Category: Top Dog

I’m getting a German shepherd puppy in the coming weeks. My plan is to have a large playpen set up, with a crate, water, fresh patch, and safe toys. While I work, my puppy will be utilizing the fresh patch. During my time home, I will have the fresh patch on the balcony to assist with training the puppy to hold his bladder. I don’t plan on fully crating my puppy during my work hours until about 4-6 months old so he can comfortably hold it until I’m home. My question is this; will my puppy have a hard time learning to hold his bladder since I’m leaving a safe potty option while I’m not home? Anyone with experience regarding puppies and training please help:). He’s a German shepherd if it makes a difference.

Hi! Next week our puppy will be coming up from a rescue transport in Alabama. We know the rescue well and have had friends adopt from them in the past.

The pup was supposed to come up last month, but unfortunately they had a kennel cough outbreak and elected to quarantine for a few weeks, just to be safe. (She, as far as we know, never exhibited symptoms)

So, instead of a five month old that will have only been in a shelter for two weeks, we'll be getting a nearly sixonth old that's been in a shelter for a month.

We live in the other end of the country, so she'll have had a long journey! Has anyone been in a similar situation? What advice for her adjustment do you have?

For extra context, we have two cats and a senior dog, who will be kept away from her for a day or two while she adjusts. She'll also be mostly kept in an expen/crated.

(Also, the date change means she's arriving when my wife is out of town and I'll be going solo, but I'll deal)

hello everyone! I got an 8 week old lab mix puppy about a week and a half ago. I absolutely adore her and I’m growing attached to her which is why it’s hard for me to think I may have to take her back to the shelter. the thing is, I’m a student and I also have to work. so during the day I’m gone for maybe 4-5 hours and when I have to work I’m gone for 9 hours. I’ve had people to check on her but I know this always won’t be the case. it makes me feel like a bad owner when I have to leave her in her pen for a while. to top it off I’ve been having mental health struggles due to academic stress, I just sort of feel bad that she has someone who’s not mentally well. I still take her on walks, feed her, play with her, try my best to train her, and my goodness I can’t stop finding things that I want to buy for her. but a part of me feels guilt for when I have off days. I can’t tell if I have puppy blues or if it would be better for me to return her to the shelter. it’s really heartbreaking for me to do so as again I’ve grown really attached to her but perchance there’s someone out there who’d take better care of her.

Leo is so sweet. Very very much a velcro dog. He was on a farm and had no people interactions minus feedings. So hes shy around EVERYONE! He was raised to just be in the barn. So we're doing everything from day 1 basically. He is very malnourished only weighing 14 pounds. And was verge sick! We took him to the vet on Tuesday and hes doing okay. But we got his first round of shots, and parvo testing. He is feeling much better now! Our first mistake was the first 3 night was letting him sleep with us in bed. But he was sick and not feeling good and each time we tried he cried. So we started feeding him in his sniff Mat inside his crate. Giving him treas and rewards for going in there alone. And now he goes to play in there by himself! Also Right now I work nights and my fiance works days so he always has someone here with him. But now hes feeling better we want to finally crate train him.

Right now im laying by his crate with him inside. I gave him a tank top ive been wearing all since bedtime last night. So hes laying on it and napping! I got up though and he sarted whining and barking. I waited until he stopped and joined him again. And hes napping again. Am I doing something good? Is this the correct way to go about this? He also has been having bad dreams he will whimper and wake suddenly. And if im not here he freaks. But when he does this he settles back to sleep right away. So im not entirely sure where to go from here?

Fed her two hours before the vet visit, what could go wrong? She's 12 weeks old, the poop usually happens soon after eating, and it's a short trip. Friends, Poopercrate (PC) of 2026 is what happened, in an Uber no less. Poop was eaten, poop was caked in fur (Keeshond for the lose), and poop is probably permanently embedded in the soft carrier. I threw that biotch in the washer and said a prayer to a god I don't believe in.

Advise needed-I am about to put a pad down, any hints would be appreciated.

History: Female 4 months border collie/GSD, vet checked, puppy shots. Birth home only used puppy pads, we had two overnight visits 2 and 3 weeks ago, she used pad by door consistently but refused on outside on a lead. Crate was late on order so my husband is picking one up this evening. She is very smart and wants to please, she loves my resident Anatolian shepherd who is super patient and chill, and has followed cues for: sit, look at me, lie down, and go to your spot. She cued off her name for a “find me” game which was very impressive for day one.

