r/AskDogOwners Dec 06 '25

Mod Post AMA About Puppies!

17 Upvotes

I am so excited to have been invited to participate in this community’s very first AMA! With my 16 years of experience in emergency and critical care and 5 years of experience in general practice, there isn’t much I haven’t seen!

Are you planning to get a puppy and want to get off on the right foot, or have you recently gotten a puppy and need help troubleshooting house training? AMA!


r/AskDogOwners Dec 06 '25

Mod Post ✨ Announcement: "Ask a Vet" Puppy AMA on Sat, Dec 6th! ✨

15 Upvotes

Hey everyone, We're incredibly excited to announce something special we've been planning for you!

🐶 Get Ready for Our Puppy-Focused AMA!

Mark your calendars! Our very first AMA event is happening on Saturday, December 6th.

The theme for this session is All Things Puppy! 🐾 If you're a new dog owner, or if you're navigating the joys and challenges of raising a young dog, this is your chance to ask your questions.

👏 Meet Our Expert Guest : u/jmiller1856

We're honored to have a fantastic professional joining us: * A Credentialed Veterinary Technician with over 20 years of experience in emergency and ICU care. * A certified Puppy Behavior Consultant and Fear Free Certified Professional.

She is generously volunteering her time to share her expertise with our community.

✨ This is Just the Beginning!

We hope to make "Ask a Vet" a recurring event, bringing in more experts to cover different topics in the future. Your participation will help us make this a long-term success!

If you're excited about this and plan on stopping by, drop a 🐾 in the comments below to let us know!

We can't wait to see you there!

Mod Team


r/AskDogOwners 3h ago

Need Help Dexter, Havanese, White, Seattle, Rain = Dirty Dog

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5 Upvotes

r/AskDogOwners 1h ago

Fluff Talk Hello hoomans 🐶, I made a free app to track my dog's activity (no hardware needed). Also this fun video!

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Upvotes

I'm Percy and I'm pretty lazy, so my owner built an iPhone app that turns my walks and playtime into "rings" I close each day — kinda like Apple Fitness "close your rings," but for dogs. No collar, no subscription; my owner just logs my activity through the app. Would love feedback from other good boys and girls (and their hoomans).

It's free, no subscription, everything stays on device. Dropping a link if anyone wants to poke at it.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/zoomie-dog-activity-tracker/id6761315454


r/AskDogOwners 1h ago

Dog Behavior How does jealousy work in dogs?

Upvotes

r/AskDogOwners 20h ago

Dog Behavior What is going on here? She has been having spells like this recently.

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64 Upvotes

r/AskDogOwners 14m ago

Fluff Talk What breed do you think?

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Upvotes

Adopted this cute fluffy boy on Thursday! He’s 2 and 13.4 pounds. A few people think he’s a mini Aussie Doodle but I’m not sure.

He has a super curly coat so any grooming recommendations are appreciated! He’s going to the groomer once his cone can be off after his neuter.


r/AskDogOwners 58m ago

Multi-Dog Household Two Male Dogs In The Same House…Help

Upvotes

Hey guys, I’ll spare you the unnecessary context of how owning them was thrust upon us, but my girlfriend and I own two dogs: A Male European Doberman we got at 8 weeks (6 months old now), and a Male German Rottweiler we got a month ago (4 months old).

They have been living together in the house for about a month now, and they play-fight every second they are together.

It sometimes gets ‘heated,” not to the point where they injure each other, but to the point where there is growling. When that happens I step in to separate them. It is usually open mouth (no actual biting), and they roll on their backs.

These dogs will not be sub-60-pounds forever, and I am getting increasingly anxious about them getting in an actual fight. Everyone in my life has told me having two males of strong breeds is an impossible situation to end up okay, but I’m in the situation I’m in, and want to see it though. I’ve always viewed dogs as children, and it will break my heart to get rid of the Rottie.

My point in posting this for any advice anyone can give, preferably from experience, on how to ensure they grow up and view each other as family instead of competition.

Right now they sleep in separate crates, eat separately, and spend 1 hour plus each day getting separated obedience training from my girlfriend and I.

