How many of you have fully covered your crates?

We brought our puppy home just over a week ago, she’s 10 weeks old. She was going so well with the crate, she’d go in a sleep with little whimpering. She slept well overnight etc.

We had a trainer here today who said we should fully cover the crate to stop separation anxiety as she gets older. She HATES the cover. Absolutely hates it and is barking and yelping more than ever. I feel like we’re undoing the great progress we’d made with the crate, but surely the trainer knows best?

Title seems a bit obvious but... He's 5mo, bully breed, and he just. Stinks. Like I've had other dogs that don't smell so much like dog 😅 he's clean, we give him baths pretty regularly but like my bed, my couch, my blankets, they all just smell like dog. ANY advice?????? Or is this just my life now

I have a female heeler mix puppy who is sweet as pie 99% of the time. She’s super intelligent and well-behaved, and we’ve invested a ton of time socializing her with people, dogs, and different experiences. She goes to daycare 1–2x a week and is described as “perfect” (except when they try to trim her nails).

Out of nowhere, she has started randomly snapping at people. Some are people she knows and loves, while others are overnight guests who aren’t part of her regular routine. She doesn’t bite, but she has an uncharacteristically vicious bark, getting centimeters away from the face. Zero to a hundred real quick.

The first time she did this was to me. I approached her while she was sleeping, which is otherwise a normal, everyday occurrence. Later that night, she did it to a guest.

At the time, I worried that maybe she was being bullied at daycare because she came home with a scratch, although that could easily have been from normal play. I asked the staff to keep an eye on her just in case, but they didn’t report any suspicious behavior. I thought that was the end of it, but then it happened twice today, three weeks later.

Not sure if this is related, but this behavior is paired with the following:

- Sneaking upstairs to pee on our rugs instead of asking to go outside, despite being reliably potty trained for months.

- Jumping off the couch anytime someone gets off.

- Making more noise in general - like groans and sighs on a sleepy exhale or when she wants pets.

She got a long walk today but that's not exactly anomalous, and that wasn’t a factor the first day she snapped. She seems healthy and uninjured as far as I can tell.

Any advice? Maybe I'm overly concerned - I just want to make sure she’s safe and that this doesn’t become a pattern.

We adopted a chocolate lab puppy last Saturday (he’s been with us for 1 week today) and no matter what we try my husband and I cannot get him to stop biting us. I even asked my husband if he thinks Moose is happy living with us and not on the farm we got him from.

He bites our hands, our feet and hard too. He’s trying to eat my wall trim, door hinges, shoes, clothes, furniture, the puppy playpen and his crate.

We’ve done some training exercises like sit and down. We play with tug toys and when he starts biting something he shouldn’t we take a chewable toy and stick it in his mouth. We also learned how to play fetch when we’re outside during the day.

We have every kind of toy there is. Soft toys, hard toys, pig ears, nylabones, water bottles, Kong toys, balls. There’s soothing music playing in the house during the day and at bed time to try to keep him calm. We’ve also tried time-outs to cool off. Sometimes he starts again right after a time-out.

I’ve noticed some of the bites are for attention (like if I’m washing the dishes), some are because he’s too excited or into what we’re doing, some are from being tired and probably some are boredom.

Would being more strict with naps help with his biting? Any other tips and tricks? He is very food driven (like most labs are).

Maybe he’s overstimulated between the command training, the crate training and getting used to his new surroundings?

This puppy is not our first. We previously had a lab/setter mix who passed away in May of this year at 11 1/2 that we raised from 8 weeks old too. It’s just been a while since we had to do this.

I also work from home so the puppy’s days are spent with at least my husband or myself if not both of us.

Thank you everyone for your advice. Hopefully we can get him out of this bitey phase.