Day 1 – Pad was left at door, used gates to limit access to most of the house. Used a schedule of outside on a lead (also new) every hour and before and after activity change-eating, napping, playing. I was hoping to pick up her cues of when she needed to go but she managed to get to the pad and go 4 times without me even seeing her go near it – zero times on the lead outside… we went outside 17 times.

Day 2 – We modified a crate out of a gate system for overnight, she slept good. My partner had a fail with the lead in the morning and she got the spot her pad used to be. I have her on a house line since this mornings fail at 7am, we have been outside 22 times it is now 4pm. She had her last drink at 1pm, and last snack at 2pm. I have a quiet spot outside 10x10ft with a used pad, on a 6ft lead, I stay quiet with a pocket full of treats but she looks and acts very nervous. She’ll sniff and circle and then just lay down shaking… she is very confident inside and on the two times my resident dog came out with us and peed 3ft away from her, extremely nervous on her lead alone.

I am impressed with her bladder control but actually getting worried at this point that she’s going to cause damage… never seen refusal to go outside like this before. Suspect very limited leash/outside exposure at birth home. It is cold out -9 Celsius.

Any advice appreciated! at this point I’ll give her two more trips outside and then put down a pad at her spot by the door-and just try and focus on building some confidence outside???

Thanks to those who read and responded

UPDATE: she peed in the sunroom! It’s in between her spot inside and her outside spot. I let her play with my resident dog without a tether outside. I gave her lots of praise and put some pads down in the sunroom by the outside door in the sunroom. She was very confident outside without the tether so I think it was the leash making her nervous. I have a really large backyard with a partially frozen over pond so it makes me nervous having her untethered even if monitored, she followed my resident dog like a shadow though. Hopefully we can transition fully outside when she gets the hang of this as an in between… at least she didn’t explode!

I have an 18 week old Yorkshire terrier mix & her commitment to eating every single thing on the ground is terrifying me!!

I know it’s normal for a puppy but I’m wondering if there’s any tips / hacks out there to get her past it?

If it doesn’t calm down I’ll have to get her a muzzle to stop her or I get a very expensive vet bill at some point. We went out for two walks today and I pried a half eaten apple, cigarette butts, 2 bits of plastic, and a shard of glass out* *her mouth today (thanks to those who think it’s cool to smash bottles in parks!).

I’m not mad at her (she doesn’t know any better) I’m worried about her – she eats literally anything on the pavement/ in the house / in the garden all day long. And it’s getting worse!

I’m trying to train “leave it” and “drop it” but it’s not strong enough with her yet in action – is there anything that worked for you if you struggled with this?

She also doesn’t finish her meals if they’re in a bowl – she loves scatter feeding so I think she’s kinda programmed to keep her nose to the ground and eat the treasures she finds as she goes.

It’s worth noting, I live in a high litter area – so until she calms down I wonder if it would be better to avoid pavements all together and just carry her to and from parks until she isn’t so determined to play Russian roulette with pavement trash 2x a day. The issue with that is that I live in a busy city so it would be useful to get her experienced in pavement walking.

Any ideas or help welcome!

(Work 10-4)

7am-9am: walk/food

Someone comes at 1-2pm: potty/ play

4:30-6:30: walk/food/train

7:30-8:30: leisurely play

Around 2-4am potty

OR (edited)

7-8am

9-930am

1-2pm

430-530pm

630-730pm

8-830pm

Since I got my WPG 10 months ago my life has completely changed. I was my husband’s caregiver, very housebound and living in the country. Over the past 4 months my husband had a stroke, passed, I moved back to the suburbs ( a plan before my husband’s stroke) and now I’m living alone. Because my husband was sick for many years I was very housebound. I’m in my late sixties and finally have the freedom to do whatever I want. I’ve always wanted to travel and have friends all over the country. My WPG is large about 70 lbs and would difficult to take home with me. Because of my husband’s illness, death, moving and of course mourning dog training has been limited. I just feel like I made a mistake. Am I a jerk for wanting to re-home him.?

Does your dog turn his head when he hears an odd noise? Does your dog bury their food with your pants? This is the thread to ask why.

Please keep this thread to non-medical issues only.