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I lost my dog unexpectedly when I was pregnant and while I love my baby so much I still have a big dog-shaped hole in my heart.

We did a trial run with an adult shelter dog but unfortunately it wasn’t a good fit; he tried to crawl across some furniture to get to where we were sitting with our crying baby, and while we do have a fenced-in yard, we were worried he’d jump the fence due to an “escape artist” history. Fortunately the shelter took him back and he was promptly adopted by another family. While I’ve always been more in favor of rescues and adult dogs, I realized the safest thing (aside from waiting) might be getting a puppy (probably a lab) and training him alongside my child. I fully plan on installing a baby/puppy gate and giving the puppy his own “zone”- the laundry room with a dog door leading to a covered patio and yard.

Part of wanting to do this sooner rather than later is that I’m taking a year or so off to be a SAHM and finish online school (which is fairly flexible), so I’ll have more time to train a puppy than I will once I return to the work force.

I’ve seen this mostly advised against, but I really feel like it’s either now or several years down the road. Is there a way to make it work with a lot of patience and intentionality? Is it really going to be as bad as people say? What can make it work?

My baby is currently almost 4 months, but I’m considering waiting til he’s about 6-8 months before getting a puppy

Week 3 of having her and she has made me oh so happy. Potty training going really well for the most part. But looking for advice on crate training and not having her have to be by me 24/7. Trust me I give the girl more love and attention then she could have ever dreamed of. But working from home I need some time to get some things done during the day. At night she does fine in the crate in my spare bedroom. Will bark some but going in once is all it usually takes. But during the day, lord help us. Never heard a set of lungs and will bark 30/45 mins if I let her. I’ve tried doing back in every few mins, taking the cage for reinforcement but also I’m here. I’ve tried sitting by her til she sleep, this works but feel like he’s a bad habit as don’t want to have to do this whole entire life.

What am I doing wrong with the crate training here?

She constantly lies by me and I love it but sometimes need her to just go lay in her bed especially when eating or needing to get work done. I can get her to bed with distractions chew toys or bones etc but as soon as she loses interest she’s back on the couch beside me. I’ll put her down and take her back to her bed constantly but she just loves being touched so much it’s impossible.

It’s been 16 years since my last dog and by far the biggest one I’ve ever had so just looking for any advice possible. Feel like once I get these handled only a few other training things she really needs to work on but these are by top first 2 on the list.

Thanks for any input!

We got our golden 1 month ago, he was fully potty trained. He was neutered the week before we got him. The entire month we've had him he only had 1 accident when he was taken out of his crate and delayed getting out the door in the morning which made sense. But for the last week he has had 4 accidents. There has been no change in his routine. Has this happened to anyone else?

Help! How do you all keep your puppy calm after the operation ?? All he wants to do is jump and play

We've had our puppy for about a month now. She's 4 1/2 months old, a Pitbull mix. Recently she's been having much more frequent accidents, even after she goes outside. I just took her for a walk, she peed on our walk and then peed on the floor 10 mins after we got home. She goes a couple days without accidents, then this happens. She did it today twice. We've been to the vet twice, he gave her medicine for a UTI a week ago. Ive asked the vet about it and he hasn't given me any indication about an issue. Has anyone had similar issues??

Looking for a new couch, but I have a yellow lab and a golden retriever. We had a linen couch and their nails ripped it and hair just stuck to it and was so hard to clean. We switched to a leather couch and their nails have absolutely ruined it. Does anyone have any recommendations on couches? Material or color? We are looking for an L-shape couch.

I saw 4 adults on my dog (6, Boston terrier) and killed them. She's taken simparica trio her whole life and I just gave her another dose. We bathed her in dawn dish soap, all bedding is washing in hot water. All dirty laundry, her bed etc are currently in trash bags. We have one rug and mattress which I vacuumed, washed vacuum. I saw a few of what I think are dead fleas on the mattress. If there's anything else I need to be doing PLEASE let me know

She relies on us to manually nap her. She puts up no argument when we crate her for enforced naps, just doesn’t seem to get the urge to lay down and rest on her own. Are we making her too reliant on us enforcing naps or is she just too young?

I've had her for two weeks and take her out every 1.5. Tonight we went out four times, she didn't potty. I put her in her crate for twenty minutes and take her out and she pees. This was at 7. She pooped at 5 so I thought I was in the clear. We come inside and 15 minutes later she poops on the carpet. I didn't catch her so I couldn't correct.

When will she start catching on? Thank you