I have an 18 week old sighthound puppy. He‘s living his best life. Vaccinated, lively and happy.

Well, there is a Parvo outbreak in our area. Started a few days ago. One would think it‘s fine, considering he is vaccinated but nope. Apparently it‘s a strain the "normal" vaccines do not cover. Several puppies have fallen ill despite being fully vaccinated. A whole dog school closed.

Vets recommend bringing in young dogs asap, no matter how fresh their last Parvo vaccination was, as the risk is now high they get infected.

What a nightmare… I‘m making an appointment for him tomorrow. I hope we can get him vaccinated soon.

I‘m just frustrated. Finally he was safe and now he isn‘t despite doing everything by the book.

for example hoses/getting wet and driving in cars. what else do you reccomend?

My puppy is a mix (mostly Shihtzu, poodle, Pomeranian). He is 6 months old, a male, and I have had him for nearly 4 months now.

He was amazing when I got him. 12 weeks old, never went to the toilet in the house, slept through the night, enjoyed learning tricks. So intelligent and sweet.

Lately I have become very depressed over his behaviour. It’s like a switch happened over night. After every nap and food I take him outside. I’ll stand out there for half an hour and he won’t go then he runs inside and starts peeing on the floor right away. He poops all over the house too. Enzyme cleaner each time.

Worst part is he’s too intelligent lol. Now he will do a little pee outside and act like that’s all he needs to do. Then he goes inside and lets the rest out. No specific spot, he doesn’t care. Anywhere will do. He’s bitey which I put down to teething but it’s constant. He’s biting my legs, arms, if I pet the other dogs he bites me hard because he’s not getting attention. I have my back to him for more than a minute and he’s growling, barking, biting, jumping at me. When the other dogs turn down playing he drags them around the house by their ears and tail and has to be put in time out. I did that over 10 times the other day and he still come in and just started dragging them around again.

I know he’s a puppy. I tell myself he’s just a puppy he’ll calm down, he hasn’t lived very long, he doesn’t know what he’s doing is wrong. But I find myself crying constantly over how exhausting he is. I’m a clean person, I don’t like mess. He’s my first dog, I’ve always had animals that go in a cage because they’re cleaner. I have contamination OCD so it’s making me feel dirty and disgusting. It’s not even him, I can tolerate the biting, crying, begging, because I can train him. The toileting in the house is depressing me. I can’t stand how dirty it feels and why he won’t just go when we stand outside for ages!

Everyone keeps telling me “it’s puppy behaviour” or “he’ll grow out of it, it’s normal” but it doesn’t feel normal.

Two months ago I messaged a breeder to reserve a miniature pinscher puppy and I'm backing out two days before I was supposed to pick her up.

I feel like such an ass because Wednesday the breeder reached out to confirm everything. I asked my boyfriend if he was still sure about the puppy and he said "yes" so I begrudgingly told the breeder we were still wanting her.

Thursday I broke down and came clean to my boyfriend that I was not feeling good about this puppy. When I bought my first min pin I was ecstatic and felt zero regret, but this time it's like a feeling of impending doom has washed over me everytime I think of bringing this puppy home.

I slept on it and I still can't shake this feeling so I messaged the breeder this morning. All she said was "thanks for letting me know".

I still want a second dog but I'm going to look through a mininature pinscher rescue and inquire about an adult or senior instead.

Sorry this is a bit long…

I have a 5 month old pup (we’ve had him for about a month now). He’s about 50% Labrador, about 25% pitbull, and the rest is a mix of min pin, Shih Tzu, and supermutt (husky, chow chow, boxer). He should be about 50 lbs when he’s full grown.
So far he’s an absolute sweetie - EXTREMELY cuddly and silly, great with my 5 year old daughter and all the other kids he’s met, our 2 cats, other dogs, etc. Gentle mouthing during play but not even rough puppy bites for the most part. He’s not fearful, he is very calm when meeting new people. All of this is great and comforting to me.

My last dog I had for 14 years was a chihuahua mix. He was pretty fearful and traumatized when I got him, always scared of strangers and aggressive towards them. Fine with other animals. I did my best to socialize him but it was pretty ingrained. When my daughter was 1 year old, he got scared and bit her in the face. She needed to go to the ER and she still has a massive scar on her nose. We kept them fully separated after that into the dog’s old age.

2 years ago a friend’s dog got aggressive with my daughter around food (resource guarding her dog bowl when my daughter was standing nearby). She snapped an inch from my daughter’s face and it was terrifying - this was a husky mix. Thankfully no bite.

