Me and my bf got my dog when he was 2 months old and right off the bat he was very active which I figured he would grow out of. I soon realized that it was a lot to handle a puppy. Then we hit hard times financially making it hard to support ourselves and the dog. I feel like absolute crap. My bf keeps telling me to get rid of the dog because he doesn’t like the dog. I just felt like I didn’t get a fair chance with my dog. I’ve just started back working and feel like I can give my dog what he needs now. But I feel like this is just not fair at all. I have yet to have the chance to prove myself a good owner for a dog because of this financial crisis we are coming out of. And I feel like my feelings are just disregarded but at the same time do I really want a dog to have to live where a person doesn’t even like them or want anything to do with them? It just sucks all around. This has happened in the past where my parents got me and my siblings a dog and then took her back. It almost feels traumatic. Overall i don’t know what to do. I feel like I can make this situation better for my dog with me. I don’t want anyone else to have him and not be able to know how he’s doing and who he’s with. Am I wrong for feeling this way? Any words will help.

So first the good, the Breeder I am talking too is very knowledgeable, has been breeding for over 20 years and I believe she wasn't lying.

Her social media shows a lot of the where the dogs are living and it seems clean and well cared for.

After I put down a deposit I did more research. She currently has like 20-30 puppies (from different litters obv) available. Not all are ready to go home yet but she has two litter that are over 8 weeks and at least two other litters that are younger. I asked her how she has so many dogs and she said her, her mom and sister all breed.

I also googled her phone number to see what came up and found out she also breeds an exotic type of cat.

We are not meeting at her house but her sisters because she is going to be there for something.

She won't show me the embark results until we are in person, something about "breeding rights?"

I really want this dog but I'm thinking this is not the most ethical breeder.

Can you all give me good resources on how to find the best home for a dog?

I am having to rehome one of my dogs as I have to move out of state and can only take one dog with me. I’m currently pregnant and the person I’m moving with will only let me keep one of my dogs…. Yes, I know it sucks but I’m a single parent and pregnant with twins so I need the extra support.

I won’t be moving for a few months and want to start looking for a home for her now so I can find the best option. She’s about 4 years old and a Lhasa Apso with some special needs.

Please don’t judge me for this. I just need good advice.

I really don’t want to rehome her but I feel like my hand is forced.

Hi everyone!

First time poster in not only this group, but on Reddit.

There is a contest going on with fur responders. We would appreciate it if everyone took the time to vote! My friend’s dog’s are Randy and Din, if everyone could vote 5 stars for them!

You can vote daily but you don’t have to by any means.

https://lightohioblue.org/2025-fur-responders/2025-fur-cat2/

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 truly don't mind the idea of her eating where she wants, she likes to be comfy while she eats and I get that. Also it mimics wolves in nature carrying their prey to safety, and I really don't want to punish a dog for a natural instinct. But the way she picks up her dish is by tipping it over on its side, grabbing the lip of it, and carrying it sideways to where she wants to eat.

Naturally, this involves a LOT of kibble spilled everywhere. :( So is there perhaps a dish in existence that is designed for a dog to carry it around?

Hi all. Here is some background. I have two female dogs both age 10, Labrador Retrievers. One is very calm and collected (Dog 1) and one is crazy (Dog 2). For their whole lives, Dog 2 has always been rebellious. She barks in the house which they do know is not allowed (unless there is an emergency), but they are mostly very good dogs.

Both dogs have the entire backyard to roam and a large cage inside the house with a dog door.

Dog 2 eats her own poop, digs holes in the yard, barks in the house for no reason, even after we tell her to stop.

Recently, the last 2-3 weeks Dog 2 has been acting strange and freaking out/barking at nothing (that we see). Random times in the day, sometimes very late at night, she just barks and makes lots of noise. Her water bowl will be full, she ate dinner/breakfast, has treats during the day, so we don't think she is barking because she's hungry.

When she barks in the house during the day or late at night, she just stands there staring at us or wagging her tail. Our dogs are NOT neglected, they are well taken care of and loved. We don't understand what she may be trying to communicate to us. I understand as dogs get older, they may start to act a bit different, but both dogs are healthy and doing well.

