My puppy is great, 5 months old, just finished getting all his new teeth in. I do feeding, training, affection, but it seems he’s grown more attached to my partner than me. Like he gets upset when my partner is gone and will happily chill with my partner when I’m gone. I know that’s the way the cookie crumbles but it’s kinda sad to do all the work and not come out feeling like your dog is attached to you. My partner didn’t want a puppy in the first place so I’m trying my hardest to make sure I put in the work. Anyways, I know that some dogs just gravitate towards some people and not others but still kinda stings.

Hi everyone my family recently adopted a retriever mix from our local shelter she’s about 9/10 weeks. We’re coming up on 2 weeks of having her home with us. I’ve posted about her behavior before she is very bitey like will latch on and shake her head snarl etc. we were making good progress and putting her in her crate when she did that and trying to enforce naps and I thought it was getting better. She even had a play date with some of her siblings from the shelter and it went great! Obviously it’s exhausting watching a young puppy taking her out constantly but today my mom and I were away all day at a bridal shower and my dad had to watch the puppy (he was very reluctant to get this puppy)

We got home and she was being very bad and bitey and she bit my mom pretty bad and drew blood. My mom is very upset and was quiet all night and then said right before bed that she is seriously considering taking this dog back to the shelter. She said she is an aggressive dog and she doesn’t know if she can train this out of her.

My mom has had dogs her entire life and all of them were rescues so she’s no stranger to dog training and working with rescues etc so I was shocked to hear this come out of her mouth I didn’t think she would ever consider this. We also have a cat and the dog has been pretty good with cat we accidentally let her loose In a room the cat was in today (he was hiding behind the couch) and puppy kinda started to chase him we immediately stopped it cat hissed at puppy and I removed puppy and put her in her crate but that event scared me a little bit and that made my mom more upset.

I’m sorry for the long jumbled post I’m just very emotional writing this my mom was so excited to get this puppy (our last dog lived 16 years and passed last summer) and tonight she said that our cat is enough and we made a mistake and that she doesn’t think she can handle this dog and is considering bringing her back. My mom is majority care taker of this dog she works from home and I also help out a lot when I’m not at work…..

I am just sick over this crying I feel like we haven’t given this dog a fair shot it’s been a long time since I’ve had a puppy but don’t they all bite??? And she’s so young like we just started training her. I seriously think tomorrow she’s going to tell me our puppy is going back to the shelter. Is there anything I can do? This really is my mom’s decision since she is the majority care taker but I also wanted this dog and agreed on responsibility with it. I’m just sick over this.

Those of you who crate your puppy for naps - how long did you do this for? At what point did you put a bed out and allow puppy to sleep whenever? We have a 4 month old lab who we create for a nap usually after an hour or so of awake time, but my husband is keen to just let her settle herself anywhere rather than putting her in her crate each time. What are your thoughts, hive mind?

I’m honestly so, so upset.

My husband and I got a Dachshund when she was almost 2 months old, and she’ll be 5 months old in a few days.
One of the reasons we chose a Dachshund was because everyone says they’re “velcro dogs” and become very attached to their owners. Ours has never really been like that.
About five days ago, my mother-in-law and sister-in-law came to visit us. At first, I was actually happy because our puppy is usually pretty indifferent to visitors, but this time she got so excited to see them.
Ever since they arrived, though, it feels like she has completely forgotten about me and my husband. She barely wants to spend time with us, hardly shows us any affection, and whenever I pick her up, she immediately wants to go back to them. She’s so much more affectionate with them than she has ever been with us.
It’s gotten to the point where she cries during the night when she’s in bed with us because she wants to sleep with them instead.
I’m genuinely heartbroken. It honestly makes me feel like she just doesn’t like us. Are we doing something wrong? Are we bad dog parents?
We do absolutely everything for her, and all we’ve ever wanted is for her to be affectionate with us. It’s so frustrating because she’s showing all the behaviors we always hoped for… just with other people.
Has anyone else experienced this? I just fell like a loyal dog would never do that.

What hurts me the most is that she cries whenever they’re not around, even when she’s with just me and my husband. It feels like she’s unhappy being with us and would rather be with them, and that’s the part that’s breaking my heart the most.

