Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice from people who have experienced a similar situation.

We adopted a dog about 10 months ago, and he has just turned one year. He has been extremely fearful and distrustful from the beginning. We’ve tried to help him through dog training classes, a trainer who worked with us at home, and now residential training, but we still struggle to imagine what a normal, balanced life with him could look like.

He is afraid of visitors, people on the street, and cars. Walking him on normal streets is practically impossible. We can only take him to fields or large open spaces, which isn’t always possible in everyday life. When he gets scared, he often pees or poops out of fear.

At home, he has gotten used to our presence, but he doesn’t really seek us out or seem happy to see us. We haven’t developed the bond we hoped for when adopting a dog. It feels as though he has simply become accustomed to us being around, rather than actually being attached to us.

According to his trainer, he may have an underlying neurological issue that contributes to his fear and distrust, making it easy for him to become fearful of people again even after building trust. He has also snapped at my partner when frightened, which makes us worry about safety, especially when thinking about having children in the future.

He is due to come home soon after his residential training, but during our last visit, he reacted much worse to us than the trainer expected. We are now seriously considering returning him to the rescue organization.

This is incredibly difficult because we love him, and the thought of losing him hurts a lot. At the same time, imagining no longer living with this constant uncertainty brings a sense of relief. I feel guilty, as if we would be abandoning him, but I’m also afraid that if we bring him home, we’ll spend years dealing with the same problems.

For those who have been in a similar situation:

• Is it possible to make significant progress with this level of fear and distrust?
• How did you know whether to keep trying or accept that the situation wasn’t working?
• If you returned an adopted dog, how did you cope with the guilt and the feeling of loss?

I’m not asking anyone to make the decision for us, and I don’t blame the dog for his struggles. I just want to hear honest experiences from people who have faced this difficult choice.

Thank you for reading and for any advice you can share.

My lab loves swimming at the lake every weekend during the summer, but getting him back into the rear-seat footwell leaves a huge wet mess. Lake mud gets ground into the rear carpet fibers, and wet dog hair works its way into every corner. I tried putting down thick towels, but they shift as soon as he jumps in and just trap moisture against the floor. I'm trying to balance edge coverage with surface grip so he doesn't slide around on turns. For owners with water-loving dogs, does surface texture or raised-edge coverage matter more for containing wet hair and water?

Quais os problemas com os seus?

Dog-sitting for my ex and worried about the smell lingering in my rental!

Hi everyone,

I’m currently dog-sitting for my ex and I’m only on day 3, with another 3 or so days to go.

The dog has always been quite smelly, and when we lived together, our house would stink of dog. Her new house has the same issue, so I probably should have known what I was letting myself in for!

Honestly, I find the smell really unpleasant and unhygienic. I know plenty of people are used to living with dogs, but to me, the smell is quite offensive and makes me think of bacteria and dirt.

I agreed to do this as I owed my ex a favour, but I genuinely didn’t expect the smell to take over my home so quickly. I live in a relatively small house, which probably doesn't help. I got up this morning and the smell was overwhelming. I’ve even noticed that the carpet seems to have absorbed the odour already.

I’m now getting a bit anxious about my next rental inspection and whether the smell will linger or cause any issues.

For those of you who have experience with this, do dog smells tend to fade relatively quickly once the dog has left? And are there any products or cleaning methods you’d recommend to get rid of the smell from carpets and soft furnishings?

I’d really appreciate any advice, particularly from renters who’ve dealt with this before!

Thanks!

I’m looking for recommendations on reusable containers to pack my 2 dogs’ meals in when we leave them with sitters. I hate how wasteful using Ziploc bags are and my dogs get different amounts of food so we always like to make it easy and separate out each meal for the sitters. I’d love it if the containers maybe locked together or had a larger container they fit in for ease. Best case scenario these are not glass and around 4-5 ounce containers. Any suggestions??

One of my pups is on medication, twice daily, for his anxiety. I've been using cheese slices, but I really want to stop going that route since it's not good for him to have that much cheese. Of course, my other pup demands the cheese tax, so he gets in on the deal too.

I've tried peanut butter, and that just takes way too long, and he makes a mess. I've tried putting the salmon oil directly on the pills in his food, and he's now figured out I'm trying to be sneaky, so he eats around them. I've seen those "pill pockets", but haven't tried them.

