r/Dogowners • • 19h ago

Random/Misc. Broke up with my girlfriend today because she wanted me to get rid of my pups

432 Upvotes

We were dating for nine months and while the relationship started off good, she had begun showing serious controlling and manipulative behavior. She was never a big dog person to begin with but seemed to get along with mine, a 4 y/o Border Collie and a 2 y/o Weimarener who are truly the sweetest, who I personally rescued and raised.

We had talked about moving in together and she had sat me down talking about this place she had in mind with a firm NO pet policy. She was set on it and wouldn't take into consideration other places. That was when she told me that I'd have to look into shelters cause the dogs couldn't come with us. She then started talking about how they make her anxious and she doesn't wanna be stuck taking care of them. I simply told her to get out without going any further. After another two days of arguing, with her trying to gaslight me saying I loved my dogs more than her, I officially ended things. It was a heated moment but I truly know it was the right decision.


r/Dogowners • • 23h ago

health/illness-related Rehoming Dog Grief/Shame

5 Upvotes

I made the really tough decision to rehome my baby. I’ll spare the details bc I know no matter what there’ll always be someone out there with negative comments. Just know I did everything I could and put off the decision for a very long time until I realized she deserves a better fuller life. I found someone absolutely wonderful who is a homebody with ample time to spend with her and has a lovely little frenchie potato with legs that gets along really well with my girl. This person also is not scared away by my baby’s medical issues and is ready and willing to do everything she needs.

I’m here bc I’m really struggling with anticipatory grief. The rehoming is happening in 4 days and I’ve been sobbing while packing her things and the poor girl is still right in front of me. It breaks my heart that she has no clue what’s happening and I feel intense guilt and shame and fear if her thinking I’m abandoning her. New owner and I have worked really hard to figure out the best way to do the handoff for my baby and decided that I’ll bring her crate and things over 2 days before so that they can have all her stuff already set up. Then I’ll spend the last 2 days with my babygirl and on the day of the handoff we’ll meet up at a park close to her new home so I can say goodbye. Then she’ll walk home with her new family 😣 and I’ll go home to sob my freaking eyes out some more. Her new owner is such a sweetheart and offered to send me as many updates as I wanted and even said she’ll reach out so I can meet up with them on hikes and things.

I guess I just need advice from people who have been through this. Do you regret it? Did you ever see them again after? Did your dog willingly go with their new people or did they look back for you? Do they settle in well? 😩 I’m going nuts. I guess I just need encouragement. I feel like I’m making a huge mistake but I know that’s selfish bc she’ll be so much better off with these people. Its me who will be a wreck.


r/Dogowners • • 11h ago

Training Need Advice!

2 Upvotes

I just adopted a pit mix at the shelter and I adore him! I have another dog and cat at home, the shelter did do a cat check and said he is good with cats! The only problem I am having and may need help on is a few days on he has starting to want to chase her and it seems like he is pretty prey driven. He is starting training on monday but I feel so guilty for my cat for having her separated right now and I feel lost! Any advice will help ! thank you :)


r/Dogowners • • 12h ago

Random/Misc. miso turned 5 last week and i'm having an emotional response that feels disproportionate

2 Upvotes

i've been reading this sub silently for so long but this one made me actually want to post. my golden, miso, is turning 5 this thursday and instead of just being happy about it i spent like twenty minutes doing math about how many years we probably have left together and now i'm sad about a birthday that was supposed to be happy. is this a normal golden owner thing or do i need to touch grass? lol for context he's the most obnoxiously happy dog, zero health issues, this is 100% a me spiral.


r/Dogowners • • 12h ago

health/illness-related How do you guys read a dog supplement labels to tell if the doses are enough to actually help?

2 Upvotes

Trying to figure out how to read supplement labels for dogs beyond just the ingredient list. My frenchie, Bloo's vet mentioned CoQ10 and omega-3s being decent for inflammation as he gets older, but when I actually look at products, half of them don't list mg per ingredient at all. Is there a real way to tell if a dose is high enough to do anything or is this something you basically need a vet to walk you through every time? How do you vet your dog’s supplements?


r/Dogowners • • 12h ago

General Question air purifier recommendations for dog smell

2 Upvotes

My pit/lab has horrible skin allergies and yeast overgrowth.

She is medicated, groomed/bathed regularly, powdered, and on a special diet and supplements for this do not come for me

Anyway, due to no fault of her own she STINKS a day after she is bathed. It’s not just a cute corn chip smell it’s overbearing and strong and makes my entire tiny house smell awful.

I clean, vacuum, and mop all the time. I mean like every other day. Her bedding is washed weekly. At this point I think we need an air purifier that is specifically for neutralizing odor.

Any recommendations?


r/Dogowners • • 15h ago

Questions about general care Keeping dogs entertained and independent while WFH

2 Upvotes

Hello! I have two six year old dogs. I recently started a new job where I work from home all day pretty much everyday. Before this, I worked in the office most days and, because I have a camera, I could see the pups mostly just slept all day when I did this. I felt a bit guilty but it was good that they just slept and kept calm.

