Category: Top Dog

We have a 12 week old puppy and we have had him 3 weeks and we are generally loving it! He has taken to training fairly well but one of the things he is struggling with is separation. We are crate training and he is quite happy to sleep in the crate but not quite at the point of taking himself in there to chill out yet.

He is struggling a bit with being left on his own, we have a baby gate we use to keep him in the living room when we have a job to do in the rest of the house and whenever we leave him he will have a puppy meltdown unless someone is with him.

There has been a few points where I have had to leave him in his crate to pop down the shops for 15/20 minutes and I watch him on our security camera, he will cry in his crate for about 10 minutes but then settle down so I don’t think it’s full blown anxiety, but we really need him to be happy being left in his living room whilst we do chores or take meetings.

Any suggestions?

Hi! I have a little whippet pup of now 17 weeks. I feed him kibble 3 times a day. Next to that, he also gets a lick mat every time he goes into the crate with 100% chicken meat. Around 30 grams per feeding, 3 to 4 times a day.

So basically: around every 2 hours he has a meal (3/4x 30 gram chicken or the 3x 80 grams kibble)

I notice he doesn't always eat his afternoon meal. Do you think I can switch to 2 meals a day for his kibble (morning and evening, 120 grams of kibble)? Since in between, he also gets the chicken meat.

Normally its recommended to go to 2 meals a day when they older, but I thought since he does get the chicken in between, it might be a possibility for us.

My goal is to make sure he eats everything and make food more high rewarding, since it just an 'option' now for his afternoon meal mostly.

We had three dogs.

1 male chihuahua, 1 female chihuahua(6), 1 female cockapoo(13). All rescues. The male chihuahua passed away due to congestive heart failure about 1 year ago. He was 12-13. He seemed to keep the peace. Both of the female dogs loved him.

Our older dog doesn't have many teeth. The chihuahua growls at her whenever she walks by, but she will curl up next to her to stay warm/sleep. We think the cockapoo puts out some type of vibe, but she's really hard of hearing, has one eye which is cloudy so likely eye sight is not great at all.

They stay in the same kennel during the day because the chihuahua has a small bladder and will pee if not in the kennel. They sleep in our bed. We have a small place and while 2 kennels would be possible it would take up more space then ideal.

They have gotten into squabbles in the past, none of which result in injury. Over the past month or or two these have escalated in frequency. They will brawl in the middle of the night waking us up, they brawl on the couch, anytime there is food around, etc.

The chihuahua is super sweet to us but a nightmare around anyone else. If we have guests she'll try to bite their ankles in a 'faux bite' way. Meaning, she snaps 6 inches away and then retreats. She will finally get used to people in the house and even lay next to them, but if they get up she losses it. We now have to put her in another room because she'll ruin the rare times we have family over. It's getting worse.

The chihuahua is now on a low dose of prozac. Doesn't seem to be working.

The cockapoo is so good with people, loving, not aggressive unless brawling with the chihuahua. Tonight it happened while unwinding from work, and this is after being awoken at 2:00 am from a brawl.

I'm at my wits end. Chihuahuas are not smart dogs, don't argue. I highly doubt there's a way to change this behavior.

I hate to admit it but for the first time the thought of rehoming or just getting rid of her came to mind. Mind you, I'm the bleeding heart of our family that adopted and found our rescues.

First our older girl doesn't deserve to live her last years this way. Secondly, I selfishly don't want to deal with this for another 10-13 years.

I'm at a loss and if there are any recommendations I'm all ears. I have never rehomed and our male chihuahua had been through 3 owners due to his behavior so I am understanding and tolerant. This is a different level though.

Thank you.

I have not been able to teach her to sit for Jack. this afternoon as I was walking her, just starting out, her leash came off. I don't know what happened but I am sure this is my fault. This is a dog who wants to run and I said Franny no, come back here loudly. She came to me immediately and SAT at my feet. I was proud and so happy as it could have been such a different outcome. I excuse her from sitting lessons. although I will still try.

Been trying to catch a stray dog for 4 months and won’t go into a traditional trap. Anyone have any unconventional ways of catching strays?

I'm getting a Maltese puppy. So far I've got fake grass for my apartment, a bed, toys, a leash, a lead, kibble, treats, poop bags and bowls

He is very scared and trembling a lot

Hello, I have a female beagle (29 pounds, about 2-3 years old) She POSSIBLY got into some Trident gum, which has xylitol. I don’t know if she truly ate any because they were in a spot she can get too (my fault, I know). The packet only had 2-3 pieces in it, and I don’t know if she actually ate any. It’s been about an hour and 15 minutes since it could’ve happened, and I would like to know if there are any signs I should look for? Thank you!

(This is mostly for my own anxious state to know if I’m in the green or not)

Anyone have a recommendation for a warm, waterproof blanket we can use in our boy's crate? I think he is getting cold overnight despite other blankets and the heat being on. Looking for something heavier than we have.