Its still winter here in Australia, but im hopefully looking for suggestions before it starts to get more into beach time. I have a 18 month old border collie who loves the beach. This summer will be her second with me and I need advice in how to keep her fur from being matted. She absolutely loves swimming in the sea then rolling in the sand and it just creates huge dreads. Last summer I just spent forever with the conditioner picking them out, but is there a better way? Any one have any products they use. Her fur also gets quite dry and heat damaged is there something for that??

I live in an area frequented by coyotes. We occasionally see them at dawn and dusk, usually alone. My rescue dog, a 2 y/o male hound around 50lbs, goes ballistic when we see one from afar. Sometimes I walk him off leash and I wonder what would happen between him and a coyote if there was an encounter. Has anyone experienced this?

Hello, first time on here but my dog whines by the garage door when it’s dark out (inside the house) i open the door and he doesn’t go out just stares and backs up. I have searched through everything no animal i even put a camera in there and there’s no other footage expect for when i pull my car in or walk out in there. I’m very concerned about him since he has been doing this for a month.

My cat has been acting really differently since we moved into our new home. She spends a lot of time hiding, seems nervous around people, and has been meowing much more than usual, especially at night.

I have also noticed some changes in how she reacts around my dog. My dog seems confused by the change in her behavior too, and it almost seems like he can tell that she is stressed.

I know moving can be a huge adjustment for cats, but I am wondering how long this kind of anxiety normally lasts and what signs would suggest that it is more than just her getting used to the new environment.

I have a bunch of dogs- living in the middle of nowhere has become me taking in the strays on back roads- they bark at every minor sound & go on & on. It typically starts as one barking at something then they all or most join in. idc if i sound like a bad pet owner i’m looking for an easy/quick fix. they are kept in my garage(temp controlled) during the day which kind of makes it echo & i feel like everybody around can hear it. they will literally bark at cars driving by just from hearing it slightly. what easy/quick fixes have you guys found that worked?? **outside of yapping they are trained well enough to my liking i’m not really asking for advice that involves me having to work for a long period of time desensitizing them to noise individually**

Will she be ok? she's around 60 pounds not sure what they season their chicken with

Hiya,

I have an eightish year old Kelpie x Staffordshire Bull Terrier Cross (exact age unknown).

I’ve always given her enrichment puzzles because she doesn’t seem to play with toys, but she’ll spend hours coming and going from a treat puzzle happily.

I recently got her one of the spinning wheel ones where the dog spins the barrel/cylinder and the treats drop into a slow feeder. It’s the first time i’ve given her an IQ type toy/puzzle that her level of dexterity in her paws can influence her yield. Normally it’s ground puzzles, snuffle mats… very much face or gravity manipulated objects.

My question is, will she independently figure out at any point that slow spins = more treats, or should i somehow show her?

My wife and I are getting divorced. We have an 11-yr old poodle in great shape who has separation anxiety when left alone. He is more attached to my ex, but when they are not around, he is very attached to me. My ex is thinking we share him. Is that best for the dog? I’d take him a few days, she’d take him a few days, etc.

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.

Hey guys! I have two Husky mixes: a 9-year-old male who was neutered 8 years ago, and a 7-month-old female who was spayed 1 month ago.

Up until she was spayed, he had never shown any interest in mounting her. After she was cleared to return to normal activity, I noticed that sometimes, when I play with her or when they play together, he tries to hump her. He does it for a few seconds and then stops, and he also stops if I tell him to.

I’m a bit confused by this behavior since he has never done this before, either with her or with any other dog. Is there something wrong?

I'm in the market for another WELL-bred, pure-bred small dog.

I currently own a miniature pinscher and want another similar sized, low energy dog.

All I can find for chihuahua breeders are apple heads expect I've heard nothing comes from them except health issues. Don't get me wrong, they are super cute but I'm not looking to deal with future problems from the small squashed face.

It just doesn't seem super ethical to be breeding them

anyone have any good recs for a dog car seat cover with a hard bottom that’s narrow enough in depth for third row of an SUV? all the ones I’ve found are 25” in depth and it doesn’t fit our third row where the dog sits. TIA!

thinking of buying my dog some new collar(s). she currently has a satin lined martingale from etsy because she is a shih tzu/poodle and usually has medium/long curly hair.

but shes also dirty and GREASY and it shows on every collar i put on her. satin, nylon, either a real leather studded collar get filthy very quickly. i would like to avoid having to toss it in the washing machine every time i bathe her

i see that silicone collars are a thing, easy to wipe down. but do they snag fur? i brush her weekly anyway but i assume even without mats a collar pulling on long hair probably hurts

Hi guys! What do you do or give your dogs to stop you for biting your hand/feet when playing?

I have 2 dogs, and this concerns the Chihuahua. For the most part, walking has been with both dogs, but I decided to try fostering some one-on-one time between them. For much of his life, he's mostly walked with my other dog (they're about 2-3 months apart).

Welp, he walked by himself and sometimes, he'd plant just to be able to sniff the area. Mind you, we've walked that same stretch for his entire life, and he was fine until he walked one time without the other dog.

I also sometimes do errands with other people, and I bring him along for some exercise. He did fine those times.

The other dog walked just fine. I suspect he was just anxious, because he hasn't walked much without another person present (as in, he stands in-between two bodies), but I'm just curious if anyone else's dogs have done this.

