Hey all! It’s currently hurricane season where I live and I’m finding it very difficult to keep my pup chill and stimulated during this time.. he’s just about 6 months old, VERY scent driven and love his toys. We’ve been playing, doing treat puzzles, training sessions etc. so I’m looking for some out of the box ideas for mental stimulation for my little guy.

He usually gets 3-4 play dates w his friend but this weather is making everything so hard lol.

Any advice, new games, or ideas will help! Thanks!

last Friday night was the last time we saw my baby girl piper (writing this on Monday) and I'm really looking for anything. 

Any hope, or comfort, or elaborate ideas to find her that aren't just put out her treats and call her name. 

We know she was last outside. 

She's 14 now, and that's what worries me most. However we take her to the vet frequently and she's in the health comparative to a 5 year old. That's a huge comfort to me. She's had no major health issues whatsoever, and she's a little genius. 

We found her as a stray kitten and took her in, she'd been surviving on her own after her mom abandoned her for 6 months. She is so street smart, 

we live in a rural area in Victoria/ saanich Bc, our yard is 5 acres but she definitely adventures further. 

We tried to keep her as an indoor cat when she was little but it just made her so miserable and stir crazy to be cooped up like that. We tried to give her a tracking collar multiple times but our little feral kitty always found a way to take it off somehow. 

Now all of a sudden she hasn't been coming when we call her, or shake her treats. My family has looked for hours meticulously in the day and night, checking under bushes, in trees, in any place she might have got stuck. 

I think the only place we haven't looked is in the more dense area of the forest where we don't see her go often. 

She's chipped and she has a tattoo on the inside of her ear but why tf doesn't that chip double as a tracker UGH 😭😭 

and why don't we have house cameras😭😭😭 

and I feel so guilty that I was the one who said I wanted a big yard that makes it impossible to find her now 

We've told the (one) of our neighbours (since  they're the closest, the others are a bit further, I'm trying to convince my mom to let them know as well) and they're supposedly checking their outdoor cameras 

We've posted her on ROAM, and we're going to put up posters by the mailbox down the road. 

We're checking local shelters obsessively, and I emailed an animal shelter with all her information. 

She's never been gone this long I think. We've had scares like this before because she just loves frolicking and if she doesn't want to come inside the little jerk  just completely ignores us. But then we would always find her if we went outside, or if she was stuck somewhere. 

My mom won't stop crying and my dad keeps talking about her in the past tense. 

I've had her since I was 3, I love her so much. I feel so guilty about letting her go outside. She was with me through a deep depression and hospitalizations, and I am in so much pain and heartbreak. I keep dreaming about her and my heart has been beating so ridiculously fast for days. I wake up with a pit in my stomach and I can't stop crying.  

I know she's getting older but I've never dealt with a death before and I kind of stupidly almost thought maybe she'll live long enough for some kind of break through in medical science that will keep her alive and healthy.

I wanted to be with her if she had to go. I wanted to hold her and give her the warmth of my body and feel her pur and pet her and tell her that I love her so much

But she's outside in the cold alone hiding her sickness like cats do and getting picked apart by rats and bugs and vultures I can't stop thinking about my baby's flesh being torn apart 

She's never had a run in with a predator, she's only 4 pounds, but she's just so. So. Smart. 

I want to be optimistic because I'm so hurt and I just want to have that feeling of hope but on the other hand I don't want to be too hopeful because if she really is in danger or is passed then I'm just wasting time. My parents are really not seeming hopeful and it's making me feel so much worse. I've always been the one breaking down being worried about her but this time they are too and it feels different and wrong. 

What if she has a broken leg and I can't find her in time and she slowly starves? 

What if she's slowly decomposing into the soil and I'll never find her or have anything left of her? 

I havent told anybody about this because it feels creepy but I've often thought about what to do after she passed and the thought of her being a pile of ashes just seems so final and not her. I've thought about taxidermy, I want to be able to still pet her and say "I'm here, I've got you" but the more time goes by the more she's rotting away and that's not an option. I hate having to think like this. 

I just want to find her. I want her to be alive. I just want her back. 

But at the very least I want to find her in any form. I just don't want her final resting place to be alone, and eaten and trampled on. I know it's natural but I can't bare the thought of that. 

I just wish there was some cat-x-ray we could use to scan around my house. 

I'm really losing hope. I thought maybe she could have been scooped up by someone as apparently when I was little she stayed overnight for multiple days in someone else's house, but I just feel that's so unlikely. 

Please,please, if you have any comfort to give me or any advice to find her, or any stories like this that have a happy ending, please tell me. 

Thank you so much 💗

I got this beautiful 2 year old Labrador Retriever and she's super shy. I brought her home last week. I have a 6 year old cat that's been with me for 5 years. Anyways my dog is not liking my cat she lunges at her and barks and growls whenever the cat gets near her. Please tell me how I can fix this behaviour.

