Category: Top Dog

Currently crate training my 8 week old lab puppy and right now he is doing well overnight, usually down at 10 with one potty break overnight then sleeping till 6ish.

During the day I leave his crate door open and he has started taking himself in there. I also do dedicate “bed” training where we use the command and practice shutting the door. My question is when do I reward him for going in there on his own? If I make a huge fuss when he gets in there, it just encourage him out again but equally I want him to know that going in there is good?

He has started grabbing a chew toy then hopping in there for a knaw on it so I’m guessing he finds it a nice, safe spot but I want to ensure he knows what he is doing is good without distracting him.

I have a 12 week old puppy who is great at settling when I leave the apartment and when it is bed time. However if I’m in the same room as his crate/ pen he really struggles to calm especially in the afternoons. He needs enforced nap times in his pen or he turns full shark but he just won’t sleep soundly unless no one is home. We give him enrichment, chews, short regular exercise, training and ignoring when in the pen. So exhausted with the overtired biting! Any thoughts welcome

My sweet puppy was neutered yesterday and has been inconsolable all day today. He has whined non-stop and refuses to take a nap, not even a forced nap in his crate. I’m so sad for him. I can tell he wants me to fix it and I can’t. I have had dogs in the past but they were all neutered before I adopted them. Please tell me it gets better after today! My heart can’t take much more. 💔

Me and my partner got a dog (6mo gsd mix) and hes very mouthy, when we first got him he walked more nicely and never nipped. We've had him for about a week and a half and about half a week ago we decided to socialize him with another dog to see how they would do. When we first got him he was well mannered, walked well, respected sit and no commands and was doing very good. I took him to socialize with the dog and they were rough housing and rolling around and play fighting. Now he nips, doesn't listen to the word no and gets super hyper. We take him on long walks to tire him out and get him to calm down, bought him puzzle feeders for mental stimulation and hardly ever use the crate. I try to use positive reinforcement and say an excited "yes" when he does good, no matter how small of a thing he did but i don't know how to make him stop biting when he doesn't listen to leave it or no and his bites get progressively more harsh and painful. I'm wondering what i can do and if socializing him too early messed him up.

Every morning, I go on a walk with my dog and on our way home things get annoying. He is a doberman by breed and its not like I just take him to a nearby park and return home. I often getup early and take him to explore hills and jungles with me but regardless of the time, on our way home he usually resists

Just to let you guys know that he is well behaved and home and he got neutered last year as well so what could be causing this. I have to pull the leash and my waist hurts. Bruh, my Charlie got some strong resistance

We have a female labrador puppy, 6 months old. She sprints into the kitchen every time she hears the fridge open, even if she just ate! I love her dramatic little hops when she gets excited. What are the quirks or habits that make your dog unique? Love to hear your stories and make me smile! 😊

I recently found out my dog is scared of balloons. I have this balloon crown, and it fell on the floor. My dog almost never barks, but he actually barked at it, and as soon as I picked the balloon up he wouldn’t come anywhere near me. He also gets scared of big plastic bags (maybe because of the noise).

Now I’m wondering… is it just my dog, or does anyone else’s dog do this too? And what can i do to help him get desensitized to them?

I want to get her some toys to play with cause I’m moving to an apartment and she’ll be alone for 8 hours in a play pen. I was thinking human toys would be more engaging cause it would challenge her to find ways to move the parts. Would it be safe to get her a Tonka truck? Those things are pretty durable so I don’t think it would break and get plastic everywhere. Does anyone have any experience with giving big dogs human toys?