Category: Top Dog

Is it okay to have something like those “Ever Spring” scented sachets on one of my clothing shelves in the bedroom (they’re open shelves not drawers) when my dog hangs out and sleeps in the same room as me? He wouldn’t be able to get to the sachet itself because the shelves are too high for him. But I’m worried about the scent being irritating for him. It says it has essential oils in it (one is Lemon Mint and the other is Lavender Bergamot). I was trying to find something to add a fresh scent to my clothes but not sure I can use this with my pup around. Don’t want to cause any problems for him.

I’m completely at a loss as to what to do about my French bulldog pup’s barking 😞 sorry it’s long I’m desperate!!!! And sleep deprived.

He’s now nearly 9 months old, and I’ve probably made a rod for my own back but I am trying my best. We had got to the stage where he was mostly settling in his crate in the kitchen. Then when the hot weather arrived, we moved the crate from the kitchen into the lounge – it’s not a very big distance because our house is quite small. As it was a bit cooler in the lounge than the kitchen. It’s really impractical for the crate to be in the lounge, so as soon as the weather cooled down, we moved it back to the kitchen. And that’s when the night time issues started again.

He always has a wee and poo before bed, either in the garden or on a walk last thing. Then he’ll settle on the sofa next to us. We put him in the crate when he’s sleepy and then come straight upstairs. He can go through like a week or more with no issues, but then randomly starts barking again and there seems to be no pattern to it. Eg a few weeks ago we had heavy rain and wind one night so we thought it might’ve been that, but then last night was very bad with him barking, and there was no adverse weather. I’m at a loss! 😞.

We tried everything- ignoring it, eventually going downstairs and not making a fuss, but putting him straight in the garden to see if he actually needed the loo (he didn’t). it got to 4am ish and my husband ended up having to go and sleep downstairs on the sofa with the dog next to him. I know this is not the answer, but we were at our wits end.

We have been told that we are giving him mixed messages basically, it’s our fault, because in the mornings when I’m getting ready, he comes and sleeps on the bed with me while I’m doing my make up. So therefore at night, he doesn’t understand why he can’t come back upstairs.

We can’t have him upstairs overnight, there’s no room for the crate and we’re not happy to have him roaming around in case he tries to jump on / off the bed and hurts himself.

As I said, he’s nearly 9 months old and we have not even yet got to the stage where we can think about leaving him at home on his own for short periods, we don’t even know where to start with this considering the nighttime can still be so awful. I’m also worried about our neighbours, we are in a semi detached house and when we first had him I did speak to my neighbour and say I apologise if there was any noise while he is still little, she said it’s absolutely fine and she totally understands. Which is great, but we do need to get this sorted. We live on a new build estate so everyone is quite close together.. I’m scared that we are going to get a letter from environmental health and then end up having to give him up and I could not cope with that. And most importantly, I want him to feel happy and settled!!

Aaaaagh 😞

Help! My little old lady loves going for drives in my car but I just got a jeep and I thought she would love it. Well, she does not. It’s way too high up for her to jump and she does NOT like getting picked up. Any ideas or suggestions on what to do to help her get in the car easier? Would appreciate anything at this point because I just feel bad for her. Thank you!

Flying with my Corgi from Toronto to Vancouver with Westjet, 25lbs – quite anxious. Looking for the smoothest & safest ride for her.

Is there any way to train my pup not to bite my clothes (esp socks) when im wearing them? He bites down hard and im not sure what's the proper way to stop this..

(my pup is 9months old)

I regret getting a puppy.

I adopted a puppy right from her litter from my local animal control. She was marked as an Aussie X, and she is a really pretty red merle color, with one blue eye and one hazel eye. I’ve been wanting to adopt a puppy for some time, especially an Aussie mix, or Border Collie mix, because I have wanted to add to my pack. I have two wonderful adult dogs, who are incredible. Quite literally the best dogs on the planet. A Border Collie/Aussie, and a Pittie, both rescues, both adopted between 4-8 months.

Within a few days, the puppy started to act unwell. Lethargic, no interest in food and water, and not wanting to play, which turned out to be parvo. I had a dog that passed around this time last year from this virus, so I was hyper aware of the symptoms, and how she was acting. I took her to the vet hospital, prayed for the best, and left her with them for two nights. I picked her up Saturday, and by Saturday night, she started a hacking cough, which is indicative of kennel cough, something that dogs from my local animal control frequently have. But by Monday morning, it turned into a wet cough. So I brought her back to the vet hospital, who ran some diagnostics, and came back with early stages of pneumonia, something they had warned me could potentially happen with the vomiting caused by parvovirus, it’s called aspiration pneumonia. So now she's on all these various kinds of antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, etc, to bring her back to health. I am thankful for listening to my intuition about the parvo and the cough, because in both instances, I caught it early enough for it to not destroy her little body.

But I have only had her for a week and a half.