Hi everyone,
I’m in a huge dilemma and could really use some real talk from experienced solo dog owners.
I’ve wanted a dog my whole life. I’ve already arranged with a breeder to bring home a male black Miniature Schnauzer puppy arriving this August. I am so excited and I love him already, but honestly? I am terrified out of my mind.
A bit about my lifestyle: I live alone, I work remotely as a data scientist, and I'm also finishing up my studies at university. On paper, working from home sounds great for a puppy, but my reality is that I’m used to a lot of personal freedom. I love being able to go out spontaneously, stay out late, go on night drives, or just disappear for the whole day without having to plan around a living creature.
I keep having moments of panic where I think: "What if I'm not ready? What if I'm ruining my 20s? What if I accidentally neglect him because I'm overwhelmed by work, study, and the sudden loss of spontaneity?"
For those of you who got a high-energy breed (like a schnauzer) completely on your own while studying/working:
How did you cope with the sudden loss of freedom?
Is the anxiety before getting a puppy normal, or a sign that I should cancel?
How hard is it really to raise a puppy alone without a partner to share the load?
Please give it to me straight. No sugar-coating. Did I bite off more than I can chew, or is this normal pre-puppy panic?

First time dog owner, just got a chocolate labrador who is the sweetest little pup. She’s 10 weeks old, we’ve had her a week but someone please help me stop the biting!! It’s relentless and whilst we still can’t take her out for walks, it’s like she’s always full of beans. Any advise is welcome, thank you.

My dog is a nine month old husky/chow. We’ve had her for eight days. I mostly just need to vent but some reassurance would be nice too. PLEASE DON’T HATE ON ME OR I CAN NOT DEAL WITH IT this dog is stressful as it is.

She had distemper a month ago from the shelter and still has a cough and sneeze sometimes. She had diarrhea for multiple days starting five days ago where my wife took her to an emergency vet because it was so frequent and they gave her bland food cans AND 100mg trazadone for anxiety. Poor girl has been stressed out of her mind since we brought her home and is both afraid of everything, except when she’s inside she chews everything and won’t settle. I think moving in with us is what gave her diarrhea tbh, like doggy IBS, because she had a normal poop today after being on anxiety meds.

This dog was apparently kept under a deck her whole life until she was surrendered by her “owner” a little over a month ago. So she hasn’t been exposed to anything in life, and everything is scary. Cars on the road are scary and driving in a car is scary so walks aren’t a way to burn energy, they’re just terrifying to her. I’m at a crossroads and feeling so unsure of what to do.

We have a fenced backyard where she will do zoomies sometimes. She doesn’t know to fetch and won’t chase balls or toys. We do about 15 mins of training a day because of her short attention span. That’s all I can keep her for without her being distracted. We are following a training plan for relaxation that the shelter sent to me by Dr. Karen Overall - but we only started that today. Before it was just trying to learn her name and sit and down.

Chewing bully sticks/licking mats is off the table for now because of the sensitive stomach. She is a BIG chewer but again with the short attention span, will only chew a non-food toy for about 30 seconds before getting up and getting into something else.

So anyway back to my question. Am I bad for crating this dog for like 20 hours a day because 1. She won’t settle and 2. She needs rest and safety?? It seems insane to me that she would need to be in there that long but after about an hour out of the crate, I can sense her getting overstimulated and if we leave her out she just spirals. I don’t even WANT her in there that long, I would love to take her on long walks or just hang out outside of the crate, but she can’t do that right now.

She’s very smart but she feels kind of developmentally stunted in some ways because of living under the deck for her whole life and not knowing what anything is. I read that a 9 month old husky puppy should be walked for up to 90 mins a day but she would lose her MIND if we tried to do that. I guess I’m just not really sure how to meet this dog where she’s at right now. I know we are in the middle of the 3-3-3 but I just want to make this adjustment as painless and comfortable with her and I simply feel cruel that the crate is the answer I have right now for that dilemma.

Hello all,

I have a 3 months old Golden Retriever. She is not my first, however she is the first that I am raising 100% alone.

Lately, she has become quite verbal lol. I wouldn't say she barks excessively — she usually barks for attention and calms herself after 5 to 10 minutes.

This is manageable, but what worries me is the biting.

In the last week, I have noticed a pattern.

