Category: Top Dog

I just wanted to share this feel good aspect of my dog’s behavior. She’s a mutt rescue and had a lot of anxiety and behavioral issues since rescued her. She regressed for some time in her potty training, but we’ve gotten back on track and she’s an absolute STAR.

The sweet and thoughtful part: she’s trained to paw at me she’s ready to go outside, but she taught herself that if I am asleep in bed, it’s more gentle and considerate to lick my face until I wake up to take her potty. I didn’t train this into her, it was completely her decision and it melts my heart every morning.

I’m so proud of my girl.

I'm looking for a new harness for my 15lb chihuahua mix. She's barrel chested and long/lanky.

Does anyone have any experience using ruffwear harnesses for smaller dogs? I want to start taking her hiking so I was looking at the switchbak. Or if you have any recommendations for brands. Thanks 🙂

My 8yo gsd just started wrecking shit (the only thing still standing in my bathroom today is 1 door and half the toilet bowl) when I leave home. He is in a room door close, always been. No change in his daily routine for years, the only thing I can see ATM is a link with him having problem urinating for 2 days early this week…. Someone wanna share it's two cents to help me find an idea how to handle this, like I said, never done that ever and now it's 2 days in a row.

And snuggling in deep, falling asleep, and making contented noises.

It fills my heart.

Hi everyone! I see a lot of talk about breed-specific fulfillment in online spaces about dogs, like playing herding games with your border collie or doing bitework with your malinois. I adopted my boy from a rescue that runs a spay-and-return program for pregnant dogs from Indigenous reservations. The rescue listed him as a German shepherd-border collie mix, but that's just a guess. So I was wondering, what would "breed-specific fulfillment" mean in that context? Should I get his DNA tested to see what breeds he actually is, then learn about different options based on that? Or are rez dogs kind of their own thing, in terms of behaviour and temperament? I live in a big city so I'm not really sure how to recreate the types of stuff rez dogs would usually be doing for him. Or does breed-specific fulfillment not really matter if you don't have a purebred working-line dog? I'm partly looking for fun new activities to do with my dog but I'm also just kind of idly wondering. Thanks!

I was in the taxi on the way to the train station (homeward bound from finishing my nightshift) and was discussing my plans with the taxi driver, saying "I've just got my third shift to do tonight, and then I'm going to be sleeping all day tomorrow once I've taken my girl for a walk"

Taxi driver; how old is your girl?

Me; my girl is a dog

Taxi driver, …….oh

Me; She's 12 🙂

Taxi driver; ……..

He literally didn't expect that aha, but I actually forget that I always reference my dog as "my girl" so thought nothing of it at the time, it did make him laugh in the end though. 😅

I have a Pomeranian, when I adopted her, she wasn’t trained but we are currently training her. She’s one years old and she often has accidents, but we are working on it so don’t worry!! She understands that she is meant to do her business outside, she just occasionally has accidents.

Does anybody know any brands or specific items that can help my house smell better? I’d prefer if they were from Amazon, but I don’t necessarily mind. I did my own research but I’m not entirely sure which brands aren’t dog safe and which brands are dog safe.

Obviously i clean my house and scrub my carpets, Im just pretty paranoid of it smelling bad because of her accidents. Please let me know though!!

I have a 10-month-old female Golden Retriever who is very food motivated. A few months ago, she started showing signs of resource guarding with bones or other really high-value treats. We worked on this by doing the trade game and giving her space when she has those items. We also have an older German Shepherd, and we keep them separated when feeding or when highvalue treats are involved to avoid any conflict.

This has been working really well. We hadn’t had any incidents with the puppy for a while. She’s still wild when food is involved, but the growling/snapping/teeth-bearing we were seeing before had stopped.

Today I was getting their breakfast bowls ready. The puppy was being her usual overly excited self (which we’re actively working on before feedings). Our older dog was standing behind me in the kitchen. When I turned around with the bowls, the puppy went after the older dog. Luckily, I don’t think the older dog really knew what was happening and didn’t react.

