Category: Top Dog

We have a new puppy and my existing dog was fine at the start of the greeting. We met outside etc so it was neutral territory, and he had a sniff and seemed excited and fine. He doesn’t like dogs on the tv or on walks so we have been extra cautious bringing another dog in. He has lived with another dog but we lost her recently and he’s been lost without her. I’ve got a trainer helping with the introduction but it seems to be whenever the puppy moves, he barks like crazy. I feel like he’s scared? We’ve been following advice, rewarding positive behaviour etc (she only came home today!) and she has a room he doesn’t bother with usually. We have a pen around her crate, and a stair gate separating him from that room, and he can’t see her from the stair gate.

I’m just wondering if anyone knows exactly how slow I should be taking this?

Tonight the older dog will be sleeping with me in my room, which he has done ever since the other dog passed ☹️ he used to sleep with her all the time for the past two years. The puppy will be in the living room with my husband and the door will be closed.

Thanks for any advice.

Hi everyone,

I have a 12 week old German Shepherd puppy. I’ve had him for about 3 weeks. I’ve wanted a dog since a child and I was genuinely excited and prepared for this.

The issue isn’t that I don’t love him — I really do. I’ve been waking up at 4–6am, standing outside in the cold for potty breaks, training daily, sacrificing going out, etc. I’m committed.

But my entire household (parents + sister) now want him gone. My sister originally agreed to shared responsibility for over a year while planning this, but backed out about 3 weeks in. My parents are worried about my mental health, the arguments in the house, and that I haven’t left the house much since getting him. They’ve even offered to pay me back all the money ive spent on him to rehome him.

Objectively:

• He’s a normal 12 week GSD (bitey, high energy, needs structure) • I’m willing to do the work • Parents are leaving overseas in 2 weeks, so it’ll just be me and my sister (who don’t want to help) 

Emotionally:

• I don’t want to give him up. • But I feel like I’m fighting my entire household. • I’m scared of making the wrong long-term decision. 

For people who experienced puppy blues or family pressure:

Did it genuinely get better?

How did you balance independence/social life with a working breed puppy?

And if you rehomed early, did you regret it?

Please be honest — I don’t want comfort, I want perspective.

I have a 9 month old Cavapoo, which thanks to my job, I've been able to raise whilst working from home. I knew that I would eventually have to go back to the office, and as a result have spent lots of time training for this. This includes crate training, leaving the home progressively longer (e.g. 30 seconds, then getting mail, shops, gym, work inspections, few hours etc).

Everything seems to be going very well, and he seemed to be coping fine. No signs of separation anxiety at all. About 2 weeks ago I have started to transition back to the office. I leave by about 8am and arrive home around 4pm. He's been home longer than that before (not in a crate, free roaming limited to our living area + balcony only).

I don't work in the office every day, maybe 3 days a week now.

We upgraded our camera recently which better tracks noises (like barking howling etc). I have since noticed, now, that at some point during the day our puppy starts to howl (like a sad howl), which seems to be new (though potentially maybe the old camera wasn't good enough).

The howling is sporadic, and does not come with any other bad habits (no toileting inside, not chewing / destroying anything). A review of the camera shows this:

• We leave the home in the morning. Maybe a little whimper for 30s.
• At some point in the day he'll howl (could be 1hr after we leave, could be 2, sometimes even 5-6hrs).
• Howling is in short bursts (maybe 3 howls 30s apart). Then usually lies back down and sleep. It may be another hour for the next howl, sometimes 5 mins apart, or 15, 30 etc.
• He always lies by the front door of our apartment, though does this when home also, as he likes the breeze and also hear out for the neighbours in our stairwell.
• The other day, he didn't start howling until 3:30pm, then thereafter it was ever 10 minutes.

I really don't know what to do at this stage, and want to make sure I don't make it better or worse. I've read so much conflicting info online as well.

I think he is currently going through a "secondary fear imprint stage" as things recently (even before going back to the office) have scared him, like bikes, people approaching at walks etc.

I don't think (?) that it's separation anxiety as he doesn't seem to be ever really panicking. He'll just walk around the unit, sit up on the couch, or sit by the door, and howl. Occasionally he'll try and get something up from the table or something. Never any mess, destruction, etc, most of the time he's sleeping.

I guess my questions are:

• Is this just him readjusting / going through his second fear stage and not sep anxiety?
• He goes for little walks in the morning. Should they be longer?
• Would TV / Radio / White Noise during the day (can set timers) help.
• I can't really go back home to work any more, though would restricting hours help (e.g. return at midday instead of 3pm or something).
• Arrange for dog walkers at 11am or midday? Or would that train bad habits.
• Doggy daycare where I live would send me broke, though could do a day or so to help?
• When working from home, try and have more separation to limit him being as clingy.

• I could potentially take him to the office, but that doesn't seem to be helping the issue.

  If anyone has any advice, words of reassurance, etc, that would be great.

I’ve had my 11-week hound for almost two weeks. She is biting the daylights out of my senior beagle while they play and he isn’t putting her in her place. 80% of the time, the play involves toys or is mutual and the picture of positive. The other 20%, I end up intervening because puppy is biting his neck or cheek and I don’t like it. He is looking at me and I feel like puppy is a bully. She is clearly play fighting and does run for her life sometimes, only to surprise attack a few seconds later.

Has anyone experienced this? Is it normal? What did you do?

Side note: they are not left alone together