We wanted a Australian Labradoodle in the near future, like +/- 1 year from now. Because of that, we were looking for breeders to be placed on a wait list. Well we found two amazing breeders and they have a litter right now lol. But now we don't know if we should wait or not. We have five kids ages 10-8-6-4-2 and the reasons for wanting to wait a bit longer, was that they are a bit older then. To have more time for the dog. But one breeder told me that having a pup grow up with young kids can be a very desirable thing. And also that the pup should not have the main focus of attention but rather we absorbed in daily family life.

So what would you all recommend?

Ps. Didn't know what flair to use so I just went with one.

Before anyone says it YES WE ARE GETTING HIM NEUTERED. But our appointment isn’t for another 2 months so we have to wait until then. Please do not spam “get him neutered” instead of actually giving helpful advice

Basically our intact dog is BARLEY eating cuz of a nearby bitch in heat. We’ve tried everything including putting chicken, Greek yogurt and even small bits of his favourite treats in his food but nothings working. It’s not like he’s starving himself cuz he’ll eat a little bit of his food at the end of the day but that’s it.

Any dog owners been in a similar situation and if so how did they get their dog to eat? Any help would be much appreciated 🙏

Our dogs have dug up everything including the grass and it looks sad. However, I'm happy for them that they have so much fun. We're looking for minimal upkeep and something that would be safe. We have a male German Shepherd and a female Golden Retriever. Both run and sprint, play, hide toys, do all the things that bring enjoyment.

Looking for recommendations?

I have a long haired dog in Texas, every time he goes outside he gets covered in these little burrs. I have been picking them out but it's getting ridiculous. Is there a tool or brush that works for anyone? They get very tangled and sometimes they're hard to get out.

my best friend and partner, 10 years together and now he is gone , I don't know how to go on with life without him, what saddens me the most is that I had gone on a week-long trip for work, he was already sick but I didn't think that would happen in those days, I hate myself for not being with him when it happened.

Hi all! I’m planning a move from Vancouver, Canada to Florence, Italy and was hoping someone here might have some experience in travelling on a long haul flight with a dog!

She is a senior dog, and around 75lbs with no health problems that I know of (recently had a vet check up).

Does anyone have any experience using a pet transport company? And did they actually transport your dog separately or did they just assist in the process of assuring your dog is allowed to cross international/intercontinental borders? She is obviously too large to come in the cabin with me, she would have to be in the cargo hold and I would get some anti anxiety medication for her of course but was wondering if there were any other options aside from having her in the cargo hold of my flights (no direct flights from Vancouver to Florence..)

Any information or advice is much appreciated! And if you have experience with a reputable pet transport company please let me know!

Does your dog turn his head when he hears an odd noise? Does your dog bury their food with your pants? This is the thread to ask why.

Please keep this thread to non-medical issues only.

My one year old pup is eating poo and it’s so gross. She does not eat her own but eats our other dogs. I have tried two different supplements, one was a a green pill one and the other was a powder you put in their food bowls for like a week. I followed the instructions perfect and completed the whole regimen and it made zero difference. We do keep the yard clean, she literally takes it immediately after the other one goes. It’s horrid. What can I do?

I’m WFH, so I know I’m luckier than most. Normally I can hang out with my 11yo husky frequently and check in on her etc. My partner just returned to full time work after a year of part time and my pup is missing her buddy. She loves someone to just hang out in the bedroom (her comfy space) with her.

Unfortunately I have to be at my desk in the other room for majority of the day, and she gets a bit restless. We’ve tried toys, her favourite is some peanut butter in her kong, but that’s lasts about 10 mins. She’s a smart gal. She’s got a sensitive tummy so we have to be choosy with treats.

Any suggestions? She gets a 20 mins morning walk pre-work day and 20 mins in the afternoon, which used to be fine but lately isn’t helping as much. She just seems bummed, I wish I could just spend the day sitting by her.

My German shepherd teddy is about 4 years of age at this point. We’ve taught him a couple tricks but never something as big as heeling or anything like that. I was just wondering if it was possible to teach him something like this at his age or if it might be impossible.