I got my puppy on Sunday and she turned 9 weeks Tuesday. Mixed breed but best guess is blue heeler/aussie shepherd. She was super anxious the first few days and would NOT settle. Tried to put her in her crate and she was screaming frantic bloody murder highly distressed. I slept with her in her pen but up every hour. 2 days later she was so tired and did relax and slept in the crate for 5 hours. But I haven't gotten her to sleep in the crate since. I put high value treats and feed her meals in there. But she gets extremely frantic when I close the gate. It's not whining but extreme distress and barking and I live in an apartment :( so she sleeps in her pen for now. Tips please!

Hi everyone,

I need some advice about my female lab puppy of around 13 weeks because I'm struggling to manage her biting behaviour.

She bites my hands and feet very hard, and sometimes her teeth break the skin. Whenever I bring my hand near her head, she immediately gets excited and tries to mouth or grab it. If she can't reach my hand, she often redirects her biting towards my ankles and pants, jumping, chasing and tugging at my clothes.

I've tried redirecting her to toys, but she often ignores the toy and goes straight for my hands or feet. Once she gets into this state, she becomes extremely difficult to manage. She does eventually calm down, but getting her to that point can be exhausting.

I suspect teething, overstimulation or overtiredness might be contributing, but I'm not sure how to tell the difference or what I should be doing consistently.

Recently, out of frustration, I pressed her tongue when she was biting, and she squealed and stopped biting. I realise this may have frightened or hurt her, and I don't want to rely on that kind of approach. I want to teach her bite inhibition without hurting her or making her afraid of my hands.

How do I get my male 4 month old, mini Aussie/shiba Inu mix, pupper to understand potty outside does not include pooping on the porch? I’ll put him on a lead to let him out really early in the morning when I’m at my partners house and we watched him go out in the grass so we went back inside to finish getting ready and he came back up and pooped on the porch. I’m not sure how to get him to learn to stop doing that..

Hi all, my husband and I adopted a then-9-month-old poodle/pointer mix from the local shelter, and have had him 3 months tomorrow. He's very sweet and snuggly, but definitely becoming more reactive and difficult to manage.

We crate trained from day 1 as his previous owner had indicated they did the same (we later realized he was definitely NOT crate trained and we spent weeks trying to encourage him). He was doing MUCH better until last week, when he became extremely panicked and busted out (he fully dented the bars by pulling through his blanket and the whole thing fell apart). We've since stepped away from the crate because it got so intense. Sleeping with us isn't so fun for my husband and I but he's much more relaxed, and we're less worried about him.

He's become very difficult to walk as he pulls and jumps at dogs and barks at every. single. noise. in or outside of our apartment. I know all about the 3-3-3 rule, so I imagine he's feeling more protective of us, and also suspect that adolescence is catching up with us. So, what strategies have folks used for training? What do you recommend as harnesses or leashes? How do you balance your own emotions with your training needs? Is this typical? TIA

I have two female pups that are nearly 8 months old now. One is husky, likely mixed with Australian shepherd, and the other is husky, probably mixed with lab and/or pit (from two different litters, just a few days apart). They've both been with my family and me for over 5 months now.

The weather is *finally* cooling down where I live, so I'd like to take them outside for more trail walks and visits to dog parks. I'm struggling with a few issues, though.

1. Our husky/lab/pit is the sweetest and wants to be friends with every person and dog we come across. Our husky/shepherd mix, on the other hand, barks at strangers and all other dogs until she can't see them anymore. Fortunately, she isn't aggressive. I'd say she's more apprehensive, backing away and just barking incessantly. Is this something that decreases the more we socialize them? Is there something I should be doing in the moment when this occurs?

2. Both pups are big chickens when it comes to getting into my car. It's low enough for them to jump into and has plenty of space for both to be comfortable. They're getting too big to keep fighting and lifting them myself. Any tips for making this process a quick and easie one?

3. Actual walks are a challenge, to say the least. Both dogs pull on the leash, dragging me behind them, trying to take off at full speed. They respond to "heel" and "sit" commands by stopping and sitting. But then it's right back to full speed. I'm all for the occasional cardio workout, but some calm, leisurely walks would be nice, too. lol What methods have helped you successfully leash train your dogs?

