Category: Top Dog

My 7 month old border terrier/patterdale/menace has really sharp teeth and tears through even the strongest toys in, like, a day. I’m knackered at pets at home and so is my bank account. She pulls the thread out of rope tuggers and just likes to destroy. If anyone has any recommendations I’d love some please!

I put a down payment on a golden yesterday after a long thought process. I’ve wanted to get a dog for a long time and have put it off, but ever since my brother got his puppy I just can’t resist anymore. I felt super excited when I made the payment. But soon after, I began to feel very anxious, which is unusual for me. I could hardly sleep last night. Then it went away and I felt comfortable, and then later it came again and I was back to feeling panicked. However, in the end, I’m going to go through with it. Has anybody else felt this way before adopting?

Because I really hope it will one day 😅 My 6 month old puppy jumps, growls and bites me and the leash when we’re on our walks. Sometimes it’s because she’s very excited, sometimes it’s out of frustration because we don’t walk where she wants to go or she wants to play on the big field but we’re just walking by it.

I usually stop, turn my body sideways and say No with a stern voice. Sometimes I ask her to sit for a very short while. Then we continue, but it’s happening again 5 minutes later. She’s very gentle, just nipping at my jacket and nibbling my hands or gloves, but she’s tall and the growling is LOUD and everybody stops and stares. She’s huge by the way, and can easily reach my shoulders when she jumps.

Do they outgrow it or do I need to change my method?

I wanted a dog my whole adult life and two years ago my dream came true. We got an older replacement dog who we decided to adopt before we had met him. Things have run pretty smoothly and I love having a dog. BUT, he’s not the kind of dog I longed for. He’s like an old, grumpy man. He doesn’t like to cuddle, he’s mostly excited about food. The only time he jumps up in my lap is when I’m eating. I think he likes me and feels safe with me somehow because he’s happy to greet me when I get home, and once when he hurt himself and was upset he chose to sleep next to me (which he never does otherwise).

I didn’t imagine life with a dog to be this way and I often feel sad and disappointed about it. I expected company on the couch, someone who comforts me if I’m sad (but he’s more likely to look at me angrily and run off). At the same time I love and care about my dog, and I want him to feel I do but I don’t really know how to do it in a way that doesn’t make him uncomfortable(except feeding him…).

How can I improve the relationship with my non affectionate dog?

Edit: Those of you who think I despise or mistreat my dog can relax. I try my best not to show him or people around me how I feel about this and I think he deserves love and care and I swear I’ll keep him until he dies. But he’s a very reserved dog who doesn’t show much interest in people and definitely not in other dogs and I want to know how I can bond better with a dog like that. AND I feel a little sad at the same time because I expected to bond with my dog like I did with my childhood dogs. I really wonder how some people can be so judgemental when not knowing the whole picture.

I’m looking for perspectives on my dog’s shift in play behavior.

My mini poodle turned 1 in October. She’s been in a weekly puppy play and train class since she was ~8 weeks old (highly supervised free play plus training). Historically she’s been very socially flexible—different play styles with different dogs (chase, role reversals, mutual mouthy play). One isolated incident months ago where she snarled at a younger puppy with sharp teeth, otherwise no issues.

Lately, there’s one dog she’s known for months who she’s become relentless with in class:

-repeatedly pinning him

-very loud play growling/barking

-hard time disengaging

He is a few months older than her, similar sized, both of them are fixed.

It still looks playful but wayyy intense and the play is very asymmetric. The other dog doesn’t correct her or remove himself, he just rolls over, so the trainer has to step in and give him breaks constantly. Without intervention, she’d keep going.

Worth noting:

-this is only with this one dog

-she is not generally pushy or reactive

-with other dogs, play is either balanced or she’s the more submissive one

She also goes to dog daycare once a week for ~5 hours because she doesn’t like being home alone. At daycare she’s very stimulated but not chaotic—lots of walking around, observing, sniffing butts, tail up, alert but not stiff. She plays in short bursts occasionally, enjoys enrichment (bubble machine), and seems comfortable there. Shes always excited to go through the doors.

My questions…

Is this kind of persistence and intensity with a single dog a normal part of social maturity around 1 year old?

At what point does this become a behavior that should be actively prevented from becoming a habit vs. “dogs sorting it out with management”?

Could once-weekly daycare be contributing by increasing baseline arousal or reducing sensitivity to disengagement cues, even if she’s not playing hard there?

Or does this sound more like a specific mismatch where the other dog’s lack of boundaries is allowing her to rehearse controlling play?

I’d love to hear thoughts!

I have a Boston Terrier and a Pug. Both have very different chewing styles when it comes to toys. My pug loves to lick and chew, however he is kind of gentle when it comes to hard toys (including rubber toys). But when it comes to string or plush toys, he pulls them apart and eats the toys. I’ve since then haven’t given him any soft toys, but I’ve discovered that when my boston terrier rips up rubber toys, he eats the bits and pieces she leaves. She (my boston terrier) also eats the plush, squeakers, and the rubber toys. I want to find them better and newer toys than they have now. They both have two hard toys that they just chew on but I want to give them more. I cannot give them bones because my boston terrier becomes territorial over a bone. Any ideas and advice? Thank you!!

My rat terrier mix has alopecia and if that wasn’t bad enough, she had hip surgery in October and her fur never grew back so her entire backside is naked. I live in NYC and it’s cold. We have a few coats which she despises but we force her to wear outside, but she needs her back legs covered.

Can anyone suggest a fleece onesie with an open backside that isn’t terribly awkward? I see some that have high necks which I’d prefer it not have and hoods (seriously WTF?)

Thanks in advance!

My dog bit someone a few days ago but I'm still freaking out about it. I have a small dog and she's very calm. I was walking her and someone walked by and she wasnt barking or acting weird so I was surprised when she just took a bite of someones pants.

No rips, no bite marks. And the person was walking in the opposite direction as this happened so she didn't bite his skin.

Could I fac legal trouble for this.

She's vaccinated for everything and no other incidents

Edit: just wanted to add it was in a playful way and it was just one bite and she let go immediately. But I will be ordering a different leash for her now

I have a question about older dogs on the beach. I have 2 dogs we are taking on vacay for the first time. One is an active but older Aussie (not concerned with her) and the other is a 17yo chi mix with a grade 4 heart murmur and heartworms (we are doing slow kill method given her age).

My chi mix loves to be outside and is active but tired quickly. I’m nervous about keeping her outside for 4-6 hrs on the beach (under shade of course). I also would feel bad about leaving her at the AirBNB by herself even though she would probably sleep all day.

What do you guys think? I hate having guilt of taking one dog and leaving the other or not taking either one of them.

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.