Category: Top Dog

Hi all! We are so lucky so far with our boy Milo, he’s crate trained, potty trained, does great on his walks with no pulling, and plays well with his sisters. He’s recently started teething, also losing three of his teeth so far and he’s not finishing his meals! I’ve read a few similar posts but with his breed mix he needs 5 cups a day currently and I can maybe get him to finish 2-4 cups. We took him in to the vet when he first was picked up two weeks ago and he was a tad underweight. I will say that ice chips have helped, grinding up beef liver into powder and sprinkling over kibble, as well as adding warm water to his kibble. He eats, but intermittently? He eats a little and walks away… comes back for a bite or two and repeats. But then he eventually won’t finish. Any other recommendations or just wait it out? We aren’t feeling TOO much concern considering he is normal Milo otherwise, pooping peeing eating and drinking. Just not finishing the meals. Is that okay for now?

My puppy is 24 weeks, mini Aussie. He’s been pretty destructive lately and I’m wondering what I’m doing wrong? I feel exhausted. He wasn’t like this before. (Sorry in advance, this is a lot of information and details, I just want to make sure I don’t leave anything out).

If he is outside in the backyard he starts to dig holes, tear up at the grass, bite at my clothes if I’m outside with him (I redirect to a toy or remove myself if it continues), etc. If he is inside with me while I’m wfh, he’ll be biting and chewing on things he shouldn’t like my clothes/shoes that I’m wearing, my desk, my bed frame, his crate cover, his dog food container, etc. If he is inside while I’m doing some chores in another room he behaves fine 95% of the time and will be laying down or chewing on a toy. I have cameras both indoor and outdoor, so I’m able to see all this. Whether inside or outside I provide him with toys (changed out in cycles to try to prevent boredom), chew toys, a blanket, and a bed, but he plays or lays down for 5-10 minutes before moving on to the destructive behavior. We do train “leave it” and “drop it” which he listens to 70% of the time now but then goes back to it a few minutes later. If I’m working I can’t constantly be telling him to leave it or redirecting him to a toy/chew instead. I also reward him for good calm behavior trying to work towards a place command.

For physical activity, I can only walk him once a day because he refuses to walk unless it is at night. I’ve tried morning walks as recently as three days ago and he will get 30 steps down the sidewalk before he just stops. I let him sniff, I try to lure him with treats/toys, but he will not move further. His legs are literally shaking every time we try. And yes he’s been socialized since we got him at 3 months. We still take him out and give high value treats but it doesn’t seem to help his fear. I also cannot make the one walk any longer as I am a female who lives in a not so great neighborhood, so it can be dangerous to walk at night. We go a little after the sun starts to set and get back right before it is completely dark. I try to make up for it by letting him sniff a lot during the walk and by playing with him as I outline below.

This is our typical schedule during the weekdays although not rigid. What am I doing wrong?

Wake up at 7:10am play tug/flirt pole/fetch in the backyard. Train at 7:40am using a handful of breakfast or treats. Feed at 7:45am in a slow feeder and the rest in either a puzzle toy/snuffle ball/snuffle mat. Leave him in the backyard with some toys, chew toys, etc. while I start wfh at 8am. Bring him back in at 8:45am and let him play on his own in the room with me/give him a lick mat or Kong. 9:30-12:45pm crate nap. 1pm take my lunch break and go outside with him to play and train a bit. 1:30pm I give him his lunch in either a slow feeder or a toppl while I clock back in to work. 2:15pm bring him back in and let him play on his own. Give him either a pupsicle/bullystick/kong in the room with me. 3pm-6pm crate nap. 6:25pm-6:55pm walk. 7pm dinner in slow feeder and the rest in either a toppl/puzzle toy/snuffle ball/snuffle mat. Then we do some training and a bit of light play since he just ate. 8:15pm we go back inside to the room (he does not have access to the rest of the house). I used to let him on the bed with me for a portion of this inside time and he would just lay down next to me to watch tv but the last few times he’s been looking out the window and barking like crazy so I can’t anymore. I tried closing the curtain and he will go look behind it still. I now sit on the floor for a bit to have cuddle/petting time. The rest of the time I let him be on his own, while I do some chores. 9:30pm start pre bed time routine. 10pm sleep in crate.