When the dog starts barking late at night (11pm-1am) it may be an intruder so we check our cameras and go downstairs to check the dogs, and she just stands there. It is very sad that we can't communicate with our animals so easily, but if anyone has an idea of what is going on, please reply.

(When Dog 2 is barking and freaking out, Dog 1 just lays there unfazed.)

We think she may just have some anxiety, not sure..

Thanks all.

Hi everyone! We have a situation at home and I’m a bit baffled, so I wanted to share this with you, maybe get some opinions. My son broke his leg a week ago and he has a leg in gypsum. Evidently he cannot walk on his own, so my wife and I have to help him move a lot. Whenever we do this, our dog, a 2 yo Cocker Spaniel, starts being agitated and comes to our child all excited, tail wiggling and so on. This happened from the first days sice our son got the plster on his leg. But lately we noticed that when we move our son, the dog starts limping. He has the same attitude, gets a bit agitated and he is limping in a very dramatic way, he lifts his paw up, shaken, leans on the “good foot” etc. At first we immediately thought he is hurt, so the first night we gave him some extra care and attention. In the morning, he was completely fine. When we helped our son again, the dog started having a limp again. We checked his paw, his whole foot actually. He doesn’t mind checking it. Other times when he was hurt, he was really defensive when we tried to check his injuries. So this happens for a few days now, he is limping then not limping, and we are pretty sure he is faking it, but we cannot come to a consensus on why he does it. I want to believe he does it from sympathy for our son, my wife says he just wants attention. Did anyone observe a similar behaviour with their dog? Is he actually hurt? PS we are taking him to the vet on monday, just in case

So first off, I have no connection to Orvis whatsoever. I'm just a guy with a dog who loves this product.

Before I got my pooch, I read all sorts of stories of dog beds being destroyed. And even dangerously, cotton batting coming out, potentially threatening the dog if they were to eat and swallow it. I looked at the different beds, and even most of the supposed indestructible ones generally had watered-down warranties.

But then I found the dog bed by Orvis out of their ToughChew line. They advertise a lifetime warranty on their beds, and you read the customer reviews and they live up to it. If the fabric tears, Orvis refunds your money or sends you a new one.

I got mine before bringing home my pup at 7.5 weeks. She's now over 4yo. And as you can imagine, she's tried biting her bed, digging into it as if she was trying to dig a hole, wrestle with it, everything that you can imagine. There isn't a single tear anywhere in the fabric. Anywhere. (I did have her name embroidered on it, and that she pulled out some of the strings when she was young).

They are not cheap. I think I spent $300-$350 for a smaller-sized one. But they are fantastic.

Anyways, so I'm on their mailing list. And they currently have a sale going on. So if you want to get an indestructible bed for your pooch, they're currently about 30% off, and I think you can get another 15% if you register with them. It's literally the only dog bed I ever bought and the only one I ever plan on owning.

Hello everyone!

I live in a very cold climate. We have to use pee pads in winter which is like 8 months of the year because his paws can’t handle anything anything past -15C which means we also can’t handle walks. He nearly died from bladder stones (the bad kind. Calcium) so I feel even more guilty that I don’t do more stuff with him during winter when we can’t go to the dog park or go for walks. I play fetch with him , he gets lots of pets and snuggles but I want some ideas or things I can buy that can keep his mind busy because worry that he is bored lol. He’s 8 years old. My husband says the dog is living his best life but I just want to do more for him.

Any ideas on games I can play with him inside or things I can buy for him to keep him busy? Links would be extra helpful.

Thanks everyone!!

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.

My dog will be in the car for 4-5 hours each way tomorrow and I was just wondering if there was anything I should know/be aware of? We're leaving in the morning so I don't plan on feeding her as I don't want to risk bloat. She typically gets very excited in the car and gets worked up quite a bit but eventually lays down. The longest she's been in the car is about 1 1/2 hours and I just want to make sure I plan ahead.

I need someone who’s preferably a vet, my dog won’t stop whining ever since we got her these little puppicino stuffies. She never chews on them but she will hold them in her mouth and walk around with them. My mom has suspected a false pregnancy? I was thinking maybe she thinks they are her pups in some way? She is about to turn 3 years old in February. If someone could help me figure this out and maybe save a trip to the vet that would be awesome.