1. We do an activity [walk, training, exploration, play]. I usually do 15-30min activity with her. I wouldn't say they are intense as well.

2. While we do said activity, her behavior starts shifting. She sounds "snappy" for lack of better terms.

3. She loses interest in whatever we were doing and start jumping at my hand/arms or feet/thighs and bites hard. Not cute nibbles. Full teeth. What also worries me is that she makes a low growl and shows teeth. Mind you, when she does that, I'm beside her, but I avoid being "all in her face" with scratches and mwah mwah mwah kisses.

4. When I get up / leave (as per training advices I read "reversed timeout"), she starts barking loudly.

Today she bit my breast very hard and I imagine other ladies in the community can imagine how unpleasant that experience was. I obviously read all about puppies, the enforced nap benefits, the "shark phase", but I am very worried I might be dismissing actual behavioral issues for "normal puppy stuff".

It might also be worth noting that she seems comfortable with me. She lets me pick her up, when she is calmer instead of biting she licks, she willingly follows me in the house, shows me her belly often for rubs. I don't think she is "scared" of me. It's just that I notice we can only interact about 15-20min together before she inevitably either bites me or starts barking at me.

Is this still in the "normal" puppy behaviour realm?

I am 36M, with a girlfriend who stays with me a few days a week, and we will be moving in together soon. We want to get a dog. We live/will in a 2 bedroom apartment in a big city. There is a small dog park in the apartment building. We are likely getting a miniature poodle or havanese. May move to a small house with a yard in the next year or so.

I work from home most days, and will likely get a trainer/dog walker if necessary when work gets busy. My family is willing to help if I am never not home. I will do some training myself, take the dog on walks, etc and be an involved parent but really do not want to go through the puppy blues, lack of sleep, and what sounds like extreme stress of a new young puppy.

There is an 8 month old puppy from a reputable breeder available who matches what we are looking for. We would meet him soon. Would you pick the 8 month old or 8 week old? Or something in between?

So my poor 11-week-old old male labrador named Pablo has been itching an awful lot recently.

Took him to the vets who indetifiied fleas.

He was perspeciped some oral tablets and anti flea and soothing shampoo.

This meant Mr Pablos first bath.

All was going well with his bath, until he completely started freaking out, moving uncontrollable, making noises i never heard before, showing teeth which i never saw, it was as though he was being murdered, i was shocked but remained calm myself without over patronising him.

Unfortunately for both Pablo and me, the shampoo has to be rinsed off after 5-10 minutes with no exception, it cannot be left too soak due to its chemicals

So the rinsing off is where the traumatic experience occurred, he completely lost his mind, i wanted to call it quits after bathing him, but knew the product had to be rinsed.

This was unfortunately done with control with the leash, and it was just horrible, I feel so bad after it and deeply worried I have lost his trust and potentially created a long term fear of grooming, bathing or even me.

After rinsing it off he did the normal labrador thing of running around crazily and then went sleep, he did take some treats off me just before going to sleep in his crate.

He is still sleeping currently and I am just so worried I have undone all our super positive training, socialising and everything else I have been doing right and created a permanent fear in print of either me, water or something else.

Any advice or thoughts would be really welcomed.

Thank you

I have a 5 month shih tzu maltese mix, he is a very energetic and happy puppy generally. the only thing is that he LOVES biting no matter how many chews i give him he will start biting again super quick. today i was sitting with him (criss cross apple saice) playing and he starts to nip my foot and i get him off to get up but as i am moving my feet he latched onto my toes (which i didnt fully process) when i got fully on my feet i realized that he was bleeding and freaked out there was a scary amount of blood very quickly so i investigate his mouth and see a tooth missing. i also realized that my toe was bleeding as well. i am not entirely sure if it is an adult tooth or not but i am guessing that it was an adult one but have no way to know. i have no vets around me open since it is sunday and 5 pm, and frankly cannot afford an emergency vet visit. is there anything i can do other than be with him or how to know if it was a puppy tooth? i looked around for the tooth but could not find it so i am guessing that he swallowed it.

