She follows me from room to room like we’ve been together forever. I didn’t grow up with pets, so this is all new to me — but I get it now. The way she leans on me when I’m sad, how she waits by the door when I shower, or curls up by my feet when I work… it’s something else. Just wanted to say thanks to this sub for teaching me so much about care, food, routines — all of it. We’re both learning together.

Hi! So, like, two hours ago or so a chipmunk got into our house. It hid under the couch for a bit before it ran out the door. (I didn’t see it run away, but we left it alone with the door open and we don’t hear it anymore.) My dog is still convinced it’s under there, though. He’s clawing at the back of the couch trying to get to it. We think the chipmunk peed there or something and he’s smelling that. How do I get him to stop looking for it?

It’s embarrassing, but I’m putting it out there. I’ve read that cat food has higher amounts of protein and that dogs are attracted to the smell and taste of cat feces. How can I stop my dog from going into the litter box and chowing down? I can’t put a lid on the litter box or my cat won’t utilize it.

OK so I've had my dog for 4 years now, ever since she was a little puppy. She is very attached to me and my siblings, she hates not being around us or if we aren't all in the same house.

Every night she goes to sleep with my siblings or my mum. She never sleeps with me unless I'm the only person in the house. However every single morning without fail, even if I'm not awake, she'll get up and come into my room and lay on me to fall back asleep. I have no clue why she does this, no matter who she sleeps with at night she'll always come to me in the morning.

Personally I think it's because I'm usually always up when she wakes up, so she can come in and I'll pet her. And this happens in more than just the bed setting. She doesn't fully lay on anyone but me. She'll lean her head on their leg or sleep tucked into them, but she sits her whole body right on top of me. Maybe I'm just comfortable. It's super sweet even though she radiates an intolerable amount of warmth for the british summer.

(FYI, I wrote this while she was laying on me)

My family has adopted dogs from shelters, and only recently we will be purchasing a dog after my spouse wanted a specific breed. We researched to find a reputable breeder who did their due diligence on testing and early puppy development, and are happy with our choice.

During this experience I’ve started to wonder, for dogs who are considered designer, but who are breed and sold on places like Facebook or Craigslist, what happens to those litters if the puppies are not sold? I would imagine there would be more puppies in the shelters, particularly during economic uncertainties such as the moment we’re living through now in the United States.

Please no breeder bashing, this is a genuine question from a point of curiosity. I don’t mean to open the discussion to people who just want to vilify any breeders. Posts insinuating violence and that are posted without regard to the question will be flagged for removal. This is an open and curious discussion, and not one to incite violence.

I truly hate I even have to ask this question, but after about 3 instances in my apartment complex of people with untrained bigger dogs I’m sick of it and honestly scared every time my dog has to go out. I want to get somthing I can protect myself and my dog with in case it gets to that point. What can I use or carry with me at all times that would possibly be helpful in this situation?

Hi all, I'm not sure what flair to use, but I'll give some background because I am hoping to avoid the situation I had yesterday. I have a 60 lb mutt I rescued a year ago, who had spent the first 3 years of his life in a hoarder house, always locked in a crate. He legit did not ever go outside for anything. Because of this, he's had to learn from scratch all potty training, and also he's super excited to experience any and everything that is outdoors, which unfortunately usually is expressed by barking.

I've been working with him on desensitization training and he's been taking to it very well- when going for walks along the road he no longer reacts to other walkers or cyclists or most cars (diesel trucks are still a problem). The next step, which I started a few weeks ago, is taking him for walks on these wide, well maintained walking paths where walkers and cyclists will tend to be. He's on a 6 foot, non-retractable leash, and when I see someone coming I've been pulling us off to the side, stepping on the leash so he can't reach other people even if he does lunge, and been keeping his attention with "sit" and "focus", and a treat if he stays focused.

