/r/dogs
/r/dogs is a place for dog owners of all levels of knowledge, skill, and experience to discuss various topics related to responsible dog ownership.
This subreddit is a great starting point for a lot of information, but you should always verify and expand upon what you've read from reputable sources before putting it to use in your daily life. Advice on this forum is not a substitute for advice from a trained and credentialed professional.
Welcome to /r/dogs, the community for dog-lovers on Reddit!
The purpose of /r/dogs is to provide an educational and supportive space for past, present, and future dog owners regarding a range of dog-related topics. The ultimate goal of the subreddit is to foster a better, science-based understanding of dogs among the general public, promote responsible dog ownership, help users build better relationships with their dogs, and provide a space to connect and discuss with others who have dogs and who are involved in various aspects of the dog hobby.
Advice on this forum is absolutely not a substitute for professional advice from a certified behaviorist, trainer, lawyer, or medical professional.
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Breed Recommendations: Include the responses to these questions if you want to know what breed is right for you. If you're looking to purchase a dog, you want to get one from a responsible breeder.
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/r/dogs
I‘ve been at the dog park for all of 15 minutes and I’ve already seen two dog owners looking at their phones while their dogs were pooping. Neither person noticed their dog defecating so neither cleaned it up, absolutely infuriating me. What do you do in these situations? I fear that confronting people won’t go well, but I also don’t feel like I should have to clean up other dogs shit. Suggestions?
edit: I feel like a lot of people who are like “It’s easy! Just say something!” have to be men, who are generally listened to and respected in society. Almost every single time when I confront someone about 1) picking up after their dog or 2) keeping their dog leashed unless at a designated off-leash location, I’m made out to be the aggressor and I’m honestly just tired of it.
Introduction
Care Commitments
Personal Preferences
Dog Personality and Behavior
Lifestyle
Additional Information and Questions
What's the best dog breed for a single guy
Introduction
Care Commitments
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day? Would be sitting with it for hours a day, probably won’t want to take it on walks, but would play for an hour or so in the house.
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? Just playing fetch in the house, or tug of war, my mom’s pocket pit is friendly and playful and would be quite attached to it.
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, and not wiling to pay for grooming other than a monthly trip to the groomer.
Personal Preferences
10) What size dog are you looking for? Small, below 20lbs
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle? Shedding is okay, short coat, slobber is not an issue, preferably not prone to barking.
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area? Moderately high.
Dog Personality and Behavior
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space? Extremely snuggly, would be his personal heater year round.
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please? Clingy and 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? Excited, but not aggressive or hostile.
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? Aggression in general, must be friendly with the young grandkids and their friends as well as other dogs.
Lifestyle
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone? Minimally, would be going with him in the semi.
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog? My mother, she would be similar as far as wanting a cuddle companion as well as her dog, generally spend most of the day cuddling eachother.
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they? There are 2 very skittish and shy cats, as well as a pocket pit (age 5) who is very dominant and also very affectionate. My dogs would be over often as well, pit lab mix (age 3) who is submissive gentle and playful, as well as a German shepherd (age 2) who is similar in temperament.
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly? Yes, 3 grandchildren ages 1-7 with another one coming soon, also nieces and nephews over often.
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? USA, yes.
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live? Summer, 70s, winter, 30s. The dog would only be outside to use the bathroom.
Additional Information and Questions
25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.
My dad generally doesn’t like most small dogs, he cannot stand the aggressive and defensive manor of most of them. He often talks about wishing he could find a small dog that would love him unconditionally as well as being friendly with others.
Small fluffy dogs are a very hard no because my lab/pit was attacked by a flock of off leash yorkies as a puppy and now he is extremely defensive and aggressive with them (the only time he’s ever that way). He is extremely friendly with other small dogs as long as they don’t resemble a yorkie.
This dog would be very babied, and coddled. Spend 90% of its time inside unless it’s ideal weather outside. He really just wants a cuddler.
He used to have a dachshund mix that was his sweetheart, she passed away 3 years ago and he’s missed her ever since. He just got through cancer this year and he’s been quite the depressed homebody since then, which has made him miss her much more.
