Blog

I adopted a 3 month old puppy a little over a month ago (he’s currently 4 months old). I live alone and work a full time job. I have been crate training him (having him in his crate when I go to work and when he sleeps at night). I come home on my lunch break to let him out of his crate for potty so he’s alone 3~4 hrs max. He is such a sweet and smart puppy that follows me everywhere. He would immediately freak out when I go to work and cries for about 30 mins and he would settle. Same thing after I leave during my lunch break. Recently, he started to not go in his crate when I throw treats in there. I think he now knows that when he’s in the crate, he will be alone.

Trainings I’ve done with him:

-not engaging with him when I come home until he settles down

-turn on dog music before I go (often times when I’m home as well just so the music doesn’t trigger me leaving)

-giving him high value treats (when I come home and check, he ate his food but will still cry, howl, bark when I leave)

-crate training that is now not working at all (he will go in to eat the treats when I’m not looking and will come out immediately)

-getting ready beforehand so that I’m not rushing myself

-leaving 30 sec and coming back in multiple times to show him that I will always come back

-desensitizing the door and my bag by doing all the actions and coming back to sit down without leaving

I left him one day to free roam (still checked in during lunch times) but I’ve noticed that when he free roams, he isn’t able to settle down at all until I come home. When he’s in his crate, he settles down within 30 mins.

All the resources I see online are not possible for me because I would have to leave him alone while I’m at work…

I don’t know what to do and I feel lost. I want to hear how you guys overcame separation anxiety while working full time while living alone. This is my last cry for help before I spend couple grand hiring a private trainer to help me.. I’m just worried that I’m stressing my puppy out when he’s alone.

I would like to rescue but I don't think any dogs in the shelters would be a good fit for me atm (and I've been watching the local shelters for literal years), and the rescues around here are all either up to some super shady bullshit or they reject adopters for any reason whatsoever. I will probably have to get from a responsible breeder. I have to ask after reading what some people have said, do people harass you about having a dog from a breeder? Or is that mostly an online thing?

Looking for ideas for mental stimulation for our rescue girl. The vet thinks she is between 6 and 8 years old. She has dwarfism and her back legs are slightly weak, but much better than they were when we brought her home. She has all the usual licky mats, kongs, tug of war, walks in nature for plenty of sniffing, she enjoys swimming, and she goes to Doggy Day Care once a week for 7 hours to play with other dogs.

My problem is the cold weather. She will not go out in the rain or snow, I can’t even get her down the street. She stops in her tracks and digs her feet in, until we go back home. If we take her somewhere in the car, she won’t get out of the car or cries until she can get back in. She spent her life chained up in a tiny yard, so she doesn’t walk far, she gets tired after around 35-45 minutes. So I’m looking for new toys, games, or any ideas for mental stimulation inside the house.

My last staffy lived to 17 and would run for hours no matter the weather, so this is all new to me. Thanks in advance! 😊

Got a 9 month old rescue puppy last month. Rescue had her listed as a lab mix but she is definitely a mix of several working breeds.

My previous dog was a chihuahua terrier mix. I remember him being crazy during his younger years, but more recently I remember him being a lazy old man.

I wanted a more energetic dog for long walks, hikes, dog parks, etc. But now I have a crazy, unstoppable, nap-fighting landshark. Is this my life or is this partly the puppy stages?

TL:DR. Took my new rescue to the groomer and feel they used the neck loop/restraints too tightly. Wondering if I’m being too sensitive.

I have a 3 year old poodle mix that I adopted a month ago. He had been shaved down by the rescue, and I gave him a brush and bath when he arrived, but he was very uneven and needed his nails clipped, so I took him to a groomer that was recommended. I’m new to the area.

I kept Shih Tzus for many years, groomed them at home a lot of the time, but did take them in occasionally, and I’ve watched a hundred grooming videos online, so I’ve seen the various restraints and understand how and why they’re used.

When I went to pick him up, the door to the back was open and I could see him still on the table from the front entrance area. He had on the usual loop from the top, as well as a groomer’s helper from the front, and they both looked very tight to me. The guy came out, leaving the dog standing on the table, and I must have had a look on my face because he started explaining what the groomer’s helper was, etc. and said the dog didn’t like having his nails clipped. He started chatting, and I cut him a bit short so he would go back and finish the sanitary trim and get him off the table.

I understand that groomers don’t want to be bitten and that restraints are often necessary, but these looked very tight to me. I was a little upset but didn’t say anything about it. Now I feel guilty about putting him through that, especially so soon after adopting him. He seemed pretty upset and was very quiet for a couple of hours afterwards, but seems ok now.

So I really want a green heart slowfeeder that is sold by wulfsnacks if anyone has heard of them.

They won't ship to Norway and I really want this slowfeeder.

Does anyone have any safe tips on how I can get it to Norway? 🥹

It’s for my lab I just adopted. Thank you !

Hi All!

We are looking at planning a trip this summer to go camping with our dog& would like to go to Grasslands National Park, then down south through Montana and back up to Waterton NP.

We have a dog that will be 10 months by the time we leave for our trip but I’m wondering what the requirements are for us to bring our dog across the border and back into Canada. I’ve looked into it online but I’m not sure if I need a CFIA export certificate or not.

If anyone has done this recently or has any advice that would be greatly appreciated!

Hi! I recently (This past weekend) took in a stray that wandered up to my property. He appears to be a chihuahua/terrier mix, and the vet estimated he was between 2-3 years old. He seems to be house trained, but he does mark indoors specifically on one corner of the couch. He was neutered yesterday, so hopefully overtime this behavior lessens, but how can i discourage this in the meantime? I've only ever had female dogs and I've always spayed well before 1year.

He doesn't have accidents indoors otherwise, only the occasional mark.

I have a dog who's been on pretty standard prescriptions (e.g. heartgard) and some more non-standard medication (e.g. phenobarbital for seizures) for years. I've been living in CO and taking her to the vet here for 4 years.

Recently, I moved to a new town and got a new vet closer to home. I had always used Chewy for her heartgard with no issues requesting a prescription renewal from my vet through them virtually. This new vet will not allow it – ok, I think I can deal for now.

Onto the next medication, phenobarbital. I have to fill this at a regular pharmacy (Kroger) because it's a controlled substance. I had always called my pharmacy directly and had them request a refill when I ran out from my vet.

For both medications listed above, my vet states they can't do anything except write a hand written prescription that I must drive to them to pick up and physically deliver to the pharmacy. They stated it's Colorado law. I've never once had to do this before, in this state or any other state I've lived in.

Is this real? That it's Colorado law that I MUST pick up my dog's prescription in person and deliver it to the pharmacy myself? How have my other vets in this state gotten away with it? Would love to hear anyone's experience with this.

I'm switching vets either way, they've messed up her medication twice now (including stating they didn't know my dog's proper dosage when it's in their own records). But I'd like to know if I'm going to deal with this same headache elsewhere.