Anyone have any other ways they give their dog medicine that are a better/healthier alternative?

my fam of 4 wants a small doggy, who doesnt shed but is still fun to be around! some sort of toy poodle. we're pretty busy people? like someone will be home at least 50-75% of the time, but def not 24/7, and def cant take the dogy every where. i want to make sure that even though we will care for the dog fully, the dog will be happy with not constantly being the centre of attention. ofc daily exercise and things are mandatory, but do u think this level of care will enough

My mum’s dog has managed to escape a few times and we need a tracker for peace of mind. However, all of the ones I’ve found seem to try and scam you with their subscriptions or only offer yearly payments which she can’t afford. So what are your best recommendations for trackers with monthly subscriptions or no subscriptions, that also have the “virtual fence” feature? (In England)

My fiancé and I are fostering four 7 month old puppies that were going to be euthanized. They’re really great puppies and are potty trained and mostly crate trained. Our biggest problem is that they are so skittish to the point where they won’t even go for walks, and two of them won’t even leave the yard without tucking their tails and trying to run back to the house.

The two other puppies will go for short walks but shut down if something that scares them goes by. They’ve been making okay progress so I’m less worried about them, but I’m at a loss for what to do for the two girls who won’t leave the yard.

They shut down to the point where they won’t even accept treats, even though they’re pretty treat motivated in other situations. Right now our plan is to just walk the sidewalk by the house until they can do that without freaking out and then to walk a little further as they get more comfortable. But I’m worried that’s not going to actually help them be more confident in general, and it will just be them getting comfortable with that area.

Any ideas?

Has anyone tried this hoodie before? I’ve heard some good things about it, but I live in the US, so it’s pretty expensive, especially with all the fees. So I wanted to see if it was worth it or if anybody knew of any dupes? I’ve looked, but I don’t see anything as nice as that one. I don’t want anything with a bunch of zippers either, which is why I liked their simple deep pocket design.LINK FOR IT

My 15 year old buddy suddenly declined when I was out of town. I had to watch him be put to sleep at his vet. He was with a friend and I spoke to him the whole time.

How do you cope with not being there. A week ago he was ok but suddenly he couldn’t move and was soiling himself.

I hope he knew I was there in his ear.

He was so loved.

How do you cope when you’re not there.

**Introduction**

1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?

MA: no, I’ve been around dogs all my life, I’m a dog walker by trade and it would be my third personal dog

2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a [reputable breeder]( http://ownresponsibly.blogspot.com/2011/07/identifying-reputable-breeder.html)?

MA: ideally a reputable breeder but this is in advance as I won’t be getting another dog for the next four years or so

3) Describe your ideal dog.

MA: aloof with strangers, one person, Velcro dog who can be left alone with good exposure to settling and alone time, can be introduced to new people and dogs with proper introduction, confident and balanced, trainable and happy to learn, protective when necessary but not reactive, medium energy (upwards of 2 hrs a day but not bouncing off the walls if It can’t have that), medium to large size, short to medium coat, generally healthy or monitor able health concerns that won’t break the bank every few months, once a year for monitoring is fine but no more frequent than that on top of regular check ups, I love a snuggly dog

4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?

MA: smooth collie, Doberman, gsp, standard poodle, leonberger, vizsla

5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?

MA: nothing overly specific but dabble in different sports

6) 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?

MA: I’d love to do canicross, obedience, trick training. I do a lot of hiking. I’d like to move into bitework if the breed was good for it. I have dabbled in a lot of different sports but never been able to really settle into one with the dogs I have, anything I’d do would be under a trainer

**Care Commitments**

7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?

MA: I can guarantee 90mins a day every day of fun, training, exercise etc and more a few times a week (weekends or days off)

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?

MA: there are no dog parks near me, I have my own land for plenty of off leash time and different forms of play and exploration as well as woodland walks a few times a week for a good 2 miles or more and local greenery structured walks, I usually do a 40 min structured walk in the morning with my golden, play on the garden and train with her after I return home in the morning and then bring her to the land in the evening for a short run, some sniffs and scentwork/ retrieves

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?

MA: I can dedicate time most days to grooming and could do it every day if needed but would prefer an every few days situation

**Personal Preferences**

10) What size dog are you looking for?

MA: medium to large

11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?

MA: as little slobber as possible but I don’t mind a bit, shedding doesn’t phase me as long as it’s manageable with grooming and general hoovering, nothing as loud or creamy as a husky but I don’t mind chattering and alert barking

12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?

MA: not overly important as I have my own land to allow freedom and know plenty of enclosed fields

**Dog Personality and Behavior**

13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?

MA: snuggly all the way

14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?

MA: I love a dog that’s eager to please and enjoys learning

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?

MA: alert barking is great, I’d like my dog to be watchful of strangers and not particularly friendly with people it doesn’t know, obviously not outwardly aggressive but not everybody’s best friend without proper introductions

16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?

MA: I’d prefer no dog aggression

17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?

MA: I would like to avoid SSA

**Lifestyle**

18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?

MA: 3 to 4 hours a day unless I can trust it to come to the field/ work with me, then it would be considerably less

19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?

MA: I will do the majority of the work caring for the dog other than occasionally a family member being in for company while I am out

20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?

