I currently feed my dog a mix of Open Farm salmon kibble and Canidae lamb wet food. In the past I have tried Purina and Royal Canin. I have tried to add things like beef liver or a bit of Greek yogurt or other treats sprinkled on top that I know he likes to encourage him to eat, and it would work but he’d eat just the top half of what’s in his bowl and leave the rest.

He used to eat his puppy kibble but he’s 1 now, and I can’t seem to find an adult food brand that he likes.

He definitely prefers the wet lamb food over the dry kibble. But he’s still not eating the full recommended amount. His weight is healthy though so maybe it’s not as big of a deal as I think it is? He had a vet visit recently for vaccines and they did a wellness check and said he looks healthy and perfect. But I just don’t want him to lack proper nutrition.

He doesn’t get much treats throughout the day because I’m trying to get him to be hungry enough to eat his full meal. Ive also tried increasing his exercise/activity to see if that would get him to be hungrier.

Any recommendations on some good food brands that your dogs love that I could try? Or anything else I could do with his current food to encourage him to eat?

Which pet insurance is best for you? Are there any that may cover your dog's current treatment? Did your dog get injured during the waiting period and want to know if you're covered?

Here's the place to ask.

Do know we cannot help you here with medical concerns, and lying or not disclosing things to the insurance company is illegal so we don't allow that either.

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.

I would like a Doberman Great Dane mix, but I don't know the humanitarian side of things (How mixed breeding happens, is it safe for the dogs, etc). Can I get some info on that.

is anyone using (or have at least tried) automatic drinking fountains for dogs? how is it?

thinking of buying one as i heard that flowing water lessens the risk of bacteria contamination, but i worry about its safety because it would use an electric pump to make the water flow.

I just adopted my first dog in 17 years, a 3-year old, 40 lb. Female Australian Shepherd/Huskey/Hound mix. Picking her up from the Vet on Saturday (will be spayed.) I'm so overwhelmed by all the products on Chewy (17 years ago we didn't need a cooling mat, or did we? - lol) I'll gladly take any advice, product recommendations or pain points!

This is a link to her picture, i can't figure out a way to upload the actual image! She's a little crooked cutie!

https://i.imgur.com/lO0UpFa.jpeg

I live in canada, it gets down to -40/-50°C in the winter. Are there dog doors that close fully and don't let heat out/cold in when they're shut?

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.

**Introduction**

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

* Yes, this will be my first time owning a dog of my own.

2)Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a [reputable breeder]( http://ownresponsibly.blogspot.com/2011/07/identifying-reputable-breeder.html)?

* No preference, whichever is ideal/available

3)Describe your ideal dog.

* Smart, loyal dog as I live alone. I would like a dog that would do well with other dogs/people as I plan to socialize my dog with my immediate family often (which includes another dog & cats!). I would like a medium sized dog that doesn't have too much energy for me to handle (I live in a condo in the city & WFH, so I do have time to walk/play in local park daily but just don't have a big yard or anything like that & I do not live the most active lifestyle). I would like to take my dog on road trips often as I like driving around & would love to take my companion on trips with me.

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

* I initially wanted a Border Collie or Australian Shepherd but after a bit of research I have been second-guessing going for these breeds or any herding breeds for that matter as they do seem to need a LOT of excercise/activity that I am not sure I can handle. I also had originally wanted a puppy but I think it is best if I get a younger dog that is NOT a puppy to ease the initial training phase for me, so looking at ~1yr old dogs instead. I have seen retrievers/labs recommended quite a lot but am not the biggest fan of those breeds.

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

* Basic commands, recall is a huge one as I have dog-sat my parents' Boxer who does not take well to recall commands & has been a bit of a struggle to walk out in the city with so much going on.

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, no sporting

**Care Commitments**

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

* WFH so will mostly always be at home with the dog, interacting in some manner

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?

* 1-2hr; morning, lunch, evening walks at park

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 willing to do daily brushing if needed at home & getting professional grooming done every so often as well

**Personal Preferences**

10)What size dog are you looking for?

* Medium

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

* Low-Medium shedding, Low-Medium barking, Low slobber

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

* Not very important

**Dog Personality and Behavior**

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

* Either or, but leaning towards personal space

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

* Either or, leaning towards doing its 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?

* Maybe some barking at first, but mostly friendly/not aggressive

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

* No, prefer no aggression

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

* None

**Lifestyle**

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

* WFH, not very often. Maybe a couple hours a day if I go out for lunch or a groceries run

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

* None, live alone

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

* None

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?

* Rent, no restrictions

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

* Chicago, none

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

* Summer: 75, Winter: 30

**Additional Information and Questions**

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

* No additional information.

I am anticipating a schedule change at my job soon from 9-5 to 11-7. I work from home and I only go into the office twice a month (so very grateful for that!) but am concerned my very tenacious 1.5 year old staffordshire bull terrier is going to have a hard time with the schedule change. Currently our routine is:

6am: wakeup, bathroom

6:30: breakfast

6:30-8ish: playing, treat games, training, other enrichment

8ish-4ish: napping

5pm: finish work, potty break then dinner

6pm-9pm: playing, treat games, training, enrichment

9pm: bed

Any advice on transitioning to a later schedule?

