Category: Top Dog

Hi all! I’ve got an almost 5 month puppy (long haired mini dachshund) who’ve I’ve got crate training almost down. He naps during the day in his crate and also sleeps a full 8-9 hours at night in his crate. However once he wakes up and is in there quiet for a while (a couple minutes) he gets let out to go potty and is just free roaming until his next nap. In the morning I just get woken up by his yawns and not crying, thankfully!

When I leave the house to do an errand, I make sure he’s had his lunch, has had some exercise, pottied, and ready for a nap. He has no problem watching me leave and falling asleep right away and is out for about an hour. However, when he wakes up, he’s chill for a couple minutes but then starts to get into a crying fit.

Today he started crying probably 5 minutes before I got home and I had groceries and just needed to get inside eventually. He wasn’t stopping crying so I just went inside and said “quiet” since he knows quiet and he settled down, laid down, and then I let him out about a minute later.

What’s a good way to practice this so he’s able to just be calm in his crate even after he’s woke up from a nap? Any tricks that worked for you?

🐶

We've had our cutie for almost two weeks now (12 days) and he's a mini poodle at just under 12 weeks old. He's CRAZY LOL He's so hyperactive and is either at 0 (asleep in his crate which he loves) or 100 running around, biting, etc. He's potty trained already so that's good but I think I got my expectations messed up. I was anticipating a cuddly, snuggly puppy who would be by my side on the couch or just on the bed but since everything is so new he's just sniffing and crazy about everything. I'm also worried that because he loves his crate so much (he only naps there because i have him on a schedule) that he won't want to ever sleep or nap with us :/

Hello! I have an eleven month old female German Shepherd who has been through one heat cycle, and after discussing with our vet and looking at her weight and bone growth, we’ve decided to spay her this Friday (10/31).

This will be her first time under anesthesia and undergoing surgery. She adores her vet so I’m hoping she will be not-so anxious before the procedure.

She is, like most young GSDs, extremely excitable and hyper. She’s extremely active, too. We haven’t discussed what recovery will look like exactly, but our vet has said at least two weeks with minimal activity.

Two weeks. How will I survive? How will she survive?

We’ve already decided with her vet that calming medication during her recovery is an absolute must. But I’m not sure how effective it will be. Also, they said she should sleep in her crate when we bring her home, for the first night. Totally fine with! She has a habit of repeatedly jumping on and off of furniture and I understand the risk that is towards her stitches.

Anyway, basically I’m here to ask: 1. If you used calming medication post-surgery, how effective was it?

1. Did you have your dog on crate rest for only the first night, or also multiple nights following the operation? (will also be discussed with vet).

2. What to expect from her when we pick her up post-surgery? (she’s getting it done early in the morning, so she is coming home same day). I’m sure the vet will also tell us what is normal and what isn’t, but I’m a chronic overthinker and growing up, I only ever had male dogs and neutering is less invasive compared to spaying— so I’m just a little stressed.

3. Cone? Yes, no? Does it work? Or should we something else? Need to know soon so I can order whatever is recommended!

Thank you for any help or comfort 🙏

Apologies if this is not allowed, I am seeking advise. The renters right bill is/has passed meaning I potentially have a higher likelihood of my landlord allowing me to finally get a dog. I live in a house with a private garden.

My issue is, until recently I was always remote working, however, I now have a business requirement to be in the office 3 days a week, and the office is not close.

How can I have a puppy / dog if my partner and I have to work on site? 😭 All my family live on the other side of the country too.

Any suggestions on how I can make this work?

I've been waiting for this for 4 years.

TL;DR: What calm-ish tricks/commands (beyond basic obedience) and activities did you do to keep your pup entertained while they healed?

My puppy just got neutered today. He’s not a high-energy breed (though he is still a puppy and sometimes gets the zoomies). Just brought him home and so far he’s pretty chill and napping but we usually go for walks where he jumps and explores and we play fetch/etc. for a bit to tire him out. Also training for mental stimulation but we’ve got the basic commands down and have been working on tricks.

What worked for you to adjust your normal for your pup during recovery? I’m thinking maybe slightly longer walks where I keep him from jumping, no park/exciting dogs, and hopefully he’ll have interest in one of his puzzle toys for at least a bit. His soft cone makes it harder for him to chew his typical options but I think I can get around that (we also have one of those donut neck pillow things but haven’t tried it yet, I wonder if that will allow him to chew but still keep him from his stitches).

Aside from general energy/entertainment, I’m worried that if I keep him from jumping he’ll start to think he’s never allowed, and jumping is his favorite thing. Should I avoid those spots on our walks entirely instead of prevent him from jumping? (He jumps up and down stairs/small walls/etc.).

Hey guys my minpin jumped from my lap to the floor because of a sound in the street. Broke both front legs, single break same place on both. I took him to the vet in 5 min and she already has the casts.

I definitely can pay for surgery and thats not really a problem.

How do I get her to be comfortable? The vets were so disinterested in helping us.

Any tips?

Hey, so I’ve read a lot of the different opinions about biting, I don’t believe my girl is teething as she’s 11.5 weeks old and all the teeth is her mouth are cut through. It’s more of the excited play bite where she’d prefer to jump and bite. I try redirecting her to toys 3-4 times, then she loses access to me (I think sit where she can’t get me or put her back in the pen). The No biting command seems to encourage it like a game. Working on calm while sitting but girl can play a good game in that she’ll look sweet and calm and the minute I give her access again – chomp!

She’s a Havanese, only 2.1kg, so at least it’s not like in being over powered, but she has managed to latch on a couple times and it freakin hurts. Also, lots of little bruises on my legs and anywhere else she’s nipped.

Any advice? Commiserations? This in my opinion is one of the worst parts of puppies.