Oh ya, he doesn’t like pugs.
I know nothing about about small dogs, I’ve always had large dogs and plan to keep it that way. Am I looking for something that doesn’t exist?
He gets so excited, like hysterical, when we’re going to the dog park. He starts barking and pulling to get in, he just wants to play and he’s great when we get inside, but I can tell it makes other dog owners uncomfortable when we come to the gate. How can I help him calm down?
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.
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.
Title. Basically she loves chasing lizards in the backyard all day but can never catch them cuz she's a bit dopey.
I'm a bit worried this is causing her too much frustration because she never gets the satisfaction of catching her prey.
After I bring her back inside, I try and get her to stay on her bed then throw a high value treat that she can then go find in the house so that kinda substitutes as a "catch" for her but I really don't think it's working.
Any tips?
Edit: thank you anonymous Redditor for the "um what you're a horrible human being and shouldn't own a dog" comment. A r/dogs classic!
I have a 10 year old female golden, and she’s been with me since she was a 3 month old puppy. She’s very caring but she also gets quite jealous and wants attention. Recently, I’ve been looking into adopting a 5 year old male border collie. I hope he will give company to my golden when I’m away, but I’m scared the golden will get very jealous and they won’t get along. Has anyone been in a similar situation, and if so, do you recommend adopting the dog?
I have a Black Lab. She is barely over a year old. I need some things to buy her to keep her entertained. I can't do the snuffle things because her favorite toy is chuck it balls and cut up blankets. She is a shredder and that keeps her from shredding our stuff. I wanted to do a puzzle feeder but I feel bad making her have to work to eat. I know if I was hungry and couldn't get to my food I would be upset. We have no issues with her eating too much/too fast. She has EXTREME separation anxiety to the point where she has to literally be touching me. I get woken up to her try to climb on my chest. I need to find something to entertain her. She has so much energy but will just squish herself in uncomfortable positions to be by me if she isn't playing. And yes, I am aware that is a whole other issue that needs addressed and I am working on it. I still want her to have more than balls and blankets that she will engage with.
I have a rescue husky that was found running around the streets during summer a few years back. We’ve had him for around 2 years and i’m still trying to find a routine to get him some exercise ! it’s like 90 degrees here by 8am (yes even in october 🥲) and it like never cools down at night. during the winter i always get into a great routine of walking him every morning and night, but it just keeps getting hotter every year and im stumped. i feel like indoor fetch isn’t enough for him! any ideas ?
I have two small breed dogs which I walk 15-60 minutes 3-5 times a day.
We had to say goodbye to my 10 year old GSD on Monday. It happened quickly and was definitely unexpected.
We have a 4 year old lab mix and she has been with us since she was a puppy. He was 6 when we brought her home. Honestly, I’m not sure how much they actually liked each other lol but they definitely had their brother/sister moments.
I took him to the vet so abruptly Monday AM and came back without him and I’m not sure if my lab is grieving or not. The only noticeable thing is that she is not eating as much as she normally would. Otherwise, she’s behaving like herself.
I don’t know, I guess I’m worried if I’m missing something or if a delayed response to him not coming back is going to happen and the best ways to support her.
Does anyone have any enrichment ideas for dogs that either complete puzzles/mats/kongs super quickly, (I’m talking like 5 minutes on an activity that everyone says keeps their dog ‘occupied for hours’) or get stuck on a puzzle, get bored and forget about it and then go and find mischief somewhere else. Or maybe some sort of game that involves me physically playing with her- she’s big and LOVES things like flirt poles, fetch she’s not so interested in
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.
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.
My partner and I are looking for a dog but could use some advice when it comes to breeds, we greatly appreciate any help!
Introduction
1) Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?
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)?
3) Describe your ideal dog.
4) What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?
5) What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?
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?
Care Commitments
7) How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog 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?
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?
Personal Preferences
10) What size dog are you looking for?
11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?
Shedding: Can handle medium shedding, like that with average double coat breeds.
Barking: Excessive barking is a concern. Alert barking is fine, but barking which doesn't stop could be a problem.
Slobber: Average slobber is fine.
