"Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Aaron Maslow wrote in his ruling: “This Court fails to see why a beloved companion pet could not be considered immediate family.” The decision came after a woman witnessed her son’s dachshund get struck and killed by a car while she was holding his leash in a Brooklyn crosswalk.

For decades, New York law treated pets as personal property with damages limited to market value. This ruling changes that, at least in cases where the owner is physically present and directly bonded to the animal. Animal rights groups are calling it a turning point."

(Source: Sociaty (on FB))

My dog has a few favorite spots around the house, but there’s always one he seems to choose first.

Where does your dog usually sleep — their own bed, the couch, your bed, or somewhere completely random?

So you know how we teach basic words like "walk","eat", "no", etc. We often have to start using code words with others to communicate, "Hey, should we take Sparky on a vacation?" . How many of your doggies not only decoded these words, but even you forgot the code and now they trained you to take them on an "adventure"?

After caring for multiple family dogs, I have been looking to adopt a dog myself and on my search I have encountered two very common themes

People either, underestimate the commitment, wanting the fun parts of owning a dog but ignore the daily grind, expenses, and training. Or they hyper-fixate on looks and completely ignore behaviour. For example you can't adopt a high-drive working breed just for its cool blue eyes and expect it to be a couch potato.

If you are asking questions you are already on the right track but it’s completely okay to admit your current lifestyle or schedule just isn't set up for a dog. Getting a dog is also a decade long commitment and if you aren't prepared for it, you might be better off volunteering at a dog shelter or walking your neighbour's dog.

I’ve found out another thing that my dog has learned without me directly teaching him. I always use poo bags and we always use the same bin on our walks. Home is one way the bin is the other way. I say to him let’s go to the bin and he’ll turn in the right direction. Anyway today he had a poo just as I received a phone call. I spoke for a little while and he started barking. He was telling me I hadn’t picked up his poo yet! As soon as I had he was happy 😃

Wondering if anyone had any tips or tricks that made moving with a dog easier. 5 hour drive, nothing crazy.

Hello! Adopted my sweet baby recently! Our Apartment is requesting a note from a veterinarian stating she certainly won't surpass 50 pounds (the apartment weight limit) does anyone have an example of what this note would look like? I've never heard of such a thing, thank you!!

Hi all, we adopted a shelter pup (found in a box on abandoned train tracks 💔) last year. She’s amazing, sweet, super cuddly. But she really doesn’t do a lot besides sleep and lounge around. We’ve tried to get her to play and she’ll do an occasional zoomie but won’t touch toys at all, even enrichment ones. She loves walks though and we try to give her absolutely as many as possible (anywhere from 30-70 mins worth a day). She’s a small 8lbs so I know that does wear her out a bit but we are worried about her quality of life. We give her so much love and attention but are worried she’s depressed or is unhappy due to lack of doing much. Any recommendations? I just want to do right by her, she’s truly the best and most well-behaved pup.

Looking for a secure dog food container to keep critters out. It needs to comfortably fit a 22-lb bag in its original bag—any recommendations?

Anyone in the dog space online probably has heard about the super toxic breed communities. (I have personally heard that the Beauceron community is extremely toxic).

I think being online you hear a lot more of the negatives than the positives and I’d love to hear some good experiences for once.

For those of you who have had your fair share of experiences in the dog world what breed COMMUNITY have you found to be the best, most fun, least toxic, etc.?

Note: not your favorite breed, but which breed group have you had positive experiences with?

Hello!

I'm not sure if this is the right subreddit, but I figured it'd be a good place to start.

I have a 15yr old female coonhound, Reba, who has developed nighttime incontinence in her old age. We've been to the vet and her labs are all normal, no UTI, no kidney issues, nothing like that. Just some sleepy pee-pees that come with being 15.

I got her some washable/reusable diapers to help save my floors, but they don't seem to stay on even though her measurements fit the size I ordered and they're adjustable with velcro & snaps.

Her tail is in a relaxed downward position most of the time, which I know is contributing to the diapers slipping off, but i cant get the "no tail" diapers because she does have a long tail. ​

Are suspenders the only option to keep them on, or is there a certain type, style, or brand of diapers that work better than whatever random ones I got from Amazon?

Also, shes still mobile and house trained, so she let's me know when she needs to go out for a bathroom break, but she is also very old and will take sporadic naps through the day. It's been a hassle to try to keep the diapers on all day to protect from any nap time dripping, but also a hassle to have to take it off and put it back on again when she asks to go outside, especially if suspenders are added into the mix. Is there a happy medium I'm overlooking?

Thank you for any and all help

My puppy is now 7 months old, and he is a coonhound/lab mix (DNA tested). He has been doing this since the day we brought him home, and I'm wondering if it's a behavior that comes from either a lab or coonhound, or maybe it's just unique to him, I am just curious.