Edited for formatting

I recently got a new puppy as a gift. I am a student so I need to leave daily for school. While I am gone she sits right behind the door, and sometimes she gets hurt while I get in.

In the morning she scratches on the side of my bed to wake me up, barks until I do, and then tried to jump right on me.

And whenever I am in reach, even after waking up, she doesn't miss a chance to absolutely destroy my face by licking me, and uses her nails to grab onto my shirt. She also wants to play with me the whole time. She always in a 'ready to pounce' stance (head low, arms extended, hip raised) when she is near me and not eating...

When I take her for walks she only wants to get carried by me and won't move a step in either direction.

I have even tried to be a little rude, but that doesn't deter her... Any help?

PS: I absolutely love her... The only problems I have are that she doesn't walk on her own outside the house and she looks for every chance to lick my face, and has filled my chest with scratches...

I've got this dog for 4 months now (the dog is ~6 months old of mixed breed). This is his first rainy season with me.

So he lives outdoor at my farm (shelter provided). He's pretty much roam free at the farm.

But right now I'm super-worried because the temperature is about ~25C and my dog insists to stay wet 24/7. He even soak himself with wet foliages when it doesn't rain.

Will this affect his health? So far the answers I've found on the internet are quite conflicting. Thanks in advance!

I was recently gifted a puppy by my uncle... Most people say she's a kokoni, others say she is a border collie...

Image 1 Image 2

So I have two dogs already, but I fell in love with a puppy and I’m getting her in a month. I’m very worried about how I can fly alone with 3 dogs. They are all small and I like to take them with me when I travel. Any thoughts or recommendations? It’s very few airlines who allow even 2 dogs per person, but there are. Is there some kind of a window/back door in the system or something?

What breed of dog is this?

[Imgur](https://imgur.com/9dGTZ2F)

I have a shar pei mix who loves everyone, like I’m talking butt wiggles anytime anyone walks through the door. However, he is weirdly afraid of my dad? I have guy friends that will come over and he’s fine with them so it’s not an aversion to men in general. But whenever I come home to visit my family he will randomly become scared of my dad when he approaches him or tries to pet him and will bend down, tuck his tail, and pee a bit. It’s not even all the time, just on occasion.

My dad has never done anything to him, and he’ll even throw his toy around sometimes and have him run around the house. I’m confused as to where the sudden fear comes from. Even weirder, when scared or anxious he will resort to aggression (like at the vet, never in daily interactions), not peeing and cowering.

He’s a kinda skittish and easily spooked guy, but it’s usually in reference to random sounds or a leaf falling on his back LOL. He’s really vigilant. He’s started to be more skittish than usual, I don’t know where it came from so I’ve been working to build his confidence. I’m wondering if anyone else has had experience with this or knows what might be going on/how I can help? It’s weird that just one specific person will make him nervous on occasion. Thanks in advance!

Today at work, these two girls came in and said “oh my god I’m so glad we could come in before you guys closed” (we closed at 7:00, it was 6:30). They start looking at all the dogs for a few minutes then they come up to me and ask “can we see the dawkshoon?” I know I heard them right, but to make sure I did, I said “I’m sorry, who did you wanna see? There’s a lot of people in here I can’t hear”. They both said in unison “the dawksoon” while pointing at a puppy. I walk over to it and say “the DACHSHUND?” one girl is just says “oh. Yeah that one”. I was so confused because the dog breed is ON the kennel door where the puppy is and they still got it wrong, plus I’ve never in my life have heard someone call a dachshund a dawkshoon. (D-Aw-k-sh-oon)

Hi! My dog is about 1 yr, had her since 17 weeks. She is potty trained, signals at the door, we take her out on the leash and she’s goes. It was working well. However….

We just got a fenced in back yard. We were SO EXCITED to be able to just let her in the yard when she signaled. Only problem is once she is out there, she is so hyped to run free and sniff, explore, etc she doesn’t go to the bathroom. We bring her back in 15 Mins later and she signals to go out. We put the leash on her, bring her in the fenced yard, and she goes to the bathroom. So she didn’t go that entire 15 mins. She is not a dog that pees multiple times either, so it isn’t that and we can watch her on the camera to see if she goes (she doesn’t). She seems to only go with the damn leash on

What might help with this? Thank you!

**Introduction**

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

* not our first dog. We've had many dogs including great pyrenees. Pretty good at training dogs. 

2)	Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a [reputable breeder]

* no preference 

3)	Describe your ideal dog.

* ideal dog is an inside outside dog that will bark when animals (ie bears) come into our yard. They will like to play catch and go for walks, cross country ski in winter but not necessarily need high activity every day. They will also stay in the yard and not chase cars

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

* nothing at this time

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

* basic commands. Catch and drop the ball. Stay home without being tied up

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?

* min 1 hour. Can dedicate more depending on season

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?  

* 1 hour. They will be at an acreage with lots of area to explore. Walking. Cross country skiing. Sometimes running or bike rides. 

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?

