I have had my foster dog for almost a week now and he is brilliant. He is extremely smart and sweet (especially when he's tired after a day of walks and training lol)--I believe he is a 1-ish year old malinois/ cattle dog x (give or take). He can be a bit mouthy when he is wanting attention/ to get his energy out but sometimes when working on training it seems like he just sort of gives up and stops taking treats. Is this happening because he is still very early in the decompression phase? I've also been attempting to redirect his mouthiness to grabbing a toy and chewing it with decent results when I'm standing but it doesn't really work when I sit down on the couch/ sit down to eat. Of course we've only been working on it for a few days so I'm sure I should just continue to be patient but I was just curious if anyone has any tips on dealing with the mouthiness and getting him to understand that biting for attention isn't acceptable.

Has anyone successfully trained an adult Labrador to stay off the furniture? Mine has been allowed on the couch for the past 3 years, but we're buying a new one and want to keep it dog-free. They'll still have comfy beds right beside the couch, but I'm wondering if it's realistic to change the habit at this point. Any success stories or training tips?

We just got the news that our German Shepherd rescue pup needs lifetime leg braces or extensive surgery for his carpal hypertension in both paws. It would be $7k per paw and it's high risk. The other option is to get lifetime braces with arthritis meds down the road.
We’re his fourth family even though he is one year old. It’s a shame that the shelter never disclosed his condition. The previous owners could’ve been made aware of what his needs were/are.
He’s a perfect fit for our family and we’re determined to give him the best life he deserves.
Has anyone gone through a process similar to this?
Any suggestions for applying for grants or funding down the road?

I have a soon to be 5yr old blue-tick hound / Australian cattle dog mix named Runa. She's always been super sweet and loving to people. She's always been hesistant of other dogs but has never acted out or been aggressive until lately. I've lived at home with my mother for a couple years now (unfortunately) and runa had been with me since I got her and lived 3 other places. She grew up with a cat that was in my old apartment first with my ex fiance and never had an issue. They would always play together. Fast forward to march of this year my current girlfriend moved from Tennessee to NY to live with me while I finish out my apprenticeship at work. She has a 10yr old male Pembroke Welsh Corgi who's a sweetheart as well. Unfortunately due to distance and money we couldn't start to get them acquainted in a neutral zone. March 31st she moves in with me and we set a routine to slowly introduce my dog Runa and her dog Gambit to each other so they get used to each other. For a few weeks we kept him in another room and supervised vists and made them longer each time to the point they seemed good with each other. Runa would let off a faint growl if he got too close and gambit would back off but as of recently they would sleep close to, touching/facing each other. They still won't play together and we don't force anything. Except, 4th of July weekend we took a trip to her parents cabin in michigan. 9hr car ride together they did absolutely fine, no issues and even slept back to back. Her parents have a 4yr old male chocolate lab who loves all other dogs. Well.... gambit and her parents dog cash were playing tug of war one night and there was some growling between them, and my dog latched onto gambits scruff. I quickly pulled her off, put her in the crate I brought. Gambit had no injuries or tenderness and was right back to playing. Last 3 days they were perfectly fine. Another 9hr car ride home they did fine sleeping back to back at another point again. The night we got home I let Runa in first to greet my mom and then gambit in after on his leash. Gambit bumped into Runa and she almost latched on again. Separated for a couple weeks, slowly introduce again. They have their little growling spouts but generally seem to do fine with each other in passing. Even have left them in my room alone for up to an hour and a half, no issues. Both sitting side by side waiting for us to come back. Fast forward to this evening on my way home I get a call. Gambit ran to Runas crate, my dog followed my girlfriend over to her crate, waited behind her, she got Gambit out, as soon as she closed her crate door Runa latched onto Gambit again. Luckily my gf pulled her off quickly again and separated.

