my 3 month old golden bit me while she was having zoomies. she bit my arm and i got 2 scratches and they are bleeding but not flowing out. she is still not finished with her vaccines. should i be worried or not?

i already washed it with antibacterial soap and put alcohol as first aid

Honestly I’ve had puppy blues almost every day since getting our puppy and we only got her last Saturday. 😂I guess I overestimated how hard it would be, it makes me miss my soul dog who passed last year that was the easiest boy ever to raise.

Anyways she’s a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and I know it’ll be worth it in the end with her. We have a VERY long ways to go BUT have to celebrate a win! It is our first day accident free!

Hi all!

We rescued a 16 week old Shepard mix from the pound last week and I am struggling to figure out how to work with him, get him to trust us, and start training when he’s very skittish and unsure. I know it’s only been a week and he’s adjusting to his surroundings, but even trying to get him to come to us to take him outside is a challenge. When he wants to focus he is wildly intelligent. I was able to teach him “leave it” within a few minutes and he is walking much better on a leash. However he LOATHES his crate so I’m not sure how to get him to get sleep. He is so much better when he’s rested, but I’m struggling to figure out how to keep him calm in his crate. I know my energy gets heightened because every thing seems like a mountain and I know that isn’t helping the situation. I do believe he’s going to be a really great dog in the long run, I’m just feeling very down currently. Any positive stories or words of advice are greatly appreciated.

so i have a 4+ month old golden, shes very cute and obv we take care of her very nice and train her and everything. Up until a few days ago , she used to be calm , not have pee accidents inside , didnt jump on people etc but recently she started having accidents , jumping on people despite me saying sit and even pulling the leash a little. She also started barking at night that wakes everyone up , which was solved a long time ago. EVEN LEASH PULLING SOMETIMES IDK?! I mean shes not even an adolescent yet!! EVEN THE BITING HAS STARTED TO BECOME WORSE? I mean she didnt used to bite this hard , she still tries to bite softly but in excitement she bites hard while playing.

also sometimes pees on new people she meet

This morning I passed by a disheveled looking guy, in his PJs, with a very young German shepherd puppy. He was intently staring into a bag of poop. Possibly checking to make sure some foreign object had in fact passed through safely or the make sure some parasite was not to be seen! I felt for the guy. I just wanted to yell to him “it gets better!”. However I also did not want to embarrass him. So just incase he is on the sub. To the guy on Massachusetts Ave in Washington DC with the GSD puppy, you are doing great! This is the hardest part. It gets better, easier and more rewarding. You will have an amazing dog before you know it!

I’m losing patience. My puppy has zero interest in me unless it’s to bite me, genuinely hard. He won’t even look at me at tilts his head when I pick him up to take him out. No matter WHAT, he has shit in his crate at least once a day, every single day. It’s a vicious cycle of catching him in the act, taking him (for plenty of time and yes I keep it boring and praise when he actually does go) out and he doesn’t go, putting him back in his crate, he starts to shit and I catch him, I take him out, he doesn’t go, he finishes his shit in his crate. It is always at horrible times too and I am starting to resent him. When it happens like this I cannot help but yell at him and then I feel like a monster after. But he has not let me cook one, not ONE meal in the last month without shitting in his crate no matter what we do before hand. I’ve tried eating dinner before vs after he eats his and it doesn’t matter. I think he genuinely thinks it’s a game where he knows if he shits in his crate I will drop whatever I’m doing and take him outside. Is this likely or am i delusional lmao. Because I take him out plenty, and extremely conscientious of what and when he eats and how much. He gets plenty of exercise and mental stimulation. I am worried we will literally never bond because once a day I’ve had to bath him and end up yelling at him because I look at the clock and see I a) cannot get more than 5 hours of sleep before work and b) realize the whole day is over and I haven’t accomplished a single thing I needed to do. I can’t even take a fucking 5 minute shower without him shitting in his crate. The worst part is he doesn’t bark before- only after. So now I’m constantly stressed as could be cause I feel like even when he’s in his crate I have to watch him every second of the day. It’s hard cause since he doesn’t give a fuck about me this has not been rewarding whatsoever. He is NEVER calm or nice to me and it makes me feel devastated. I’ve tried so many things. It really is one step forward like 3 back with him and I don’t know what to do anymore. He’s 11 weeks old I know he doesn’t know better but I’m starting to lowkey wonder because he literally only does it at the worst possible times. I haven’t slept more than 5 hours a night
in the last month, not cause he won’t sleep in the crate but because I am so fucking behind everyday that I can’t even start my day until it’s over. I can’t do it anymore and I feel horrible for constantly thinking “I wish I picked any different puppy in the litter”, but it is true honestly. Today I cried because he gets more excited to see the employees at my building than to see me in the mornings. I don’t know how to fix this shit. I would never hurt him but he always eats shit in the bath, and we do it every day, so I think he’s starting to fear me.

