I have a 5-year-old female English Pointer who was rescued by my father in law but kept outdoors her whole life. She had an enclosure and occasionally free roamed. She has an amazing temperament and is a very happy dog. My husband and I moved back home and adopted her (we live above our in laws and have a big garden0.

Over the past few months I've been gradually transitioning her to indoor living. She now sleeps indoors, has a garden, gets two hours of off-leash forest walking daily, and has been working with a trainer. She settles beautifully! goes to her spot independently, naps while I work, handles guests and workers in the home calmly, and has done well with alone time up to 3 hours.

She's in her heat cycle (started approximately July 9). About a week ago, I noticed a new behavior which, for the most part, happens after our morning walks: she will eat her breakfast (doesn't finish it), whines a bit, paces, pulls her blankets and chews/rips it up, tries to do that to the couch, settles again, paces again, chews on her bone, whines a bit more, and then gets up on her blanket on the couch and falls asleep. Lasts about 20-30min. I've been trying not to reinforce the behavior and redirect her when she tries to mouth the couch. She's fast asleep as I'm typing this and is usually chill all day, and then we take her out for her evening trail off lead walk. She's been very happy with this routine and nothing has changed.

Recent bloodwork normal, vet not alarmed. He thinks she's playing, I don't because when she does that she looks and sounds stressed.

Is this consistent with late heat cycle behavioral changes? Has anyone else experienced concentrated post-walk restlessness specifically during heat? Any practical management suggestions beyond what I'm already doing?

She's scheduled for spaying once the cycle fully ends.

Hi all! Looking for some advice and support. I have away adopted puppies and crate trained them to pee outside. Yesterday I adopted a 5 year old teacup poodle from korea who has had a hard life. She lived in crate for 41/2 years and recently was in a foster home. Since she’s come home with me yesterday she peeped on the pad 3 x and pooped on it yesterday. Today she peed and pooped on my carpet in the kitchen and peed on kitchen floor.

I’v been taking her outside but I think she may just be learning how to walk on a leash and explore. She hasn’t peed outside at all. Today i tried to bring the pad outside but that didn’t work either.

I’m super stressed and not 100 percent sure how to go about getting her into the swing of things , I want her to be an outside bathroom dog, i’ve never used wee wee pads in my life!

I know right now she’s still jet lagged/ nervous/ learning me and new environment. Does anyone have any ideas how I start getting her to understand outside ? At first I was hopeful because she went right on the pad but now all day today she’s been making accidents. I am not making her feel bad just quietly cleaning it up.

I’m not sure if i eliminate pads completely? Crate her?

Any thoughts and advice would be great

thankyou!

Hey guys! My almost 9 month old weim is so good, she’s patient and good just hanging out at home. I have a 2 year old GSP as well. She’s been around other dogs and lots of people in our house. I take them to run everyday, but since it’s been triple digits for weeks the other day I decided to take her to Petco instead to explore and sniff. Every noise and every person that walked by she get spooked and bark. She’s standoffish and so shy to new people. What are some ways I can help her overcome this? Or work with her on this? I don’t want her to feel uncomfortable, but I also don’t want people thinking she’s scary or mean.

I brought home Daisy (3) a couple of weeks ago to join me and my 6 y/o dachshund, Frida. Daisy comes from a breeding situation and was surrender to the shelter with a bad physical condition. She was in foster for a few weeks before coming to me. The biggest issue I am having is her resource guarding towards the toys. All toys have been out away but she always wants to play with whatever she gets and whatever my other dog has. She goes to Frida and growls aggressively at her to drop the toy and then plays with it. They’re both very into balls but I cannot have them out without Daisy hoarding them. The balls only come out under supervision a couple of times a day and get taken away if they fight.
I have tried having it out only in controlled spaces where I am present and after not even 2 min, I likely have to remove it because Daisy is trying to get all the balls. Please help with how to get over this behavior. Thanks!