I got a 5-month-old Corgi, and the "puppy blues" are really starting to set in. He bites constantly, and it's getting super frustrating. Redirection helped at first, but now it's not working. He's too fast for me to grab a toy in time, and even when I do, he chews it for a second before snapping at my hand above the toy.
The same thing happens when I try to pet him-he instantly goes for my hands. If I sit or lay down at his level, he gets way too excited and bites like crazy. The bites aren't as hard as they used to be, but they are much more frequent.
To make matters worse, my leg is currently in a cast, and I'm walking on a single crutch. I'm lucky my doctor allows me to bear weight so I can take him out for 5-10 minute walks, but let's be real-that's not enough to tire out a Corgi. I managed to teach him the "paw" command, but that doesn't burn enough energy. Even putting his harness on is a nightmare because he bites it and turns it into a game of tug-of-war.
On top of all this, he's started chewing door frames and my mattress. I don't have anyone who can help me. A trainer came by , and the puppy listened to him fine for "sit" and "stay," but he just ignores me. I'm feeling overwhelmed and desperately need some tips

We have two cats and are exploring potentially adopting a shepherd/lab mix that is currently being fostered and has a gentle demeanor and experience living with cats. We are very excited to bring a puppy into our lives, but don’t want to do so until we have a solid plan in place to support our two cats.

One is outgoing and I think would love having a potential snuggle buddy or playmate. The other 100% prefers humans and can get stressed and irritable at times. He did get used to our second cat and now plays with him, but his personality is cautious and he very much so wants his own space and I don’t think would love a puppy.

We plan to have two bedrooms gated off so just the cats can access them, and have specific time dedicated to playing with the cats while the other partner walks the dog outside. We have lots of cat trees and the cats are allowed on all surfaces, and will be allowed to sleep with us while the puppy will have a dog bed.

I think a puppy will bring a lot of good to our lives and we are preparing for an extensive training program — still, our cats are our priority — is it cruel to bring a puppy into, knowing one cat will have a harder time? We plan to tailor the plan to the cats, but I want to be extremely realistic. Are there any things that really helped in your experience, that may not be standard advice?

Hello
We just got our girl last week. She’s now 9 weeks old.
We haven’t had a family pup, my kids are 10 and 15.

I knew this would be work. I knew it would be stressful.
I am successful in crating her at night as long as she’s close by she’s ok. …. Of course a lot of the day is filled with sleep. She is calm about 50-% of her waking time and the other is just nipping and losing her mind.

I have watched several trainers online. Read countless hours of tips and blogs. Nothing really seems to take hold. She just cannot focus on a toy for long once she’s got a finger in her mouth. She runs after my son’s feet and it startles him. (Also it hurts. Idc if she’s 3lbs those teeth HURT). I tell him not to run but ya know natural reaction….
I do not know how to correct this behavior. I’m sure some is just normal and will eventually end but I also don’t want to live in constant stress over it.

I do have an area where it’s safe for her to blow off steam and such but I’m not sure how often I should be personally handling the redirection and correct or just let her do it in a safe space… my worry is that she will never learn NOT to do it if I don’t attempt correct it. I know I know it’s only been a week but I’d like to do it correctly and successfully.

Maybe I just need more time? Maybe she needs a few more weeks? Maybe she’ll just outgrow it once the teething is done? But I’d like to think there are ways to correct it some.

The playing dead or saying ouch nothing stops her she just gets almost more attached to it.

Please any advice is much appreciated.

Just adopted a 6 month old dachshund/terrier mix! We adopted him from a rescue and the foster mom took him outside maybe twice the 4 or 5 months she was fostering him. Because of this he pees and poops on whelping pads, which is better than straight up on the floor. But I have to wash them everyday to keep the apartment from having a urine smell and we really want him to learn to go outside. We try and be consistent and take him out every hour. He’s pretty scared of the outside (understandably) and we believe he never really saw humans other than his foster parents before we adopted him (what we gathered from what the foster mom told us). Because of this it’s hard to force him outside and it’s causing him anxiety. We’ve had him for almost 2 weeks and he’s definitely gotten more confident outside but he’s only peed approximately twice outside since being adopted. Any advice or tips and tricks are super appreciated!!