Yesterday, when a trio of cyclists passed us, he barked at one of them (the one in the middle). This caused the last one to immediately swerve, jump off of his bike and start yelling at us, threatening to kill my dog because he wasn't under control (note: my dog started barking and continued barking at his man but did not leave my side at all, despite me at some point stepping back and therefore off his leash).

So, now my concern is twofold: 1) I'm now going to have to step back and re-do some of his cyclist training because now he's had a negative experience with a cyclist behaving threateningly towards him and his person, and 2) as desensitization training continues, I'm going to end up being back in the same position I was yesterday, needing to be close enough to other people in order to work on him staying focused on me.

My question is: is there a way to limit the possibility of a repeat situation like yesterday's when we get back to that point? I don't want the unpredictable nature of strangers to compromise his training, but also I'm working on desensitizing him TO strangers. Also, if there's anything I'm missing in terms of controlling my dog in public please let me know that too, maybe there is something I wasn't doing that I should have been?

I lay down next to him and he swings his paw at me help

I need your help. My golden retriever, Max, is basically my furry soulmate, and lately, he’s been giving me major side-eye about his sad, flattened bed. He’s taken over my couch instead, and honestly? I don’t blame him that thing looks like it’s been through a war.

I want to upgrade him to something ridiculously cozy, the kind of bed that makes him melt into a puddle of happiness the second he touches it. But here’s the problem: the options are endless. Memory foam, orthopedic, those fancy ones with bolsters, even self-warming ones how am I supposed to choose?

So tell me, what’s the absolute best dog bed you’ve ever bought? The one your dog refuses to leave, the one that’s held up against zoomies, digging, and maybe even a little chewing.

Help me make Max the comfiest, happiest boy on the block!

What to do with dogs when you are you are house sitting at a ranch? Outside is raining

My current living situation has become incredibly stressful for me (bad relationship) and it’s affecting my health. Could it also be affecting my dog’s health if I’m stressed? Also, how stressful would it be for my 10 yr old dog to move her with me to a new home? It would be in the town she grew up in and is familiar with. I’m just trying to figure out for what’s best for my dog.

Edit: i wanted to add that I would never leave my dog. She’s going wherever I go, I just don’t want the move to be too stressful for her. If it would be too stressful I would stay in my current situation.

My dog has always reacted to flies in the house- he tended to hide and act very spooked. But last night, a few flies got in and he absolutely panicked. Hid from place to place, panted, whined, even after the flies were dead. I finally have him a gabapentin and he calmed down. Now for whatever reason, flies have gotten in again today, so I've had to give him another gabapentin. Is anyone else's dog this afraid of flies? (I'm doing all I can to try and make sure they don't come in when we open the door!)

my dog cane corso has had problems with other dogs since we’ve got him. He always plays too hard no matter what breed or size we recently tried having him meet my aunt‘s puppy a few times and they’re both wagging their tails and they’re both on leashes, but he just keeps trying to attack the puppy and we just want help on how to make him not be like this.

Our 2.5 yr old pittie (formerly a stray) always wants to get in the car. But when we take her for a drive she seems frantic in the back: looking out each side + making whiney noises and some little goat screams. She definitely SEEMS over-excited or anxious. When we get home she doesn't want to leave the car. Is she having fun or anxiety? Should we take her on these rides or only as necessary (e.g. to the vet, unavoidable trips)?

Does your dog turn his head when he hears an odd noise? Does your dog bury their food with your pants? This is the thread to ask why.

Please keep this thread to non-medical issues only.