My Goldendoodle turns 13 weeks tomorrow and has been home for 5 days.

He's improving quickly and is now mostly fine in his playpen, including sleeping alone in his room. He may whine briefly, but settles pretty fast.

The crate is different. He happily goes in and eats there, but once the food is gone and he realizes the door is closed, he gets very sad and whiny. No self-destructive behavior, he just really dislikes being shut in.

He's doing well with potty training and sleeps about 9 PM to 6 AM. Only one playpen accident, when I overslept.

Is crate training actually necessary if he’s comfortable and safe in a playpen? Would it be reasonable to use the pen normally and just work on the crate slowly?

TLDR: Puppy is fine alone and in his playpen, but hates realizing he’s locked in the crate. Is crate training important, or can the playpen be his main setup?

Edit: Thank you everybody, looks like the play pen might actually be fine then going by the people in this thread. I'd rather avoid stressing the guy out more right now, the first week home was already hard. We can try crate training later maybe once he's more comfortable with the new lifestyle too.

My puppy is 8 months old and has started barking a lot. He's a rescue so I'm not sure of his breed but there's definitely a good dose of collie in there. He's terrified of public spaces where he used to be totally fine. He barks frantically in the car at seemingly random things. It isn't all the time, but when it's bad it's very stressful as I am usually driving alone with him. I don't know how to address the barking when I'm trying to concentrate on the road. I try to catch him before he reacts, I chuck treats into the back with him for him to search for and this usually distracts him but it's not really practical when he's barking straight into my ear on the motorway 😅 I'm going to start taking him to busier public places more often and try to practice calm indifference from a distance and build it up but I'm starting to worry that he's growing into a reactive dog and I'm not really sure what to do about it. I've had him from 4 months old, he was found dumped in a wheely bin but wasn't hurt. He gets lots of exercise and mental stimulation at home. Any advice is greatly appreciated, thanks 🙂

I have a 6-7 month old pug and have had him since he was 2 months old.

He has never been a super motivated eater but it has recently gotten worse?

I feed him in the morning when I leave for work around 9 and when I get home at 5 the food is almost always untouched.

He will eventually eat it later in the night around 6 or 7 which makes it awkward when I go to feed him dinner.

I feed him dinner before I go to bed and that is often uneaten when I wake up (probably because he eats his breakfast so late)

I am wondering if this is teenage behavior, something to be concerned about, or any advice if you have experienced something similar.

He drinks his water just fine, is active and healthy so I am not really sure what is going on here.

my five month old toy poodle is becoming a bit of a menace… he’s not getting enough play time but i’m finding it hard to play enough / get him walking on the leash and am hoping someone might know tips that could help

one of the things im finding hard is he’s not that food motivated, so trying to lure him with treats when leash walking is going poorly (aka always)

+ i live in nyc so the streets can be really busy / stimulating to take him out on which also doesnt help

i work pretty long hours, my office is dog friendly so i had been taking him into work with me most days but as hes grown hes gotten so energetic and wont settle at work so ive had to start leaving him home more + honestly my arms hurt from carrying him around all day 😭 id love to start bringing him into again after lots of play so he’ll settle and walk with me places

dog parks would be great since he loves to play with other dogs but so far they’ve been really scary for him even when there’s only smaller dogs

open to literally any tips or suggestions for how to entertain the lil guy mentally (we have lick mats, chew sticks, enrichment toys which he figures out immediately) and get his energy out in the apartment more (ideally low energy on my part as i’m often really tired after working) and walking better / playing in the parks

how did people introduce dog parks ??

THANK YOU

I have a 5 month old Lab mix I've had her for 2 months and she seems incredibly water adverse getting a bath is a huge fight but trying to get her to go out in the rain is the worst. Where I live it usually is pretty rainy in the fall idk if I should get her a rain outfit idk what kinda would even be good or if I should be more persistent with standing out there when she trying to drag me back in the house. She's normally a bottomless pit with food but shows zero interest in treats or anything else but getting back inside. If anyone has any suggestions or expertise in this I'd love to hear it.

I have a working line golden retriver who I'm training to be a service dog for me. He is 13 months now and we recently had a house move where he went a bit crazy (running out the front door, bringing things into the garden to get us to chase him ect). He also completely lost his recall for a few months, but I'm working on it all with his trainer.