I’m trying to research dog breeds and was wondering if y’all had any advice, such as key terms/vocab, things to look out for, or trusted websites?

This thread is where to get emotional support with all things related to death and illness with your dog. This is also a thread where you can seek assistance with deciding whether it is indeed time.

This is not a thread to seek anecdotes with medical care. All rules involving medical questions and anecdotes remains the same for this thread.

If your dog has passed, you can still post here for emotional support or you can create your own thread tagged with one of the RIP flairs. Be sure to review the rules of our flair guide. It is up to you how you choose to grieve.

Just watched a video of two siblings from the same litter meeting randomly at a dog park and they seemed to be able to recognize each other by smell.

Can a dog recognize a grandparent or grandchild? Can a biological father recognize his adult offspring if he has never met them before?

And a somewhat related question. How common is incest amongst dogs? I assume they don't normally breed with siblings, children or parents. Cousins?

I'm going to long-term foster a lab/golden mix. Her fur is fine and plentiful! What type of seat cover have you all used to both keep her safe, and limit her deposits of hair on the backseat of my Honda CR-V? She's used to being in the backseat, and since we're trying to build her confidence we'd like to continue any of her current habits where possible.

I just lost my 17 year old cocker and I loved her so much. I adopted her and had her for 13 years. I learned a lot about dogs and her breed in the process. I would love for my next cocker to be a show dog. How do I even start to learn how to show a dog? I would need to get a qualified pup but then how do I learn about training, standards, entry to shows?

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZPRwhku8u/

Sadly I am learning too much on my search for a new ethically bred baby

As in, if an American wanted one, they’d have to have a puppy shipped from overseas or something.

I feel like I know a lot of breeds more common in the US, but less so about ones outside it

Tell me your favorite non-American breed and why they are great!

Hello!

I want to start training whistle recall to my dog, but I don't know what type of whistle to get! I know the brand ACME is good but they have so many options!

For a little info I have a 10 year old pug who goes for hiking a lot in different places. We go sometimes in plain fields, wooded areas, beaches, and places with a lot of hills. She doesn't go offleash often but I still want recall for training purposes. She tends to stay near me but just in case is she bolts or something happens and she ends up far away I would love a whistle that could reach far distances. She is slow with training but catches on fast.

I was thinking about getting the ACME 210 1/2 but I feel like it wont go far enough!

If you guys need any more info let me know!

Thank you so much!

Hello, my family is not a professional dog trainer and i am starting to train a dog. But the thing is, they don't know how to train them — They tell me what's wrong and right. I want to ask for help if these are true, because i want to be a good trainer.

1. "Touching your dog too much can kill them / stop their growth."

My family keeps telling this to me, but i genuinely don't believe it. Why would touching them too much kills them? Unless they have very soft skin, that's true.

2. "If you get bitten, you get rabies."

This one is true, foremost. But I've read from many people that it's impossible that my dog could have rabies. I've always genuinely thought it's always there, and should be gone when taken to a vet and get a shot. But since I've read those, people ssid that they should show signs of rabies — My dog doesn't, she's a puppy. 4 Months old. My mom and the dog trainer (where we got her from), are family and the parents there don't seemingly have rabies. She isn't a wild animal.

3. "Hit them, they'll stop."

I don't like this sentence. My parents don't know how to train a dog. I don't care if they have a long history of dogs, but hitting a dog is wrong and would just make things worse. But is a light smack okay, no? My parents tell me a light smack is okay.

I'm not sure if i have anymore, but there probably is! I'm sorry if i lack common sense; I'm trying my best to make sure everything is correct and I'll gather the proper words to tell the truth. My parents have adopted this dog and put me on full responsibility for the puppy, and I'm just a little teenager who knowns nothing. It would really be great if you help! I'm so sorry again. I really am.

Introduction

1. Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?

• No, I have always had Rottweilers and currently have two, they are both trained by me but in the past I have used training services.

2. Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?

• Prefer going through a breeder

3. Describe your ideal dog.

• Honestly the Rottweiler is perfect in every single aspect, color, size, personality, attitude, build, the one thing that is starting to get to me is the hair, I just can’t keep up anymore and I would love for my next breed to be hypoallergenic and not shed. But as close to the Rottweilers I have now because I love them

4. What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?

• possibly golden doodles, mainly larger dogs or medium dogs that don’t shed, anything above a small 5Lb dog.

