Category: Top Dog

Ok, so I have an 8-week-old Australian shepherd puppy. I think she understands by now to potty outside. However, I live in a third story apartment with no elevator and it is getting colder and colder. It already snowed yesterday. So, I kinda need to indoor-potty-train her. I have a turf pad and regular potty pads. But she REFUSES to go on them. I’ve been trying everything. I sprayed potty attractant spray. I’m doing that thing where she’s either in her crate or on a leash with me. I’m taking her to the turf/pad after she wakes up/eats/drinks/plays and before she goes to sleep. But she will go LITERALLY anywhere else but where I want her to. And she has a pad in her crate that she uses at night, but she won’t in the day. She’s a really great puppy otherwise, but I need to figure this out before I train other things. Also, does anyone know how to get a potty pad to stay still, especially in a crate. Any advice would be great, thanks!!

Hi! I am a SAHM with a 9 month old baby. I also have an 8 year old mini schnauzer. We live in the country- no fenced yard but a huge lot. We never leash our schnauzer but he’s trained well. (I’ve worked with dogs professionally and know how to train).

Anyway! I’ve always wanted a second dog and I’m wondering when I should adopt one.

I really love the idea of my baby growing up with a puppy and my current dog would likely benefit from a playmate.

Someone near us has an oops litter- registered lab and a 30 lb Texas heeler. One of their female pups is really chill. Just wants cuddles and pets while the other play nearby.

For the record, I’ve always said I would never own a herding breed but maybe this one would work as it’s mixed and seems like a relaxed temperament.

So- am I crazy to think adopting a puppy would work right now with a 9 month old? Of course we would do crate training… but I’m a little nervous.

At the same time- my schnauzer, while he would take some time to adjust, will eventually play with the new pup a lot. I’ve fostered pups and dogs before and my schnauzer always ends up playing with them. I don’t live on a very walkable road and so I don’t take my dog on leashed walks very often anymore- but we have a lot of places near me where we can be off leash.

I’m honestly excited at the thought of adding a pup but also nervous about making the wrong decision. But if not now, then when? I hear toddlerhood with puppies is even harder! And my dog is getting older and likely will be less accepting of a young pup as he ages.

Thoughts?

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It’s gotten progressively worse and less of an “I’m annoyed” groan to a “get off me” growl/bark. She’s been a peach aside from normal puppy behavior and hasn’t shown a lick of aggression but when we pick her up to put her in her crate or playpen, she’s getting more of a growl/bark at us. She knows when she’s going to go in and will run and hide. Once she is picked up and in my arms and in crate/playpen, she is completely fine

Things we’ve tried: – not picking her up, using commands to get her to her crate = not listening or follow commands then run away because she knows what we are trying to do and she doesn’t want to – approach calm, give praise before attempting, pause where I’m at when she starts to growl = she would slowly flop her body around when we would pause undoing any progress toward getting her up – giving her a treat before, then attempt pick up = eats treat but doesn’t change any behavior when we try to pick up – in her face, strong deep corrective “no, bad girl, stop it, knock it off” = will stop for 0.5 seconds then continue – ignore her and scoop her up = its getting worse and I’m not feeling as safe to whip her up if she decides to actually try and bite me when my face is near her face

I have no idea where this behavior stems from since she shows zero aggression toward anything else, ever. All advice is welcomed!

So first off this is completely my fault. Me and my parents recently got a puppy and hes been amazing. Potty trained really quick, slept through the night, and even though he is 9 months and definitely has a bit of adolescence stubbornness lol, he still is great to be around. He sleeps in my room and normally sleep from 11:00 to 7:00 every day. Both my parents are nurses and my mom has began a new morning shift and wakes up at 5:00. The first night she started the new shift I made a big mistake and let him leave the room to say hi since he wouldn’t stop whining. She would let him go potty and then he would mostly wander with her till she leaves, then come back to my room and sleep. But now even when none of us our working he is waking up at 5:00 AM every day now and sometime wont even go back to sleep. This is my first ever dog and this is definitely the first big mistake I’ve made with his training, and advice to get him back on his regular sleep schedule would be appreciated.

Hi! I have a rescue golden retriever that was previously used for breeding before we got her so she has a lot of loose skin around her belly. We live in a northern climate so it is cold and snowy now until April. We have a coat for her but her belly and nipples are still exposed. Does anyone have any recommendations of how to keep her warm while still giving her access to pee?

