Category: Top Dog

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.

I have a 10 year old border terrier and a 3 month old Pomeranian puppy. Puppy is doing well with his potty training and sleep and behaviour in general. I separated him from my older dog for the first few days, but she is very sweet and I pretty quickly started having them together for most of the day. They get along well and my older dog is extremely tolerant of having the puppy jump all over her, nip at her constantly, etc. She almost never growls at him and often they play together.

However I have noticed that the puppy is SO much calmer when she's not around – less nipping and chewing, fewer zoomies, easier to settle, etc. I could separate them but they seem to enjoy each other so much – my older dog cries when I keep her out of the room, and puppy follows her everywhere. Puppy is much more tolerant of being left when he's with her. And also I want them to be well socialized with each other, which seems like it means them learning to spend time together.

Is this just something to get through, that will improve as he matures (he is still very young!)? Or should I be keeping them separate for more of the day? Thanks for any advice or experience anyone can share!

I found a brand that sells small backpacks for dogs in my country. They are basically the same as the large ones, with one pocket at each side.

Even though I loved the idea (always used backpacks with my larger dogs) i’m afraid it might be too much for their little bodies. Does anyone know if there is a size limit for wearing a backpack? At which age could i introduce a small sized dog to wearing a backpack (initially without any weight). All advice is wellcome.

Hello! I am wondering if any of you have insight or general guidance on the differences between the two breeds.

I currently have 2 heelers. I love the breed, they’re extremely intelligent and high energy. Neither of them are destructive and are happy. I don’t own a farm but I do offer intense exercise in warmer months (Midwest) and lots of treats, obedience training, puzzles, kongs, short outdoor bursts when it’s extremely cold and typically try to do lots of hikes, field running, etc whenever possible. I’m never overwhelmed and try my hardest to provide everything I can without buying a farm. I 100% understand these are dogs that require a job.

However, I have recently met a few GSPs through my kennel job and have fell in love with the idea of owning one in the far future and would like to understand their energy levels and temperaments compared to a breed I know well so I don’t make the mistake of regretting buying a dog I cannot handle. I haven’t met any of the owners so I guess I don’t really know how they are at home, and don’t know anyone personally with one. I do know they’re a very popular bird dog where I am but I don’t hunt. Would this be an issue? Are they less or more energetic than heelers? More prone to health issues?

Any advice or thoughts are appreciated!

There is a tripod 3 year old female dog at the shelter. She is missing her front right leg. My house is mostly hard floors so I'm worried about her falling easily and injuring herself. Also, are there any long term medical issues that could arise later in life? Are there any precautions I need to take such as limiting how long we walk for or anything like that?

Im just looking for the best course of action here. I can't really change my hours and I am at my wits end. At least 3 times a week I come home and she has used the potty in the house. I don't really have someone that can take her out for me while at work nor do I have enough time to come home and take her out on my lunch. I've thought about getting her a pee pad or some fake grass and seeing if that would help. What's the best thing for me to do in this situation

I’ve been a lifelong vegan. It is a deep moral conflict feeding my rescue – I want her to be the healthiest and happiest she can be, but also feel awful about the animals killed in order to feed her.

I’m open to discussion, ideas, or even alternatives (hunting non-native animals, raising chickens for eggs etc).

If it’s relevant – she’s a Anatolian shepherd mix. We’re very active but she’s a grazer who doesn’t scoff her food.

Please keep this civil – open to all opinions Thank you!

We adopted a Border Collie and a half ago, neutered two months ago from the shelter in my town. We have a separation anxiety problem that we are treating with a professional, and he is doing much better. However, since the second or third week after adoption, the dog has become very reactive for no reason. We don't know what happened with his previous owner, but during the first few weeks he didn't bark at people, he let us pet him, and we were near moving cars or people and he didn't do anything to them. At home, he is a sweetheart. We have not had any problems with aggression, either towards us or towards our 6-month-old cat. We do not know what to do about this behavior. Walks are torture. We cannot go near anyone or any dogs within a block's distance because he starts pulling like crazy and barking at them a lot. Any advice on how to improve this behavior?

My wife and I have 3 kids ages 3, 5, & 6 and they have been begging for a dog for a while now. The problem is my wife and I both work and we are away from the house 8 hours a day 3-4 days a week. We feel bad leaving a member of the family alone for that amount of time. Is there a feasible way of getting a dog with our schedule? We are thinking of getting a Lab or lab mix. We live in the suburbs and have a backyard with grass.

Thanks in advance.

He uses them, but if a throw or jacket falls on the floor, he will want that.

Lol

But why?

I just put a fleece throw down by his bed and he chose that.

Smh