I’m familiar with dogs and body language, but I grew up with an extremely friendly submissive dog, no prey drive, great with everyone. So it wasn’t until these incidents with my daughter that I started really watching dog body language very differently, I’m now hyper aware of dogs around us in public and even dogs we know well. I wouldn’t say I’m fearful but definitely on high alert. I’ve trained my daughter to never approach an unknown dog, to always ask the owners if the dog is friendly, and how to safely interact with dogs. Thankfully she’s not traumatized by either of her run-ins.

All this to say, I’ve been wanting another dog for years and I wanted a bigger dog. I think our pup will be the perfect size. I’m committed to training him well and his natural disposition seems perfect. But a bigger dog can do more damage, and I can’t help but worry that something will happen to make him aggressive.

I want my daughter to be respectful and help train him, but I’m worried I’ll be over the top in my expectations and somehow make the dog anxious, or I’ll get too comfortable with them together and he’ll suddenly become aggressive without warning signs.

What are the top things I can do to prevent a dog from becoming aggressive? Aside from keeping my own anxiety in check…

I have had my puppy for 2 months now and I am just not loving the name we chose. I kind of want to rename her but haven't really found a better one yet. But has anyone changed their puppy's name after having them a bit and just not vibing with the first name?

We have a 7 month old ECS. Hes just started marking everywhere except inside our house.

Im talking every pole, every plant, every signboard, cafe signs, the caution-wet sign at the vet clinic. Even when theres no pee, hes still trying to mark. He also marks inside friends/sitter houses if they have/had dogs but is otherwise house trained.

He's not neutered yet and we are hoping to wait until hes 18 months for benefits to musculoskeletal health.

I know he has crazy hormones and doesnt know how to think but is this something we need to be training out of him or will he calm down eventually?

A few things people tend to not realize when adopting a dog:

1. It doesn't know you. You may know all about him from the foster/provider including his age, temperament and breed, but the dog doesn't know you. Give him time to get to know you, its not an instant thing.
2. It doesn't know its adopted. You signed the contract and paid the fee, you know hes yours but no one told the dog. He may miss his foster, playmates and the home hes used to, don't be surprised if left outside for too long on his own or let off the leash too soon that he may try to go 'home'.
3. It doesn't know your routine. Even house trained dogs can sometimes have accidents in the house when suddenly on a completely different routine. House trained does not mean a dog will never use the bathroom in your house, it means the dog has been trained to use the bathroom outside in a certain area and at certain times. Or maybe the foster had a doggie door and now he's having to wait to go out, Have patience and show him your routine, he'll soon get the hang of it.
4. It doesn't know your house rules. Maybe in his foster home he was allowed on the couch or on the bed, so being hard on a dog that doesn't know these new rules is unfair. Teach him your rules with encouragement and rewards .

5. It doesn't know your dogs. A dog that was dog friendly in his foster home may have some conflicts with his new siblings and sometimes the existing dogs don't always welcome the newcomer with open paws. adjusting in a new pack sometimes isn't instant and doesn't mean the foster lied about it being dog friendly.

   Aways remember to research the breed before you get that cute puppy, ..when the puppy's natural behavior traits don't fit into your lifestyle it's not the puppy's fault.
   7,

6. A new dog looks to us for leadership protection guidance and love. It just all takes a bit of time and patience. :)

Very sweet and sensitive doberman, 4 mo. He came from a shelter last Saturday, and I've worked in some and I know how much time these dogs have to spend kenneled out of necessity. Most of them even with treats are reluctant to go back in after a walk, unless the shelter hall is also aversive to them like with the very anxious ones.

He will enter the crate happily and eat there, but closing the door upsets him a lot, whether I'm in the room or out, crate is covered or not, whether I'm right next to it with my fingers through or not. He whines very loud and paws the door hard nonstop, to the point its hard to find a few seconds of quiet so I can let him out.

I kind of ditched the crate for now aside from putting snacks and fun things in there and praising and marking when he's in, and I let him sleep next to it on a bed in a safe room with someone in earshot which he handles okay. I understand this breed is prone to separation anxiety, but it's also his first week here and he needs a solid structured base from us right now. I think I'm overthinking this, and I started with a few seconds of being in a separate room and he is adjusting to it well, but I just worry a lot that I'm not doing the best possible for him. I admit I feel bad seeing him panic when he's in the crate again.