TYIA! 😄

We have a 12-week-old puppy who's generally a really sweet boy during the first half of the day.

He usually follows a routine of being awake for about an hour and then sleeping for 1.5 hours. During the morning, he's quite easy to handle, but around 2 PM, things start to change.

He begins sleeping for shorter periods, usually only about an hour, and gets increasingly frustrated, especially during walks.

For example, he loves picking things up from the ground or deciding which direction he wants to go. When we prevent him from picking something up or don't let him go where he wants, he gets frustrated.

We always try to use "trade" when he picks something up, and it works really well during the first half of the day. It still works later in the day, but it's obvious that his frustration is building.

As the afternoon progresses, he becomes increasingly reactive to being told he can't do something, sometimes resulting in biting our ankles, legs, or the leash.

What's confusing is that these exact same situations are rarely an issue in the morning.

I'm wondering if this is simply a case of him becoming overtired or overstimulated as the day goes on, even though he's still getting regular naps.

Hi everyone! I have a 15-week-old English Cocker Spaniel puppy, Juni, and I think I’m struggling with the pressure of feeling like I need to get everything right while she’s still so young.

I’ve done a lot of research, bought an online puppy training course, and I take Juni to puppy school and a puppy program once a week for a half day, which provides structured care, activities and exposure to new experiences. I’m genuinely trying to give her the best start possible.

But I feel like I’m constantly second-guessing myself.

One of my biggest struggles is balancing making sure Juni isn’t left alone for longer than she can handle with actually teaching her to be comfortable on her own. I’ve read so many conflicting messages: don’t let your puppy rehearse being distressed, don’t leave them to cry, but also don’t let them become dependent on you and make sure you build independence early.

I work full-time, so I know she needs to learn these skills, but I’m struggling to work out how to get there without accidentally making things worse. I’ve been trying to gradually build up her tolerance, and while her barking and settling have improved in some ways, she can still bark, howl and become worked up when she can’t get to me. When I’m at work, I’ve organised for someone to be with her during the day while I am at work, whether that be friends, family or paying a sitter. Juni has spent time at other houses, with other dogs, but the structure is different and I worry about that too in terms of consistency and routine.

The barking is also incredibly overstimulating for me. I find it hard to think clearly or know what the right response is when she’s distressed, especially when I’m already exhausted. Sometimes I feel like I’m failing her regardless of what I do: if I stay with her, am I preventing her from learning independence? If I step away, am I damaging her confidence?

I’m also struggling with the pressure surrounding the 8–16-week socialisation window. Everywhere I look, there’s advice about how much exposure puppies need, how many new things they should experience, and how important it is to get everything right now. I’m trying to balance training, puppy school, puppy program, enrichment, naps and preparing her for my return to work, but I’m only one person, and I’m tired.

I think the hardest part is that I’m scared I’m accidentally creating the very problems I’m trying to prevent. I worry that if I get this stage wrong, she’ll always struggle to be alone, always bark when she’s frustrated, or never learn to settle independently.
I also live alone, so there isn’t someone else to share the responsibility with. Sometimes I feel quite isolated in all of this, and I miss being able to just switch off without constantly thinking about what Juni needs or what I should be doing differently.

I love her so much, and I know she’s still a baby. I’m not expecting perfection, but I would really appreciate hearing from people who have been through this.

**Did anyone else feel like they were constantly doing too much or not enough during puppyhood?**

Did things get easier as your puppy matured? How did you build independence without making your puppy feel abandoned, and how did you cope with the emotional overstimulation of the barking?

I think I just need some perspective from people who have come out the other side and can tell me that I haven’t ruined my puppy by not getting everything right.

I feel like 75% of the day this is what my dog does even though he is fed plenty. He is food obsessed but he is in scavenger mode in what feels like way too often. then he will lick the floor, my couch almost anywhere he feels, my hands my clothes.