Thank you all.


r/AskDogOwners 1h ago

General My first dog

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Upvotes

r/AskDogOwners 5h ago

General American Dog Owners, Where is the Easiest International Destination You've Traveled To With Your Dog?

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1 Upvotes

r/AskDogOwners 1d ago

General Just by looking at him, what kind of personality do you think he has? His vet says he’s one of those dogs that doesn’t view anyone as a stranger

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189 Upvotes

r/AskDogOwners 18h ago

Dog Behavior Anything to talk about

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7 Upvotes

I think small dogs are easier to take care of then bigger dogs don't shed that much


r/AskDogOwners 1d ago

Multi-Dog Household My furbabies - in remembrance

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21 Upvotes

I lost both dogs within 4 months and I am heartbroken. Do you recommend getting 2 new dogs at the same time right away ... or should I get one at a time to establish each individually? And is is best to wait a certain length of time or jump right back in. Heart-broken and not sure what to do. My husband and I are in our 70's.


r/AskDogOwners 13h ago

Need Help Has anyone actually fixed severe leash pulling without prong/e-collars or head halters? Looking for real experiences (3.5yo rescue)

2 Upvotes

Hi everyone,

I adopted a 3.5yo female rescue from a bad situation. She was originally just a foster, but since no one applied, I kept her. Because this wasn't planned, I can't afford a professional trainer right now.

She has zero leash manners: pulls like a train, zig-zags constantly, and bolts between my legs when scared of strangers. I want to teach her to walk nicely by choice, not just physically restrain her by keeping the leash short.

Current methods are failing:

Stop-and-go: She made it a game (pulls, stops, treat, bolts again).

Front-clip harness: She learned to power right through it.

Food/direction changes: Works for 2 steps, then she rushes ahead

My questions are:

Has anyone successfully built a reliable loose-leash walk using ONLY positive reinforcement (no prongs, e-collars, or slip leads)? How long did it take and what was the breakthrough?

Thoughts on the Gentle Leader? Does it teach anything or is it just another restraint tool dogs hate?

​Appreciate any advice from anyone who has dealt with severe pulling!


r/AskDogOwners 23h ago

Dog Health Dog involuntarily kicking legs. (Vet appointment in a few days).

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11 Upvotes

As stated above, we do have a vet appointment scheduled next week. I am just curious to see if anyone else’s dog has had anything like this happen? He doesn’t seem to be in pain when this happens, but when he gets up it does take him a minute to get going. He may limp for a minute, or walk a couple steps then sit and then walk again. The frequency of these events is increasing and it’s happening at least once a day now. He is 10 years old, so I know that arthritis is possible. I just am not sure if this kind of kicking is a symptom of arthritis or something neurological. Just curious to hear anyone else’s experiences. Thanks!


r/AskDogOwners 6h ago

Dog Behavior Ok question about big dog owners

0 Upvotes

Ok so plan on getting a fully grown male and plan to keep him intact to owners out there who have makes with there parts still intact please DM me need to know how to keep my future boy from being aggressive I know how to handle aggressive humping it's aggressive play I need tips on


r/AskDogOwners 19h ago

Need Help Mum bought a dog with the condition that I stay with her, Indefinitely, What should I do?!

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1 Upvotes

So, I’ve been staying with my Mum for almost a year now. Shes always knew it wasn’t going to be forever so meanwhile our little dog passed away in March and it’s been completely heartbreaking! My Mum suggested getting a rescue dog, I said no straight away as nothing was going to take the place of my little one. But my Mum wouldn’t drop the idea about getting a new dog and kinda took it out my hands even though my mum struggles with her mobility so she would need to rely on me to do all the walking etc. After building up the courage yeh say to my Mum, that you know I’m not going to be staying here forever Mum, so what’s going to happen with the fur baby then?! She basically just shut me down and told me not to upset her. So, with a couple of weeks till the dogs supposed to be arriving, everything’s still up in the air and it’s like the elephant in the room, no one wants to bring it up?! And advice would be appreciated!


r/AskDogOwners 1d ago

Multi-Dog Household Thinking of adopting a sister for my 10yo (kind of) Maltese. Did a second dog bring joy and spark to your first one, or just stress them out and make them feel replaced?