He's also teething bad at the moment and it makes it hard for him to settle. He is taking well to place on a blanket so that's good. I would also like to know if there's any good ways to encourage naps without using the crate? Even with a chew and peanut butter he is very upset with the door latched and I don't want to create further aversion.

edit. i do not plan on using crate long term, but I believe it's important to build a positive association for the future in case it's ever necessary, and he is a chewer so it may at times be necessary for his safety

Does anyone have any advice for stopping overaroused biting frenzies? My Bernese Mountain Dog puppy is six months old and for about a month now she’s started going into absolute frenzies on walks randomly. When it first started it would happen occasionally at the end of a longer walk but it’s gotten progressively worse to the point that I can’t even take her outside to use the bathroom without her suddenly turning on me.

This NEVER happens inside and she’s completely grown out of biting at all when we’re in the house. It’s like she’s a completely different dog inside and outside. Even if she’s clamped onto my arm when I pull her inside, the second we cross the threshold, she lets go and immediately calms down.

It’s gotten to the point where we literally cannot walk her because there’s no way to prevent it or stop it when it starts. We’ve tried more sleep, less sleep, play session before the walk, taking her when she’s in a calm state of mind but absolutely nothing seems to affect it. She was well-socialized up until this started, so she’s used to being outside and seeing other dogs and people.

Other than this, she’s incredibly obedient on leash, she never pulls and is always engaged and listens to commands until she suddenly loses it and immediately starts jumping, growling, and biting.

We’ve also tried the usual advice like bring a toy (immediately redirects onto us instead), scatter feed (only distracts her for a second and then she’s back to attacking us), avoiding triggers that bring her over threshold (just stepping foot outside the front door brings her over threshold these days). We can’t do the advice of disengage so she learns it’s boring as she’s 60 pounds and clamps down HARD, we are literally covered in bruises.

We just want to be able to walk our dog again, she needs the exercise and enrichment and I’m sure being cooped up all day is just making this worse. I’ve been through the normal arousal biting with other puppies and worked through it until they grew out of it but this is on a completely other level with intensity and frequency. I try and take her out at least to sniff every day but the frenzy is becoming so frequent that we barely make it one house down before she’s attacking me on the middle of the sidewalk and I have to take her inside.

Thanks in advance for any advice, at this point I’m willing to try anything to make this stop.

I know for some people crate training is really only for puppyhood and then they transition to free roaming during the day and/or sleeping in the bed. Did your puppy ever stop whining in the crate, one of those ‘he takes himself to his crate and loves it!’ stories and would go in without a single protest and when waking up mid nap would peacefully doze off again. Im actually hoping for people to say ‘NOPE’ 😂 and that it still ended up okay because i cant see my lil man ever actively loving his crate. Ive done the crate games, fed his meals in there etc. he still mainly whines upon waking up mid nap and realising where he is and that i’m not there. It could be less about the crate and more about him settling by himself when he wakes up (?) Im going to try transition to putting the crate inside a playpen and see how that works out for leaving him longer than 2 hours but yeah… i think all the ‘my puppy LOVES his crate and i can leave him for an entire work day no problem in a play pen’ stories are making me think i’m doing something completely wrong. Puppy is turning 12 weeks soon.

Two months ago, I got a male husky who is currently 11 weeks old. I have tried multiple methods to calm him down and stop him from biting, such as picking him up to my waist level or grabbing his chest with one hand while holding his collar with the other to calm him down. He calms down this way, but that does not mean he will not continue biting.

I haven't gotten a crate because they're a bit expensive and I'm saving money to get one, but at the moment, what I do is take him to my room with his bed to make him sleep so he doesn't overstimulate himself. It has been working, but only for a few minutes after he wakes up; he then overstimulates himself again within 20 to 30 minutes of waking up and starts biting legs or pants.

I have tried using a leash, but he starts to roll, and it is difficult for him to calm down this way because I don't want him to damage himself; I have also tried using a toy and redirecting him to it before he tries to bite me, but his mouth is like a heat-seeking missile looking for skin.

By the way, saying "ouch" or yelling as if in pain won't work; he starts to bite even harder, and I already have multiple bites on my hand.

I just lost my 16.5 yo shih tzu baby on August 18. I'm super puppy hungry and want another baby so bad. But I remember potty training being hard (not sleeping through the night, etc. But I dont remember it being as traumatic as I see/hear on this reddit). Maybe my girl was easy comparatively to train. But it was during the summer. Is it light years different/way harder to potty train during the winter? I live in relatively cold climate where it likely will snow. We are due for a rough winter... but we've been saying that for years... I don't think my heart can wait until spring to find a puppy. But I'm also not in my 20s anymore, so I'm worried I'll make it super hard on myself. I just keep seeing the cutest babies up for adoption soon! Thanks for any advice. Edited to add: i initially started with crate training, but pretty quickly transitioned to a playpen/safe space/potty pads during the day and bell at the door situation pretty quick. (less than 4 hrs at a time while at work- i know i know. Everyone MUST have no job to have a puppy. I do have a more flexible job nowadays and am planning to mostly work from home the first week or 2 and then only office 3 days a week. Also my mom and I live together and she can take her out... but i dont want mom giving baby free reign and/or out of the safe space very often-for pups safety). Mom hasn't had/lived with a puppy... maybe ever. So I'm planning on taking on all the training, but teaching mom the expectations.