12) How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?
Dog Personality and Behavior
13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?
14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more 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?
16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?
17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?
Lifestyle
18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?
19) What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?
20) Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?
21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?
22) Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?
23) What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?
24) What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?
We brought home a new puppy named Koda. She's a silver lab and sooooooo beautiful!! I love her already! 😌
We just put in an electric door to help a small dog we just got in and out of the house and it’s worked well for that. U fortunately my bigger older dog, who’s quickly learned how to use the door, didn’t wait for it to open all the way before he starts going through. He almost wants to help it open.
Only had the door for about three weeks and I can already here that something is wrong with the door. Seems like only a matter of time before it breaks.
Any idea whether I can train my bigger dog? Do I just take her to the door, hold her, then let her in once the door is fully open…over and over again?
I adopted a Maltese dog about little over a year ago. His previous owners threw him out and he was in a pretty rough shape, but now he’s doing ok health and nutrition wise. In the beginning he w as pretty difficult and anxious and a very picky eater, which took a few months to resolve but now that everything is fine he seems bored all the time.
I suffer from depression myself and work from home so I don’t go out much. But I take him on a walk at least once a day and aside from that he doesn’t do any other activities. He is not interested in toys, does not like treats and does not like sitting idles next to me on the couch for more than 5 minutes.
I don’t know what to do to entertain him. He just walks around the apartment all day. Sometimes when I’m playing on my PS he just walks around the room in circles. While I’m working he sleeps under my desk jumping up on my knees every now and then for some attention.
It just breaks my heart to see him like that. To the point that I thought of giving him up for adoption but I’m afraid whoever takes him won’t be ok with his anxiety. Can someone give me advice?
Ps: I live in Egypt and I don’t have the luxury of doggie day care :(
TLDR: my dog is so bored he walks around in circles and I’m depressed and don’t take him out much
Update: I walked my dog twice today, one 15 minute walk in the morning to do his business (that’s the one walk I mentioned earlier) and another longer walk just now (around 45 minutes) and that seemed to do the trick. I let him sniff around all he wanted and he even got to chase a stray cat and play with her, now he’s happily asleep on the couch. I have also ordered some toys that were suggested in the comments to see if they’ll work.
I just wanna make it clear that I love the dog and definitely want to keep him. I try as hard as I can to not let my issues affect him and at some point feeding him and caring for him was the only reason I got out of bed. And now that I am doing a little better, I want to make his life a little better too which is why I asked for advice.
Another concern that people had in the comments is that I don’t let him out to go to the bathroom enough times which is not healthy, I want to clarify that I have a designated bathroom for him in my apartment which he uses throughout the day, and then I clean it at the end of the day. So he’s definitely not holding his pee for extended periods of time.
My dog has a tub of toys that he can take toys out of as he pleases. I usually leave about 10 toys in there, and I rotate them every week or so, and wash the ones that need it. He does play with his toys a lot, but by the end of the day, most of them are all over the house. I end up collecting them and putting them away. He is a fairly smart dog, so I am wondering, since he knows how to take the toys OUT and he sees me putting them back IN, would I be able to teach him to put his toys away?
I adopted a 7 year old dog who had severe anxiety. She was neglected and abused heavily, but over the past months she has blossomed into a confident and loving dog. She has slight separation anxiety, but nothing terrible.
I’ve moved into a new home today and she is a mess. She took some of her high-enrichment treats, snuggled on the familiar smelling couch, and is making an effort to control herself. However, she’s panting, she’s drooling, she cries her eyes out if I leave the living room (her safe spot right now). She’s scared to death of tile floor and won’t touch it (luckily only the kitchen is tile). She absolutely will not go into another room.
Please tell me it gets better. I’m so excited to be providing her a larger home and fenced in yard for her to play (in addition to her normal walks), but I’m feeling so guilty and sad about her anxiety issues. She’s totally shut down right now.