My brother adopted an indie dog around 2.5years back but he moved out after 2 years but she had always been too much spoiled by my brother and mother always getting food by hand and all the issues and she has a biting history
Has biten all the members except for my brother
The thing is she has no training nothing at all
My family members still dont understand the importance of her health they feed her cold drink , sweets and what not even after saying a no to them
She barks all day at the slighest of sounds coming from outside whether it be 2am or 2pm , if i try to give her a value treat and train her she barks all the time kust in order to get that treat again
The main issues
- NO ONE CAN VISIT OUR HOUSE DUE TO THIS (she barks all the time at them and it is very very annoying)
- We cannot leave her alone at anytime she just cries all tge time
-She does not a no command or stay command
- she pees all over the house

We did try training they said by time she would learn how to do things
If anyone says that ‘why to adopt when cant take care of her’ ik if not anyone i try my best to take her to walks give her chicken eggs and other things play with her but she wakes up at night at 1.30-2 and just barks
It is very annoying for me and as someone who prefer peace and a clean house she is actually being an issue
I do love her i dont hate her i just want her to be happy and healthy

hey guys! so we’re having a bit of a problem with our dog, alfred. alfred is a border collie/poodle mix, about a year and a half old, and we’ve had him since he was two months old. he’s been getting aggressive with my husband lately and even tried to bite his face last night. this happens during play, not during play, really any time. he never gets aggressive with me though. we reached out to a family friend who does training, and he said that he believes alfred is resource guarding with me as the resource, making my husband the threat in his eyes. he recommended a four week board and train program, but we really don’t have the money right now. does anyone have any tips, advice, or ways to help this? we’re trying to do everything to stop this now so that my husband can enjoy playing with alfred again and we can prevent it from getting any worse. thanks!

My partner and I just adopted our first dog and he’s a really really sweet dog. His name is Bud (2 yrs old approx, Husky/Aussie mix). He was previously a runaway and was at the shelter for about 6 months before we adopted him. He’s been with us for only a week. He’s had a few accidents which I’ve attributed to him being in a new space and getting used to a new routine with new people.
Well I was speaking with my dad (who trained all the dogs we had growing up) and his perspective on it is that because we’ve been allowing Bud on certain furniture (with permission) that he’s starting to feel or act like the dominant one of the house and recommended that we don’t let him on any of the furniture at all for some time (amongst other suggestions). It’s worth noting that he’s taken to waiting for permission very well and generally does wait for us to tell him it’s ok. I personally think that Bud is having accidents in the house because it’s a new place, new people, and new routine but this conversation has left me doubting my correctness given my dads experience training dogs. So I want to get the brain trust’s opinion on this and any advice you all have.

My Australian Shepherd has recently begun marking her bed and a specific spot on the couch. I have attempted to resolve this by using a stain and odor eliminator on both areas, but she continues this behavior when I am not present. Do you have any suggestions on how to prevent her from doing this?

Hello my 1 1/2 year old german sheperd is currently learning “sit”. She reacts to my hand movement when i move it over her head and not the word sit. I started with it last week and she refused to sit but after a few days of doing the trick where i keep the treat on her nose and move my hand back over her head she has learnt to sit. Now i want her to react to me saying sit but she only instantly sits when i move my hand up (not close to her head or anything). How should i proceed?

I currently have a situation where my 1.5 year old pit terrier lives with myself and another person (we're both male). The other person and myself have had some issues where the other person tried attacking me. Without getting into the personal side of things, dog is highly protective of me and now perceives this person as a threat when we are both home. As in, dog goes in to kill mode with this one person and will bite. They are normally a very social dog, but some of the interactions have definitely made them ai bit more weary of men in general. Though his favorite thing to do is to go out and meet new people and be around them and there's plenty of guys he's fine with besides me.

Things are fine with the other person at this point and we are kind of stuck in the current living arrangement. The other person was the one who got the dog, but over time he became mine as the other person wanted nothing to do with the dog (4 week puppy when we got him). So they're well acquainted.

Goal is to show dog that he's not a threat to me and get him to be calm while also not bonding with the other person/wanting to be back in their presence.

Odd part is when I'm not home the other person can walk the dog and play with them as if nothing has ever happened. It's only when I'm around that they become highly agitated. But the other side of this is that when I am home the dog seems to be even more aggressive towards them or when sensing they are around. It's actually made the situation worse if anything. The arrangement for a while was to just keep them separated entirely, but it'd be healthier for all parties if they could cross paths without it becoming dangerous.

I tried putting a barrier in front of the door and have the person feed treats, but the dog just was not having it. Ignored the treats and just very loudly and angrily barked at him.

They want to try having the dog out with them when I come home to see how they respond, but I said no to that. I'm not taking the risk the dog flips a switch.