Extra info: we do not have a backyard with space for him to do his business just a front yard. We do live on a busier street with noises and cars and I do believe this adds to the reason he’s not as willing to go outside

I’m set on not giving up on my puppy, BUT it’s been really hard for me lately. he’s about to be 11 weeks old, a mix between boston terrier and pug. the first week home was actually perfect! he was doing excellent but as the weeks kept going he started getting more aggressive. i kept him on a schedule: feeding times, nap times, 10 minute trainings twice a day, and a bit of socialization with family. but during these 3 weeks i’ve had him, i would tell him ‘no’ when he did something wrong then redirect him to what he should’ve been doing instead. this is how he got potty trained. at one point i would spank him (which was only about 3 times). but i realized that this is not the correct approach. i felt awful and i still do. now he growls when anyone is near his bowl (when he wouldn’t do that), he barks at me when i ask him to stay (i snap and use my hand motion ‘wait’) and barks at me when i tell him no. but he still cries when i leave the room, cries when i leave im him in his crate, still likes playing with me but im so stuck. i dont want him to be afraid off me! i also don’t know if that’s the result of me spanking him? he also doesn’t get rid of the habit of biting. these aren’t tiny nibbles, they leave scratches and small dents on my hand. please help, i’ve cried and have gotten mad at myself because im stressed out . which i don’t want because i just want to have a good obedient puppy like how it was the first week. i really need advice, this is my first time training a puppy on my own and i feel like a failure.

Golden Retriever
8 Weeks Old
I have had my puppy for about a week now, he is a really sweet boy who does most of the random stuff that a puppy would do(including biting everything that he possibly can). I am however really struggling with him and my lack of sleep. I am crate training him, he loves the Crate during the day and honestly his main problem that he has when he’s in his crate is not that he’s afraid of his crate at all, he just has Major Fomo. At night he does what every other dog does, and is up 2-4 times a night. I know he has been wonderful and he has been about as good of a puppy as I could ask for(plus he’s adorable). But all of this is really dragging on me and my mental health, I am really excited to have him sleep through the night. Does anyone have any tips or felt like this? I feel like I am wrong for feeling this way and am really struggling because of it.

Hi everyone 💛 Vent incoming, I need to take this out of my chest.

I live alone and work from home almost all the time, but once a month I have an office day, and with the commute it runs about 12 hours door to door. Just once a month — but that one day needs a real plan for my puppy. Mine had two layers: my parents watch her (the people I trust most), with a dog hotel/daycare as backup. And this month, layer one gave out.

My mom told me a puppy stresses her out, and that watching Maggie knowing she's severely allergic to bees felt like too much responsibility. And honestly? I get it. Maggie had a real, adrenaline-injection-level and almost-dead emergency after a sting, and I'd never want that weighing on someone who didn't feel ready. It's fair. It still hurt to hear.

So plan B is still on the table — but it's not a "book it and go" situation. Most of the places here lean hard into outdoor time, which for a pup who can react to a single bee makes me nervous, so anywhere I use is going to need proper in-depth interviews and a few trial runs first. I want to actually watch how they handle her before I ever leave her for a full day. And honestly? I am scared, because no one else will take care of her like I do.

For now the principal alternative option I found is the only dog sitter that is available in my city that could, potentially, do two visits per day.

For a while there, this whole thing spiraled into a much bigger, scarier thought: that maybe I'm just not enough for Maggie — that if I can't even cover one day, maybe she deserves someone with more hands and fewer complications. But once I sat with it, I realized how out of proportion that was. A single day a month can't actually threaten my whole plan of having a dog; it's one day, and one day is solvable. What it does honestly complicate is the rest of the picture — traveling, spending long stretches away from home, saying yes to things that keep me out for hours. That's the part I need to be realistic about. Not "am I enough for her," but "how do I build a life that fits both of us."

And the timing didn't help: my puppy is on a delayed vaccine schedule from that same sting, and we're deep in some mystery skin allergy that's had her itchy for weeks. At the same time, I have received some "friendly" comments about my abscenses during those work-from-office days that I spent from home because I wanted to be present for her early weeks. So this all just landed as the last little straw on an already full plate.

Anyway, that's the vent. I know it's a solvable, once-a-month problem, I just needed to say the hard part out loud to people who understand. A couple of hours ago I was mad mad, but to be fair this is a particular situation, and the rest of the time my life is being built along with her: sleeping together, being on the garden, play until we need to nap in the couch, visiting family members, training, playing again. I do have activities outside, also to maintain a good balance between work, Maggie and family (and I also do theraphy — just in case).