I immediately put the food down and calmly but quickly grabbed the puppy and guided her into her crate. She’s crate trained and understands that it’s a safe space and that going in there means it’s time to calm down.

When things like this happen, what’s the best way to handle it? The trade game doesn’t really apply here. I feel like I de-escalated as best as I could — I didn’t yell, just said “hey, no,” and moved her into the crate right away (luckily it was right next to where it happened).

I wasn’t necessarily scared she was going to bite me in the moment, but I do understand that you’re not supposed to get between two dogs because the risk of injury is high.

Also to note we feed them in their separate rooms. I do make the puppy sit and wait while I go in the other room to place the older dogs food. Until I give her the release word she doesn't touch the food. Not sure if that is the best approach but the wait is something she is really good at and it helps me have a little more control when placing the bowls.

TLDR;

My 10-month-old puppy has food aggression and went after my older dog today. What’s the best way to handle it in the moment, and how can I work on preventing or fixing this long-term?

He is a 6 month old golden. Start off my saying he is not constipated, he does poop probably 3-4 times a day. He will just not poop when I know he has to specifically at night. I usually take him out for a 15 minute walk around 9:30 for his last time outside for the day. he used to always poop on this walk. Lately he never will. I take him inside, then around 10 he will start winning to go out again. I’ll take him out again. He never has to pee. I’ll walk him around the neighborhood again, still won’t poop. 10:30 he will start whining again to go out. Sometimes I have to take him out 3 or 4 time before he finally poops. It’s driving me insane and making me stay up way later than I want to. I know he has to poop but he just won’t do it. Has anyone experienced this. How do I get him to stop doing this. I am partially just venting because it’s driving me nuts

Apologies if this is a little long, but I am very much at a loss as this isn't true crate regression so looking for any help! TDLR: I own a corgi who is 3 years old and he refuses to sleep in a crate only at the home he was raised in. Anywhere else is fine and he sleeps great in the crate.

He is well trained minus an issue where he often wants to put things in his mouth, but we are in training for that, which is why he sleeps in a crate still at 3. Prior to looking online, I have talked to his vet and confirmed no health issues, he has zero anxiety about being away from me so he does not care if we are separated (he does daycare 2x a week), and nothing in the routine we have had for 2+ years since he became an adult has changed. We have a trainer, but I am not able to see him for another two weeks due to him being out of town and I am at my wits end.

As of these last few weeks, he will not sleep in his crate only at my apartment (which he was raised in) even after following the command to get in/settling like he will sleep. If he is at my parent's house (which is the same exact crate model and bed even), he sleeps without issue. At only my apartment, he goes into full screaming panic attack mode after quietly being in there initially for maybe 20 minutes. We are currently penned into the kitchen as I cannot trust him in any other rooms (anything corgi eye level is fair game including my blankets so sleeping next to me is a no). I have tried calming techniques/positive treating, I have tried cleaning the crate and putting it directly next to me, but nothing is working. If I let him sleep in a crate in any other physical location (another house, hotel, etc.)? Zero protest, not even a bark or whimper, fully sleeps for 10+ hours. We went to my parent's house this week for a visit and nothing for three nights in a row. Just complete silence after crate command.

He takes 3 long walks a day, plays a lot, drinks water before bed, and even takes himself to his crate at bed time without me giving his night command most nights. I don't know what else to do or why it is only this crate at my apartment only. He has not been allowed on the couch or bed so I can't say that he's broken habits (he actually does not know how to jump up!). Am I going to have to retrain from the beginning even if he's following all commands properly/sleeping in crate at other locations? If he didn't have his 'this is mine in my mouth' issue, I would let him lay wherever, but that is not an option yet as I am worried about choking or suffocation. I'd love any and all ideas as I am worried retraining won't work as he is doing commands, sleeping, etc. everywhere but his actual home crate.