Hello dogs!

My mom, 70, is looking for a new companion and really has her heart set on a standard poodle. We had one growing up as a kid that my mom found as a stray and no one ever claimed her.

She was an apricot poodle and the sweetest smartest girl.

I’ve found a breeder near us that advertised OFA testing and temperament and they breed apricots, but also red poodles. I’ve heard there are some issues with reds.

How much of a problem is this? We will not be moving forward with any breeder that does not meet the health requirements on paper…but my question is, is breeding red poodles on its own a red flag?

I’m still in the beginning phases of vetting, my mom prefers to rescue dogs, so I know she won’t want to purchase any dog that isn’t ethically pristine as possible. Please help!

So I didn’t know what to flair this, I apologize, I just wanted to ask to understand her

She usually doesn’t like being handled, she will growl when picked up. Usually, I always have to make sure that I have her permission.

However, sometimes she is just a brat and will not do what she’s told

That has been the case recently, I have been working on digital art on AJ, and I prefer to do it on my Chromebook on my bed because that’s where I’m most comfortable doing it. I have the space to move the Chromebook as needed to get the angles that I want, it’s just where I like to do it

That’s also where my Chihuahua really likes to lay down, and I’ve only recently picked up digital art again, so this is kind of a new thing for her. She’s used to just chilling on there all day.

So anyway, the other day, I’m getting my stuff set up, and she is in the middle of the bed, so I told her to move. She does not. I tell her again more for me, and she still doesn’t move.

She knows what I’m saying, she just didn’t want to do it.

So I picked her up and moved her to the foot of the bed. I don’t mind sharing the bed with her, but she cannot be in the middle of it to where I have no room to sit down

Since then, whenever I have to move her, she doesn’t fuss. She does not growl, she does not give me the usual attitude she once did.

However, if I pick her up for any other reason, she will growl again

So now I’m over here wondering to myself, “How tf does she know why I’m picking her up?” is it the headphones? The Chromebook itself? How does she know? It’s not like she was trained to know.

Hi all! My partner and I recently moved in together, and he brought along some floor plants. My mini schnauzer (1) hasn't been around plants much and has gotten curious when we're not home-sniffing around, digging in the dirt, etc.

This has been causing a mess (I often come home to dirt on the floor), but more importantly, I'm worried about his safety. The plant is pretty big, and I'm concerned it might fall and hurt him, or that he could get sick from the soil or plant itself.

I've seen mesh coverings for plants online, but before I commit to buying one, I wanted to see if anyone has other tips or suggestions for keeping pets away from plants. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

I recently got a second-hand mini aussie, and he lives for the ball. I got a chuckit thrower yesterday and it's a really snug fit for the chuckit balls- in that the ball doesn't even come out most the time, and if it does I can still throw the ball further without it.

Is that normal and they just aren't that great? Defective (maybe slightly warped?) and I should replace it for the same kind? Size up to a large launcher for medium ball? Something else? I'm using rubber chuckit balls but the fuzzy one that came with it sticks too.

Thank you for any advice

I have a crate (we call them 'transport boxes' in Brazil) I'm using to take my dog in the car for safety and reactivity reasons.

The issue I'm having is that it's not small enough for it to be secured by the safety belt, but not big enough that it would stay still without moving.

I'm thinking of ways of having it secured so it doesnt keep moving. I'm thinking of taking the crate in the trunk, which I find ok (the dog trainer and the transport guy both used it like that), but my wife is really not comfortable with the idea of taking the dog in the trunk.

I still think the trunk might be the way. I'm looking for ways of having it secured or the POV of people that take it in the trunk. The dog stays really chill inside the box (he has it for over a year and it's one of his known places), and he wouldn't see stuff that would trigger him while being inside the trunk.

I also think that would be by far the easiest and safest setup for him. He's a Sheltie with 12kg.

I adopted my boy “B” about a week ago, I knew going into it that he had a lot of anxiety and phobias and that doesn’t bother me, it’s something I was definitely willing to work on with him.