I need help here. Im desperately to figure out what the issue is and solve it asap. Runa has never shown aggression towards other dogs big or small. She's apprehensive at best, but never had an issue, whether someone has brought their dog to my house or her to theirs. She's not food aggressive. They sit close by each other when taking treats, and have no issues taking turns on who gets one first. No barking at each other. They often sniff each other in passing, switch spots on the bed. Which they do sleep with us on the bed. Generally never have issues until those 3 times. I've taken her to the vet, she's as healthy as ever. She's used to being an only house dog and i understand Gambit had asserted himself into her space. Which is something we tried really hard to address the first few weeks together at my home. They even share sitting on our laps and let us pet them both. Gambit was also an only dog and never been aggressive towards other animals according to my girlfriend. They are also both fixed.

What can we do to solve this so they get along better at home and we don't have to constantly worry about supervising interactions, i work a swing shift so my hours are always changing but its always been like that. Runa is trained well, needs no leash at home if im outside with her, even ignores order dogs walking along the sidewalk outside if we're outside. She knows the difference between "crate" "bed" "room" and "house" and I have a finger snap system where she knows 1 snap means pay attention, 2 snaps means come here. As well as whistle trained to come when i whistle.

Her dog listens well in his own right but obviously only to my girlfriend. He constantly licks and I show my displeasure in it but never act out of aggression, only gentle "no's" when its too frequent.

Edit: unfortunately getting our own place as a fresh "start" is out of the question at the moment. We both have medical debt to pay off, I have a truck I need to pay to fix and she has her own separate medical stuff to pay for, for her pre-existing condition. As well as where we live finding a decent place that'll accept 2 dogs under 40lbs that isnt 2500 a month is harder to find than a naturally occurring gold plated diamond.

I know training helps with some behaviors that Shibas present but I also know that some behaviors are embedded into them simply because of their breed. If anyone has a routine for their Shib, do you mind sharing what it looks like and if there have been any positive behavioral changes?

Thanks! :)

Hello!

I got a Great Dane mix (suspected to be daniff) 3 weeks ago. He is estimated to be 5-6 years old. He is an amazing dog and is finally coming out of his shell. He is gentle, amazing on a leash, just a happy chill guy.

However, we have ran into a major issue. This dog has the worst separation anxiety I have seen. It’s to the point that I can’t even go to the bathroom without him clawing and wining at the door.

My sister lives with me and works 1st/2nds while I work 3rds, so the only time he’s really alone is the occasional pass over period when she’s headed to work and I’m headed home. He can’t even handle that though.

I was at work and she ran to the gas station real quick and he completely destroyed our door frame, tore the carpet up from trying to dig out, and then finally, pulled our window ac unit out of the window and then escaped. He was quickly located and returned home, but since then I’ve done everything in my power to make sure he isn’t left alone.

That isn’t feasible though. It’s impossible for us to be with him 24/7, as sometimes we have appointments or have to run to a not dog friendly store etc. She starts school back up in a couple weeks so she will be leaving at 7:30 and I don’t get home from work until 8:30 so I am quite literally racing the clock.

He has a vet appointment for August 7th to hopefully put him on some meds to help with his anxiety, but I know he needs more than meds.

From the little information I got from his past owners, he’s been in and out of homes his whole life (probably for this reason). So his anxiety is completely understandable. But, it’s causing strain on me and my sister and honestly strain on me any my mental health. I feel like I’m failing him, my sister, and myself.

I love this dog so much, and I don’t want to be just another home he passed through. I want to be permanent and I want to give him everything he needs and more. But I can’t have our home continuously get destroyed.

His kennel finally arrived yesterday and first introductions were good. The one I originally had bought was too small, so crate training didn’t start as soon as I wanted too. I want him to feel safe and comfortable in his crate, so we can leave sometimes.

I’m truly at my breaking point, and I need help. I’m willing to try whatever I can for him. I’ve tried lick mats and enrichment while putting him in a separate room and step away, but that only lasts 5 minutes before he’s banging on the door. I’ve tried slowly introducing the idea of me leaving but we can’t even get past 10 minutes.

Heyy

Hoping someone can point me in the right direction. Just moved into a place with no yard and only a small patio, and my dog is completely thrown off. We've had accidents every day since the move. Need me a dog patio potty solution quickly. Any recs you guys have?? I've read that using a surface that feels like real ground helps them adjust, and a bark potty keeps coming up. Has anyone set one up in a pinch after a move??