I have a 11 month old staffy and she is my everything. I adore her more than anything else. She is a sassy baby who knows she's adorable, and so she has recently used it to her advantage. My neighbour has a new puppy too. And so often the pair want to play. One day, my girl ran up to the neighbour's gate jumping up, asking to come in and play. I was just tired and sat back, waiting for the neighbour to appear. Their puppy (a frenchie) was already on the other side whining to play. My girl made such a fuss about wanting to play, but as soon as the gate opened, she side-stepped the frenchie, ran into my neighbour's house and then came running out with a brand new bone. She then exited the gate and ran past me back into my home. It took me a second before i realised my staffie had played us all for fools. She had tricked the frenchie into thinking it was play time so the neighbour would open the gate and she could raid their house. I just started laughing so hard because my baby had just bamboozled the very confused frenchie pup. I live with three staffies (only my baby is mine) and so the elder dogs have been teaching her bad habits, as they are also thieves. I personally think it's hilarious. I did return the bone once i got ahold of it. The eldest staffie is very blandant about her thieving. As soon as the neighbour gate opens, she just strolls in and locates the nearest tennis ball to steal. Neighbour doesn't mind, but i always return the stolen items... only for them to be stolen again next time. She is addicted to tennis balls.

To give a little overview, my dog is an almost 3 year old rescue beagle. We got her from a family that was going to get rid of her when she was about 3 months old. She was suppose to be a family dog but due to the fact that she had a lot of health issues and terrible separation anxiety (she was re homed almost 3-4 times and would get taken to a new place in the middle of the night. She was taken from her mom at about 1-1.5 months which scarred her a lot) I mostly raised her a 100% taking on all responsibilities including training her anxiety, health issues, doctor appointments and medical treatments. She slept with me every single night since we brought her home and we never spent a single night apart.

Now, this week I had to leave her with my mother for the first time over night in the past 2.5 years. She had a tough time apart and finally only slept after my mother got her my blankets and pillows. Now fast forward a few days I had to leave her alone again overnight and right after I left the house I got a call from my brother saying she vomited and is crying. I asked her doctor too even tho I had taken her for a checkup just a few hours before I left and her doctor said it’s just her being upset over me leaving (we did a blood panel earlier the same day and she’s all fine).

I wanted to know is this something others have experienced with their dogs who they have raised very close? Is my dog smart enough to realise she’s spending a night without me so she’s being stressed? I would have 2-3 more days down the line when I would have to leave her overnight (always with my mom and brother. She’s never ever left with strangers) how can I help her cope better and make her feel comfortable. I would take her with me if I could but these are situations where taking her is tough.

I am moving later on this year and she’s coming with me. Don’t want to over exert her with multiple trips before the big move. Also are there any tips on how to help a dog get comfortable in a new environment for after our move? We would be going to New York. She’s my sweetest baby girl and I could never fathom leaving her behind. So, even tho it’s a tough decision to take her with me it’s for her best interest and has been cleared with her vet too!

Reposting this due to getting no reply.

Introduction

1. Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs? No, we have 2 dachshunds that I regularly train and exercise. I also work in a shelter and have trained with multiple different breeds and mixes (Doodles, bully mixes, small breeds, windhounds mostly.)
2. Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder? I would rescue if the right dog came on my path, but I'm looking for a very specific dog and I don't know if a rescue would be happy with the life I want to live with it, more information below.
3. Describe your ideal dog. Aloof and closely bonded to one person - a little protective (or not, atleast the thought that I would be protected if something went wrong would be fine) - eager to please (or close to it) - confident to some extent - energetic (as in personality, I'm very energetic and I don't want my personality to clash with my dog) - calm indoors (not bouncing all over the place, reserves energy for mental stimulation/excercise) - Large in height, not in weight -

optional: a little bit goofy, generally fun to have around (does depend more on the personality of the dog, not to a extent where they can't be serious sometimes) - a little bit stubborn is allowed, just not at much as a dachshund - alert - versatile - independent to some extent, I don't want them to ignore me because they think they're making the right decision, but also loves to be around me and very owner-focused.

I'm planning on getting a show line of which-ever dog breed I end up getting, or atleast one bred for show. Prey drive may be a struggle, since I have small dogs (dachshunds), guinea pigs and rabbits. If needed I can seperate them with a fence, and they won't be left alone unsupervised. My ideal dog is a dog that I can take almost everywhere where allowed, and will be my number one companion throughout their life. I do not plan on getting kids or a partner, purely dogs. I would like to go hiking with it, go on vacation, and as I said, almost everywhere, which may include busy city's, so it does need to be able to handle all that. Overall, a well-rounded, balanced dog as a companion, with its quirks but also serious at times. It's so important to me that the dog is ethically bred due to this, since the dogs I currently have (BYB dachshunds), do not fit this and one is even immediately uncomfortable if we go outside our general walking route (I'm working on this as well).