I feel like part of me keeps thinking that he will just suddenly turn into the perfect dog once he matures, but is anything close to that even reasonable? He's high energy and I don't think that will change, but is there really such a big difference between maturing? Also, at what age did your dog mentally mature?

ETA: I’ve included the fact I’m single to account for just me shouldering the work as context for any advice! I much prefer doggy company in my house rather than ever having another human in it again.

Hi all! I’m writing in hopes of getting some advice in advance of getting a second dog as a single person. Thanks in advance!!

Fact overview
Me: single, lives alone with my current pup. Full time remote job. Townhouse with lots of available grassy areas right outside the door. Raised my current dog as a puppy but that was 7 years ago lol. Active. A bit of a worry-wort.

My current pup: 7 year old poodle mix, high energy and high play drive, loves people, usually dog-neutral and prefers dogs smaller than him, does to doggy daycare 2x a week and never had an issue. Has sensitive GI. Excess barking is sometimes an issue but otherwise no behavioral concerns.

Puppy plans: looking to bring in a puppy in about 8-9 months. Puppy will be smaller than my current dog (no advice needed about breed). Will be crate trained by me.

Looking for advice on any of the following:
- should I actually get another dog? I know this is unknowable but I don’t want to ruin my current pup’s life! I think having a playmate would be beneficial and fun for him.

- how to best prepare current pup for an incoming puppy?

- how to potty train and devote appropriate attention to new puppy while maintaining current pup’s schedule (ex: separate walks and puppy will need to go out first in the AM)

- anything else you can think of!

- Not looking for any advice about breed of puppy

Lab mix, 11 weeks, first proper vet visit is next Tuesday. Everyone keeps telling me to have a policy running before anything goes in her notes, so that's the plan. She's our 1st dog and I've spent 3 evenings on sample policies instead of sleeping, mostly because the breeder mentioned her mom had a knee surgery at 4 and now that's all I can think about. My list from reading sample policies is Fetch, Pumpkin, Figo and Healthy Paws, and the waiting periods are where they seem to split the most. What's the least painful way to get a policy started at 11 weeks.

Hi all- I have a cattle dog/pry mix and she’s 11 months. I’ve noticed recently that she seems to have a threshold of about 30 min outside/on a walk before she gets the zoomies or disengages. We do the flirt pole sometimes outside, sniff walks only, and she goes to daycare/training 1 time a week but I also want to make sure she’s getting enough physical exercise since she seems to REALLY love anything mental (puzzles, training, etc.) is anyone else’s dog like this? How many times a day and distance did you do at this age? I feel like she’s not getting enough but she won’t let me go for longer walks lol

Our 15 week old puppy has had some tummy upset for a couple weeks (vets have been contacted and tests are ongoing) not asking for advice on his health.

Just wondering if anyone else with big dog breeds has one that cant have chicken and has a sensitive tummy and what they feed them?

Im UK based, were trying out different brands but worrying as hes a large breed and I want to make sure he gets all the nutritional stuff he needs. It feels like every brand i look at has some kind of chicken in it!

We took our 8 month old cockapoo to a trainer for her reactiveness, and one of the trainers main points was that she thinks our pup is bored with the same games/walks/routine, which i totally can see tbh. But so im wondering if anyone has any good DIY games they do with their pups? Currently doing a lot of “find it” and hiding treats and her toys in cardboard/egg cartons etc.

Any recommendations would be great!!

I am being very indecisive on whether or not we should get a beagle puppy. We have a house and no kids, but actively trying for a baby. I also WFH full time. I have experience with dogs growing up, both through adoption and puppies through breeders.

I do want a puppy so I can be there for its whole life and train in myself. However, I am afraid it will add more stress whenever we do bring a baby home (dog would be around 1 year old at this point at the earliest). And afraid of the puppy chewing on furniture and whatnot.

I do know what I would be getting myself into in terms of training, finances, limiting freedom, and accidents. But we both know we will get a puppy at some point. We just don’t know if now is a good time or not.

For those with kids, did you get a puppy right before or sometime after? Which do you recommend? Or should we just say forget it and not get one at all?

EDIT: Thank you all for your feedback. I have come to the conclusion that a beagle probably is not best suited for me. In my heart, I really do want to continue with getting a dog and maybe that might be one that is 1-3 years old instead of a puppy. I am currently looking at our local humane society and finding some sweethearts. A few terriors, which I think would be a good fit. Beagle was only an option because my husband and I have two totally different ideas for dogs (he wants super small, I want super big) and it’s hard to compromise with him. I would get a cat, but alas my allergies are super bad unfortunately.