So our 24 week old puppy was sleeping in a covered crate that’s just big enough for her to enter and stand and turn around in until Monday. When we leave the house she had been placed in a larger crate in the living room for a maximum of 2-3 hours with no issue. We decided to have her sleep at night in the bigger crate and covered it as well. First few nights were fine. Then a couple of nights ago we decided to remove the cover because she kept pulling it inside of her crate. Yesterday morning she pooped in the larger crate. And then she pooped in the crate again this morning. She’s never done this before. She doesn’t pee. Just poops. The poop is solid, so I don’t think she’s sick. Is this a fear response? Is the larger crate plus removing the blanket too much? Is she waking up and realizing like, “Oh, sh*t, my crate is uncovered lemme poop out this fear!” I think she has serious anxiety issues overall so that would make sense but I’m not sure.

is anyone else’s dog very attached to their very specific leash/ harness? my dog has had the same one since he was about 1.5 yrs old and is now almost 11, so the harness is starting to get a bit worn out, dirty, etc. I tried replacing it for about 6 months with a new harness but he just didn’t get the same level of excited before walks when I brought out that harness compared to his old one. He recently accidentally found his old harness and got so absolutely excited over it – has anyone else experienced this? should i just keep using the old harness since he seems set on that one? both harnesses appear to be the same in terms of fit, comfort level, etc. it’s not a big deal, I just think he may be being a bit dramatic over this lol

I have a gsd mix who is about 6 months old. We do lots of physical activity (long walks, empty dog parks, playdates with other dogs, etc). We also go on long sniffing excursions, use lick mats, food puzzles, kongs, and bones, but I’m wondering if yall have any ideas for mental stimulation that doesn’t involve food! I feel like the only ways I can keep her mentally stimulated is food-focused, which I worry isn’t the healthiest. Any help is appreciated!

It’s like he’s a completely different dog. He’s just over six months old. And the vet told me that his balls had dropped. And maybe a week after that he just started acting unruly. It is bringing me to tears. This is not his personality. Nothing has changed in our home, it’s all exactly the same. He won’t use the restroom outside, he will hold it even when kenneled so I assume he didn’t need to go. Then he will use the restroom inside both pee and poop. He has been chewing up my shoes which he has never done before. He started getting my vape and chewing it up, not I carry it everywhere with me. He is just such a different dog now. And I’m wondering how long this will last?

Hi everyone, i'm turning to you for advice on how to prevent my 10-month-old Westie from becoming a resource and people guarding dog. Since he came home, I've socialized him with different situations (sounds, people, other dogs, children), and I don't have any problems at home because he's the only pet. My sister lives in a house with a yard and has two intact dogs, one 5 years old and the other 3 years old. Since he was little, I've taken my puppy to my sister's house so he could get used to sharing with them. I thought they were adapted to living together when we visited. The problem arises when the 3-year-old dog (a small Yorkshire terrier) comes to my apartment and my puppy becomes a resource and people guarder. He's not yet neutered, as I was told we could perform the operation after he turns one. For now, the few times he comes (when my sister is traveling) we keep them separated by a fence, but I'd like for them to be able to live together in the future without fighting. I'm looking for a behavioral therapist to help me handle this in the best way possible, but I'd like to know if you've been through similar situations and how you've addressed them. Please excuse any typos; English isn't my native language.

I’ve got a four month old golden puppy. He’s getting his last series of shots on Monday, so we’ve still got two weeks to go until I can walk him around the neighborhood. We’ve reached a point where he’s bored and I’m tired and I need help for at least these next two weeks.

When he is inside, he has almost NO interest in his toys. If I’m lucky, he will play with them for five solid minutes. He’d rather lunge at my face or go for myself than the toy I’m trying to get him to play with. Chews can hold his attention a little longer, but he tires of them as well. Outside is better, but he’d rather chew a stick than chase a ball (although he’s slowly coming around to fetch). Throw a ball in the house? No interest. Try a stuffed Kong? No interest. Bento ball? No interest. If he has to work for his food, it may as well be non-existent. Treats in a towel? No interest. Puzzles? Gives up almost immediately. Never met a dog with this belief and it’s throwing me lol

Any ideas for enrichment/entertainment?