Category: Top Dog

My 11 week old puppy stepped on a bat when I took him outside to potty this evening and now I have to quarantine him for at least a week until we hear back from the veterinary diagnostic lab if it had rabies or not, so I’m in desperate need of any and all enrichment ideas to keep him entertained. I’ve got a lick mat and some kongs that I’ll keep loaded up with food but that’ll only get me so far.

(No veterinary advice needed, I’ve already spoken to an ER vet about it and we’ll be taking him to his primary care vet asap. I didn’t see any puncture marks so this is really more precautionary than anything, especially because he doesn’t have his rabies vx yet)

First poster here! I appreciate all the useful advice from this sub, been following it for a while.

I have a 9-week-old Border Collie puppy, and crate training is very new to me.

We got the crate mainly because he was having issues turning off, and it’s been great so far as an off switch. The crate is currently in my bedroom.

I work from home, so I have time and really want to make the crate a positive experience for him, not jail time.

The thing is, I only get him to sleep for 30-40 minutes max in his crate. I open the door once he is calm and let him down only when I say “out.” I’m slowly, very slowly, increasing the crate time.

I have a puppy safe room and corridor, and he’s great with pads (90% accuracy), so I don’t lock him up in the crate overnight.

I’m concerned I may not be doing this right, as some people mention puppies should get 2-hour naps and at least 16 hours of sleep a day. I honestly find that kind of crazy for his attention span right now! And honestly, it’s a bit frustrating… 16 hours a day? 20? what the heck?

My two main concerns are:

1. Is a 30-40 minute nap enough, or should I be striving for those 1-2 hour naps at this age?

2. Is it mandatory to let the puppy cry inside the crate until he settles? I’m very concerned it may become a negative experience for him, and I don't want to create a fear association.

Hello! I have a sweet 10 week old Lagotto puppy. He’s doing great with training and knows his name, come, and sit, plus he’s getting there with lay down and place. I’d like to start working on a stay and leave it command. I’m looking for advice on how to teach him those commands? Thanks!

I have a 6-month-old shepherd mix who’s recently started rejecting her dry food. Some days she eats normally and seems totally fine, and other days she won’t touch it at all.

She used to be a very enthusiastic eater, so this feels like a sudden change. We haven’t made any big changes to her routine, and she otherwise seems healthy and energetic.

Has anyone dealt with this around this age? Any tips for handling this without creating a picky eater or turning mealtimes into a struggle?

I have to board my almost 7 month old puppy coming up in Jan. The place she stayed the first time she boarded did a great job, friendly staff, etc.

I just don’t want to cross boundaries or do something that is out of line.

I am going on a 7 day vacation, but it will likely be an 8 night boarding stay for her. I’ll add on daycare so she can play, but also, not sure she loved it last time. They walk them 3 times if they don’t opt into daycare, but I feel like she should probably go to daycare and come out of her shell a little more. She’s a VERY small mini dachshund. The vet believes she’ll be just 8 pounds full grown. So I think that makes her nervous to join in and play.

She’s not a shy dog around people, but other dogs she is nervous. It may be a lack of socializing when she was younger – but I was being very cautious as I live in an apartment community. I did not want to lose her to parvo.

Anyways, is asking the boarding facility for a few updates and maybe some pics of her too much to request? I have OCD so my mind imagines the worst case scenarios at all times, until she’s back with me. Even just the two nights I boarded her I was sick with anxiety.

The family vacation is booked, and it’s my goal to be present, pleasant, and not anxious or complaining. I’d like to have a little reassurance that she’s ok. Is that too much to ask the boarding facility?

Hello everyone. I just got a new puppy and I’m so so overwhelmed. I’m anxious all the time and when we play I get so stressed that I just hope he tires himself out and wants to sleep which I know is terrible. I think I just didn’t realize how I would feel actually caring for a dog. I thought about it for a while but sadly didn’t think it would make me this anxious.

I would like to ask you all for an advice. I would really like to re-home him but make sure he goes to a great family who loves him and won’t rehome him again. I reached out to the breeder and they don’t take puppies back due to the fear of Parvo virus and they don’t have the ability to quarantine him. What would be the second best thing to do here?

Again I’m so sorry to do this and I really want to make sure he finds a loving family.

For context, I have an almost 12 month old Chiweenie rescue dog.

I was aware of the puppy biting phase that she would have when she was teething. It was horrible, but we went through that. Now starting at 11 to 12 months, she has been more into nipping at me. She doesn't do it to anybody else but me and they are just playful nips and wanting to get my attention and almost seeing my hand as a toy. I've seen her get "aggressive" when we are clipping her toenails and that was the only time she gets aggressive, but other than that, she's a very happy and playful dog.

What can I do to stop her from nipping at me? I wanna keep this under control so that she never does it to anyone else? Do I need to take her on our walk or do more brain games? Definitely open for suggestions here!!!

My oldest has some toy resource guarding (only with other dogs, not me), and now that we added a puppy to the family, I’m thinking about getting a trainer involved to help with this. I just don’t want to waste money if this isn’t something they can really help with. 😅

If anyone has some success stories, I would love to hear it!

I've had a large (3" ball) Sport (blue handle) for my dog for years. It was getting worn so I just bought another sport but it has a green handle. I doesn't throw the ball (too flexible) as far as the old blue handle does. Now I'm wondering about the Pro models. Has anyone tired both the Sport and Pro models?

My puppy is a 7 month old boxer/American stafford/border collie/and Australian shepherd mix who seems to enjoy destroying dog beds for enjoyment(it’s not anxiety or boredom he’ll have toys right in front of him and just tear his bed up for the stuffing) so I’m trying to find an “indestructible” dog bed for him within a reasonable price range cus I can’t keep buying him beds and having him shred them overnight