Category: Top Dog

Hi there! I have a beautiful pup named Chai that is a beagle/basset mix and is 13 months old. She’s come along way in calming down, but still has a ton of puppy energy (totally understandable at her age)! My question is should I be worried about her chasing her tail at this age? I only ask because our trainer made my husband and I feel like it could become a behavior issue and to interrupt it when possible. For clarification she gets walks and training sessions every day. Sometimes I feel like she does it for attention or when she’s just over the top excited. Is that ok? When should I worry?

Hi all. I posted this morning asking about when people first took their puppy to a park. Many respondents naturally assumed I was referring to a puppy/dog park. I am referring to the regular park you have at the end of the street. Big oval, trees, no fences, kids’ play equipment, etc.

We have a medium sized back yard and also a 7yo border collie but feel the 11wk old pup really could do with getting out

I have always wanted a Chihuahua but seeing a lot of aggressive or just yappy dogs I am curious is it possible to train them to behave well?

I want to enjoy walking with my dog. To be precise, I want my dog to enjoy walking, rather than me!

However, my dog is still a puppy, born in the fall, so she hasn't been walked very long, and more importantly, since the snow has recently started to melt, she has seen the ground for the first time in her life!

She is very curious about everything, and she tries to pull on the leash and run away from me. She also tries to eat stones and garbage on the roadside.

Since I am a new dog owner, I don't know how to lead her and I am always at a loss.

I hold the leash short and stop as soon as she tries to run. I resume walking when she stops, looks back at me, and comes back to my side.

I keep an eye on her path, checking to see if there is anything she might put in her mouth. Sometimes I distract her with a treat so she passes by the trash.

If she does eat something, I tell her to take it out, and if she doesn't follow my instructions, I stick my hand in her little mouth and take a pebble or even an eraser out of there!

I want to keep her out of danger and keep her healthy, and at the same time, I want her to enjoy her walks.

But is she really enjoying it in her current state? For her, walks are not fun at all because things don't go her way, and I suspect that she goes for walks only because her owner takes her out.

What should I do? She is a young Shih Tzu, so it is not impossible to stop her from trying to pull me away, but I worry that I am putting a strain on her body every time I do. I usually walk her with a harness instead of a collar to prevent her from getting a collapsed trachea, but I still feel uneasy.

And most importantly, what can I do to get her to stop picking up food? I want her to not eat anything during our walks except what I give her from my hand. I don't want to be mean to her, I just don't want her to swallow something dangerous that could cause her pain or endanger her life.

Why is dog walking so difficult?

I have to admit that I am not a very good dog owner, and that the sweetest puppy in the world is probably the unhappiest dog in the world.

What should I do for her?

I play fetch with my Border Collies using a medium chuck it ball. Their athleticism outmatched my throwing arm, so I’ve taken to using a tennis racket. I absolutely crush the ball and it goes way further than throwing by hand or with the chuck it thrower.

Short of hitting golf balls, does anyone have a creative way to launch the ball even further for them?

edit: were chucking the chuck it and moving on to racquetballs.

Adopted a new 4 month old puppy about 4 days ago from adoption center he is a terrier mix, and was neutered the day I picked him up so he has an Elizabeth cone. At first he was shy but has now been more comfortable, I notice he loves to sleep by the front door with the screen door closed and main door open, any reason for this? He always loves to see the outside but I was told to not take him on excessive walks yet

my 15lb dog has had her size medium kong extreme for nearly 5 years and it's held up wonderfully until recently. I tried to order a replacement in the same size (but red since they were out of stock of the size medium extreme), but the size was way smaller than it used to be. I tried sizing up and that was way too large even after I checked measurements in advance. I don't know if they changed the sizing or if there's an error happening or what, but now I'm at a loss. I've also seen people complain about the quality changing drastically over the years, so now I'm wondering about the best affordable alternatives? I just want a sturdy stuffable toy like classic kongs. thanks in advance!

Which pet insurance is best for you? Are there any that may cover your dog's current treatment? Did your dog get injured during the waiting period and want to know if you're covered?

Here's the place to ask.

Do know we cannot help you here with medical concerns, and lying or not disclosing things to the insurance company is illegal so we don't allow that either.

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.

this is not necessarily a behavior "problem", but I'm STUMPED. My almost 6 year old mutt has recently started to act nervous/submissive when going out and it seems to have gotten worse over the winter.

He spent his first 5 years in NYC so he has been exposed to every scary noise, smell, and sight you can imagine. he's great on a leash. we moved to the suburbs last March and has adjusted fine. we live on a one way street in a quiet neighborhood.

Towards the end of last year every once in a while when I would take him to pee in the morning (no fenced in yard so he is still walked) he would walk around like he's nervous and give me these nervous looks. it would take him a while to pee as he'd be walking submissively with his ears drawn back and back slinked. I would even try to not make eye contact with him because that would make him stop in his tracks. there have been a couple times Ive brought him back inside because he won't even walk. as soon as we're inside he's fine again.

Skip to the (first) snow storm NJ had last month and he loves snow, but I saw an uptick of this behavior. it's not even like he seems scared of something in particular, he just turns completely nervous and submissive. I try to get him to play and be upbeat but he quickly regresses to this submissive behavior. But I can take him out an hour later and he's skipping about happy as can be like nothing was ever wrong. he wears booties in winter which he has worn since he was a puppy so it isn't the salt or cold. I'm the only one who walks him so it isn't about him having a negative experience I'm not aware of. I tried bringing treats but he's the least food motivated dog on the planet and it didn't help.

Would love any insight!