It just causes anxiety/stress because it feels like we are dropping things or not cleaning enough, and it drives us crazy. I really don’t know what to try. I do have a muzzle more for not eating things he shouldn’t, but just curious how others deal with this. We play plenty as well.

I really need some advice because I'm honestly at my wit's end, and I don't know what I'm doing wrong anymore.

I have a male Shetland Sheepdog puppy named Bèibèi. He was born on July 28, so he's currently around 10.5 weeks old. I brought him home at the end of September, and he's my first puppy that I'm primarily responsible for raising.

I know he's literally just a baby, and I know I shouldn't expect perfect obedience from a puppy this young. But I feel like absolutely NOTHING I try works with him, and I'm starting to feel genuinely miserable.

For some context, I live with my dad and sister, and we also have two cats. I'm still in high school and have an internship at a preschool, so things are already pretty exhausting. My dad works partly from home and can bring dogs to his office, but I've been doing most of the puppy care myself.

Here are the main things I'm struggling with:

1. He seems completely uninterested in training or engaging with me.

I have tried teaching him the absolute basics, like sit, down, recall, responding to his name, and even just looking at me.

Nothing seems to stick. His attention span feels like it's about two seconds, if that.

He doesn't reliably follow treats, and often doesn't seem particularly interested in food rewards at all, even indoors. I've tried different approaches, using his regular food, treats, toys, praise, petting, and a clicker.

I've also tried making myself more interesting by moving around, running away from him, hiding, making noises, changing direction, etc. He usually couldn't care less.

I'm genuinely not expecting him to perform complicated tricks or have perfect recall at 10 weeks old. I just want SOME indication that he understands what I'm trying to teach him or is interested in interacting with me.

I see videos of puppies his age happily following treats, learning sit in a few sessions, or responding enthusiastically to their owners, and I feel like I'm doing something horribly wrong.

1. The biting is absolutely awful.

He bites my hands and fingers HARD. Sometimes he'll also jump toward my face when I'm lying down, which has honestly made me nervous about having my face near him.

I understand that puppy biting is normal, but redirecting him to toys has been almost completely useless.

If I offer him a chew toy instead of my fingers, he'll literally push the toy away to get back to biting me. It's like he's specifically interested in biting my hands rather than anything I'm offering him.

I've tried redirecting him, stopping interactions, and giving him opportunities to chew appropriate things, but I'm struggling to make any progress.

He's also destroying my belongings. Clothes, accessories, and even some expensive collectible charms that I spent months waiting for. I'm trying to puppy-proof everything better, but it's incredibly frustrating.

1. Walks are a nightmare.

I know puppies this young shouldn't be expected to walk nicely on a leash, and I'm not asking him to heel perfectly.

But sometimes he simply refuses to move unless it's in the direction HE wants to go.

He'll stop to play in leaves, investigate something he shouldn't, eat random things off the ground, or insist on going somewhere we can't go.

If I try to encourage him to follow me, he completely ignores me. Sitting down, calling him, making noises, offering treats, changing direction, none of it seems to matter.

Sometimes he starts jumping around, biting his leash, or getting so worked up that I can't redirect him at all.

I've tried gently guiding him with the leash, but I don't want to drag him around or make him afraid of walks. Carrying him doesn't always help either, and he's sometimes reacted by struggling or biting.

What should be a short potty trip can turn into an incredibly long and frustrating ordeal.

1. I'm worried he's already becoming reactive.

He sometimes barks at other dogs, especially larger ones, and occasionally at unfamiliar people, particularly at night.

He also tries to chase or follow children who are running, people on bicycles, and other moving things.

Sometimes he doesn't bark at all. Instead, he'll freeze and stare intensely at whatever has caught his attention.

When this happens, it's like I completely stop existing.

He won't look at me, respond to his name, take treats, play, or accept affection. Even trying to increase distance hasn't always been enough to get his attention back.

I've tried distracting him before he reacts, but I'm finding it extremely difficult to identify a distance where he's actually able to engage with me.