My lovely rescue puppy is 13 months old according to the adoption paperwork. He is 100% Bichon Frise according to DNA. Searching the google machine, all of his teeth should have been in many months ago. He has a little overbite (which is adorable). He is still getting a little bottom front tooth – very crowded in there – and at least 2 other less crowded teeth.

He was 11 lbs when we adopted him – in June and was said to be 7 months. He is now 19 lbs and we believe 13 months old.

Anyone else?

Hi all! I have recently bought home a lovely, confident miniature schnauzer. She’s currently 11 weeks old. She is a fast learner. I also have a 14 year old male border terrier. He’s definitely big into his retirement, spends most of his time upstairs in his dog cave. He’s never been interested in other dogs very much.

I had a dog trainer round yesterday to help me with getting them used to each other as my border is a nervous boy, pretty freaked out by the new arrival. The session went wonderfully, he responded with a good amount of sniffs, lifted his tail, a couple of wags. Thankfully both are really really food led so lots of treats/kibble when there are positive interactions etc. This was all in the garden with the doors all open so he could leave when he’d had enough which he did.

Anyway, I did it on my own today, all went wonderfully again. What I want to ask is, how many times a day should I be doing this in the garden? I’m a bit more cautious about having them together in the front room yet as it’s easy for her to block him in etc.

I’m not aiming for them to be best friends, just to be able to co exist in the same house happily. Any advice would be great!

October 10 we got a puppy for free from a friend of ours that they were going to take to the shelter. She is 14 weeks now and a border collie/ jack Russel mix from what my friend said. Now this girl from the beginning has been an absolute energy bomb. If she’s awake she is going nuts. Walks, exercises, toys, food puzzles etc have not been able to keep her occupied or energy down at all. She terrorizes my cats. My poor 6 year old can’t even walk by her, put on his shoes, throw on a jacket, or really just be near her without her jumping and biting at him. We have two older dogs as well, a 10 year old pit mix who absolutely loves the puppy and a 14 year old hound mix who absolutely hates the puppy.

A week after bringing her home I find out I’m pregnant. A puppy and pregnancy and then a newborn sounded like an absolute nightmare, but I took her in and now I had a responsibility to her so I have kept trying. Unfortunately the morning sickness hit me like a ton of bricks. I’ve been in bed for weeks now. Her potty training? Halted. Any training really? Halted. I still play with her when I can but it’s obviously not in a way she needs. She’s being cared for, but she’s not thriving, and it sucks. I keep telling myself it’s only temporary, but I feel terrible for her. I do wanna add that my fiance definitely helps me when he can, but he works 12 hour shifts on a weird schedule of days and nights… so unfortunately I am stuck handling everything alone a majority of the time.

Yesterday I had an appointment with my behavioral health counselor (kinda like a therapist but not really. I start actually talk therapy next Monday). She asked me how things have been going and I laid it all out for her. She told me that it may be in both the puppy’s and my interest if we find her a new home. I told her i would hate to do that because I saved her from a shelter, I wanted to be her forever home, and the guilt would eat me alive. She asked me if I would’ve known I was pregnant before getting her would I have still brought her in and I answered honestly that I wouldn’t have. I would’ve known it was too much for me to handle and wouldn’t be fair to the dog. She told me that plans change sometimes, circumstances change sometimes, and ultimately I have to put myself and my family first. She also said that her job is treating my mental health, and she could see the downward trend since bringing her home.

I’m in a group chat with my siblings and their significant others and I brought it up to them. The gist of what was said was pretty much “you do have a lot going on right now, but we can get it from both perspectives. If you decide to rehome we can ask around family and friends to try to keep her out of the shelter. Whatever you decide though, we’ll support you”. My sister in law also recommended that I don’t make any decisions yet and maybe get a second opinion from my therapist once I start seeing her…. Which I agreed with.

Ultimately I figured I’d come to Reddit too and ask the dog communities. I know in the dog world rehoming is seen as one of the worst things you can do…. Hell I’ve even thought that way my entire life myself. Never ever ever did I think there’d come a day where i rehome a pup, But I’ve reached a point where I don’t know what the most responsible decision is, but I do know I want whatever is best for my puppy and this has been eating at me constantly.