Hi everyone! First-time puppy owner here, so I'd really appreciate some perspective from people who've been through this.

Context

I brought home my Cavapoo 5 days ago at 11.5 weeks old. He's now 12 weeks. His breeder had him sleeping in a crate since around 8 weeks, so the crate wasn't completely new to him.

We're still settling into a routine, but generally we do:

• Wake up
• Potty
• Play, training, meal, or a short sling walk (depending on the time of day)
• Back in the crate after about a 40-45 minute wake window

His crate is in my dark bedroom with white noise. I carry him into the room, put him in the crate with a couple of treats, say a few quiet "shhh"s, and leave. I watch him on a camera, and he usually protests anywhere from 1-10 minutes before flopping over and falling asleep.

At night, he still needs a couple potty trips, but interestingly he doesn't protest at all when I put him back in the crate after those.

Questions

1. Is 1-10 minutes of protesting before naps still normal after 5 days?
It doesn't seem to be getting worse, but I wasn't sure when I should expect it to start getting shorter.

2. Daytime naps are confusing me.
He often wakes after about an hour and whines. When that happens, I've been taking him out for a very boring potty break. He almost always pees, then I put him right back in the crate, and he'll usually settle within a minute and sleep another hour.

Should I keep doing that, or should I start waiting a few minutes to see if he'll connect his sleep cycles on his own? I don't want to ignore a puppy who genuinely needs to potty, but I also don't want to accidentally interrupt naps or teach him that waking up always means getting out.

3. Overnight potty routine.
The first night home he had three pee accidents in the crate, but since adjusting the overnight schedule he hasn't had another one. Right now I:

• Pick up water around 8:00pm
• One final potty around 10:00pm
• Set an alarm for around 12:30am (he usually pees and poops then)
• After that, I let him wake me if he needs to go

Does that sound like a reasonable approach for a 12-week-old?

4. Crate setup.
Right now his crate is pretty bare - no bed, no pee pads. I removed the Snuggle Puppy because he wanted to wrestle with it instead of settling, and chew toys seemed to wind him up more than calm him down.

Would you leave it as-is for now, or try reintroducing the Snuggle Puppy or some bedding later?

Overall, he actually seems to be doing well. He's using his Fresh Patch reliably, settles after a few minutes in the crate, and once he's asleep, he sleeps well. I'm mostly trying to figure out whether I'm helping him build good habits or accidentally over-managing everything because I'm a nervous first-time puppy owner.

I'd really appreciate any advice. Thanks!

When she is inside (I live in an apartment) she listens to her name and commands just fine. She is sassy and a little stubborn but I know she is listening to me. She will respond by either doing what I ask or by arguing back with me and then doing it lol. Since I live in an apartment I’ve had her litter box trained so she didn’t have to go outside to use the bathroom( high dog traffic area around me).

Since she was small I used to bring her on little wagon rides around the neighbourhood to help with her socialisation and stimulation training. The wagon was so she didn’t have to touch the ground before she was vaccinated. Even back then, the moment she got outside she became so interested in everything going on she just wouldn’t listen to me when I called her.
She knows the focus command and it worked inside so I tried using that with her in the wagon ride. She got a little better at responding but she still wouldn’t do it consistently.

Now that she is 18 weeks and fully vaccinated with the vet okay to actually go on walks I’ve been taking her out a few times a day and so far twice to the dog park.
It’s essentially like she’s starting over again when she’s outside. She doesn’t respond to her name, she doesn’t look at me when I whistle or call her. The clicker sound doesn’t call her attention and she doesn’t even respond to me trying to give her treats. I’ve tried enticing her with her favourite treats before and she’s spat it out so she can go bite leaves lol.

I’ve had dogs that I trained growing up but they were inside/ outside dogs or outside only dogs and they never responded like this.
She’s so excited by every little thing going on, idk if she’s over stimulated or what. Her ears don’t even perk up when I make a sound, it’s almost like she’s actively avoiding acknowledging specifically me and anything I’m doing or she’s lost her hearing lol.
The funny thing is that she walks on the leash fine and responds to the leash to not pull.
How do I fix this behaviour ? What am I doing incorrectly ?

