Dachshund. She has been with me for a month. Previous to being with me, she was with another owner who taught her to sleep with her in the same bed.

I don’t necessarily mind it, except for the fact that she would pee/poop in the living room (we have an open space apartment). One time she also peed on our bed when she climbed it and on some other soft surfaces.

She has got better at doing her business outside and signalling us but I don’t know how to fix the sleeping arrangement. I used to put her in her bed next to mine but she’d just pee it and eventually climb back to mine.

I tried separating her in the bathroom area (the only door we have basically) but for 7 days she cried banged at the door and would pee/poop there.

Crates are very expensive but I’m gonna buy one and try with that. I tried leashing her as well but she’d just chew through the leash.

I’ve never owned a puppy/dog before (did cats) so this is incredibly frustrating and I feel like I’m failing as an owner. Please if I can get some tips

Pretty much the title. I am getting my first puppy (grew up with dogs, just recently am positioned to finally have my own!), what do people do to ensure the pup is exercised/stimulated enough to not be a complete maniac while also ensuring their safety?

I have found a puppy kindergarten class and puppy social's through a training school in my area that has a space for puppies before they are fully vaccinated, but I feel like that will be twice a week at most? What do I do the rest of the time for them? Just mental stimulation?

The pup I am getting is a medium sized full blown mutt. I am assuming as an adult they will also be medium energy, I am under no illusion that will be the case for the first two years.

I am open to any other advise from fellow apartment dwellers that have dogs!