Category: Top Dog

Early on, I did a lot of training with my little guy (now 7 months) because he was extremely eager and caught on so quick. I trained the basics and trained some tricks just for mental enrichment whenever it was a crappy day. Everyday we do some form of "review" training on important skills (stay, leave it, etc.) and maybe one or two from his list of tricks. Never more than a few minutes.

Since he had so many commands down, I didn't really try to teach him anything new for a while, but a few weeks ago I tried an another skill just because it was a super rainy day and he hates rain. He sorta was following along, but then would lay down on his back almost asking for a belly rub or hide behind my legs. It seemed he wasn't feeling it, so I stopped. Well this week, we've been cooped inside because it's a sheet of ice outside, so I attempted a new skill again just for some mental enrichment and I'm getting the same response everyday. He engages one time and then the next time, he lays down on his back, hides behind my legs, or goes in his playpen. His vibe almost seems fearful, but he's never ever been in the slightest bit of trouble when training. He always gets so much praise, treats, and pets. He was even hesitant to take the treat. If I try to go over a skill he's learned, he jumps right at it, so it seems that it's only with new skills.

It's not the end of the world at all that he doesn't want to learn to back up or play dead, but I don't understand this change in behavior and worry what it means long-term if he shuts down.

My pup is great with other dogs and we’ve only had one real minor incident as far as a bad altercation with another dog. Other than that, I’ve been fortunate enough to MOSTLY having good experiences with dog parks with the other pups… It’s not the other dogs I’m getting tired of. It’s the people. As I mentioned, my dog and I have personally only had 1 bad altercation. However, the amount of times I’ve witnessed a dog that’s bad with other dogs is a pretty decent portion size. If your dog is terrible with other dogs, keep them out of the park. Our babies aren’t your subjects to train your dog socially. It’s extremely selfish. My dog is pretty docile and would absolutely not be able to fight back against an aggressive dog. I have all the confidence in the world that as her owner I could stop the fight, but it really takes one good bite for something fatal or severe to happen. This is something I do tend to worry about. On top of that, poor etiquette is common. While I haven’t had my dog truly attacked, I’ve been in a good handful of heated arguments with other owners for being a dick. Some of these arguments I was standing up for another dog owner and not necessarily myself (I have no problem with confrontation when it comes to someone being a POS to someone’s child or pet.)

The trigger that was the reason I’m posting this… recently a man kicked this girls dog for interrupting them playing fetch. Myself and others immediately got on him about it. He then flashed his gun. Too often than not, some real garbage people show up to the dog parks… and I’ve been to a lot of them. I love the dogs. I hate the people.

Hello! I’m looking for some recommendations for my new lab puppy. He has been pretty good but when I take him out to go potty he automatically wants to go back inside. We have a completely fenced backyard but I still keep him on his leash. I do sometimes bring him into the middle of the yard but he just thrashes on his leash to go back inside and looks visibly uncomfortable. He does go potty outside but wants nothing else to do with it. So when I’m trying to just walk him around to go poo he isn’t having it.

Two weeks ago we adopted a 5 month old german sheppard mix. It has been a rodeo. Apart from all the normal puppy things that for sure is a hassle, we discovered that he is VERY reactive to people and dogs. Even from very far away. Seeing dogs makes him go completly bananas. We live in an apartment in a city area, and taking him out has become very hard, and givs us stomach aces. This is our 4:th rescue dog, and we have had reactive dogs before, but never to this degree. He scares people in the neighbourhood even at 5 months. We have tried to ease him in to his new enviroment and have hardly left the lot of our aparment/house. We are considering re-homing/returning him because this just feels insurmountable when living in a city. Thoughts?

Hey folks, I was hoping one of you might have some insight. My chihuahua mix is currently around 10 months old and I thought her potty training had been going well. Well, my landlady (I have a Furnished Finder’s situation right now) just informed me that my puppy has had a few moments where she’ll pee on the couch, and earlier this week she peed on my landlady’s bed shortly after going outside. I’m mortified and I don’t know what’s causing it.

My puppy stays in a closed room with her crate while I’m at work and school for 4-6 hours almost every day and she almost never has accidents during that time, so I know she’s capable of holding it. I also take her out every time she asks and I do make sure she pees when we’re out there.

The other night I was busy with homework when I normally spend time with her and she hopped up on my bed and peed. Is it because she’s upset with me? She knows it’s not okay because she bolts as soon as she’s done.

She hasn’t peed inside the house around me since that time so I assumed the problem had stopped. Does anyone have any advice? My landlady has been kind enough to take my puppy out to spend time with her own dog but I’m so embarrassed now that I know this has been happening and I don’t know what to do

Hello!

I recently rehomed Winston, our beautiful pup – incredible temperament, super loving, great with kids and great fun.

Previous owners said he had a lot of accidents which we quickly learnt, he's improving during the day with some days none, others 1-2, but he does it randomly I'm questioning if I'm doing something wrong, or if he's not developed proper bladder control yet or his previous training was poor.

I've taught him to ring a ball at the door when I take him for "weewees" which he sometimes uses, overnight in his crate he will hold it all in, but when out and around the house he will randomly just squat and pee or poo without any alert, no barking, no pestering nothing. I praise him like crazy and give him treats when he's finished doing his business outside.

I'm more worried than I probably should be as I assumed by this age it would be something he'd have learnt.

Should I keep him crated more during the day and be much stricter? Should I always leash him when going out?

I want him to be free roaming and live freely in the home, but I don't want my carpets and furniture ruined.

Desperately seeking advice. Anything else you need to know that I've forgotten, please ask and I will provide.

Thank you!

Has anyone has success adopting or rehoming their pet using the website Home to Home? I thought it seemed like a great idea when I came across it, but every time I message an owner about their dog they want to rehome, I never hear back from them. What's the deal? Is it just me or does this site not work for anyone else?

For starters, I've checked shelters relentlessly, but dachshunds never seem to be an option, which the family is dead set on.

I don't have a Facebook for all the reasons, but I'm told that this is the only place to find a breeder.

Google has been less than helpful, and would really prefer to stay to my areastate

Thanks for any advice or tips on where to start looking in earnest.

We have a 4 year old Aussie poodle mix who’s the sweetest thing but he never seems to relax for a long period of time. I’m home all day and he will lay down but if I move he’s up with me. If someone drives by he flies down the stairs to watch. If the garbage truck comes he’s barking. Between those things he lays down but it’s very short lived.

He was crate trained as a puppy but now that he’s an adult and very well behaved he hasn’t been in one for a few years. I’m wondering if creating a “caged” in space in the living room where he can see me but not move at every sound would help him relax a little more.

Does anyone have a “calm down” space for their dogs?

Hey all! Several years back I stopped drying my clothes in a dryer (they kept getting misshapen and all my printed design tees would crack). I only had black dogs at the time so never noticed anything. I just got a golden mix and have been working towards brushing her daily (she hated brushing but has started to love it) and am going to buy a deshedding shampoo for her. She loves to cuddle but leaves so much hair behind that even after I throw it in the wash there is still so much visible hair. Is there anything that I can add into the washer to catch the hair? Thanks!