MA: I have a golden retriever, my family have smaller dogs but most are seniors and likely won’t be around when I’m properly looking for a second

21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?

MA: no

22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?

MA: I have my own property

23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?

I live in England, so no XL bully’s or apbt’s there are a few other restrictions but they are not dogs I would consider personally due to preference

24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?

MA: our summer this year got up to 38° and our winters usually reach -10

**Additional Information and Questions**

25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.

MA: not a fan of Rottweilers or GSDs due to personal experience w rotts and not rlly ever getting along with German shepherds

26) Feel free to ask any questions below.

I'm trying to find the perfect toy for my young dog, because she keeps destroying almost any toy that I give her, she's really strong and full of energy, she can tear apart a big bone so fast 😅 after 3/4 days she already need something new! I mean, I'm happy that she seems happy with her toys and foods, but I don't know what else to give her atp

I lost my boy last week. He wasn’t even 5. He had epilepsy and the seizures just turned out to be too much. I am lost without him. My wife & I are trying to get on with life & remember all the happy memories we have, but my mind still wanders at times. The house is no longer a home. Routines aren’t the same. Someone asked me if i’d ever get another dog & I thought it would be a long time before I even considered it, but I actually suddenly think different now. I need something to heal my heart because it hurts, but I don’t want to feel like im replacing him. He was my idea of perfection. My shadow. How can life be so cruel? When does it get easier?

Hello everyone,
I am here for some help, maybe some mental soothing.
We have a 10 year old German shepherd with degenerative myelopathy. (DM)

Current status.. she drags her rear legs 8/10 days and struggles to walk the other 2. Some days she can’t stand up to eat, she just kind of tips over and if I help keep her balanced she can stand. Other days she can get up and walk around even though it’s really sloppy.
she eats every other day.
Some days she will lose her bowels trying to get up in the morning
Sometimes will Be grouchy with our other lab when he doesn’t respect her personal space.

The good
She’s still very much with it, and seems bright eyes and bushy tailed so to speak. Still carries her ball around and will explore the yard when she’s in her walking wheels wheel chair.. will even play ball. Still loves to Get treats.

I’ve had some people tell me it’s time or it’s close to that time but I am struggling to see it.

*I guess I am struggling with the difference between quality of life and the will to live.

TLDR; does poor QOL over rule the will to live on?
Please share your thoughts

I'm sure this has been questioned multiple times here.... How did you know it was time to put your dog to sleep? We went to the vet this evening and we were told there is nothing further they could do besides give him pain medication. He is 12 and for a large breed dog he has certainly lived a wonderful long life. He is having orthopedic issues and the vet told me we need to think about a decision. He does not seem in distress and is very cognitive, but he needs to be carried up and down our flight of steps. He is having issues walking, but was excited earlier about going by bye and put some pep in his step. He normally follows me everywhere but he has parked himself in one spot and just watches me. How did you know it was time ? Im second guessing everything because his mind seems ok. On the other hand, I feel like i am being selfish for keeping him on pain medication .....

Thank you for your input because I am struggling

How do you all wash your dogs stuffed animals that have squeakers in them? I guess my worry is that they wouldn’t dry all the way and develop mold

Trying to decide on a breed to get or look for. Would love your thoughts and ideas please :)

General Info

1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?

I’ve lived with and trained dogs my whole life. Parents had multiple Pekingese and Lhasa Apsos. Have helped train Great Pyrenees for farm work alongside horses.

2) Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a [reputable breeder]( http://ownresponsibly.blogspot.com/2011/07/identifying-reputable-breeder.html)?

More interested in finding a younger dog/puppy to be able to train and help build habits. Either breeder or rescue is fine as long as I can find a puppy.

3) Describe your ideal dog.

A dog that I can exercise with and hang out with on a daily basis would be awesome. Needs to have the energy for longer runs with me as an adult and be able to relax in an apartment since I’ve just moved to the city.

4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?

I’m completely open to any suggestions.

5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?

Recall and basic sit/stay/heel would be great, anything beyond that is a plus.

6) 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?

Dog might be around horses/livestock when I leave the city, but no work in mind specifically for the dog other than being an exercise companion. Some experience working with guard and working dogs.

Care Commitments

7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?

I work from home most days, and would have plenty of time for the dog. Multiple training sessions with me, or joining me on my daily longer run in the city would be good .

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?

My apartment is right across the street from a dog park, and once it’s old enough the dog would join me once or twice a day for a longer (5-8 mile) run. I’d love a companion to go on morning walks with also.

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?

Weekly or a few times a month brushing is ideal. Willing to pay for monthly groomer visits for the dog.

Personal Preferences

10) What size dog are you looking for?