The main regret is coming from taking him from his foster family. When he was dropped off, his foster mom cried and said they really thought about adopting him, and he was doing so well with them and loved playing with their other dog. The rescue listed him as not needing another dog in the home but ever since he’s come home he just seems depressed. I think he really does need another dog to help teach him how to actually be a dog. He walked just fine with the other dog, but when he’s alone he gets so terrified and it breaks my heart. I feel like we’ve done him a dis-service moving him again, I have no other dogs and am not in a place to be able to handle that right now.

I’m obviously going to give it a bit more time before talking to his foster mom about it, I know he’s still adjusting but I just want what’s best for him and I feel like taking him away from that home has caused such a regression in his progress I feel so guilty. I love the little guy and just want him to be happy and I have no idea what to do, and I know the longer I wait the harder it would be if he does end up going back to his foster family.

Any advice on a situation like this??

Hello everyone,

I have a 7 year old shih poo (Binky) and he loves other dogs, he acts like a puppy and so, i want to go for a second dog 😊 What is the best way to introduce a new dog (puppy) to Binky? How did you introduce a puppy to an older dog and how are they now?

Thank you in advance!

Hi! Just wanna ask if did anyone have this experience with their pets? My dog (shihtzu), 7 months old, doesn't really drool in his sleep. If he does, only for a moment and very few. But today, I noticed he's drooling in his sleep which in my opinion looks unusual at the amount. I tried to see if he's gonna drool if he's awake but he really doesn't. I'm planning to bring him to the vet but it's already closed until tomorrow Sunday :/ Idk if I'm being paranoid that maybe he got poisoned, which hopefully he isn't and this might be just a different phase today. I saw him earlier chewing a used cotton ball so Idk if it relates to that. Besides from that, he doesn't really look lethargic and he still eats whatever I give him. His energy is fine and he's eating alright when I gave him dinner. This started to happen earlier around lunchtime in his nap and right now it's almost 11pm. He started to drool again. Is there anything I can do for the meantime? 😔

I have a 12 yr old beagle mix female. She's been in heat since new years day and just started peeing in the house. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I can't afford a vet bill.

Hi! For some context: I have a Maltese yorkie who is 5 years old.

So it started earlier today when apparently he refused to come inside for nearly an hour even though it is litterally freezing outside. My area has had a ton of snow recently, and got even more today and he isn’t normally a big fan of being outside in this weather for very long. When he did come inside, he was panting super aggressively and shivering for a super long time. My parents took him to the vet bc they were worried about him, but the vet checked him out and said he was fine.

Then, later he wanted in my room, which is normal enough bc we’ve been spending more time together in my room since I’m the only one home a lot of the time now. He started acting weird after when I left my room and began following me around like everywhere, which idk it was just weird. Like it’s not his normal behavior at all. He followed me into my brothers room and immediately hid under my brothers bed. I left the room and he followed at first but then immediately went back into the room and hid again. I talked to my brother and he said that’s really weird and unusual of him to do, especially twice like this.

My whole family agrees our dog is acting weird and we really aren’t sure why. I’m wondering if he’s just bored or maybe even depressed, as he normally gets like 2 walks a day, but with the snow he hasn’t gotten many, if any this week. He LOVES his walks, so that’s the only reason I think it could be a factor.

If anyone else has any ideas or how to help please let me know! Thanks!

I saw a medium length haired collie x staffy the other day and i was shook. Are they actually real? Does anybody have one because I’m convinced my eyes where lying to me.

My 7 year old Shih-Tzu has developed pretty bad anxiety lately out of no where. This started about a year ago when he suddenly started freaking out when we would leave the house but now it’s constant even when we’re home. He has always been a lazy guy and never seemed to care if we were home or not bc he liked doing his own thing. Last year he started crying when I left the house but it’s been mild, I watched him on a camera and he would just cry for a second and then go lay down and sleep until someone came home. But now??? He literally SCREAMS when me or my fiancé walk out the door. He will cry when we leave the room and he can’t see us anymore. Sometimes he will cry if we turn away from him and he’s sitting alone!!!! We obviously tried many things and a few months ago the vet said it was just anxiety and to give him meds she prescribed (Trazadone). It calms him down a little but not enough to make a difference. I’m honestly at a loss here. There have been no changes or anything that I know of to make him act like this. If anyone has any advice or things I could try it would be greatly appreciated 🙏🏼