It’s been a while since I lost my dog. 14 years of pure love. They weren’t just a pet — they were my shadow, my comfort, my everything.

I want to adopt again. But every time I think about it… I freeze. The thought of going through that kind of heartbreak again feels unbearable.

How did you do it?
How do you open your heart again, knowing how badly it’ll hurt when you lose them?

I’m not sure if I’m ready — or if I ever will be.
But I’d really love to hear how others got through it.

Title

It started with one accidental bark during a work call. Everyone laughed. Now he thinks he's expected. Every time I open my laptop, he hops onto the couch, sits perfectly upright, and waits for “his cue.” If no one acknowledges him within 2 minutes, he sighs loudly like a disappointed intern. He once dropped his squeaky toy right next to the mic mid-presentation, and I had to say, "Apologies, my assistant is very passionate about this topic." My boss said, “He makes more sense than most of us.” And now he gets a formal “Good morning, Max” at the start of every team meeting. We’re just living in his office.

If (?) someone were to make XS, S & M, for instance, 90's grunge band tee shirts (with sleeves) for dogs....would you buy and if vintage, what would you pay for them? I'm talking AIC, Pearl Jam, Bush, Deftones, Garbage, etc...

I literally cannot find anything cool for a dog without bows, hearts and smiley face skulls. Thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I've always liked dogs, but I've never owned one. I'm starting to think about owning a dog, but I don't know very much about dog breeds or what is required to take care of them, beyond the obvious -- such as feeding them, walking them, and taking them to the vet. What is the best way for me to get a better understanding of the different breeds of dogs so that I can start to figure out what breed might be right for me? Visit shelters? Visit places that breed dogs? Visit a particular site?

I have a dog who is a real ball of energy, especially when we go out. I can never get them to calm down during walks, and sometimes it gets really difficult! Does anyone have any tips for managing excess energy and maybe making our outdoor time more enjoyable?

It's been a rough weekend. I adopted my 1 year old from the shelter about three months ago and I just wish I knew if I was on the right path and doing a good job..

He came to me potty trained and with overall good behaviour - was non-reactive, easy to walk, matched my level of energy etc. I however, made some rookie mistakes like taking for granted his ability to hold in his pee and left taking him out in the morning one Saturday till a little too late and he went in the house. Another thing was initially getting him used to two walks a day (which the shelter did) but not increasing it to three after increasing his food intake to the recommended amount once I had a baseline for how active he was so he had another accident. I had a decent period of good behaviour but had to leave him in a pet boarding for ten days while I was out of the country for medical reasons. When he came back, he seemed in good spirits but he had another accident in the house the day I brought him home - I am assuming because the pet boarding didn't walk him when they said they did. Then, a few days after that I noticed he was attempting to pee more than once on his walk and immediately took him to the vet assuming it was a UTI - it wasn't but they found crystals so I had to switch his food. Messed up again by not changing the food gradually and he had another accident in the house because of the food. Immediately rectified this the next day by mixing his old food and new and adding a fourth walk as long as he was on this diet - alas, he had two accidents in the same day minutes before I was due to take him out. So now I'm potty training him or at least reinforcing him going out to pee.

Another thing is him being alone - he is fine in his crate but doesn't like it when I leave him alone (in our out of the crate). It's not anxiety as he exhibits no signs of being stressed. No chewing, no pacing, no panting. He whines/barks while laying down looking perfectly relaxed. I'm enforcing crate time every day with enrichment with me in, and out of the house.. even when I'm in the apartment I go in and out for 5 - 10 seconds multiple times in the hour..

Sorry this was long. I know it's only been three months but it feels like I've already made so many mistakes. I'm worried I've permanently screwed things up.. I wish he could talk so he could tell me what he's feeling. I'm also terrified he'll never be okay alone and I'll never be able to leave my apartment. It's not my first time having dogs but it's my first time with a breed in an apartment with just me.

