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Need help finding good reliable sources for dog care I want to do a trip but can’t take them

I've got my puppy using a grass pad on our balcony for our non-walk potty breaks but want to switch to pee pads for a cheaper solution. I tried layering paper ones under the grass pad to transition/give him more room to do his business and quickly learned he just wants to eat them. So for that reason, and sustainability purposes, was wondering if anyone consistently uses washable pee pads instead? Do they make your washer gross? Do you store soiled ones somewhere and then wash a bunch at a time? Does your puppy then think all blankets are for potty? Etc.

If it matters, I'd say my six-month-old is 95% potty trained. He uses the bells at home to tell me, though doesn't know how to let me know otherwise (our last accident was at a friend's but near the door that led to outside). I think he is still sometimes caught off guard when #2 calls. (I also know he won't automatically know that pee pads are for potty and will require extra training for that.)

Okay so before anyone thinks otherwise, I LOVE that our now 1,5 year old puppy and my boyfriend has a good bond and I am not looking to take this away!

But I have been and am still the primary care taker, and for most of the time I also believe I have been the favorite human. But for the past few months or so, I am suddenly no longer existing to our pup. And I am not being dramatic, he could literally not care less about me.

Being the primary care taker, I have definitely also been more strict – and I am in general more strict than my boyfriend who let’s our puppy do basically anything (almost – which is also an ongoing discussion always), and they play rough which he LOVES. But I would also say that I have done trick training and a bit of nosework related stuff with him, long walks, play and fetch in between always making sure he has all his needs covered.

I have been struggling in general to bond with him, which I think is mostly caused by us being in an extremely stressful period of our life when getting him (could have planned better), and I struggled to accept in the beginning that he was noooooot into cuddling, petting or anything nice lol. But I feel like we got to a really good place where I accepted him and he actually also warmed up to it, and now BOOOOM he could not care less.

It’s really getting to me because I feel like I have put in SO much work and emotion into this (almost) dog, and it’s so demotivating ….

Has anyone experienced this? Is it just a phase? Or do I have to accept I am now REALLY number 2? 😂🥲

I did my research and got all the stuff I need for her already, but I am still having a lot of trouble with training.

For context:

• First-time dog owner
• I've had her for a couple of weeks now.
• She is a full Pomeranian 3.5 month old puppy.
• She knows how to sit, but can only do it when I have a treat and holding it high, not sure how to fix this.
• She’s having trouble with recognizing her name, sometimes she does recognizes perfectly, sometimes she doesn’t, outside she doesn’t at all.
• When outside, no control over her. Super reactive, scared of other dogs, keeps pulling, wants to do her own thing 24/7.
• When inside she’s a little calmer, but sometimes crazy. Biter and a jumper.
• She’s somewhat potty trained. She knows to pee/poo outside and pee on her pee pad, but sometimes she pees on door mats.
• She’s crate trained perfectly.
• Not sure whether she is food-motivated or toy-motivated, she shows the same amount of excitement for both. Sometimes it alternates, might stop wanting toy or vice versa.

That’s all the problems we're having right now, and would like to fix them.

I was also thinking of whether if I should go back to square 1 and reteach her everything as if she were a 4 week old puppy? If you think I should, what should I teach her in order? And how can I do it properly? (Any recommended videos, books, sites, etc.. are accepted)

I want the best for my pup, but that only happens if I become knowledgeable in nurturing her to become an amazing doggo, that’s why I’m coming onto here to ask for advice.

so i’m dealing with a husky/golden retriever mixed puppy who is 16wks old. i’ve had her since September and this is my very first puppy ever that i have owned. i love her to bits, i think she is the cutest thing ever.. but she doesn’t take me seriously no matter what i do. she knows her name and knows certain phrases like come/sit/bed, but she has like selective hearing or she will back talk and become increasingly energetic when something isn’t going her way. she freaks out and barks at everything + tries jumping at them, especially when i’m trying to take her on a walk. i don’t know what to do anymore. i’m not good at being assertive. not only that, she’s getting to the point where she is stronger than i am and it’s become increasingly more frustrating trying to train her on a leash.

i don’t what to get rid of her because i’m already attached, but this has become more and more difficult for me.

Thought I'd share some good news to help you with puppy blues. It not only gets better, because, I mean, of course it will if you're doing your job 😉 (training, etc.). But more importantly, you WILL fall in love with your puppy over and over!

Don't get me wrong, mine still aggravates me on a daily basis, but she also surprises me so much at this age. She actually stays…STAYS, like really! She just up and did that the other day and does it consistently. Maybe a light bulb went on in her tiny head.

Last night, while playing toss with Friz, I was whining to my husband. You know, the "old poor pitiful me" kind, and then I curled up on the floor. Friz came over and gently started licking my face and softly put her paw on me. BTW, she's not the soft kind! But she was CONSOLING ME! She felt my struggle (pretend as it might be). My heart grew 10 times for her.

Just hang in there, it really does get better!

Hi all, I have a 5 month old pomeranian pup, she has a lot of toys, snuffle mats, she can even easily master the level 3 puzzle toy.

I suffer with depression & anxiety and also am disabled with fibromyalgia and osteoarthritis (I'm only 36) I live alone with my dad nearby who takes her on walks twice a day when I am having a bad day, but I would like advice on good toys to get that will keep her happy and entertained on days that I'm having a bad day or flare up. (She is very bonded and attached to me so always can see me as leave all doors open and often sit on my recliner with her on my lap) she's never alone incase anyone was worried etc.

I live in the uk btw and normally get her stuff on amazon but seem to be running out of options as lots of things on there dont have great reviews so I only buy the best for her. Any advice or recommendations would be greatly appreciated. Thank you 😊

Hi all. I don’t even know if I need advice instead of just encouragement and kindness because I am so afraid I’ve made a mistake.

I’ve had my first dog, a 1.5 year old beagle, since he was 9.5 weeks old. He wasn’t a perfect puppy but I think he was relatively easy, especially when it came to crate training, and training in general even since day 1. We’ve spent the last year building a pretty solid bond and I’ve wanted a second beagle pretty much the entire time.

Well I brought home my 8.5 week old new puppy yesterday and…I feel like I’ve made a huge mistake. I thought I could mostly repeat what worked with my first dog, with some minor tweaks, and everything would be fine. But this puppy does not seem like he’ll be easy at all, and mixed with trying to maintain my first dog’s schedule and lifestyle feels like it’s going to be impossible.

This puppy screams. I know it’s only day two and I don’t expect much but the cries and barking and howling and fully panicked screaming in his pen, in the car, in his crate, is ear piercing and soul killing. My first dog of course whined and cried but not like this. I feel like I would remember if it was like this. And trying to wrangle them both by myself with the backdrop of a puppy screaming his head off in panic at anything is really, really hard.

I feel like I made a mistake completely upturning my life and my first dog’s life and the quiet we had. 😭😭

So we have this orange-haired cat that's been running around our house, messing with our other cats and just being a nuisance.

Well the other day my dog goes to the backyard and all we hear is a "YIPE!" and she's comes running in and immediately after that our other dog who usually growls at her, is mean to her, has nothing to do with her, goes running out there at mach speed "RUFF RUFF RUFF!"

Really didn't expect to see that lol