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Hi everyone! I've had a few dogs I've rescued but they were older when I got them (4+). After the loss of my last dog, I wanted one that might have a little less unknowns as most of mine were from Mexico from deplorable conditions, etc. I found someone looking to rehome her 6 month old maltese puppy. She says she sleeps through the night, crate trained and knows some basic commands. Still working on full potty training. Owner says she has a full Vax record too. Owner also says she's very friendly and not reactive, doesn't show aggression.

Is there anything else I should be looking for? I have spaces for her, many dog beds, and lots of treats. I'm very much looking forward to spending time with her. Thanks in advance 🙂

she sleeps in her crate for roughly 8 hours at night (we get up every couple of hours to take her out to potty) and then she takes a looooong nap (like 5ish hours; me going to work and then coming home for lunch) in the morning and then another 2 hour nap in the afternoon. so in total, 15ish hours roughly in the crate per day. IS THAT TOO MUCH???? does she hate us 🥺

Greetings! My gf and I have been discussing getting a puppy for some time and I just want some general guidance on looking. How did you find a reputable breeder? How long did it take? What tips would you give to someone in this situation when its their first time. How was the process for you? Thank you in advance!

I was so kindly given a puppy for Christmas after my soul dog passed away suddenly. I’m not new to dogs or puppies for that matter and I had asked for a dog in the house because I always had one and I feel safer with a dog. Problem is this go around of me having a puppy I am ebf a six month old and I’m trying to potty train my toddler at the same time. So unfortunately for her I can’t give my undivided attention to her and I can’t always get to her fast enough when she whines.she sadly spends a lot of time up in the crate because my toddler is her biggest target to nibble on. Long story short i have set her up a 10×10 kennel outside for during the day and she has a crate inside at night now. But will her being out all day confuse her even more with the potty training?

Also to add she had really bad worms from the breeder so I was convinced after we solved that she’d have less accidents but that’s not the case I’d have to give the dog multiple baths a day and switch out crates all day long. Most of the time she doesn’t even warn anymore

It's been a month since I've got my Westie puppy. He's 13 weeks old and I'll say, it's been a lifetime change of experience of doubt, questioning, frustration and tears…

BUT IT DOES GET BETTER

After a month of having my pup, I can see the changes happening. He's almost potty trained by this point, runs to his puppy pad to do business if he's across the room and rarely has accidents. He's doing better now in some understanding of what he can/can't from the tone of my voice and treats. Yes, he's a still little bite monster but that's normal and now I can tell when he's overtired and needs to be put down in a nap. During the night, he sleeps without whining.

What still is a problem is leaving him alone in his pen. Previously, I couldn't leave the room without him throwing a fit. Now, if I do take too long, he'll make small whines. When it comes to leaving him by himself at the apartment for an hour or few, that's when the fits start. Barking, whining and of course destroying his puppy pad… it's frustrating but I also feel bad for him too.

Overall, it takes alot of patience and devotion of raising a puppy. It did a blow to my mental state for the first week but I'm feeling better and so is my puppy! He is very energetic, goofy and a huge mamas boy.

Hi!

My 8 month old english cocker spaniel puppy barks every time I leave the house. I put him in the crate in which he sleeps all night without any problems (we sleep upstairs so he is alone downstairs). He also likes to spend time in crate and is totally fine there when somebody is home.

As soon as I leave though he starts barking (have been doing so for 4 months since we got him). Right now I leave him with a treat (as soon as he finishes it, starts the barking).

We have tried everything – starting with leaving only for 2 minutes and building it up but I have to go away from home for longer sometimes and then ofcourse he is barking. Tried to leave the radio on etc. but nothing seems to work. I'm really sad and stressed to leave him but I can't take him with me all the time.

I have also tried to leave him outside the crate. He doesn't go crazy or break anything, just the barking.

I read that maybe I shouldn't give him a treat before leaving?

Can anyone help?

We brought home a 20-week-old dachshund puppy a few days ago to join our 9-year-old rat terrier, and honestly we’re feeling way more overwhelmed than we expected. There’s been barking, growling, and snapping when they get too close, so we’re keeping them mostly separated with crates, gates, and rotations. That said, there are moments when they can actually be in the same room quietly, which gives us some hope, but everything still feels really fragile and tense.

On top of that, the puppy is having a hard time with confinement. He barks, cries, digs, and sometimes panics in his kennel or pen before eventually settling, and it’s been emotionally exhausting to listen to. We also have to juggle feeding and potty breaks separately since our older dog eats everything at once and the puppy grazes, which makes even basic routines feel complicated.

I’m realizing a lot of what I’m feeling is puppy blues, but it’s still really intense. I feel anxious, guilty, and honestly sometimes I feel regret and like I made a bad decision, which feels awful to even admit. We love both dogs and just want to do right by them, but right now it feels like we’re constantly trying to keep things from going wrong.

We’re looking for reassurance, advice, and success stories from people who’ve introduced a puppy to an older dog and gone through this stressful phase. Does this actually get better, and what helped you make it work?

I recently got my dog a little freezable penguin toy with a hole in his belly for frozen treats. So far all I’ve done with it is peanut butter, which he goes crazy for, and some of his wet food which didn’t freeze very well. If anyone here uses a similar toy I would love to know what types of stuff you put in it.

Hi everyone. Hoping to find some advice from the community on help with a puppy that is having some major separation anxiety. We got a little whipped a few months back (shes 10m old now) and up until recently she has done really well when we both leave for work. We would leave her in the hallway with our greyhound and she was doing great. No accidents, no damage or anything like that.

But since we went back to work after the xmas break she has ripped up the carpet and underlay and chewed the skirting board. We have since got her a crate and gave her lots of chew toys, her bed and some cardboard to rip up but she is chewing the crate and bending the bars and leaving so much drool. We have gone to the vets and got a calming defuser (adaptil) and some medication to help calm her while she gets used to it but that doesnt seem to be helping at all.

We take her for morning walks before we head off to work to try and tire her out but doesn't seem to help.

Anyone here had experience with something like this that could offer some help?

Hello, I have been using Nexgard plus on my dogs for about 2 years now and have very diligent with giving this medication every 30 days. Well, I took my dog to the vet for her annual vaccinations and heartworm test (she is 6 years old and I have had her since a puppy). The test came back positive for anaplasmosis. The vet prescribed doxycycline. I questioned how this was possible since my dogs are on tick prevention. The vet stated she was exposed at some point to anaplasmosis but really didn’t elaborate or suggest anything other than saying the test that was positive show my dog has antibodies… I don’t understand why I am spending so much on a preventative but my dog still was exposed to a tick borne illness. Before I switched to Nexgard plus I was using seresto collar and heartgard plus. I was considering switching back since the collar kills tick before they bite. Has anyone else experienced this when using Nexgard plus? I am worried if it can’t prevent anaplasmosis what are the chances my dog will get Lyme disease? Does anyone have recommendations on a better flea/tick/heartworm prevention preferably one that kills ticks on contact?