* minimal 

**Personal Preferences**

10)	What size dog are you looking for?

* medium

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

* a little bit of shedding is ok. Barking only to alert. Minimal slobber

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

* off leash at home and around yard and gravel road 

**Dog Personality and Behavior**

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

* personal space but a few snuggles 

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

* do 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?  

* bark but not be aggressive 

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

* preferably not. 

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

* chasing cars. Wandering on own. 

**Lifestyle**

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

* 4 hours but minimal depending on season

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

* dog lovers all in house

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

* one 9 year old cat

21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?

* yes. 5 year old daughter

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?

* no. Canada. 

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

* summer 20 and winter - 20 

**Additional Information and Questions**

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

* prefer a dog that can sleep in a kennel inside until fully potty trained or is ok to sleep outside on own. Need an acreage dog that can guard from wildlife but friendly with people and enjoy interacting with people

26) Feel free to ask any questions below.

Introduction*

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

• yes

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

• breeder

3. Describe your ideal dog.

• mid size, active, good w kids and other dogs, low shedding

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

• labrador, Australian sleeper, border collies, villas,

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

• none

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?

• each day

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?

• 30/1 hr

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?

• yes

Personal Preferences

10. What size dog are you looking for?

• medium

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

• low

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

• important

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?

• balanced

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?

• none

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

• no

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

• no

Lifestyle

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

• couple of hours working days

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

• ANSWER

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

• no

21. Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?

• yes

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

• ANSWER

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

• ANSWER

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

• texa... hot

Additional Information and Questions

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

• No additional information.

26. Feel free to ask any questions

My husbands out of town on a business trip until Friday then when he gets back for the weekend he has to travel again for 2-3 weeks. He works from home but travels for work every few months. She isn’t really touching her food though like at all. She eats when I get home, but in the morning she won’t eat, while I’m at work she doesn’t. When I get home she eats her breakfast and dinner bowl. Is this some separation anxiety thing? Or her just adjusting to life without her dad for a bit? How can I make her food more appealing? I’ve put chicken broth on it but she still won’t touch it.

I posted a couple weeks ago about my 3 year old dog being jealous of my new puppy and being scared I ruined his life. Well, they love each other. My 3 year old even gives the puppy kisses and wants to play with him every day. They're a team. If Old Dog barks, New Puppy perks up and asks whose butt we need to kick. They walk shoulder to shoulder when we go out. They share toys. We all sleep on the bed together. The new puppy is REALLY easy compared to my first guy, thank god. I just need to get through the "have to go out to potty every 1-2 hours" and my life will be back on track 😮‍💨

I found this puppy in my yard today, found it really similar to the rottweiler breed, i was wondering if someone who knows about dogs can tell me is this rottweiler or just a random street dog? Photo

I have a french Bulldog puppy.

Have any of you ever experienced this??

I mean ADORES them. Bounds around in driving rain!!The more thunder and lightning the better!!

I’m just wondering if this is actually common and I just haven’t heard of it before.

I don’t consider it a problem but I had to flair!!!

I have two Golden Retrievers. One of them is getting the snip next week. They love to roughhouse so I’m looking for ideas on how to keep them calm when together.

I’ll be sending the other dog to daycare every day so he’s exhausted when he gets home. I’ll fill and freeze their kongs so if they get hyped up that can give them some down time. We don’t use crates anymore so that’s not an option.

I have suits for him to wear to keep them away from the area. Is there anything I’m overlooking that could help? Thanks for any tips you may have.

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.

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

First for our family, i had labs and cavaliers growing up.

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

Either or

3. Describe your ideal dog.

Our ideal dog is a gentle family dog with enough energy to enjoy long walks but not so much energy that it becomes a choir. Medium sized max to suit our house and garden and car. Not a barker ideally and relatively relaxed.

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

The ones we like are golden retrievers / labs but ruled out due to size. Also like cockers but too many horror stories of snappy and / or reactive cockers rules them out. I like cavaliers but too many health issues it seems and beagles too barky.

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

We would like our dog to be lead free and train them to be nice around other animals and visitors.

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

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

There will be somone home a lot so dog will normally have company.

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?

1 hour id guess, lots of parks nearby.

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?

Maintenance is fine, happy to do often and pay also.

10. What size dog are you looking for?

Small to medium.

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

Less is better!

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

Very

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?

Bit of both

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?

We arent looking for a guard dog, so friendlier the better.

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

No

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

Resource guarding, reactiveness, excessive barking.

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

An a couple hours every now and then.

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

Family of 4, 2 kids 10 and 6, very excited to get a dog.

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

No other pets.

21. Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?

Yes

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?

I live in the Ireland and I’m aware of what breeds are illegal.

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

Around 20c in summer and about 5-8c in winter.

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

26. Feel free to ask any questions below.

Hi! I have a very large dog, he’s a Great Dane/Rhodesian Ridgeback mix that is well over 100lbs. I did a lot of research before adopting him, but I had no idea just how much he would shed!! Basically I’m wondering if it’s okay if I brush him out a little every day (up to 5 minutes with a silicone curry brush) or if that would end up irritating his skin?

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.