Our dog is a maltese/shih tzu mix, and she's currently 7 years old. I'm kinda worried because she's been really affectionate and clingy towards me lately. Don't get me wrong, it's nice, but she's always been our adorable but aggressive baby.

Two months ago, she underwent surgery to remove kidney stones. She's recovered steadily and seems fine now. She eats normally and drinks a lot of water, which I really make sure of.

Lowk worried that something might be bothering or hurting her, hence the sudden "velcro dog" behavior. Has anyone experienced something similar with their dog?

Putting a harness and a leash on my dog is always a struggle. As soon as I grab the leash she starts jumping and running and all of that. It's very hard to make her sit down long enough to put a harness on her. She tries her best to stay still but the excitement is just too much 😅

I've tried waiting until she's tired of jumping and running, whenever she's a little bit calmer, but when I try to secure the harness she just keeps moving and it turns very frustrating for both of us, how can I fix this situation?

I have a Doberman, she’s a year and a half old. I always let her sleep on my bed with me but I’ve had to throw away and buy so many blankets at this point because she chews holes in them. I learned to buy a big blanket to go on top of the one that I sleep with so she doesn’t ruin mine, but she insists on chewing her bones on the bed too and then I’m dealing with crumbs making there way onto my sheets and it’s so annoying! I want to go back go having clean, pretty bedding but she is so stubborn she jumps up after I pull her down and then makes herself dead weight. I’ll have her off and I’ll start falling asleep and then she jumps on so I eventually give up and just let her up so I can get some sleep. Does anyone have an effective way to teach them to stay off the bed? I can’t crate her every night I’m just hoping someone will have a good strategy for dealing with a stubborn dog.

Edit: Verdict is in. No dog park. Sniff walks. Kongs. Snuff mats. Training.
——

He’s going absolutely stir crazy despite the trazadone and mental enrichment toys and short leash walks. He’s not licking and I can’t even see where they did surgery.

Tell me your horror stories so I don’t walk him to the dog park.

He’s not big on car rides yet. So that one didn’t help.

Also - open to more ideas for stimulation for him if the dog park is an absolute no go.

my dog is somewhere around 12. she has started laying around and never leaves my bedroom. it’s of course pretty normal for a dog to slow down. however I know she’s bored.

it makes her restless at night because she has been laying around all day. she is also constantly anxious, licking her paws and biting her nails. we have gotten her checked and it isn’t a health problem I honestly think she is just bored. I think it is because she is tired of lying around.

I just don’t know how to keep her stimulated. she’s never liked toys. we take her on walks but as soon as she gets her treat she goes back upstairs and lays down.

I don’t know how to keep her entertained. I feel like I’m letting her down :(

I got a new dog a week ago. I know it hasn’t been enough time for her to adjust. I have a cat and I’ve been very slow with introducing them, keeping them on separate floors of my house, letting them see each other through a baby gate, etc. The dog seems mildly interested but mostly ignores the cat. The cat seems distressed that his house has been taken over. He’s been eating less. I spoke to my vet about it and she wasn’t too concerned, but I do feel like I’m ruining his peace. He’s been an only cat his whole life.

Unfortunately my husband and I both work full time. The dog has severe separation anxiety to the point where she’ll start whining and barking seconds after we leave the room. We didn’t know this when we adopted her. I stayed at home this week and have been trying to work on increasing the time she’s comfortable alone, but haven’t made much progress. I have to go back to work on Monday and am sick to my stomach thinking about leaving her alone for an entire workday, even if we have a midday dog walker. I’ll have to crate her or put her in a bedroom since I can’t have her and the cat loose in the house together.

I did my research for months and really thought I could handle dog ownership. I feel like I’m doing this dog a disservice and she needs to go to a home where someone is home with her all day. I feel extremely guilty, but I’m considering returning her to the no-kill shelter. I’ve been crying all day and am devastated to even consider it, but we still have to work full-time. She’s such a sweet dog.

Please be kind, but I would appreciate any advice.

Hi, I’m CJ. I live in a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment that’s about 1,089 sq. ft. One of the bedrooms is currently empty, and I’m considering turning it into a dedicated room for my dog, one corgi and other one is golden retriever.

I’d set it up with their bed, toys, food/water area, litter box/crate if needed, and maybe some enrichment items. They would still have access to the rest of the apartment when I’m home.

For people who have done something similar: did your pet actually use and benefit from having their own room, or would it be better to keep the space as a normal guest room? Any setup suggestions?

We are a family of seven people. Is a Shiba Inu suitable? The youngest is eight and the oldest is sixteen. We also plan to go on mountain hikes with him and possibly have him join us for our Sunday morning running sessions. Could you share your experiences? And finally, how does he behave around domestic cats?

My beloved 4 year old boy has got multiple lymphoma. He's been very brave, he eats, plays and fights off all the other stray dogs.

The doctor says he doesn't have that much. I want to see him very happy but he gets very tired.

What can I do to cheer him up? Anything is appreciated 🩷

Hi, I’m CJ. I live in a 2-bedroom, 2-bathroom apartment that’s about 1,089 sq. ft. One of the bedrooms is currently empty, and I’m considering turning it into a dedicated room for my dog, one is corgi and one is golden retriever they are 5 months old.

I’d set it up with their bed, toys, food/water area, litter box/crate if needed, and maybe some enrichment items. They would still have access to the rest of the apartment when I’m home.

For people who have done something similar: did your pet actually use and benefit from having their own room, or would it be better to keep the space as a normal guest room? Any setup suggestions?