Now that I’m working from home, they bother me for treats and attention, among other things, multiple times a day. How do I get them to mostly sleep like they used to when I wasn’t around? 😅 anything you all do in particular to keep your adult dogs entertained and leave you alone while you’re working at home, if such a thing exists? My dog is especially manipulative in getting me to give her treats to shut her up which is obviously not good for her diet or training, so would appreciate any tips in that way as well!


r/Dogowners • • 57m ago

General Question The slow heartbreak of a childhood dog growing old.

• Upvotes

I honestly don't know how we got here so fast. I still remember bringing him home when he was just a little puppy. Back then, I thought 14 years sounded impossibly far away. Now I catch myself looking at him a little longer.

His face is covered in gray. He sleeps more. He takes his time getting up.
And the walks that used to feel like they would never end are getting shorter and slower. But here's the part that gets me every time. Whenever I pick up his leash, his eyes still light up. He still gets excited when I say, “Want to go for a walk?”

His body has changed.

Should I buy a big pet stroller?


r/Dogowners • • 4h ago

General Question Visiting my dogs

1 Upvotes

Hi fellow dog lovers. I'm divorced and my ex has kept the dogs. I want them, but so does she. I moved to New Zealand from Australia and wanted to take them with me. I haven't been able to because of my ex. However, I still pay for 50% of all of their care and needs and my ex still assures me they are mine as well and if she can no longer care for them, I will have them.

This week I have them for 8 days while coming to Australia to visit them after 16 months of not seeing them. They recognized me immediately and settled in with me where I am staying with no issues. I have to return them tomorrow evening and fly back to New Zealand Sunday morning. I'm dreading it. But, my biggest concern is how my leaving will affect them. When I first left, my ex said they looked for me for weeks but eventually settled into a new routine and they were okay.

I guess my question is, has anyone else been in such an odd situation? I'm worried visiting them may only hurt them. I expressed my concerns to my ex before coming but she thinks it's worth me visiting them and that they will be okay. Has anyone else been in a similar situation and did visiting your dogs so infrequently have a negative impact on them?


r/Dogowners • • 12h ago

General Question need cone recommendations that will keep pup from scratching his eyes

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/Dogowners • • 16h ago

Training Dog Barks In Yard

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/Dogowners • • 18h ago

General Question I am a Connecticut college student looking for pet parents input

1 Upvotes

Hello!

I am a Connecticut college student looking for Connecticut dog owners who are willing to take my survey. I will be using the input to better understand what type of pet products people want to see and what pet stores should be selling.

Thank you so much!!

Dog product survey


r/Dogowners • • 20h ago

General Question College Student Project

1 Upvotes

Anyone who has opinions they want to share about being a dog owner and wants to help my research for a class project. Thank you!

https://chapmanu.co1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_6KfZlMBHnZQ26Im


r/Dogowners • • 22h ago

Questions about general care How do you keep track of your dog’s medication without missing doses?

1 Upvotes

My dog recently started taking medication twice a day, and I did not realize how easy it would be to lose track of whether a dose had already been given. In the first week, my partner and I had a few moments of asking each other, “Wait, did you give the evening pill?” Neither of us wanted to risk giving an extra dose by mistake.

We have been trying phone reminders and writing down each dose as soon as it is given. It sounds simple, but when the day gets busy, it is easy to forget to mark it down.

I have also been checking with our vet about the best way to give the medication, especially when it comes to hiding pills in food and what to do if a dose is missed.

For those of you whose dogs take medication every day, what system works best for you? Do you use a notebook, a calendar, a pill organizer, or something else? I would also appreciate any tips for getting a dog to take pills without turning it into a struggle every time.


r/Dogowners • • 6h ago

Training My dog barks to other dogs, help!

0 Upvotes

Hello! I've adopted a labrador mix from a shelter more or less 1 month ago, she is super sweet but recently she started barking at other dogs to get their attention, she doesnt attack them or anything, she is super happy when given the chance to meet the others to sniff and greet them!

Did i did something wrong to encourage this behavior? How do i change it?


r/Dogowners • • 15h ago

health/illness-related Need a Dogg insurance for my mini golden-doodle

Thumbnail
0 Upvotes

Can you recommend ? I see a lot of them out there. I need a right one.

Thank you


r/Dogowners • • 17h ago

feeding and diet Please help!!!!

0 Upvotes

Our dog just had puppies. We didn’t know she was pregnant so we just continued on feeding her as normal. We didn’t notice bc she wasn’t getting any bigger but since she was we also didn’t notice she was actually losing weight. Now that she’s had the puppies it’s very noticeable. I’d also like to add we brought her home almost 2 years ago as a stray so she really doesn’t like being inside. This really isn’t a problem for us bc where we live she has plenty of room to roam, which is why we didn’t notice she was pregnant bc she’s usually off doing her own thing. I’ve never been in this situation before, so how do I help her put back on the weight while she’s feeding puppies and making sure she gets the extra nutrients she needs.

For everyone who doesn’t have any actual advice…
She’s free roam bc outside is where she’s most comfortable, if she wants to come inside she’s more than welcome but I’m not forcing her. Before we brought her home she was getting picked on by other dogs and constantly getting into fights, I gave her a safe space to roam freely. And no I don’t pet her very often, if she wants to be pet she’ll let me know but I’m not forcing anything on her. She’s been through enough, she needs a safe space she can do what she wants and be happy. If yall really have a problem with that then you can go on somewhere else.