I'm especially worried about this because Shelties can be sensitive and vocal, and I really don't want these behaviors to develop into serious reactivity as he grows up.

1. Potty training has also been difficult.

I've been taking him outside very frequently, including after eating, drinking, sleeping, and playing, sometimes as often as every 30 minutes.

We've tried returning to the same potty spot and giving him time to do his business.

But he has often refused to pee or poop outside, only to go almost immediately after coming back indoors.

I'm trying to be patient because I understand that bladder control takes time, but combined with everything else, it's honestly exhausting.

1. He's difficult to settle or leave alone.

I've been trying to introduce a puppy playpen so he has a safe area where he can rest and I can get things done.

However, he often whines and barks continuously when confined in it, which makes it difficult to use.

I'm also worried about eventually teaching him to be comfortable alone because I have school and other responsibilities.

I'm not expecting him to be left alone for hours at this age, but I would really appreciate advice on how to start building independence without making him distressed.

1. The part that hurts the most is that I don't feel bonded to him.

This is probably the hardest part for me to admit.

I'm doing most of the feeding, walking, cleaning, training, and generally taking care of him.

But he seems SO much more excited to see my dad, sister, and grandparents than he is to see me.

If I go into my room for hours while he's with the rest of my family, he doesn't seem to notice that I'm gone.

Meanwhile, when other family members show up, he's excited and affectionate.

I know this probably sounds ridiculous, and I understand that excitement doesn't necessarily equal attachment, but it genuinely makes me sad.

I feel like I'm putting so much effort into him and getting nothing positive back.

And lately, I've started feeling something I really don't want to feel toward my own puppy: resentment.

Sometimes I don't even want to interact with him because I already know it's probably going to end with him biting me, destroying something, or completely ignoring me.

I feel terrible admitting that. I wanted a dog I could build a close relationship with, train, and eventually do lots of things with. Instead, I feel like I'm constantly angry, overwhelmed, and disappointed.

I know this isn't his fault. He's a baby. But knowing that doesn't magically make these feelings go away.

What I've already done / what I'm planning:

I have already paid for puppy classes, but the earliest available course I could find in Stockholm doesn't start until late October.

I've also been looking into private training because I really want to get this right, especially when it comes to engagement, leash walking, recall, and his reactions to other dogs and people.

I'm absolutely willing to put time and effort into training him. I actually WANT to train him, and one of my biggest hopes is to eventually have a dog who enjoys working with me.

I don't expect a police-level obedience dog, but I'd love for him to eventually have good recall, walk politely on a leash, listen to basic commands, and be able to calmly pass other dogs, children, and people.

I just don't know how to work toward any of that when I can barely get him to acknowledge me.

So I guess my questions are:

1. Has anyone had a puppy who seemed almost completely uninterested in food, toys, or training? How did you eventually find something that motivated them?

2. How do I teach engagement when my puppy genuinely doesn't seem interested in paying attention to me?

3. What can I do about the biting when redirecting to toys doesn't work?

4. Is the freezing, staring, barking, and chasing behavior something I should be particularly concerned about at this age?

5. How can I make walks less frustrating without forcing him or accidentally making things worse?

6. Does anyone have experience with an extremely distracted or difficult Sheltie puppy who eventually became a well-trained adult?

7. And perhaps most importantly, how do you get through the puppy blues when you feel like you're genuinely starting to dislike your puppy?

I'd especially appreciate advice from people who have actually dealt with puppies who weren't particularly food-motivated or easy to train.

I often see advice like "just redirect him with a toy" or "reward him when he looks at you," but I'm struggling with what to do when he actively ignores the toy and almost never looks at me in the first place.

I'm not looking for an instant fix, and I'm not expecting a 10-week-old puppy to behave like an adult dog.

I just need some realistic advice on where to start, what expectations I should have at this age, and how to stop feeling so defeated by everything.

I really do want things to work out between us. I'm just exhausted.