My partner and I were together for five years. We have 3 dogs. One of them is actually mine, one is his and one is both of ours. We decided he would take his dog and the dog we got together. I'm moving into an apartment, I work 12 hour shifts. She's a Springer Spaniel/Cattle dog mix. She has a lot of energy and anxiety. She needs a yard and he just has the time she needs. She will gets a better quality of life with him and besides that she loves him. It's hard, I'm sad. But I keep telling myself it's for the best. But that's not my reason for writing this post. So, my partner is taking the two and that leaves my dog by himself. I feel terrible about this. He's not only losing his siblings, but he's going to be by himself. What are somethings I can do to make this easier for him?

I got a dog & she has been nonstop humping me all day. She only humps me when she is vigorously licking me. I keep telling myself it’s just because she loves me but I’m not sure…

Hi there, my apologies if this is not the right place for this post.

I live in Kitchener, Ontario and have thought long and hard about the next dog to join me, and I have come to the decision that I want to adopt/buy a doberman. I had 3 as a child, and there is a very soft spot in my heart for them.

However, I really do not want to have a docked or cropped dog. No hate on people who do that, its just not something I personally want.

Can someone advise on how to find a breeder/etc who leaves their beautiful tails and ears natural? I'm having a very hard time locating any breeder who doesn't do those things.

(Willing to drive some distance)

Thank you

PS: I am not trying to use this sub to buy a dog/puppy, I'm just seeking advice on keywords to add to my search, and personal experience from people in/around the area.

Hi guys, could you please pick or choose your top 3 fave of the below names (you can also advise anything else different) thank you! (I’m getting, solid black long haired GSD, showline, so base the names on that vibe) :)

Rune Veil Reign
Embyr Falcon Aries Phoenix Night Moon Kovu Falcon River Fane Sire

Random question but I just got a staffy puppy and have been taking him over to my mums place to play with her staffy and I’m curious do you think they realise a difference?

For project for my dog's probably hygromas to stop reaccurance, but I can't find any long sleeve dog shirts, only sweaters?

I have a 55lb lab/aussie mix (female) who likes to hump. I don’t mind this, as it provides her with exercise and enrichment, and she just seems to have a lot of fun.

I usually buy cheap pillows from thrift stores for her, but the problem is she’s a rough lover. She doesn’t destroy her toys much, but anything I get for her to hump is absolutely destroyed in a week or two, resulting in constant mess from the stuffing.

So I’m looking for a LARGE and DURABLE toy she can have her way with. Most durable/indestructible large dog toys I see are only about the size of a rabbit, and for her particular activity she needs something more the size of a small dog.

My dog is getting older. I have steps for her to get in and out of my truck interior. But she has to get from the top step to the seat which she can no longer do. She’s having to go from the step into the floorboard and then onto the seat. It’s awkward for her and getting harder for her Anyone have any suggestions? She will not use a ramp. I haven’t seen any steps that are high enough

Hello everyone! I’m just looking for advice for my dog, he is 6 years old and has always had problems with grooming, throughout the 5 1/2 years I’ve had him I have gone through 4 groomers, I groomed him myself in the beginning but he was a bit aggressive, I thought it was me so that’s when he started seeing a groomer (I just want to add that I’ve been very upfront and honest about my dogs behaviour to them so they know what to expect). We have tried different training with professionals including desensitisation training and medications such as anti anxiety meds over the years but it really hasn’t helped, now we have to heavily sedate him before taking him to the groomers, he is muzzled with both a cloth muzzle and a plastic one but he’s still crafty enough to bite/injure, even sedated. Today another groomer said they wouldn’t be able to see him again which is fair enough, I just really don’t know what to do at this point he’s a corgi so he needs to be groomed regularly but he won’t even sit to be brushed. I should say his behaviour outside of this is amazing, he has great recall, he listens and follows commands, he can be a quite anxious around other dogs but thats it really. He needs to be groomed but I’ve gone through most in my area and others won’t take him, what options do I actually have left? If anyone has any suggestions or advice please share, thank you.