5. What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?

• Handshakes, sit, place [stay in one spot], other small tricks

6. Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?

• No

Care Commitments

7. How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?

• A few hours

8. How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?

• I plan to give daily walks along with playing with them inside or throwing the ball or something similar in the backyard. I do not go to dog parks

9. How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?

• I am open to hair maintenance, but I don’t want to spend a ridiculous amount of time on it so on the lower side, if it needs to be a paid service it would depend on the cost

Personal Preferences

10. What size dog are you looking for?

• Medium-Large

11. How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?

• Low Barking, Little Barking (growling/sass is fine when it’s personality), HATE slobber.

12. How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?

• 7/10, not the end of the world but would be cool

Dog Personality and Behavior

13. Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?

• I want a snuggly dog but don’t mind if they also want alone time/space

14. Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?

• do it’s own thing

15. How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?

• If they are unfamiliar growling or barking, not attaching the door, and I would want them to be sitting calmly as I introduce them to someone

16. Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?

• yes

17. Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?

• not to my knowledge

Lifestyle

18. How often and how long will the dog be left alone?

• 6-7 hours a day

19. What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?

• help with feeding, and walks

20. Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?

• not currently, but I do have a list of different pets I would care for again such as another hedgehog, turtle, hamster.

21. Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?

• No

22. Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?

• No

23. What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?

• United States Florida

24. What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?

• Summer 90’s, Winter 60-70’s

Additional Information and Questions

25. Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.

• I truly love the Rottweiler breed to the core and every thing about them the only two things I am getting tired of is the hair everywhere no matter me vacuuming or cleaning for several hours a day, and then sometimes when they drink water one of them drops a lot and drops for like 5 feet past the water bowl and my other one doesn’t, but that could just be them personally.

26. Feel free to ask any questions below.

My 3 year old gsd is super reactive and has fear based aggression but especially when it comes down to "protecting" me from new people. I have a guy coming over that will be over more than once and I'm don't want to fuck up the introduction because first impressions are everything and plus I don't want my date to be afraid of my dog. I know once they know each other well enough it'll work out but until then how do I slowly acclimate my dog to a new person in the house? He recently met a new person when we went on vacation and stayed in a whole new place and he did really well with that and had no outbursts but I still know him enough to know that if I'm alone with another person and he tries to get between us it won't be great. Should the first meet be the house in "his" space or outside in the yard? I thought about making him do bed stays once the initial meet is over because I think I'll have to show him that people are allowed to touch me without him freaking out about it. I just don't want to mess it up for anyone involved so any advice is appreciated.

We have a new newfie pup. I understand that AAFCO approved and WSAVA guidelines are important. 4/5 of the most popular foods that check those boxes get an F in “The Better World Shopping Guide” (purina, eukanuba, royal canin, iams. Purina owned by nestle, the rest by mars). The 5th gets a D (hill’s science diet owned by Colgate Palmolive). Can we do better??

1. Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?

   • No, I grew up with huskies and a mutt (Chihuahua mix). I have also dog sat a pug/beagle mix. I don't have much experience training a dog beyond reinforcing training. Youngest dog I've had has been 1 year old, so no puppy training or socialization experience. I would take the dog to puppy training/school if necessary.
   2. Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?
   • I'd prefer to rescue, and I would want to adopt a puppy or adult dog. But open to breeders.
   3. Describe your ideal dog.
   • Medium size, affectionate, cuddly and not with a curly coat or double coat, just because of the extra maintenance. Not high energy, since I'm not super active (everything I do is indoors, like going to the gym or rock climbing). I don't think I could handle a dog with the zoomies.
   4. What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
   • Honestly I'm open to suggestions here, from an aesthetic standpoint I generally like Spitz/pointy eared dogs like shiba inu (I know), Akita, Pomeranian. I also like shelties, border collies, Australian shepherds, Alaskan Eskimo, Samoyed etc.
   5. What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
   • Mostly general obedience training (sit, stay, heel etc.).
   6. Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?
   • Nope!