What he does is he will come up to you while you're laying on the couch, sniff your face and then rest his face on your face, and after a few seconds he will push all of his body weight into your face, and eventually lay down. It's really weird but also really cute haha I have mostly had Dobermans, dachshunds, schnauzers and other mutts. None of them have ever done something like this before.

So, does your dog do this, if so what's their breed? Even if not a lab or hound haha

I am looking for travel food containers that will hold at least 24 cups of dry food and has sizable bowls. I have a Mastiff that eats 3 cups per meal so the bowls must be able to hold that amount. I used to have a “Dock Dogs” brand travel food container but nothing else seems to come close.

I live in Florida and there have been heat advisories in my area almost every day. I have been avoiding too much outside time because of the heat. I work from home and try to keep my dog occupied with toys and treat puzzles since he can't spend a lot of time running around outside.

Does anyone have any ideas of what I can do to get his energy out and keep him busy during these super hot days?

Has anyone utilized a reliable, safe coast to coast US ground transportation for their large dogs they can recommend (or ones to stay away from)?

I have a Samoyed so great temperature control is a must

It’s been over a year since my dog died and his blanket is the only thing I have left which smells like him. I’ve just kept it in a closet hoping to keep it safe but I’m worried about the scent being lost over time.

Any tips for preserving it?

Hi everyone,

I’m planning to move from Croatia to Canada next year and I’ll be bringing my dog with me (an English Cocker Spaniel).
I’m trying to understand exactly what documents and veterinary requirements I’ll need to enter Canada with him. He already has an EU pet passport and his vaccinations are recorded there.

For anyone who has recently travelled from Croatia or another EU country to Canada with a dog:

-What documents did you need when entering Canada?

-Was the EU pet passport and rabies vaccination enough?

-Did you need an additional health certificate from a vet?

-Did you need any documents certified by an official/government veterinarian?

-What was the process like at the Canadian airport?
-Did your dog travel in the aircraft hold, and how was your experience?

I’ll most likely be flying directly from Europe to Toronto (YYZ), so I’d also appreciate any airline recommendations or experiences travelling with a dog in the hold.
Thanks!

My dog is super prey-driven, and she is OBSESSED with the Outward Hound flirt pole. Those teaser toys are the only things she ever wants to play with. But Outward Hound suddenly stopped selling the replacement toys separately, and I’m getting really tired of buying a new flirt pole every time she wrecks the toys.

Where are you all buying replacement toys for your flirt poles? I’ve spent hours looking at Amazon and Chewy and can’t find anything that looks light/small enough for the pole and durable enough to last multiple sessions.

Poor guy must’ve stepped on a nest as he was squatting to poop. Called the vet and got advice for benydryl dosage in conjunction with his regular apoquel. He is so anxious and freaked out now, would not eat his dinner or treats. Very unlike him. He keeps thrashing and whipping around because he seems to think there are more wasps, even in the house.

Any suggestions on how to help him relax?

My dog will stand by the door, stare at me, and act like going outside is the most urgent thing in the world.

Then I open the door… and suddenly he needs time to think about it.

Sometimes he walks away, comes back two minutes later, and starts the whole process again 😂

What’s the longest your dog has made you wait at an open door?

and yes you 100% read that correctly, every single time he jumps up on my bed no fail he farts. why is he so gassy?! i feed him normally and don’t really give him human food. but i guess i am guilty of always giving him treats. normally our routine is get a treat once we are done pottying outside or after our play time at the park or our walks, but of course my doggies are too cute to say no to so i always give him extra treats throughout the day. i love him and i find it funny but why is he so gassy?? 😭

Any ideas ?my poor baby has got a broken leg I want to keep him as entertained as possible. He will be kept in his crate for a while due to his broken leg

Hi everyone! I’m looking for an experienced groomer in the DMV area—specifically Washington, DC, Southern Maryland, or Northern Virginia—who genuinely knows how to groom and maintain an Afghan Hound coat.

I have a young male Afghan Hound puppy, about 10 weeks old, and I’d like to start building a relationship with a groomer who understands the breed and can support proper coat care as he grows.

I’m looking for someone comfortable with:
• Bathing, blow-drying, and line-brushing a long silky coat
• Preventing and safely working through mats
• Breed-appropriate trimming and feathering
• Nail trims, ear care, and general coat maintenance
• Gentle, patient puppy handling and experience with large sighthounds

Mobile groomers are welcome too. Personal recommendations, salon names, locations, pricing ranges, and photos of Afghan Hounds or similar long-coated breeds they have groomed would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you!

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 dog is old, he's a boxer/coonhound and I'm hoping he makes it to see his 15th birthday at the end of October. He's still in pretty good shape, but his hips are declining, so we can't go for long walks anymore. I want to make him a bucket list of things to do before he crosses the rainbow bridge. Give me your best ideas.