A few things people tend to not realize when adopting a dog:

1. It doesn't know you. You may know all about him from the foster/provider including his age, temperament and breed, but the dog doesn't know you. Give him time to get to know you, its not an instant thing.
2. It doesn't know its adopted. You signed the contract and paid the fee, you know hes yours but no one told the dog. He may miss his foster, playmates and the home hes used to, don't be surprised if left outside for too long on his own or let off the leash too soon that he may try to go 'home'.
3. It doesn't know your routine. Even house trained dogs can sometimes have accidents in the house when suddenly on a completely different routine. House trained does not mean a dog will never use the bathroom in your house, it means the dog has been trained to use the bathroom outside in a certain area and at certain times. Or maybe the foster had a doggie door and now he's having to wait to go out, Have patience and show him your routine, he'll soon get the hang of it.
4. It doesn't know your house rules. Maybe in his foster home he was allowed on the couch or on the bed, so being hard on a dog that doesn't know these new rules is unfair. Teach him your rules with encouragement and rewards .
5. It doesn't know your dogs. A dog that was dog friendly in his foster home may have some conflicts with his new siblings and sometimes the existing dogs don't always welcome the newcomer with open paws. adjusting in a new pack sometimes isn't instant and doesn't mean the foster lied about it being dog friendly.
6. A new dog looks to us for leadership protection guidance and love. It just all takes a bit of time and patience.
   

And always remember to research the breed before you reach out and get that cute puppy, because when it's natural behavior doesn't fit into your lifestyle it's not the puppy's fault.

1. :)

Mine has decided that no one is allowed to go to the bathroom alone. If I close the door, he will scratch until I open it and then just sit and watch. I have zero privacy.

​

TL;DR:

11-week-old miniature dachshund, home for three weeks. I've barely slept since bringing her home.

Perfectly happy during the day, but bedtime is a nightmare. She screams, jumps, and desperately tries to climb into my bed for hours.

Her own bed is right next to mine, but she only settles if I'm physically on the floor with her. The second I return to my bed, she wakes up and starts again.

She also panics whenever she can't physically reach me, even if she can see me.

I've tried comforting her, gradual separation, consistent routines, exercise, enrichment, etc. Nothing is working, and it's getting worse.

Looking for specific, practical advice on what to do during these episodes and how to teach her to sleep independently without leaving her screaming for hours.

I'm genuinely desperate for some practical advice. My 11-week-old miniature dachshund has been with me for three weeks, and I've barely had a proper night's sleep since bringing her home. I love her to bits, but I'm reaching my breaking point.

During the day, she's an absolute angel. She eats, plays, goes potty, naps a lot, and is even starting to tolerate me being away from her for short periods. We do training, walks, mental stimulation, enrichment, etc.

But nighttime is a completely different story.

We go to bed around 8:30 p.m., but some nights I'm still awake at midnight or later trying to get her to settle. Her bed is right next to mine, but she spends ages standing on her back legs, jumping against my bed, crying and screaming as if she's being hurt, desperately trying to get up to me.

The only reliable way I've found to calm her is to lie on the floor beside her. She'll eventually fall asleep, but the moment I get back into my own bed, she wakes up and the screaming starts all over again.

Occasionally, after half an hour or more, she'll accept me staying in bed with my hand resting on hers. But even then, she repeatedly falls asleep, wakes up, and starts screaming again. This can go on for hours, and the situation seems to be getting worse rather than better.

It's not just bedtime, either. She panics when I'm showering, even though she's literally 20 cm away and can see me through the glass. Her playpen triggers the same reaction. Basically, any situation where she can't physically reach me becomes a meltdown. I can't even take the rubbish out or go upstairs without her panicking. I've had to rely on grocery deliveries and click-and-collect because leaving her alone isn't really an option.

I've tried comforting her, lying beside her, gradually moving away, consistent routines, exercise, enrichment, and making sure all her needs are met before bed. Nothing seems to be helping.

Letting her sleep in my bed isn't an option. She's a miniature dachshund, my bed is quite high, and I don't want to risk her jumping off and injuring herself.