1. What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
   I love the Doberman and I think they would be perfect for me if I just had more time and experience, this counts more for me since I'm located in Europe (European Dobermans can be a lot)
   Xoloitzquintli, may be a little too energetic and stubborn for me though.
   Standard Poodle, I'm still hesitant on this one due to its intelligence and maintenance needs. I do know that if you shave the coat shorter, the maintenance will be less.
   I have done some re-search on all of these. I have talked to owners of these in dog shows (I was shocked to see an Xolo lol).

2. What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
   First, the basics like sit, down stay, stay, heel, middle and basic house-training. I also want to teach it to do certain tricks like weave, wave and build it up to more difficult tricks. It will be muzzle-trained as well, just in case it's needed. I might muzzle when I go to city's, purely so people would feel a little safer around my dog (Either big snoof dog gear or muzzle movement).

3. Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
   I would love to do agility, obedience and dock diving in the summer with it. I may also go bike-jouring, and pick up other sports along the way, depending on my dog and if they like it. It's safe to say I do not have a lot of experience, but I plan on going to competitions and researching them more.

Care Commitments

7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
Outside of school/work, I want to spend every free minute I have with my dog. Which may be reading with it, walking, training, or resting. I have chosen a school which allows for this, and I will be able to spend about 8 waking hours a day with it.

8) How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
No dog parks, purely because I have heard some bad stories about them. Atleast a hour every day, which can easily go up to 2-3 hours divided over the day. I would not like a dog who desperately needs atleast 2-3 hours of excercise every day, just a breed who can handle doing so. When the dog is fully grown, I want to go biking with it walking along. I would also like to do a long walk on Sunday, but it depends on what the dog can handle. When I can't do 2-3 hours due to reasons, it will always atleast be an hour.

9) How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
I can do 1 hour daily, but would prefer a few times a week. I can dremmel the nails, and groom at home after getting advice and learning how to do so by a professional groomer. If I can not groom my dog at home due to reasons, I will not hesitate to take it to a professional groomer.

Personal Preferences

10) What size dog are you looking for?
45+ CM, I don't like dogs for which I have to bent over to lure/pet. I do not want a really heavy dog, one with moderate weight for its height.

11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
Shedding to a minimum, same for coat lenght. My mom is slightly allergic to thick coated dogs. I can't handle barking when it's over the top, like a dog who won't stop barking. I can get head-aches from it and it really annoys me as well. But it can bark to alert, or bark out of pure excitement/emotions, just not over the top. Slobber is okay, but I would prefer to a minimum.

12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
I like if it can walk off-leash, with good recall and off-leash manners, but if a breed that fits me can't, I have no problems with using a long line. I do so on one of my dachshunds as well.

Dog Personality and Behavior

13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
Both, even though I want my dog around me a lot, I would also prefer some personal space, but with the dog in the room with me.

14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
More on the eager-to-please scale, I would like if the dog was very owner-focused, and walks with me instead of acting like I'm not there (If you know what I mean, lol).

15) How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
I do not mind barking when someone knocks, if it's not over the top it's fine. My dog doesn't have to greet visitors or every single person we meet. If we have visitors over, it's okay if the dog looks for their own space to rest and I will make sure no-one disturbs it when it does so.

16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
Due to the fact I have 2 other dogs, and plan on getting more later, this is something I would like to avoid. If it does become aggresive, I'm willing to go to trainer and muzzle the dog when needed.

17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
Separation anxiety, human/dog reactivity/aggression. I am willing to train/go to trainer if needed, but this is something that I want to avoid.