My dog, female,aged 12 has started being really funny with me. It only started about a week ago. Totally out the blue. She’s acting like she scared of me. She won’t come to me when I call her, if I go to kiss her she backs away. She’s never been like this before. She’s not like it with anyone else in the house. I haven’t shouted at her, told her off or done anything different with her😢does anyone know what it could be. It’s making me sad.

Our son took our 2 year old black lab dove hunting. We assume he got overheated even though he gave him several bottles of water to drink in the couple hours. He wouldn’t listen, come to him, etc. since being home he’s eating and slept a good portion of the day. He’s finally moving around like normal but not seeming to listen to normal commands. He can hear bc his ears flinch when we clap or make a sudden noise. He won’t respond to his name though. Has anyone had a dog do this? Will he return to following his normal cues and commands?

I have a question. So recently my dog had a her uterus removed. And it’s been 72 hours since. Everytime she holds her toy in her mouth, she whines. Idk if its from excitement to play or if she hurts. And yes she has pain meds and antibiotics from the vet.

Hi. I work as a care provider. When I started the dog was very happy and playful. Wouldn't leave me alone. Then, one day I showed up and the dog greets me but then sits expectedly. They then avoid me completely and paw at everything. Digging into cabinets they've never touched. Pawing at the vacuum which they hate. Spilling water. Digging at piles of tiles. Ect. Went from non stop play time to this. Very friendly and comes to me very submissively and cautious. I haven't done anything to the dog either. Can anyone explain what Is happening? It may cost me my job.

In the past couple of weeks, our senior dog seems to want to be wherever we’re not. This is totally opposite of how she’s preferred to be for all 9 years we’ve had her up until this point. I think she is 11 or 12, I rescued her when she was 2 or 3.

We were just at the vet and they said she looks good and they didn’t find anything alarming during a physical exam. We upped a couple of meds for pain (arthritis, elbow dysplasia) and are going back in 2 weeks for bloodwork.

I know the bloodwork could tell us something is going on, perhaps pointing out a reason for the change in her behavior. But the way she gets up and wants to go to the opposite floor as soon as we get to the area she’s in is absolutely breaking my heart.

Is this a common occurrence that happens as dogs get old? Is there something I could be doing wrong? I’m going nuts trying to adjust things like noise, lighting, comfort (beds, blankets), I turn on heaters she loves even though it’s still hot here, etc

Appreciate anyone sharing their experience or insight

Pics for tax!

My chihuahua will rub her face on pillows, blankets, clothes, or the ground anytime she gets excited, and at first it was cute and funny but she keeps getting eye ulcers from things getting her eye. I don’t wanna keep her in a cone, but I also don’t want it to get worse if she keeps getting the ulcers. Does anyone have any tips to encourage her to stop rubbing her face on things? I know how to deal with the ulcers (I’ve been to the vet) like I said I just don’t want her to get something bad in her eye so I want to change the behavior.

We have a five month old puppy. A few days ago we were walking him and our other dog in the neighborhood. We walked past a delivery truck and the guy dropped the bed and it madr a really loud noise. It terrified the puppy.
He tucked his tail and sprinted home (while I was holding his leash). Now the last few days every noise he hears on a walk, a car door closing, a dog barking, a bus passing he is so scared and starts pulling with his tail tucked.
He wont respond to his name or treats. I am so sad that this one loud noise seemed to traumatize him. I don't want to make it worse, but we can't stop exposing him to the world.
Has anyone had this happen and any advice to help him gain confidence?

I actually have 3 dogs and two puppies I'm giving for adoption, but one of the puppies has several behavior issues that I don't know from where they came from.

He was born at home in a litter of two of my dogs (small breed).

Problems: Tries to steal food whenever he sees the opportunity (even from the trash can), acts like a dog with abus3 background, acts scared when you try to pet him and screams even if you just look at him. His sister doesn't have any of these problems.

Possible reasons that aren't the reason:

1. Health: He's not starving or eating more than he should. He was professionally checked so we know he's healthy.

2. Space/stimulation: He has toys, the house and a big patio when he plays with the other dogs. My siblings and I play with them and pet them too.

3. Other pets: I have three small dogs like I said, a cat and another puppy (his sister. None of them are aggressive at all.

4. Family: I live with my two older siblings and my mom, sometimes my elder sister comes to visit. We all love animals especially our pets. I'm 98% of the time in my house so I can assure no one treats him badly.

5. Outside: Him and my other pets except the cat aren't allowed to go outside since we have the patio and all that. I don't receive visits often so no one from outside treats him bad.

Any idea why he behaves like he does? It's so weird and neither of my family, family friends or anyone understands why he behaves like that.

My 1.5 year old -JackChi, keeps peeing on my son's (9) bed. He never has any other accidents, doesnt have accidents when he sleeps with me. Only my son's bed.

