Category: Top Dog

Hi! So I adopted a puppy about 1.5 weeks ago. He’s 4 months old and some sort of hound/shepherd mix.

He’s so smart, has a great temperament and I really believe he’s going to be an awesome dog.

My issue is he passes out wherever he is at 8pm every night, I usually take him out around 11pm to do a final potty break and then he always wakes up between 3am and 4am ready to go. I do the boring potty break and carry him outside make sure he pees and then immediately put him back in his crate but he wakes up every 45 mins until finally around 5:30 I can’t take it anymore and just let him out.

He usually takes about 4 to 5 hour long naps during the day. We do basic training for puppies like sit and find it. He does puzzle games for his breakfast and dinner. We do walks around the backyard multiple times a day. He even goes on adventures to the pet store sometimes during the day. We also play throughout the day like fetch and tug. I would think he’s getting enough mental and physical stimulation.

I feed him around 5:00pm everyday and then again when I finally get sick of being woken up which is usually 5:30am.

I don’t necessarily want him having accidents in his crate but I just don’t know how to get him to sleep through the night. Even if it could just be a few nights a week that would be great.

Any kind advice is greatly welcomed and appreciated. Thanks! 🙂

I have a lab who is 18m and 2 sons 8 and 5. The dog is primarily my husbands and he does all the feeding and walking. He is generally a lovely dog at home with family and those he knows however he is anxious in nature and takes a while with new people. The vet said that because he is so anxious they wouldnt recommend getting him neutered at this time.

He has always been interested in the smell of my youngest son, literally follows him about smelling his bottom. We have corrected this behaviour and doubled down on hygiene with my son to stop it being so appealing. However he now seeks out my sons underwear and trousers and licks and chews the crotch. He never does it when he is supervised but when he is alone (only for 2 x 45 minute slots most days) he will go throughout the washing basket and take out my youngests underwear. We do crate but starting to transition out of this at night.

Anyone have any suggestions? I can remove the items from his reach but there will be some that slip through the net in a busy house but im more worried about the behaviour and that im missing some warning sign that might escalate. He is generally a dog that prefers adults and will sit with us over the kids but is very happy in the kids presence and is gentle to them.

Hi everyone. I’ve recently become concerned that a lot of the physical interactions I’ve had with our dog (we rescued him from an out of control breeding situation in a hoarder’s house 6 months ago) have been against his wishes. I recently stumbled across a bunch of videos on Instagram from trainer pages talking about body language and I don’t want to blindly believe them. We have been working with a trainer/behaviorist and we know our boy has separation anxiety that we’ve been working on for months now.

He very frequently will be sleeping somewhere and when we approach he will just lift one leg and not really lift his head to look at us, which is confusing because the guidance I’m seeing would indicate that his single leg lift is just appeasement, but not lifting his head means he’s comfortable. His body is usually relaxed, but he often yawns when I interact with him too and I thought I was able to tell the difference between a regular yawn and a stress yawn, but some of these videos show side by side comparisons and I can’t see a difference.

I’ve attached a couple videos that feel to me like they’re showing mixed signals and I’m terrified that I’m messing things up for him or making his life stressful and bothering him when I shouldn’t. I just want him to have the best life with us and be well behaved after the terrible year and a half he had when he was born. Can you help me understand how to read him? Or have any authoritative resources that make this extremely clear?

Videos: https://imgur.com/a/ulj0DSb

F 1.5 year old Sheppard mixed breed. Got her from a shelter at around 2-3 months old. Potty training is still ongoing but does anyone know how to fully correct going inside? If she is not let out exactly when she wants or on routine she will go wherever she pleases. Today it was the bed. I’ve been doing the treats everytime she goes out and we have bells but how do I make it click in her head that going inside is an absolute no and not an option? She has higher gravity in her urine and is on supplements to help but I just want her to thrive and not be a pee monster inside

Our almost 6 month male Border Terrier is showing some stressed behaviour when he’s home with just my other half. He refuses to eat when I’m not there, including treats, and likes to just sit/lie at the door and wait for me to come back. He’s crate trained and will go into his crate for some of the time, but is reluctant to do anything my other half asks of him, including to go outside to potty. It’s like he becomes afraid of even basic things that he’s used to. It’s hard for me to understand as I don’t see most of this behaviour as it tends to happen when I’m out of the house. We’ve had him since 8 weeks old and he’s always had the same routines of me being out of the house some days, and my other half out on other days- he’s fine when he’s just with me though. Is this just his next fear period and he’s likely to grow out of it, or should we be concerned?

Hi everyone. I’m currently looking for a Giant Schnauzer. I have done research on the breed for over two years now and I’m finally ready. What breeders would you recommend and how much did you purchase your GS for? Before anyone says “price isn’t important” or anything along those lines I will say I know I won’t be spending $500 on a GS but I also don’t want to be blindsided with a 10k price tag I’d rather not make conversation and waste our time with a breeder that high. I’m looking to spend anywhere between 3k-6k for the right dog. Must be health tested! Embark, OFA, vet checked etc.

I'm looking for things you guys have done to help your dogs with arthritis. I've already got him on medication, so what are some things like a heated dog bed, raised dog bowl, etc that have helped yours out?

Welcome to the fortnightly separation anxiety support group!

The mission of this post is to provide a constructive place to discuss your dog's progress and setbacks in conquering his/her separation anxiety. Feel free to post your fortnightly progress report, as well as any questions or tips you might have! We seek to provide a safe space to vent your frustrations as well, so feel free to express yourself.

We welcome both owners of dogs with separation anxiety and owners whose dogs have gotten better!

NEW TO SEPARATION ANXIETY?

New to the subject of separation anxiety? A dog with separation anxiety is one who displays stress when the one or more family members leave. Separation anxiety can vary from light stress to separation panic but at the heart of the matter is distress.

Does this sound familiar? Lucky for you, this is a pretty common problem that many dog owners struggle with. It can feel isolating and frustrating, but we are here to help!

Resources

Books

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Don't Leave Me! Step-by-Step Help for Your Dog's Separation Anxiety by Nicole Wilde

Be Right Back!: How To Overcome Your Dog's Separation Anxiety And Regain Your Freedom by Julie Naismith

Separation Anxiety in Dogs: Next Generation Treatment Protocols and Practices by Malena DeMartini-Price

Online Articles/Blogs/Sites

Separation Anxiety (archived page from the ASPCA)

Pat Miller summary article on treating separation anxiety

Emily "kikopup" Larlham separation training tips

Videos

Using the Treat&Train to Solve Separation Anxiety

introducing an x-pen so the dog likes it (kikopup)

Podcast:

https://www.trainingwithally.com/the-podcast

Online DIY courses:

https://courses.malenademartini.com

https://www.trainingwithally.com/about-2

https://separationanxietydog.thinkific.com/courses/do-it-yourself-separation-anxiety-program

https://rescuedbytraining.com/separation-anxiety-course

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Introduce your dog if you are new, and for those of you who have previously participated, make sure to tell us how your week has been!