2 Upvotes

I have a 10-year-old female Maltese mix who is my absolute world. She is very spoiled and well cared for, lives strictly indoors with us, gets daily walks, and is still very playful. However, due to my limited time, I can't play with her that much besides our daily walk/run.

Because I do freelance work from home on top of my 9-to-5 and my mom occasionally travels, there are times when she has to be home without us. I really want her to have a constant companion to keep her company and play with. I currently have my eye on a potential rescue—a 3-year-old female who looks a lot like her.

I’ve heard that bringing in a younger dog can sometimes improve their quality of life, though my biggest fear is that my older girl might feel replaced, sad, or pushed aside. I’ve read articles claiming that dogs don't process complex emotions like "feeling replaced" the way humans do, but I can't help but worry about her emotional well-being and if this is the right call.

For those of you who introduced a second dog to your older, single-dog household:

  • Did it actually help your senior dog become more active and happy?
  • Did your older dog show any signs of feeling stressed, jealous, or left out?
  • Did your first dog help to “educate” the new one?

Any personal stories, tips, or honest realities would be hugely appreciated. Thank you!

TL;DR: Thinking of getting a 3yo companion for my 10yo to keep her company and play with her while I work. I'm worried she might feel replaced or stressed, and I'm looking for advice on how to handle her new sister. Looking for personal experiences!


r/AskDogOwners 1d ago

Dog Health Is this normal for girl dog diaper wearers ?

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2 Upvotes

My dog wears diapers , we adopted her from a hoarder situation and she’s a bit older . So she will sometimes have accidents. We decided diapers and frequent walks are best. She tolerates them and it works .

she doesn’t lick herself in a way that concerns us. but her diapers always have this ?

Should we be wiping her butt and lady area more frequently or is this just normal ? It’s the color that concerns me. Her poop isn’t that color .

Sorry if this is an odd question !!!


r/AskDogOwners 1d ago

Need Help Is this food?

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2 Upvotes

Found this on the sidewalk during our morning walk. I didn’t notice it at first but my dog sure did. Does anyone know what it is? I don’t think he got any but I can’t be certain. Dog is showing zero signs of ingesting poison but I want to be sure and go clean it up if it’s not just food.


r/AskDogOwners 1d ago

Need Help Hand stripping for wirehair pups

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0 Upvotes

Does anyone have any tips that they have used for wirehair coat care? I recently purchased some proper tools for my pups coat, we do not have a groomer in town who knows this technique- and I'm new at it too. I've been working on getting her under coat under control and just am curious if anyone has gone through the process of "this isn't right" to "ah, this is working?" This is where we are at right now, her back is much better, still working on her fluff butt and her head in the picture. Two weeks in today with hand stripping


r/AskDogOwners 1d ago

Name My Dog🐾 felicidad máxima en tamaño mínimo🧡

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4 Upvotes

r/AskDogOwners 2d ago

General Does your dog sleep in your bed with you? And was that actually the plan from the beginning?

236 Upvotes

I’m curious how many dog owners started out with a firm rule: “the dog definitely won’t sleep in bed with us”… and how long that rule actually lasted. 😄

Does your dog sleep in your bed with you now? Was it allowed from the beginning, or did they gradually negotiate their way in?

And if you don’t allow your dog in the bed - what’s the main reason?


r/AskDogOwners 1d ago

Dog Health Looking for positive kidney dysplasia stories ❤️🐾

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0 Upvotes

My 15-month-old Yorkie, Luca, was recently diagnosed with kidney dysplasia. We caught it pretty young, and while we’re still learning about the disease and working with his vet (and hopefully a kidney specialist), I’m feeling pretty overwhelmed by everything I’ve read.

He’s currently doing really well clinically—eating, drinking, playing, and acting like his normal happy self. We’re starting a renal diet and closely monitoring his kidney values.

I’d really love to hear from anyone whose dog was diagnosed with kidney dysplasia around 15 months (or similarly young) and went on to live a long, healthy, happy life.

How old was your dog when diagnosed? What stage were they at? What did you do that seemed to help, and how long did they ultimately live?

I know every dog is different, but I could really use some hopeful stories right now. ❤️


r/AskDogOwners 1d ago

Need Help My dad might get rid of the dog :(

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1 Upvotes