Introduction
It will be my first time owning a dog
I prefer rescuing but I also would be open to using a breeder
I’d prefer a medium sized dog, not prone to barking or too energetic given I live in a small apartment and easier to train if possible
I like Boston terriers and corgis, I would be interested in looking at other breeds of similar sizes
I think just listening to basic commands and obeying, not looking for anything too complicated
No
Care Commitments
2-3 hours. I currently have to work in person full time but looking to change that
2 hours but hopefully more in the beginning. Dog parks and going to the park
I’d prefer to go to the groomers not more than monthly or a couple of months
Personal Preferences
Small to medium
Shedding and slobber is fine, I’m sensitive to noise so minimal barking
Not super important but would be nice
Dog Personality and Behavior
In between! I’d like to snuggle sometimes
Again, in between
I would like my dog to be calm when greeting strangers
No
Extreme aggression
Lifestyle
5 hours or so but I plan to get a dog walker so maybe less then
I live alone
No
No
rent, there are no restrictions. Many people in my building have dogs of all sizes.
Canada
Can be humid in summers and very cold winters
Additional Information and Questions
**Introduction**
Hello everyone I will be moving to Arizona soon and are wanting to get a dog in a couple months. It would have to be hypoallergenic since I do have a small allergy to dogs.
* It will be my first dog. My wife had a few dogs growing up.
* I do not think starting with a puppy is a good idea so adopting a rescue would be my preference.
* A chill dog that can either be satisfied by being in the back yard or relaxing inside, is good around kids and can be left home while I am at work.
* I have been looking at like Maltese, shih tzu, bichon frise, Havanese, but am open to other types. Hypoallergenic is my biggest want in a dog. (Yes I know they aren't fully hypoallergenic but they aren't as bad).
* The standard sit, stay, wait, place, and recall.
* No
**Care Commitments**
* A few hours before work and after work depending on my schedule.
* A 30-60 min walk. Dog park possibly I am unsure if there is one around us (I would assume so).
* We would be able to brush a few times a week depending on the type of dog. For the rest I would leave to a groomer.
**Personal Preferences**
* I personally like smaller lap dogs, but my wife is more of a medium sized dog so either or works. We do have a doggy door in our bedroom so preferably small enough to fit through it to go outside when ever it wants.
* Very little to no shedding, barking is ok but would prefer little, and no slobber.
* Not that important
**Dog Personality and Behavior**
* Snuggly
* Eager-to-please
* Barking is ok when someone is at the door just calm down when we answer it. Over all calm if I am calm when meeting strangers.
* No
* Overall no aggression specifically to children as I will have a baby.
**Lifestyle**
* Could be up to 8 hours, but may not be that long all the time. This will only be during the week.
* Either same level or even more care for the dog as she is more experienced taking care of them.
* No
* Yes
* No
* We will be in Arizona and I am not aware of banned breeds.
* Summer: 78 °F - 106 °F Winter: 41 °F - 67 °F
**Additional Information and Questions**
* No additional information.
My girl has been diagnosed as diabetic. On Monday, she had clear, bright eyes and now, 5 days later, right eye is very cloudy and the left is catching up. Fast. She trips on things a bit more often, but I can tell she can see what's right in front of her. Just no more peripheral.
I know she will do alright being blind, but I want to give her some good experiences while she can still see. She likely has about a month, maybe 2 months of retaining her vision left at the rate she's going, according to her vet.
Edit: I know that dogs don't rely on vision very much. I'm not lacking information in that department. She's losing a sense, however small a part of her experience it may be and I want her to experience that sense while she can. Just because I don't primarily rely on my nose to get around, doesn't mean I don't like to be able to smell.
I'm in the divorce process and will be keeping both dogs (5 and 10). It's only been a week since my ex left and one of the dogs is regularly peeing on the bed while the other is guarding my ex's office door.
For anyone who's gone through something similar how long did it take your dogs to adjust? And did you have any issues with dog bathroom behaviors?
Would asking my ex for something that smells like him ease the transition on the dogs?
We recently adopted a 13-week-old rescue puppy- black mouth cur and perhaps boxer mix- and he's down to three toys because he keeps tearing the other ones up. So far the only ones to hold up to his little needle teeth are the chuckit ball and stick. Our three year old dog has plenty of toys that we have to keep put away so they don't also get destroyed.
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.