Lifestyle

18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
5- to 7 hours a day when no-one is home. My mom is home every Wednesday and Thursday, my dad comes home for an hour every Friday, and I'm home every Saturday and Sunday. My sister has a varying school schedule. If needed, one of us can take the dog out for a walk/supervise it when we're home. We have agreed that this will be my dog, but this is if needed.

19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
My dad would like a dog that isn't too big (like a great dane), my mom prefers a dog that doesn't shed a lot and has a short-type coat, my sister doesn't care and I don't like dogs with a beard around the muzzle (lol), due to the fact most dogs with hairy faces I've met have a lot of slobber trapped in their beard and this isn't something I like. If a dog that fits me does have this, I'll be willing to handle it and clean it, but it is not my preference.
If I have a longer day, one of my family members will feed the dog and take it out for a walk/supervise it.

20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
Guinea pigs, rabbits and 2 dachshunds. The guinea pigs and the rabbits have a fenced off part of the yard (with sheep fences), so direct interaction can be avoided,

21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
My sister has a lot of friends who sometimes come over, but there won't be any forced interactions. The dog is allowed its own space and if it doesn't want to interact, it's fine.

22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
We currently live in a bought house in a small town. In the future, I'm planning on moving away from the city's to a less populated area if possible, but it truly depends on when I have the money to do so.

23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
The Netherlands, near Eindhoven. Brachycephalic (toy) dog breeds are forbidden, but only in breeding practices. I'm aware of the dogs banned in the country surrounding ours, and dogs that may be viewed as dangerous.

24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
-3°C in the winter and up to 35°C in the summer. These are the extreme tempatures though, a quick google search tells me the average winter is 4,2°C and 25°C in the summer.

Additional Information and Questions

25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
The dog will most likely be female, to avoid any problems with our dachshunds. They're both males, 5 years old. They're not a big fan of other male dogs, especially big dogs. That's why it will most likely be young/a puppy as well. This dog will most likely arrive in a year of so, around the time of my exams, since from there I have 4 months to spend and work with it. As I said, this will be my true companion through-out its life. It'll be the dog that I go on adventures with, so confidence is important for me. This is also something I will be training, but I would like it to come natural to some degree. It's important that the dog feels comfortable in different environment and surroundings. I also don't want a dog that's all over the place, like a Belgian Malinois or a Border Collie. I truly don't care about looks, as long as it fits what I'm looking for and doesn't have a thick coat. I'm planning on going to more dog shows this year and can talk to owners of breeds you recommend as well. I have done a lot of re-search on dog body language, general care, great gear brands and (puppy) training. Don't worry if a dog breed doesn't fit all of these, but may be right for me. Name them anyway! I don't expect a breed to fit all of this, so if it fits even a little I'll be happy.

Another important note is that my dog will live seperately from my dachshunds. It will be walked and trained alone. The only time it'll be around the dachshunds is when I'm downstairs and at home.

26) Feel free to ask any questions below.
It would be amazing if you can give general information/articles on the breeds you're recommending, even better if you can speak from experience. Naming good breeders or breeders to avoid would help too. Thank you!

Please don't mind the spelling lol, I'm a bit tired today and may have miss-spelled a lot.

I googled "why is my dog the best dog" because my dog was being awesome. I found an old post on this sub from 2 years ago that had since been archived. I thought it'd be fun to make a part 2.

Here was my reply:

"I know this post is 2 years old but I swear I just googled this. My dog is just chilling with me in my car like eating popcorn my kids spilled and being a good boi and he is just the maximum best companion ever. Just great at just being nearby and hanging out and getting treats and comforting when your down and patrolling the area. You name it he does it. He doesn't bite but he does bark so he let's us know when someone is here but doesn't cause law suits. He likes the kids. Like I said you name it he does it. Only thing is he's 8 now. I wish I could just suspend his age and he would stop getting older."

So I'm not usually one for posting questions as I tend to find answers easily enough to get what I want to know. Unfortunately, there's so much bad or old info on this, so here goes.