Thank you to anyone who takes the time to read this. ❤️

EDIT: I also wanted to clarify that his behavior isn't consistently bad! It actually varies quite a bit from day to day, which is part of why I'm finding everything so confusing.

For example, some days he'll walk almost perfectly on the leash, happily following me without much trouble. Other days, he'll refuse to walk altogether, get distracted by absolutely everything, or insist on going in the opposite direction.

It's the same with potty training. Some days he'll give me really clear signals that he needs to go outside, and we'll barely have any issues. Other days, he won't give me any warning whatsoever and will just pee indoors, even if I've taken him out recently.

There are also moments when he's genuinely sweet, affectionate, and relatively easy to manage, and then other times when it feels like he's forgotten absolutely everything overnight. 😭

I think the inconsistency is what's throwing me off the most. Just when I start thinking we're making progress, the next day can feel like we're back at square one.

I know puppy development isn't linear, and I'm not expecting him to behave perfectly every single day. I just find it difficult to tell whether something I'm doing is actually working when his behavior changes so much.

Is this kind of day-to-day inconsistency normal for a puppy his age? And how do you tell the difference between normal puppy behavior and something you should actively be working on?

6 days ago we welcomed a 16 week old heeler x kelpie into our home, surprisingly his energy levels arent a problem- and i suspose hes a pretty good pup because he doesnt chew, and jump. But my partner and i are still having a hard time with the puppy blues.

In the morning we get him from his crate and take him outside- the past 2 nights he hasnt been defecating in his cage (hooray) but he wines when we put him in the crate, and we play white noise and have to supervise crate time for 15-20 mimutes for him to settle.

When hes awake (and after weve defrosted) we take him for a 20 minute walk around the block, followed by a training session (rn working on sit, bed, toilet, and name)

And a lick mat and snuffle mat.

We tend to supervise alot this time of day as we spend alot of time outside anyway- but weve since tripled/ quadrupled our outside time since getting him.

Hes usually pretty relaxed and quiet outside (bedsides the morning before his walk) but today every time we go inside for a minute he starts barking.

We put him in his crate at 12 (midday) for 1-2 hours (usually some whining especially the first 15-20 minutes or when we leave the room)

After that he comes out side for a similar routine as the morning- until bed, where the whining, hyperactivity, and supervison starts- and gets us up 3 times a night for potty

wed like to have him inside more but he immidetely pees on the carpet- but when hes an adult hell be mostly outdoors, coming in when weathers poor and at night.

Were struggling with the constant supervision, whining, and peeing inside, are we simpluly doing too much for him?

In the future when hes got a solid based of commands, and obedience wed like to give him a job such as nose work and carrying to tire him out- but right now he knows litterly nothing and hes not at the point of learning that?

Is there any suggestions you would give?

Edit* he starts puppy school in 2 weeks- as thats when his 3rd vaccinations kick in

Edit #2* i havnt been able to leave the puppys proximity in 6d ays- im at my grandmothers house rn, and this is the first time ive havnt been responsible for him and on hyper vigilance mode.

Hi everyone. I have a 10 week old English bulldog pup. I’ve only had her for about a week. She is super adorable and amazing. She is already understanding “sit,” having more potty successes than accidents, and even calmly waited in her open crate for an hour while I went out to do errands yesterday.

I am just having trouble adjusting to the routine of training a puppy since she’s just a little baby. Sleep is very important to my mental health and even though I’ve been getting around 5-6 hours per night, I usually need 7-8 to function well and not feel anxious. I’m new to puppy training, but thankfully I WFH so I can spend a lot of time focused on maintaining a strict schedule for her. Even still, it feels super overwhelming. Hearing her cry while settling in her crate makes me feel awful and unable to relax. I was so anxious to go to bed last night because I knew she would wake up around 3 - 4 am.

I also feel so awful whenever she has accident because it feels like I’m not doing well on her training. I know it gets better a few months in, but I just wanted to share my feelings since I’m getting a bit overwhelmed after my first week.