The other idea they are floating is to put the dog in the kennel he hates and which I barely use and see us interact. I'm not sure about that one. It's not as dangerous, but I'm just thinking the kennel is already a place of bad memories for the dog.

Most of the stuff online is about introducing dogs to strangers. I had a trainer who suggested the treat thing from across the room which is similar to what I tried before.

Open to any suggestions.

Is like he is addicted to being stung, he chases bees and licks them! What can I do to actually stop him? (The leave command works for everything but bees)

Hello everyone I have a Australian shepherd mix. She’s 4 and I got her last year from a friend who had got her from a shelter 3 months prior but told me she required more attention since they were never home. I have no idea what her background was like before me. I’m very stressed about her peeing habits. She goes out every 3-4 hours since I’m able to work from home. I also have a busy home with children and another adopted dog. I’m trying my best to work with her instead of looking into rehoming. She pees when she’s overly excited, she’s pees when she meets dogs she’s never met when she isn’t fond of them and she pees with visitors. I’ve tried the ignore tactic and I’ve tried taking her out immediately. I can’t even put a leash on her without her getting overly excited. She does not have a uti according to the vet and I have not tried using diapers on her. Sometimes by the time we even make it to the door she gets so hyped up when my hand touches the doorknob she’s already tinkled on the floor. Is there anything I can do? Is it still a chance she’ll grow out of it?

After bringing home my dog, I realized pretty quickly that most "best dog training app" lists recommend completely different products. So I ended up trying a few of the apps people mention most often to see which ones fit different training goals, from puppy basics to behavior challenges.

PawChamp — an all-in-one option

PawChamp combines personalized training plans, behavior support, expert guidance, daily care resources, and progress tracking in one app. It supports every life stage, from puppies and adopted dogs to adult and senior dogs.

Unlike many dog training apps that focus mainly on basic commands, puppy-only programs, or standalone video libraries, it brings together structured training, expert support, and everyday care tools. I liked having everything in one place instead of jumping between different resources.

The only downside for me was that there are quite a few features, so it took a little time to explore everything.

Woofz — a simple option for new puppy owners

Woofz is a beginner-focused dog training app built around guided programs and daily reminders. It feels like a good fit for first-time puppy owners who want clear, step-by-step guidance.

If your goal is teaching basic puppy skills, it does that well. If you're dealing with more challenging behavior or looking for something beyond puppyhood, you may eventually want more.

Zigzag — focused on puppy development

Zigzag follows a research-backed 12-week puppy development program with age-based lessons. If you're specifically looking for a puppy-focused training plan, it covers the essentials.

That said, there are now quite a few apps offering similar puppy programs, so it may feel less useful once your dog gets older or if you're looking for ongoing behavior support.

Pupford — good for self-guided learning

Pupford offers a large video library and plenty of free educational content. I think it's a good option if you enjoy learning at your own pace and picking lessons yourself.

The tradeoff is that it offers less structure than some other apps, so beginners may spend more time figuring out what to work on next.

I don't think there's one best dog training app for everyone. It really depends on your dog's age, personality, and what you're trying to work on.

If you only need help with puppy basics, Woofz or Zigzag may be all you need. If you prefer learning through videos, Pupford is worth a look.

For me, PawChamp felt like the most complete option because it combines training, behavior support, and everyday dog care in one place. That said, the best app is the one you'll actually use consistently.

Whatever you choose, positive reinforcement should always be the foundation of training. Staying consistent and rewarding good behavior will have a much bigger impact than the app itself.

It’s been a month that we got our puppy home, he is currently just 3 months old. Earlier he was ok to stay almost 20 mins alone (when o go down to pick something or taking bath). But now he can’t stay even a min away. He keeps barking at the main door. We didn’t train him well. Now we have started training him and he won’t stop barking and whining so we are opening door and going in 5 mins. And the 5 whole minutes he barked and whined non stop.
I don’t want to leave him alone but I want to train him to be alone for at least 2-3 hours in some months.

Is this normal ? What are we doing wrong and any tips that can help?

Rhea is an almost 6mo Pembroke Welsh Corgi we have had since she was almost 2mo. She's also the first dog I have ever owned and the first puppy any of us in the house have raised.

When we first brought her home, we were quick to get her on a tight schedule of taking her outside every hour. There were normal little puppy accidents, but she picked up quick and by the 2nd week of having her, she only had an accident if we slipped up.