I feel like I am failing, even though I know I potentially saved her life by getting her the care she needed as soon as I saw the warning signs. I feel like I can’t crate train her, because she hacks at night and I can’t stand her coughing alone in a kennel, nor can I stand her “crying it out” like some people suggest. She terrorizes my adult dogs, like puppies do, but I feel like I made the mistake of getting her because my two adults and being terrorized. I feel traumatized already by her being this sick, this early in her life with me. Every single moment, I am riddled with anxiety. I have lost copious amounts of sleep due to my anxiety and overthinking, as well as being hyper vigilant in watching her, trying to make sure I take her out enough during the night and day, I can potty train her. And I overthink everything now. I am constantly searching questions and looking for answers, maybe to feel not so alone with my anxieties, and to soothe them for “doing things right.”

I am clearly not a first time dog mom; I have had many dogs in my life and I have never lived a day in my life without dogs. But I feel like I was woefully underprepared for a puppy, and this is my first time with a puppy puppy (10-12 weeks old), in 12 years, but I don’t remember it being THIS DIFFICULT with that puppy. I have told all of my friends to shake me if I ever bring up wanting a puppy again, because I have vowed to never get a young puppy again, something a quite a bit older than 10 weeks, and something already fully vaccinated and partially potty trained.

Oh and for the record, the vet considered her to be a Beagle mix, not an Aussie mix, which is what I was led to believe from my animal control, and I feel like I am let down and disappointed. Maybe I had high expectations for her being an Aussie, which would have led her to be a more intelligent breed, and maybe I am comparing her to my adult Border/Aussie, who is whip smart. But I just wanted a safe place to vent my frustrations; I know it won’t be like this for long, but I feel like I am in the trenches, and am struggling, and I feel like I am counting down the days for her to be a grown up.

Thanks for letting me vent.

Introduction

1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs? * This will not be my first dog. I've had dogs in the past but they were when I lived in a house with a backyard. I currently live in a decent size apartment 4 minutes from my work.

2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder? * I would preference to rescuing a dog.

3) Describe your ideal dog. * My Ideal dog would be a medium size dog that is good for apartment living and that I can take on hikes with me.

4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why? * My Ideal dog would be a medium size dog that is good for apartment living and that I can take on hikes with me.

5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do? * I would train my dog to be able to go on walks downtown around people withoit going crazy and to go on hikes with me.

6) Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport? * No I don't want to have the dog for work use or for sport use.

7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day? * Before work I would take the dog out to the bathroom, during lunch come home take the dog out to the bathroom before heading back to work and after work take the dog on a long walk. On weekends take the dog on longer walks/hiking for a few ours.

8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park? * Before work I would take the dog out to the bathroom, during lunch come home take the dog out to the bathroom before heading back to work and after work take the dog on a long walk. On weekends take the dog on longer walks/hiking for a few ours. Occasionally using dog parks.

9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly? * I'm willing to do daily brushing when needed.

10) What size dog are you looking for? * I'm looking for a medium size dog.

11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle? * depends on the right dog.

12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area? * I would like to let the dog off leash when I can but not necessary.

13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space? * I would like a dog that like to chill next to me but also don't mind if they want some alone time, either or works for me.

14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please? * I would like a dog that somewhere in between being independent and wanting to snuggle.

15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors? * l would like a dog that is calm when a stranger enters until commanded otherwise.

16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs? * I could work with that.

17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid? * none I can think of.

18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone? * when I go to work until lunch time when I come home to let them out and until I get home after work.

19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog? * I live alone and will be the sole caretaker of the dog.

20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they? * I do not have any other pets at this time.

21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly? * No they will not be interacting with children kn the regular.

22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease? * I currently rent a decent size apartment right now and there is no size restrictions, I just prefer a medium size dog thats good for apartment living and good for hiking.

23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds? * I live in a urban area and most dog breeds are okay over bere

24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live? * I live in nevada weather closer to California boarder.

25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant. * No additional information.

26) Feel free to ask any questions below

I just learned how toxic dog toys and other things I use every day can be for my dog as well as how bad the ingredients are in treats. I'm shocked to learn how unregulated pet stuff is… My dog is my BABY – can anybody recommend non-toxic / healthier options for every day use?

Hi, I've been in Canada for almost 5 years. I came here to study and work for a period of time. I graduated and worked for a while. I finally felt it was time to go back home. So I booked tickets for me and my 3 and half year old German shepherd. My dog will be travelling as an excessive baggage in the same flight. The biggest crate that I could get him was 483630. My dog is 44.5 inches long, but the width and height look pretty good. He can turn around in the crate. He can comfortably sit and stand. But when he sleeps, there isn't much gap left between his paws and the door. He can still comfortably lie down though!! Would the airlines be very strict regarding this aspect? Will they measure the length of the crate and my dog? How does the process go? And since he's a shepherd, his ears are very tall, they are kind of touching the top slightly if he is sitting. Will that be fine? I'm travelling with my dog internationally for the first time since I got him when he was 45 days old. He is still getting used to the crate. I'm positively motivating him.

I can't find any other larger-sized crate. My flight is in a few weeks. My flight is at 9 pm from Montreal. However, I will be there by at least 4 pm to make sure everything goes alright. If in case they deny, what other options will I have? I worked my ass off to save enough for flight tickets, documentation work, vet charges, etc. Can I ask airlines to help me in that case? Or since I'll have a few more hours, can I do anything else during that time?

Thank you for your help 🙏🏻