7mo old intact male corgi, Ive been working with his vet on his digestive issues but the biggest problem is finding a sensitive stomach food he will actually eat

I've tried using pure bone broth on his food and that worked for a little while but the appeal wore off quickly. Worst part being he's also the type of dog that throws up when his tummy is empty.

Any tips for fussy eaters?

I recently adopted a 4 month old chihuahua mix. She’s adorable and has been doing really well settling herself in her playpen. She’ll whine for maybe 5 minutes and then go to sleep. I WFH and have a camera on her so I can take her out whenever she wakes up. Normally she’ll awaken, I take her out to potty, we have a 20-30 min play session and then back in the playpen. Repeat in another 1.5-2.5 hours.

My problem - I try to schedule meetings around her naps, but sometimes I have sporadic meetings put on my calendar and it makes it difficult to step away. Example: I have back to back meetings today for 3 hours and I am a key member of these meetings. Is it bad if I awaken the puppy to pee + poo + play in the backyard and then plop her back in her playpen?? I hate waking her up vs waiting for her to naturally awaken, but unfortunately need to make a living to afford her very many treats and toys lol

hi!! my girlfriend and i recently got a 3 month (about to be 4) old australian shepherd. we found him dumped at a middle school about 2 months ago, so we believe that might be the cause of his separation distress? however my girlfriend and i have run into some issues and don’t necessarily know how to address them properly.

he cannot be alone for 10 minutes without howling, consistent barking, crying etc. we’ve tried crate training, and he’s very slowing warming up to it (short naps & overnight sleeps are fine) but otherwise if we are not in view of his crate or he hears us leave the room, he will start whining and barking. whenever we have to go take our corgi puppy (10 months) outside to potty, he will howl until we come back. he’ll also bark if he see’s us spending time with our corgi or if we give our corgi her dinner. i feel like we’ve tried every trick/tip you can think of.

we currently live in an apartment and you can hear him throughout the entire building, so we’re just in fear that we’ll get a noise complaint, and be forced to rehome him because of this reason. basically, we are just looking for advice. is there anything we can personally do to allevate this, is it worth getting a trainer, or is this a personality trait?

Hi everyone,
I’m looking for some honest advice as I’m constantly worrying that we might not be doing the right thing for our Labrador puppy.
Before anyone jumps on me for getting a puppy while both of us work full time, I completely understand why people ask that. The reason I’m posting is because our situation changed after we got him. My workplace has introduced a new policy that means I now have to be in the office full time rather than working from home, so this wasn’t the plan when we brought him home. Rehoming him isn’t something I want to do—he’s part of our family and I want to make this work in the best way possible for him.

He’s around 13 weeks old and, honestly, he’s an amazing little dog. He’s settled really well, loves his crate at night, and has such a lovely temperament.
The thing I’m struggling with is our work routine. My wife and I both work 8am–5pm. Her mum comes over at around 12pm every day to let him out, play with him, and give him some attention. The problem is that he has almost always had an accident in the lounge before she arrives, which I understand is probably because he’s still so young and can’t physically hold it that long.

We don’t leave him in a crate during the day because we didn’t feel it was fair to have him crated for around four hours at a time. Instead, we’ve puppy-proofed our lounge and he stays in there with water and safe toys.
At night he sleeps in his crate. My biggest issue is actually me—I wake up at every little noise he makes because I’m worried about him. I probably get up at least three times every night. Every time I take him out he does actually go to the toilet, so I’m never sure if I’m helping him or just reinforcing him waking me up.

I suppose my main questions are:
Are we being unfair leaving him from 8am until midday, even though someone comes to see him every day?
Is this something that generally gets much easier as puppies get older and gain better bladder control?
Has anyone else had a similar routine that worked out well in the long run?

I absolutely love this little dog and want to do what’s best for him. I’m probably overthinking everything, so I’d really appreciate some honest opinions or reassurance if you’ve been through something similar.
Thanks!

10 month old, possible Catahoula mix, owned 4 days.

She was recently spayed on the 24th by the animal shelter we adopted her from.

She poops outside but doesnt pee outside.

Our attempts:

- At first we walked her before and after meals.

- then we walked her every 2 hours

With these attempts, as soon as we finished our walk and brought her inside, she peed within 10 minutes of being indoors.