   Care Commitments

   7. How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?
   • I'm home all day everyday. In terms of 100% dog engagement time (purely training or playing, devoting all my attention), 1-2 hours. I'd want a dog I can hang out with all day pretty much.
   8. How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?
   • Multiple walks throughout the day, dog park, maybe some toys at home. Maybe 1-1h30 a day.
   9. How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?
   • Open to trimming, cleaning etc. but tired of finding husky fur clumps and shedding everywhere lol. Brushing every other day maximum

   Personal Preferences

   10. What size dog are you looking for?
   • Medium
   11. How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
   • Minimal on all counts
   12. How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
   • Not very important, I wouldn't do that.

   Dog Personality and Behavior

   13. Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
   • Snuggly!
   14. Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?
   • Somewhere between the middle to eager to please.
   15. How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?
   • Friendly, affectionate
   16. Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
   • No, I'm not confident in my abilities to do that.
   17. Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
   • High prey drive, high energy (mainly when it's not attended to and results in destructive behavior)

   Lifestyle

   18. How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
   • Rarely, maybe 6 hours a week?
   19. What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
   • N/a
   20. Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
   • May get a cat or lizard in the future.
   21. Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
   • No
   22. Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
   • 150lbs, currently rent.
   23. What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
   • I live in NE USA, no restrictions here
   24. What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
   • Summers are usually up to the 80s, winters below 30

The foster I adopted him from said he’ll be medium size but some other people are saying he’s big so I’m kinda confused. Doesn’t matter to me either way though

Hi! Has anyone had any experience flying their dogs a really long distance? We're moving from mexico to dubai and I need to transport my Afghan Hound with me! I would really apreciate all the asistance I can get, if you know any companys that do this or the best airlines to do this with or any additional information that might be useful!

I had a dog around 9-10 years ago, I don’t remember the breed but he was roughly around the size or maybe a tiny bit bigger than a beagle harrier, we reused his old dogloo for our other dogs but we don’t know if it’s too big? They’re a Boston terrier and a chihuahua.

My dog is going to be 2 in a few weeks, unfortunately on the day he'll have to be in doggy daycare (they will make a fuss about his birthday)

I know he doesn't know or care, but I'm just wondering what others do for their dogs, I would like to spoil him a little at the weekend.

Wondering how to keep my pup entertained for long stretches, I'm searching for ways to make sure they're happy and engaged, even when I'm not around. I'm open to any suggestions that could keep them mentally stimulated and physically active. I just want to make sure my old girl is content and fulfilled, so any advice or insights would be incredibly helpful in keeping them entertained during those long hours like work or school. Preeeesh

NOT LOW EFFORT SO DONT DELETE THIS PLEEEEEAAASEEEUHHHHH

Edit: thanks guys for the replies lots of good things to try here. I've tried the towel trick that one guy said and it works so well lol. Buys a good 20 minutes

I have a 20 pound dog who's entering her senior years, and I may move soon to be closer to work. We currently live in an suburban/urban area and the city noise kind of scares her, so our walks are usually pretty short. However we live on the ground floor and she absolutley loves people watching. Even when I'm home that's primarily what she wants to do.

The new apartment I'm considering is near a hiking trail which I think would be great for both of us. However, its in a highrise with a concrete balcony so she wont have any views. I'm concerned she will be depressed while I'm at work if she has nothing to do. Will she even use the balcony if she can't see anything? Any advice?

Would love to see if anyone has any suggestions on how to entertain two older dogs who don’t play and couldn’t care less about toys.

For reference, one is a 16-yr-old border collie/cattle dog mix, and the other is a 10-ish German Shepherd. The GSD has issues with his back legs, so he isn’t the most mobile. I also work from home.

They both are food motivated, but I can’t just keep giving them a bunch of treats through the day. I already toss treats around a room and have them search. They also get a chew almost every day. I’ve tried training, but they are so food motivated that they don’t really listen and instead just launch for the treats 😅. They also go to an indoor pool for swim sessions twice a week.

I feel bad that they pretty much sleep all day besides the moments I toss them treats and the walks they already get. They just look so bored otherwise 😕 it’d be so much easier if they played!