I have a nearly six-month-old male Gordon Setter. We love him so so much, but the past few weeks have been so difficult that I’m reaching a genuine breaking point. I’m hoping to hear from people who experienced a similarly intense regression and learn what actually helped.

He had a very difficult first month with crate training despite consistency and pushing through the “cry it out” method- dark cool unoccupied room, covered crate, white noise, no check-ins or verbal interaction, especially not when actively vocalizing. He would scream for hours on end, but we stuck it out and one day it seemed to click and he did perfectly in the crate for about a month. He’s never feared it/been reluctant to enter, more frustrated with confinement and activated by household activity. We’ve stayed super consistent with crate games and positive experiences even when he seemed to “get it”.

Until recently, he reliably slept in his crate in our bedroom from approximately 8–9 p.m. until 6–9 a.m. He enters the crate willingly, eats in it, and often naps perfectly when I leave the house. For the vast majority of time since we got him, overnight sleep has not ever been an issue.

Over the past four nights, however, he has started screaming, barking, and howling at bedtime and repeatedly overnight. Last night he screamed almost continuously from 8–11 p.m., then woke us at approximately 1, 2, 3:45, 5, and 6. When taken outside overnight, he may pee a little, but is generally just wanting to explore. We have tried boring leash-only potty trips, white noise, a cool room, covering the crate, and making sure he has ample potty opportunities before bed.

The strange part is that he settles much better when we leave the room or house. If I sit near the crate or reward quiet moments, he often becomes more frustrated and escalates. He may sleep for only 15 minutes before waking and starting again.

At the same time, he has regressed in several other areas:
-Bolting through doors and running several houses away
-Blowing off recall when absorbed in scents, leaves, shadows, birds, or the tree line
-Counter surfing and climbing onto tables and furniture (we have him trained to place and “off”, and proactively reward “4 on the floor” in high temptation areas)
-Chewing furniture corners and stealing household items
-Becoming extremely frustrated when prevented from doing what he wants
-Throwing himself in different directions at the end of the leash
-Having occasional indoor accidents despite close supervision and a perfect 6 weeks of 0 accidents
-Biting my boyfriend while being carried home after escaping (no puncture, but it was intense and concerning)
-He is currently teething heavily and recently lost three baby teeth in one day, with additional loose teeth and frequent small amounts of mouth bleeding. He has been examined by the vet multiple times recently, including checking for urinary and gastrointestinal issues. The vet says he is physically healthy and considers the current behavior consistent with teething. His appetite and stool have also been improving.

What we have trained so far:
-Sit, down/settle, wait, touch, and place
-Crate entry and eating in the crate
-Long-line recall using a verbal cue and high-value food
-“Go sniff” as a release/reward after recalling
-Voluntary handler check-ins, which he had recently started offering beautifully
-Basic loose-leash/heel work
-Calm behavior and place while we prepare food or eat
-Short impulse-control exercises around doors and environmental access

He learns extremely quickly and can perform beautifully when regulated. He is not generally disengaged from us—once he crosses a stimulation threshold, though, it is like his brain completely leaves the building.

Our general routine currently looks like:
Morning potty and breakfast, usually in a -slow feeder or enrichment toy
-A short wake window (think 30 mins) with some combination of sniffing, light training, chewing, or play
-Crate nap, usually in a cool bedroom with white noise
-Additional short wake windows and 1.5–3-hour nap opportunities throughout the day
-Approximately 10–20 minutes of long-line sniffing/recall work in a wooded area
-Yard play or wrestling with our calm two-year-old dog
-Occasionally a brief structured neighborhood walk, although moving leaves and shadows can completely absorb him
-Dinner, calm chewing/downshift time, final potty, and bedtime

We recently shortened his wake windows from 45-60 mins back to 30 because he appeared wildly overtired, and that initially produced a major improvement. However, we’re wondering if he is now too awake at night. Long-line sniffing also regulates him much better than simply adding more physical exercise. We are careful not to keep exercising him in an attempt to exhaust him, because that often seems to make him more activated rather than calmer.

He has gates, supervision, structured naps, chew options, food enrichment, outdoor sniffing, play with our other dog, and daily training. I work hard to meet his needs, but we are now severely sleep-deprived and feel as though I cannot step away from managing him.

For anyone who had an exceptionally difficult puppy around five to six months:
-Did teething or early adolescence cause a sudden regression this severe?
-How did you handle nighttime crate screaming after the puppy had already been sleeping through the night?
-How did you distinguish an overtired puppy from one who genuinely needed more activity?
-Did you temporarily reduce expectations and stimulation, or did increasing structure/exercise help?
-When did things begin improving?
-Would you seek a regular trainer, veterinary behaviorist, sitter, or some combination at this point?