Medium to large dog would be ideal, would be worried about a tiny dog holding up on longer hikes or runs.

11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?

Minimal barking would be ideal due to apartment living situation currently. Shedding and slobber to a minimum but I can be flexible.

12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?

Someone important. Dog should be able to control itself off leash when out in the mountains hiking.

Dog Personality and Behavior

13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?

Either is fine, maybe slight preference to snuggly.

14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?

Eager to please would be ideal, generally lends itself to easier training habits.

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?

Minimal barking if possible due to apartment living.

16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?

Can manage dog aggression, not a big concern with some training.

17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?

Minimal barking would be ideal, but I’m happy to live with some qwerks.

Lifestyle

18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?

I’m at home all but two days a week. Perhaps 6 hours on those two days but that would be all.

19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?

Partner does not like hairless dogs.

20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?

No other pets, dog is man focus.

21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?

No children present, just the dog.

22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?

Lease restricts pit bulls, XL bullies, and staffies.

23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?

United States, pit bulls not allowed by landlord.

24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?

Milder summers and colder winters with a few feet of snow.

Additional Information and Questions

25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.

Would love any breed suggestions you have, and a reasoning why. Thank you for your time and for reading this!

26) Feel free to ask any questions below

So I have an australian shephard/kelpie mix, and she is honestly the best dog I've ever had. She has recently turned 1 year old, and has very sensitive digestion. Like if her diet changes, she gets diahrrea and we need to clean up her messes in the morning. We take her out 3 timesa day, and she, she is very high energy, and we have her running a few miles a day to cope with that.

Lately, I have watched her run out into the fields (we have probably the most amazing off-leash dog park) where she will find whatever poop she can find: deer, raccoon, other dog poop, and even bear poop, and just start gobbling away. It is sad because we have had to put her back on the leash, as she is OBSESSED with eating poop. It is honestly disgusting. Today, I caught her eating cat poop out of our kitty litter, which is behind the washing machine in a very hidden spot that our cat like. We have a large tub of dog food and our recycling bins blocking the path to it, and she moved them out of the way to get there.

What can I do bout this? is she missing some kind of nutrient? We currently feed her 1 cup of food 2x a day, in the morning and at night. She is only 45 lbs, and very healthy, but seems overly sensitive. We have juggled many ideas as to what is going on: maybe she's in her teenage rebellion phase? maybe she's missing something in her diet? maybe she's extra hungry for some reason? We just don't know.

She has had giardia once this year so far, and probably still has it to be honest. She runs A LOT, so can I feed her more without her getting fat? What does one do about this, we'd love to have her off-leash and wrestling other dogs like before, but her breath makes it obvious she just seeks out and eats poop whenever she can.

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.

After losing my dog in June, I started walking shelter dogs a couple of times a week.

I knew I’d adopt another dog eventually, but I wanted to take my time and find one who would get along with my two cats.

Unexpectedly, I took a liking to this 10 yo, teddy bear-looking Spitz mix (?). He’s reserved, mostly deaf, food-motivated, and not particularly interested in affection, but he’s curious and inquisitive. Something about him draws me to him.

Then this little 13 yo Pekingese mix arrived after his owner passed away. He’s the sweetest, most loving little guy, and I’m about 95% sure he’d get along with my cats (though you never know).

Neither dog reacts to other dogs, which gives me hope that they might be okay with cats, too.

I’m in no rush to adopt, as I’m still recovering financially from my last dog’s vet bills, which drained my bank accounts.

The thing is, I already feel guilty knowing I’ll have to leave one of them behind.

I’d love to have a dog who could join me on long walks and outdoor adventures, which I could see myself doing with the teddy bear dog.

But the little Pekingese boy is sweet as sugar, and I’m afraid that, given his age, I might have to face another loss sooner rather than later. I feel so guilty for thinking about it so selfishly, focusing on how his loss would affect me rather than on giving him a loving home where he can spend his remaining years happily.

I’ve scoured Reddit for similar posts, hoping to find some advice, but nothing quite fits my situation.

Would appreciate if you shared your thoughts on this situation or advise on how to make the right decision.

My female Australian shepherd has had a rash on her nose for awhile now that I thought was just a sunburn since it was only on bridge of her nose where there is no skin pigment. After a bit it started a cycle of getting crusty scabs then the scabs would fall off and look like it was healing and then get pink and weepy again. We got animax ointment as well as apoquel and cefpodoxime proxetil pills from the vet after 5+ cycles of crustyness. It’s been about three weeks since the vet and we used up the pills but are still applying the ointment with minimal improvement.

Next step will likely be a skin biopsy but wasn’t sure if anyone had seen this before and knew what caused it - crossing my fingers it isn’t skin cancers as my dog is only a year and a half old.

Will post pictures in comments since I don’t see the option as I write this.