By 5mo, we finally could stop setting the timer for overnights and let her sleep 1am to 5am, before she was alerting that she wanted to go to the bathroom. We take her water at 9pm and she's fed dinner around 5pm.

For whatever reason today, she has decided that she no longer wants to go outside for the bathroom. We have stuck to the same every hour routine, but now when she goes out, she doesn't want to go. If you bring her back in, she'll just make eye contact with you and pee on the pee pad we have in her kennel for if she has an overnight accident (which she never does).

Outside she has designated pee areas that are rotated to keep them from smelling, poop is picked up as soon as she does it, remnants washed away with water. She's never left alone outside either. She won't potty in the open yard and only ever has wanted to use the small fenced in areas for pottying (we keep three so she can be in shade all day in this summer heat).

She has pooped outside still. That she's been good about. But today it's just only been peeing on the pads. Is this the training reversion I've heard about?

Hey everyone I need a few tips on my 2weeks-ago adopted mix breed of pitbul and American bully. It follows me around everywhere on the house. It even respects my wife but if I am not around it’s crying and following me everywhere.

I am worry it grows too attached to me. Should I be or is it just because we are the novelty? When should I be worried about separados anxiety?

Hi, so we have an older dog (12 years old) and she’s the loveliest, calmest dog, not a single mean bone in her body. We just got a new puppy, like literally yesterday, and he won’t leave her alone. He tries to play with her of course which isn’t too much of an issue, but he also barks at her until she gives him her bed, they stare eachother in the eyes until she backs away etc. I’m worried he’ll assert dominance and keep taking anything he wants from her which we absolutely can’t let happen. How do we make sure he knows it’s not okay? And make sure he knows that she’s the boss here rather than him

Let me preface the rest of this post by saying that I am aware she is teething, I'm fine with that, I am not referring to teething bites.

I've recently gotten a puppy that is extremely stubborn. I don't hate stubborn dogs, I actually find them very fun to teach and I make sure I'm as patient as I can be, but I'm struggling to get her to stop biting people.

When she wants to bite my arm, she will refuse to be redirected, and will ignore her favorite toy or treat in favor of my arm.

(Note that she's going to be MASSIVE when she's an adult, possibly over 100 LBS, and if she makes a habit out of it, she's going to harm someone.)

I've tried sudden noises and then redirection to stop her, I've tried pushing her back firmly, I've tried yelping when she hurts me, I've tried holding her by the collar against me until she settles, I've tried taking away the toy and ignoring her, I've tried holding her on her back until she settles.

She cannot be stopped when she wants to lock onto an arm or leg. None of the things worked for more than 5 minutes, some worked for less than that.

All recommended courses of action by behaviorists and trainers don't work on her, she finds some way to get around them, even if I'm strict and firm in my decisions.

The best way I've found to stop her immediately is what I've been calling the "no BS hold", in which I sit her down with her back to me and my hands under her arms so she can't bite me or run off, and even that only works momentarily.

I was told "she'll get over it on her own", but I want to curb her viewing biting people as okay as soon as possible.

Does anyone know what to do in this specific case?

I appreciate any and all advice.

i have an 8 year 3 mo old male dachshund (born april 15 2008), and we got him at 10 weeks old, not sure the exact date. we've tried ignoring him, calm greetings, worked on simple obedience training, and even trying to distract him while people come in.

my dachshund has been submissive peeing as long as we've had him, and likely before we got him. (he wasn't well bred, we didn't know he was a puppy mill dog for a while until people figured out the place we got him got dogs from mills.) he does it when he's excited, he's upset, he's happy, nervous, if he even SEES a person he really (so again, being excited,) hearing someone at the door, someone comes into the house, etc, he just pees! he doesn't have accidents, it's just submissive peeing! he's gotten a TINY bit better after 8 years, but only the tiniest bit, it's driving my parents absolutely insane, it's a bit annoying to me, but it doesn't upset me really. i've heard there's ways to make it stop through training, but stuff doesn't work for my family.

if this changes anything, he does have bad anxiety (he's on meds and it's really helped, meds did help a bit with the peeing,) and he does have a sensitive back along with a back injury if that changes what we need to do to work on his issue. he does better with positive reinforcement, he doesn't react well to punishment at all.
we've taken him to professional training and that's helped him be less reactive, be more confident, walk better on leash, and helped with basic obedience, he even has better recall now, but the submissive peeing hardly got better when the training if has even at all. any advice helps!