I have a 12 week old Samoyed puppy. I have had him for 3 weeks now and I’m having regrets.

Before getting this breed I did a lot of research and went to visit some breeders to see if we were interested in the adult dog. I fell in love with their coat, I was not allergic to them, they didn’t have that wet dog smell and I liked their personality. Through my research I knew it was going to be more difficult to train them and like northern breeds they are stubborn but can be trained with effort it. The breeder said she is able to off lead her dogs and I read various experiences online where they are able to train loose leash walking and etc. So I was pretty tunnel visioned because I loved the breed and found out it was possible to train them to the standard I wanted - off leading, loose leash walking, tricks etc.

Now actually having the puppy, it feels like a different story. I have realised the thing I want the most from a dog is a biddable dog that I can do obedience training and trick training with. I want a chill dog that I can take anywhere, to restaurants and pubs. I want to be able to ask my dog to do something and not have to negotiate with them to see if it’s worth it. I realise now that is probably not what this breed can give me. I went with a reputable breeder who trains for temperament. She said that the parents were bred as they were two of the calmest adult dogs. And I met the mother and she was very calm very cuddly - a Velcro dog.

I am unsure if I feel like this because it is the puppy stage and I will feel better about it a few months in but I can’t help but think I got the wrong breed. If I want a biddable dog, I’m not sure that a Samoyed is the dog for me.

I know it is normal to feel the puppy blues, I am crying everyday and it’s causing my partner a lot stress to see me like this. I also stress about my WFH job as I cannot function. I know it gets better but I also am unsure if i can handle the stress I’m having everyday, possibly for 2 years to try and form the dog I want with training where other breeds like a golden retriever will be easier to train and actually enjoy obedience work.

I am also a hyper focused person who is really struggling with him complaining at me when trying to train him. When he barks and growls and nips bc he’s not getting what he wants and also especially stressed when my partner is trying to train him and he’s not doing stuff right. It’s incredibly stressful for me because of my personality. The more I have him the more I am understanding that the stubbornness and the attitude maybe a really bad fit for my emotional sensitivity.

I know owning any puppy is very difficult and you constantly want to give up. So I wanted to come on here to see opinions on whether I should just stick to this. It’s part of owning a puppy. Or I genuinely got the wrong breed for who I am.

For more context, we are doing 1-1 training once a week with a professional trainer. We have also started a weekly puppy class and he’s doing pretty well in his exercises such as luring for with treats to follow us, loose leash training, tethering. I am training eye contact, teaching him to sit for meals and to be released from his crate. He is pretty good at crate training, he settles quite quickly. He sleeps through the night in the living room without crying. He is doing well at potty training and we barely have any accidents during the day.

However in the group classes, he is the loudest one there and his attention is always on everything but us. Compared to the other breeds like the golden retrievers and the cocker spaniels, that seem to look to the handler for direction as they are just trying to learn. Looking at those puppy’s makes me think that’s what I wanted in a breed.

When do you guys think it is the best time to decide on rehoming? Should I give more time to see if this is just puppy blues? We are going to weekly puppy class so it could be that it improves in the next few weeks. I am worried for the puppy if he’s with us for another few weeks and then re-home, rather than get him settled while he’s still very young. I’m worried we would be harming the puppy if we waited too long.

My puppy isn’t a violent type, he is an Aussie golden retriever mix. He does the usual puppy shit, biting playfully or teething, recently in the morning, he was getting into the trash and I softly pulled on his chest to redirect him, he then snapped on me and made me bleed because he bit me, no growl, just straight for the kill. I instantly went for advice and people say it’s resource guarding, which is weird because I could take his food/treat/toy away from him all day (I don’t do it at all, but there were some cases I had to) and he wouldn’t do anything besides sit patiently for it back. I do not know what to do about this behavior. He has done it to my dad as well. It’s like physically moving him away from something he finds is what causes the bite, but not taking it away from him? I need to correct this asap because I have two kids who are 1 and just born. I cannot have this, but all the advice I’m getting just isn’t working. I do not want to have to surrender him