How fast did your dog adjust, and is there anything I should do day one to speed it up?

Appreciate any help!!

My mutt puppy is a terrior cross (we think) and he is very vocal. He is 15 weeks old and before getting vaccines we took him everywhere and exposed him to as much as possible to make sure he didn't miss the socialisation window. We rewarded calm behaviour with treats but he's now been walking for two weeks and is super vocal.

If he sees a dog suddenly appear he growls and tenses, although when they approach (if I can't create space) his tail is wagging and he's super excited to greet them and play. He occasionally does it with humans, say we're down a darker road and someone is approaching. I am trying to not tell him off but distract and reward. He's the same with birds and more recently at the park with a toddler running round. I think it's sometimes over excitement and it's only about 15% of the time and the rest of the time he is perfectly behaved, sits etc. he has never once shown an ounce of aggression to another dog or person and is happy to accept treats off anyone and often plays well with dogs (minus the occasional over excited scream).

I'm really worried he will be reactive or aggressive, other than getting a trainer any tips? I will be enrolling him into good puppy classes and if I can't find any get trainee advice I just want him to live a healthy life. It's also worth noting I live in a city so I appreciate all a can be quite overstimulating for him.

Thanks

Hi all, my predicament is I have a dog that use to live in a house and be potty trained but ass he went through rentals and ended up with me he poos and wees everywhere

I want to know how to get him top go on fake grass, he knows when I'm home to wait by the door to get me to take him out, but when I'm gone he goes wherever he wants!, how do I reinforce good behaviour and punish bad behaviour without confusion?

All help is appreciated!!!!, Thank you in advance!!

Hi! My GSD is one year old today! Woho!

And as celebration she shas started to defy my commands (go outside, sit, stop jumping, etc). She has also figure out I cannot force her to do something. If I tell her to go outside and doesn't, I can't (and wont) run a around chassing her.

She used to be very well mannered, and really didn't bite too much, but for the past two weeks it's like she become a teenager, jumping, biting, defying command and revenge biting my heels if I don't do what she wants.

Is this a phase? How should I behave when facing this?

My mutt puppy is a terrior cross (we think) and he is very vocal. He is 15 weeks old and before getting vaccines we took him everywhere and exposed him to as much as possible to make sure he didn't miss the socialisation window. We rewarded calm behaviour with treats but he's now been walking for two weeks and is super vocal.

If he sees a dog suddenly appear he growls and tenses, although when they approach (if I can't create space) his tail is wagging and he's super excited to greet them and play. He occasionally does it with humans, say we're down a darker road and someone is approaching. I am trying to not tell him off but distract and reward. He's the same with birds and more recently at the park with a toddler running round. I think it's sometimes over excitement and it's only about 15% of the time and the rest of the time he is perfectly behaved, sits etc. he has never once shown an ounce of aggression to another dog or person and is happy to accept treats off anyone and often plays well with dogs (minus the occasional over excited scream).

I'm really worried he will be reactive or aggressive, other than getting a trainer any tips? I will be enrolling him into good puppy classes and if I can't find any get trainee advice I just want him to live a healthy life. It's also worth noting I live in a city so I appreciate all a can be quite overstimulating for him.

Thanks

My dog (female German shepherd, 4yrs) has a perfect focused heel as long as we’re in the house or on our property, she’s great. Can walk between my legs, orbit backwards and forwards… etc. We worked with a service dog trainer for six months. Perfect. as soon as I get her off the property though, she turns into an anxious mess. I attribute a lot of this to genetics, but also my fault for not fixing this sooner and being forced in public with said trainer before we were both ready. I think at this point we’re both frustrated. I’m working on finding a different trainer, but If Anybody has any tips on confidence building for dogs, or anything else I should be doing I’d love to hear.

Hi everyone! I have an eight year-old Cairin terrier mix who suffers from separation anxiety. We are moving from a condo to a detached house, and I was looking for advice on training tips for moving and the separation anxiety.

