Category: Top Dog

I have a 6m old Old English Sheepdog, and he does very well free roaming the front of our house that we gate off while my husband and I are at work, but I really want to snuggle him at night 😅 I firmly believe he should be crate trained for safety, but when do you think he could free roam the back of the house at night by our bedroom? He has been very good with potty training, I will say 90% there. We do have a cat so we are working on them being comfortable together, the dog is learning to give the cat space.

Ok, so my partner and I got a black lab puppy at 12 weeks in late September. This is my first dog as an adult (had family dogs but not really mine). So at first, I was feeling pretty nervous, but we got in a groove and was doing fine. Then last week, my partner found another lab (8 weeks) who needs a home and absolutely fell in love with her! We talked about it and it felt like the right decision, not to mention she is super adorable. So he is will go get here this upcoming weekend. Literally, the day after, our black lab turned into a teenager! He started to get overstimulated and tried to hump, we have been good at redirecting, but it’s been a lot of work throughout the afternoons and trial and error. I am getting nervous with the arrival of the new pup and how I’ll be able to manage everything with both dogs. I guess I’m just asking for some advice/reassurance that having two dogs is manageable. (I have also read extensively about littermate syndrome and will be very careful with it and having them do independent activities and some together).

So we’ve had our pup for around 7 months now (she’s now 10 months), and her teething is getting much better, and she knows not to touch us with her teeth or bite, but she developed this very curious habit of biting our sleeves instead😂

I chalked this up to growth, as it felt like she was restraining herself, but I found it a bit odd, and I don’t know if I should say nothing, reward her, or tell her “no..”

What do yall think?

My puppy is almost 7 months now and clearly starting to show some puberty signs. Having had quite a difficult puppyhood (due to his extreme stubbornness and low food drive, most of the common advices didn't work), I have been working on some resilience, which is now helping me to deal a bit better with adolescence.

That is why I am now just going with it and seeking advice on how to train 'off' again. My puppy is just tall enough to reach tables (not really counters). When we are in 'training mode' he performs all his commands well, because he knows treats are in my hand. When I put something he likes on the table and he goes for it, I tell him 'off' and he immediately comes back down, awaiting the treat in my hand. So I am sure he understands the command.

However, his table surfing during the day has increased over the last week and he backs off not even 50% of the time, which is compromising the use of the command. Although I do carry treats around the house, he probably thinks the table is more interesting. I know the first thing is for us to make sure there is nothing to grab so this behavior won't be reinforced, but it is nearly impossible to keep tables empty at all times as he is happy with anything, even a towel, piece of paper, or some leftover string.

So now I am wondering what steps you took to teach 'off'. How do I gradually build distraction to make sure he will back off in any situation in the future?

Hi everyone!

I have been wondering around here and r/dogs for a while. I've had dogs all my life but never one on my own. I live alone but have no kids and no major responsabilities, I do quite well financially as well.

I am wondering about getting a puppy, but all these posts and stories of people wanting to rehome or giving up their puppies are quite frightening me. I am sure there are good stories out there, so please share them! <3

My pup is 9 months. She’s so great, but won’t stop jumping on everyone! Would love some tips

I have no idea if my 4 month old puppy is toilet trained. We are in the habit of taking her out to the loo at mealtimes, after big plays and after naps. Its habitual now. We have few accidents maybe one every week and a half. Thing is i dont if she actually toilet trained. She will go and sit at the door on occasions but i guess we are so proactive with it she doesn’t get much chance to tell us. Anything we can do to see if she actually is toilet trained? I dont want to set her up for failure.

My 8 month old pup won’t let me brush his teeth. I have tried this almost every night in the 4 months I have had him but he just snaps his mouth shut, if I try to open his mouth he just thrashes about and I maybe get one tooth brushed during this.

Are there any alternatives to brushing his teeth as it’s so distressing for him and still no progress with it?