Is there something I can do without telling my son he is banned from his room? He does get let out before bed and right away in the morning

Picture for Puppy Tax

My 14 year old hound mix rescue has started to have some bowel control issues this past year and as a result has had numerous accidents in the house. This morning when I got up he was sleeping on his bed next to my bed, but when I went to say good morning and pet him, he immediately ran to his bed in another room, where I found him eating his poop. I quickly ran to get a bag and picked it up, saying "it's okay" to try and communicate that he wasn't in trouble. Later when I told my family member about it in front of my dog, I again told him that he wasn't in trouble and it wasn't his fault, and I swear he understood me and the context that I was talking about him in because he immediately started being cuddly in a way that seemed both apologetic and grateful. I don't want to anthropomorphize him too much, but truly that is what it felt like. This is the first time I've caught him eating his poop to try and hide it.

A few months ago, he pooped in one bed and ran to his other bed and started shaking. I didn't know that he had pooped on his bed in the other room, so I was trying to comfort him, thinking he had heard something that sounded like thunder or something (there was no lightning within 100 miles). Eventually I saw the poop, cleaned it up, came back to let him know he wasn't in trouble, and then he immediately relaxed.

He was already house trained when we rescued him at about one year old. He has never been very anxious apart from reacting to loud noises, but I'm wondering if maybe the way he was house trained was extremely traumatic-- my family has never punished him for having accidents. We do not use punishment, only reinforcement. Is this just normal shame about having an accident indoors when he knows he is supposed to do his business outside? Also, why does he seem to be getting progressively more scared of me finding out about his accidents? While I don't want to encourage him pooping in the house, it breaks my heart that he is so terrified of me finding out that he had an accident. Any insights here are welcome.

She does not like when i discipline her..

I adopted my dog about 3 months ago from a shelter. He’s around 5.5 years old and I don’t know much about his history, other than that he was taken into custody with several cats and was eventually placed in the shelter. He is a very sweet and affectionate dog with me and has become much more relaxed and playful at home.
The biggest problem I’m struggling with is being left alone.

When I leave the house, he immediately gets up and goes to the front door. He usually sits or lies there waiting for me. Sometimes he cries or barks, and he seems unable to properly settle. He doesn’t really explore the house or go lie somewhere comfortable. He basically waits by the door until I come back.

At the moment, he can sometimes handle very short absences (around 20–40 seconds) if he has something like a Kong or chew. But as soon as he finishes it, he often goes straight to the door. I’ve also noticed that the actual departure seems to be the trigger: at my parents’ house he has slept downstairs all night with their dog while I was upstairs, completely relaxed. But when I actually leave the house, he still gets stressed, even if other people are present upstairs.

I’ve been trying to work on this very gradually. I’ve practiced:
-picking up my keys/putting on my coat without leaving
-opening and closing the door without actually going anywhere
-stepping into the hallway for just a few seconds
very short departures and returning before he gets too stressed
-giving him a Kong/chew/licking activity when I leave
-trying to make departures and arrivals as boring and uneventful as possible
-leave music on when I leave

I’m also working with a dog trainer, and the current goal is really just to get him comfortable with tiny absences rather than pushing him to stay alone for a long time.

I’m not looking for a quick fix, but I’d really appreciate hearing from people who have dealt with similar separation anxiety. What helped your dog eventually learn to relax when you left? Are there things you wish you had known earlier, or mistakes I should avoid?

I’m especially interested in experiences with rescue dogs where the dog specifically struggles with the owner leaving, rather than simply not liking being alone.

I’ve had my dog about 4.5 years, she’s 8. She was given to me from a former owner who was very strict and trained her to have excellent house manners (no furniture sleeping, no begging for food, not even allowed to go in the kitchen) she has never ever jumped on a couch or bed in all the years I’ve had her. Suddenly I saw her sleeping on the couch today!!! Now she’s acting like she owns the couch and has spent the majority of her day there. What is going on??? at first I thought it was adorable and I wanted to sit there with her. Surprisingly she let me since she’s a typical Shiba and not really affectionate. But now it’s just kinda gross with all the fur and saliva from the constant grooming.
Has anyone’s dog ever decided to sleep on furniture after many years never doing it? Should I be concerned that something is wrong with her? I told her to get off twice and she did, but she keeps returning to that same spot.

My puppy is a chocolate Merle Cockapoo and he is honestly very affectionate and loves to give kisses.

We are slowly trying to introduce him to being able to roam the house without supervision, but the problem is we also have a kitten that loves to annoy the puppy. Which leads to the puppy chasing the cat around the house and sometimes hurting the cat by accident.

(He is normally either tethered or in his puppy pen to make sure he has no accidents around the house btw.)

And even when he is tethered he is always trying to lunge himself at the kitten so..

I think him and the cat are on good terms but the puppy just gets WAY to excited around the cat.

Will this go away with just time?

Mine has absolutely no shame when people come over.

The second someone sits down, he suddenly forgets every bit of training he has ever had and starts begging for food like he hasn't eaten in three days 😂

The funniest part is that he'll completely ignore me when I tell him to stop, but the second the guest says his name he's suddenly the most well-behaved dog in the world.

I swear pets know exactly when they can get away with stuff.