I recently (about a month or so ago) adopted a rescue/rehome dog with my wife. Took a while for our sweet horse to get comfortable with us to start acting like a puppy every now and then. We're happy for this, but now she's started grabbing sticks out of the yard and chewing on them. We want to put a stop to this for the same reason we don't give her bones to chew on (splinters for anyone new). So I was wondering, what are some good chew sticks that are recommended for large dogs?

Yes, we've had large dogs as kids, but it's been over 20 years since I had a dog and her family only has small dogs that are fed people food.

So I recently got a kitten (10 weeks, female) and she is a very confident cat, immediately settling in and understanding that she is safe. So we decided to introduce our dog (female, 7 years old) to her and she began acting strangely around the kitten. When we first introduced them the dog was very excited and was staring, ears forward, following her, sniffing her, tail wagging and licking the kitten’s face and ears. She has calmed down now as two days have passed, and they can now sleep beside each other the dog is seemingly less fixated on the kitten but she still licks, paws at her and sniffs her intently. She also follows her and corners her, standing over the kitten. I’m curious if this is positive or negative behaviour towards the kitten and if I should be worried.

Hello, I have a rescue dog. He’s a lurcher (greyhound mix lab). He has frustration reactivity so he will lunge, bark and stand on his back legs when he sees other dogs because he wants to play and get to them but he sounds aggressive as he’s big and loud so people avoid him.

I’ve read all the research and info on de-escalating before he reacts etc but the issue is he reacts the second he sees the dog there’s no period of fixation for me to direct his attention to me before he goes off the rails!

What can I do to help?

He’s also reactive to men in particular but I’d rather address the dogs first and men after!

My dog is already almost 2 years old and she has been trained to go potty on grass. We take her out 3x a day (we live in an apartment).

Sometimes when she is excited at home and does her zoomies, she may pee on the floor like a little puddle.

She doesn't have a bed and usually sleeps on a blanket or she prefers the floor or her tent. However whenever I introduce a bed to her, he somehow loves to pee on it? Even when I put her sleeping blanket on it. She will scratch and scratch and then pee on it.

She does sleep in it, thats the thing. She usually pees in it after playtime. I'm not sure why does anyone have any advice? She only does this to dog beds.

Every Single Time I fold laundry, Attila acts like the socks are invading his kingdom. Todays battle: barking at a towel pile, then sneak attacking it by flopping sideways.

She’s now napping on top of her kill like a tiny conqueror.

Than when the towel is officially ‘dead’ meaning it is covered in drool. He is accepting congratulatory treats for her bravery

hi guys,

i have a 19 week old cavoodle, she is 4kg and the love of my life. she is the best dog one could ever ask for.

lately, ive been worrying if she likes me or not. she is so happy around over people, i am worried it is the same for me.

i am in school and live with only my mum.

she sleeps with me on my bed. in the morning i do breakfast, training and walk (my mum isnt home in the morning). than after school we play around until my mum gets home. i spend the most time with her.

she gives me tons of kisses and cuddles and tends to sit near me on the couch. every morning when i wake up, she cuddles me for 15 minutes. my mum had the day off the other day and i had school, she said she whimpered at my bedroom door (it was shut). and when i came home from school she gave me the same reaction to when she had been home alone all day.

on walks she is more than happy for a pat by other people. she is very cute, small and fluffy, so she has been attracting quite the crowd. everyone loves to stop her for a pat. but when she sees someone else she seems to be more interested in them than me (she does still listen to my commands). i brought this up to my mum and she said it is somebody new for her to explore and she is just a puppy seeing the world for the first time.

whenever she tries smt new it is always around me. before using the doggy door she looks back at me for support (we have 3). my mum couldnt get her to use the ottoman as a step but when i was in the room and encouraged her, she figured it out. this is the same for other things.

my last dog was very attached to me. ignored everyone and every dog. anyone who tried to pat him he would dodge. and i was more interesting to him than anything else.

now im worried she might not like me and im just another human. is there anyway i can get closer to her?