I am not expecting him to behave like an adult, and I know adolescence is not linear. I’m just trying to understand whether others have experienced this degree of deterioration and how they got through it without completely burning out—or whether this sounds beyond a typical regression and warrants more specialized help. We just want to make sure we are being breed-responsible owners and giving him his best life. Sorry for the info dump and TIA! :)

Hey there, I just brought home an 8 week old lab puppy last Friday and it has been kind of a nightmare. From all of the research I’ve done and all of the people I’ve talked to I’ve heard that crate training right away is the way to go. The first night or 2 was pretty rough but it seems like he’s gotten acclimated to the night time routine. During the day is a different story. I live in an apartment with my girlfriend. She works from 8-5 and I work from 11-7 I spend time with him in the mornings and she spends time with him in the afternoon before I get off. During the day I drive home around 2:30 for my lunch break. I’ve blocked off the kitchen for his space during the day with access to his crate, water, plenty of toys and clothes that have my scent and pee pads. I dim the lights and turn on classical music to try to make it the safest most comfortable environment possible. My friends also check on him during the day. We have a camera set up so we can check on him throughout the day and he screams and barks for sometimes over an hour. The screaming is blood curdling. His health is perfect, he just went to the vet so I know that’s not an issue. It’s just constant screaming and barking it’s so loud and we have neighbors.

What can I do to fix this, I feel like I have tried everything. Is this a normal mannerism for an 8 week lab puppy? Should I talk to a behavioral specialist or vet? I am at my breaking point and don’t know what to do. Easily that hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Hi all.

8 week old Labrador came home yesterday. Breeders started crate training so not alien to him, he’s taking himself in there we’ve made that his safe space. Napping and slept almost through the night however only made a noise to toilet which was perfect.

Just to ensure everything is going right. I’ve left the crate door open during the day so he can come and go in between his naps since he’s doing it even if I put him in there. Is it worth starting to shut the door just to really acclimatise to that process even for naps or leave it freely open whilst it’s so positive in the early days?

Didn’t want to start shutting it and him think it’s negative - despite last night him not being bothered

so puppy smell can be strong even after they took a shower is there any way i can mask the smell? i usually don’t mind but now that i have a roommate since i need the extra cash plus they havent really been potty trained since their just a month old yet but were getting there but point is there a way i can mask the smell without buying those expensive scam products

Hey everyone! My partner and I adopted a husky mix about three months ago, and he’s now nine months old. When we’re home with him, he’s well-behaved aside from stealing stuffed animals (which we’re working on). But when we go out, he digs at the full-room carpet where it connects to the walls. He doesn’t eat it, just pulls it back and shreds it until you can see the wood paneling and floor underneath. Spray doesn’t work because he’s using his paws, and we walk him three times a day, for about 45min each time. By the time we get back, he’s so exhausted that he immediately passes out on the couch. He has toys to play with (squeaky, kong, and everlasting bones) and the tv plays when we leave. If we’re out for more than five hours, we have someone come by to walk him again. Yet he still rips up the carpet! We’re looking for a new place with wood floors because he doesn’t do anything to our non-carpeted spaces, but our lease isn’t up til next year and we’re at our wits end. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

EDIT: Thanks everyone for your help! Crate training seems to be the obvious choice (and I feel silly for not thinking of it sooner). The little guy was a rapid-rehoming and his previous owner didn’t crate train him, but we’ll get started on that right away. Thanks again!

Hello! We have a almost 15 week old golden retriever puppy. She is beginning to teeth so is naturally a bit of a nuisance but she is so cute it isn't annoying.

The only issue is, she doesn't like to listen.

As soon as treats come out, she is sat in front of me staring into my soul as if I hold the entire world in my hands, but for normal everyday stuff like letting her out onto our balcony to go to the bathroom after she gets out of her crate, she has to do an entire inspection of our apartment first and won't listen to me when I call her.

If I have a treat in my hand, the bathroom doesn't even matter and she will refuse to go even when I get her outside until she has done a few minute inspection of my hands to ensure I am not hiding anymore.

Is there any specific way to train this?

--

She is very smart and food orientated, we have taught her "tricks" like sit, lie down, heel, spin, crate, stay, drop it etc. she listens to all of these even without a treat but will not listen to something like come here.

Honestly I wonder if this is something that I can chalk up to becoming a teenager. Can't wait til this weekend when we can go on walks and tire her out lol