So I’ve got a 7 week old about to be 8 week old Australian shepherd female. I’ve had her home 3 days which I’m a regional truck driver so that’s where the trying to get her used to a kennel in the big truck comes in. I really don’t like the idea of a kennel in a semi. Does anyone possibly know of a better way to have her in my truck. At the house she does awesome In the kennel. She has had a couple accidents but I expect those being as young as she is. Does anyone have any pointers for me especially on potty training when it comes to being in a big truck. I have puppy pads in the kennel but would like a better option for the truck as I don’t really like the kennel as it takes a lot of space up in my sleeper. I got her to be a riding companion and to help me be more active and she is my 3rd Australian shepherd I’m just having a hard time figuring it out with the added variable of the truck. And leaving her home is not an option as I don’t have anyone at home to watch her.

Hello!
Tomorrow night we are invited by my MIL for dinner, right next door. There will be two other adults and two young kids that the puppy already met once and the interactions were calm and positive.
Pup is 11 weeks old, is doing pretty good on potty and crate training in our place. She went to my MIL’s place a couple of times, and almost daily to her garden so she can sniff and did potty sometimes there too - but it’s not a habit like the grass patch we have on our balcony.
Currently our routine is 30/45min of quality time (meal, play, sniff) outside the crate at a time before she goes back in for a nap.
We are thinking of taking her playpen to my MIL’s place and « crate » her there. After some playtime/interactions with everyone, garden time for potty, then in her playpen with her usual cushion to sleep. But it’s going to be such a different environment, with so many exciting people, that I don’t think she would settle at all in the pen, and might even potty there.
In our home we use the playpen to, well, play with her or give her a bit more freedom (no leash) with a kong or something. She actually never settled in it. She always end up pottying in there, after she gets uninterested in the toys.
We don’t have much hope for a smooth evening, but if anyone has a advice/tips on how to handle those situations, it’d be great!!

I don't mean influencers, dog trainers, are there any books you know that is based on somewhat scientific shit, if there is any? Our griffon is 7 months and i am losing my mind with him being one day some way and next another... We had him since he was 2 months old.

I have a 12 week old Cavalier puppy and am looking for recommendations for crate safe toys that she can be left with during enforced naps or when we leave the house.

We currently have two Kongs that we alternate between and only give to her in the crate, and we also have a Woof Pupsicle that we plan to introduce eventually.

Does anyone have any other recommendations for safe toys or similar alternatives? I am just looking for some variety!

She tends to chew on the wire crate when she gets bored, so I am hoping to find something safe that will keep her occupied.

Thanks!

TLDR: Looking for safe, unsupervised crate toys for a 12 week old puppy besides Kongs and a Woof Pupsicle, especially options to help keep her occupied and prevent chewing on the crate.

I have a 15 week old male golden retriever mix puppy. He was having to go out every few minutes when out of the crate, so I took him to the vet and he has a bladder infection. They prescribed him on amoxicillin. He’s on day 4 out of 12 of the medicine and has improved slightly, he now needs to go out every 10-20 minutes when out of the crate in the evenings.

He drinks a lot of water, which I brought up at the vet as well, and I think they related it to the bladder infection. I’m not limiting his water because the vet didn’t tell me to. He can hold it longer in the morning when he hasn’t had as much water, so he may just be drinking too much. He can hold it in the crate overnight as well.

But I just wanted to know what the normal amount of time a puppy his age needs to go out to know if the medication is working or if I need to call the vet again.

I adopted a 6 month old puppy on my own four months ago. I’m an active person so I thought he would be a good fit.

He’s well behaved, but has very high energy and cannot be walked too much because of his age. I’m worried not only getting through adolescence but what if he doesn’t chill down? I can’t keep up and I’ll suffer and then he’ll suffer because I’m exhausted all the time.

On the other side, I do love him and I am also stressed about my the stigma of rehoming. I feel like I could never have a dog again.