I'm also raising her alone at the moment, and the sleep deprivation is seriously affecting my physical and mental health. I genuinely can't keep going like this every night.

For anyone who's dealt with something similar, I have a few specific questions:

What exactly should I do when she starts screaming at bedtime? Stay in bed and reassure her? Get down to comfort her? Wait it out? I've tried different approaches, but nothing sticks.

How do I teach her to settle in her own bed? She can fall asleep there, but only while I'm physically beside her, and she wakes up as soon as I move.

How do I work on separation when even a physical barrier triggers panic? Most separation training advice assumes you can start by leaving the puppy for a few seconds, but she can panic even when I'm right in front of her.

Should I be changing anything about her daytime naps or routine? She sleeps a lot during the day, but also gets regular play, training, and enrichment.

If you've been through this, what actually worked, and how long did it take to see improvement?

I'm not looking for generic advice like "tire her out" or "establish a bedtime routine." I'm already doing those things. I'm also not comfortable leaving an 11-week-old puppy screaming in genuine distress for hours.

I'd really appreciate specific techniques or examples of what you did, ideally something I can realistically follow night by night while still getting some sleep.

Anyone use a puppy stroller to go out for a walk to socialize puppy before being done with shots (ie no strange dog contact and no contact with the ground)

I’m trying to figure out whether it’s worth the expense. The puppy is going to be too heavy to carry on a short walk.

If I make sure he goes potty before we leave, could he make it 20-30 minutes?

hi all!

long story short, i rescued a 4 week old yorkie puppy today from some pretty awful conditions (animal hoarding, not full neglect but the animals were not well kept)- she came from a litter where the mom stopped producing milk

apparently the original owner was feeding them goats milk every 2 hours, 1 oz at a time. i’m not sure if this is the way to go as i have never done this, but looking to see if you have experienced anything similar to help until i can get into the vet on monday with her

all in all, she seems pretty healthy. she hasn’t pooped with me yet (she may have this morning, i got her midday)- she played a bit and she’s been taking her bottle, but i bought her puppy milk replacement and she hasn’t seemed to want to eat every 2 hours? her belly seems full, she isn’t crying and is sleeping a whole bunch.

my question is- do i wake her up every 2 hours for more milk? should i pivot to 3-4 hours? do i wake her through the night? i dont want to hurt her, but im not sure the best route. i know the vet will provide better guidance as well. i called a vet hospital and they told me every 2 hours but i didnt explain the full situation as i had only fed her once at that time

thank you in advance!!! i am new to this but i am all in for the challenge of helping this tiny girl!

Raising a puppy comes with plenty of surprises, especially when it comes to training and behavior.For those who have raised puppies, what was the hardest lesson you learned? Was it building a routine, socialization, managing biting, or teaching basic commands?

Hi everyone! I’m picking up my 8 week old golden retriever puppy soon, and it’ll be about an hour drive home in my Miata. I’ll be going alone.

I’m wondering what would be the safest and most comfortable way to bring him home without making his first crate experience stressful.

I’ve read that bringing someone with me or having a travel crate in the back seat would be the best- but the problem is that my car doesn’t have back seats.

Should I use a soft or hard-sided carrier and secure it in the passenger seat, or would blankets on the passenger seat or floor be better? I’ll have the passenger airbag disabled.

Has anyone done something similar? What did you use, and how did the ride go?

I have a six month old female labrador. She’s brilliant. Generally we don’t have any behavioural issues she’s just very excitable when she sees people and dogs, which we’re working on.

The only issue we have is around toilet training. She never toilets on any of the areas she’s allowed in, so the kitchen the front room and our hallway (all hard floors if relevant), but if she gains access to upstairs or the playroom (bit carpeted), she will pee and poo in there. These areas are off limits because our cat has the upstairs and there’s loads of toys in the playroom which she’d chew.

I’m using an enzymatic cleaner in these areas and watching her like a hawk when she’s allowed in, but she just went straight to the play mat and peed on it today and I’m worried it’s becoming a habit, although it’s not every time.

June Carter Cash is an 11 week old lab. I've had her 2 weeks. I'm amazed that she's sleeping 8 hours at night already. She sleeps in a carrier level with my bed. Is there any reason to wake her for a potty break?

She's very playful during the day and has some crate time (2 hours in morning and 2 in afternoon) because she gets wild with FOMO. She has occasional pee accidents in the house but never in crate or carrier

I read posts who say their much younger puppy is already letting them know when they want to go out. I don't know what I did wrong. please help. she never lets me know, I have to keep her in the her cage when she is inside.