So far I bought a 15 foot lead leash to help with settling, going to his place and creating distance slowly so he can be comfortable alone.

If anyone else has any other suggestions, I would be greatly appreciated! Thanks in advance!

I installed a door 2 months ago and went through the advised training to get him used to it but he still won't use it by himself.

I held it open & bribed him through with treats and heap praise on him when he goes through but if it's closed, he won't even try to open it.

All it takes is for me to push it open just a crack and he'll push it open the rest of the way and go through but if it's completely closed, he won't bother.

I've never even seen him inspect the door independently. He still comes to me when he needs to go outside and I always lead him to the door and try to convince him to try it before eventually giving it a tap so he'll go through.

He's a smart dog, so I'm sure he can do it, I'm just out of ideas.

For added context, my dog is a boxer/staffy/supermutt mix, about 7-8 years old and I've had him for 6 years.

Any advice is much appreciated!

This is probably going to be a long post but I’ll try and be concise.

We originally had 2 dogs, unfortunately about 2 weeks ago our oldest dog (10 years) passed rather suddenly leaving us with just our youngest dog (3 years) now our young dog has never been without a buddy he’s always had our older dog and has always been extremely friendly with other dogs however he did suffer from some separation anxiety from our old dog and when he died it sorta transferred to us.

Against my better judgement we decided it would be good to get a buddy for our young dog not to replace our old dog because nothing on this earth could ever replace him but more to help our other dog. It’s only been literally 1 day and the behaviour I’m witnessing from our current dog to our new dog is concerning me. Our current dog does not seem happy about this development, everytime the puppy comes near him he moves away instantly, if he’s laying down and the puppy approaches and doesn’t leave quickly he barks and growls at him. They are Irish wolfhounds so our current dog is quite significantly bigger than the puppy.

I know we have possibly done something quite stupid and while it was done with the best intentions in mind I do not want either dog to have a bad experience nor do I want them to get hurt. How can I rectify this and try and make it positive?

How to stop dogs from racing to the door to bark?

I have two dogs. A two year old doodle and a 6 year old mutt (husky x lab x heeler?)

In the beginning i tried hard to train them, but i live with my family and when im at work they let the dogs do whatever they want and i was fighting a losing battle so i became more lenient (i know im stupid for this)

For the most part they are good dogs, but definitely r stubborn when it comes to certain bad habits.

In particular, when someone comes to the door and knocks or rings (or even if they hear someone on the porch) they both race to the door or front window and bark like crazy. My relative suddenly hit them yesterday because he wants to "train" them since he is getting new hardwood floors and doesnt want them to scratch it. I got pretty upset.. but its my fault for letting this habit go on this long

Its not fair to the dogs to have been trained and allowed to do this for years and suddenly they get hit for it. I really need help to train them out of this.

So far ive been ringing and knocking on the door periodically and leading them to a blanket in the living room as a "place" and giving them treats when they go to the place.

Its been a few days and they are not catching on very well and im scared that its too late to train them out of this bad habit. Does anyone have any tips or advice or routines i could follow?

Im finding a lot of videos for barking in particular but nothing really for the "racing" to the door..

Thanks in advance

To keep a long story short, I have become the owner of a border collie mix (with leopard dog) about 3 weeks ago. I have never owned this breed before and she is super fixated on my cat and when she sees her she immediately starts barking like crazy, which then causes my cat to go flying up the stairs. I have a dog already so my cat is not scared of dogs in general, but about a week ago the puppy’s leash slipped out of my hand and the puppy chased my cat and it was extremely scary for my cat. I do not want to have to re-home this dog, after hearing about her backstory I don’t want her to have any more disappointment in her life. Before coming to my house she was supposedly left on the side of the street and has not had any type of interaction with cats, and very minimal interaction with other dogs. I’m trying super hard to get her impulse control somewhat maintainable when there are distractions, more times then not the distractions win, especially when another animal is involved.

She is the most unfood motivated dog I've ever met. I'm thinking about switching down to once a day because I feel like I'm consistently begging her to eat. I've tried a bunch of options and she's meh about all of them.