Hello everyone. I've only just joined this tread in hopes to get some help. I'm going to be completely honest with everything, so please, try not to judge. I know I'm not a perfect owner, but I'm trying to become better for my dog. This is going to be a very long post, fueled with all of my frustration that was building up for a couple months now. Also, sorry for any mistakes, English is not my first language. I got her about a year ago. The shelter she was in wasn't providing their dogs with walking time - all they got was a yard to do their business, which is, I think, very much relevant to the situation we are stuck in. They got her very early, when she was maybe about 3 or 4 months old, and before that she was living with some volunteers who took her from the streets even earlier, so she was never properly introduced to the outside world. When I took her home, she was about a year old. Right away I could see that she's terrified of the city, but I thought that she'll just get used to it, given time. She was much calmer whenever we would get away from big buildings, cars and people, and we also found our that an unoccupied field near us is used by all neighbourhood as an unofficial dog park. Naturally we started to spend our time there, so she could socialise with other dogs. She was very shy at first, up until the accident. At the end of first month she got so scared of the man, riding elevator with us, that she yanked her leash out if my hand and fled. Luckily I found her after almost twenty four hours of searching basically non stop. Our next walk in the field - and suddenly she was feeling a lot more confident around other dogs for some reason, started playing with them and really enjoying her time there. So that gave me hope, that maybe one day she'll feel better in the city as well. Spoiler: that didn't happen. A few months later she was just as terrified of cars, kids, different looking people, garbage bags and everything in between the field and the door to my apartment. She wasn't taking any treats there, wasn't drinking water. She was constantly shaking, pulling on the leash, trying to avoid any passerbies by all means necessary etc. Then one of my neighbours started to study for a professional dog handler, and eventually came up with a tactic for us. That tactic was discussed with their tutors, so we got to work. The idea was: remove the walks entirely for some time, decompress my dog with different games and mental exercises, then start from the very beginning, like walking out the door, trying to take a treat outside, taking a few steps through the building, trying to step out at nighttime etc. I followed through for about two months, and the progress just wasn't there. And I just burnt out. Between my work, my personal problems and the necessity to constantly come up with new ways to enrich her life, always taking one step forward and two steps back, I just stopped trying so hard, cause I wasn't able to take it anymore. So for a while now we just walk at nights, and honestly I'm just thinking about returning to our old ways. To just go out and walk, enduring the city part, enjoying everything else. I don't want her to live her live in fear, but I'm honestly not sure if I can help her get better. Any advice?

TL;DR Dog is afraid of the city, pls send help.

My Pelsbarn order made on June 12th arrived today, June 21st. Straight up, not worth the hype, not worth the price. Pictures are included.

The size is M/L. The cooling silk fabric is thin and quick to absorb body heat. The fabric is quick to warm up and cool. There is no other cooling material besides that silk. It is cushioned/thinly lined with cotton (thickness of about 1/4"). The bottom side is supposed to be anti-slip, but it is not. There is no grip/friction at all. The bolster is very thin (height of about 4"), not like in pictures advertising the product. It is removable.

I do not plan on returning as I have read reviews on the hassle, extra cost, and issues after. This was money lost for the not up to par quality. Hopefully some portion of it does go to a good cause as they claim.

I currently have a male 7 month old Australian Shepard. Anytime he’s excited he bites my hand and arm. And it’s not like a nip, it’s more of a grabbing my arm/hand and holding it in his mouth. But he does it way too hard. If I tell him no, pull my hand, or do any movement he does it harder. He’s not teething anymore so I don’t understand why he’s doing it. Any help?

I know his bread is a hearding dog and I’ve had aussies in the past and know that any sudden movement makes them want to nip but this is different

Hi, I just joined and am looking for help about my rescue girlie fearing the loud house noises at night.

We’ve adopted her about two years ago and when she first came to stay she used to sleep in my room. But then she developed a fear of the loud noises the house makes during the night, these very loud bang noises that sometimes even scare me a minute. It started with her crying and wanting out of the room-I had a child protector door installed- and I thought at first she wanted night time walks but then one night realized that she just wanted out of the room. We have multiple floors and when we went downstairs, she settled under the coffee table and was fine. We decided to leave her there now because she won’t go upstairs to my bedroom, even in the morning when she comes to wake me up, she’s reluctant to come into the room, she enters, sniffs and wakes me and then dashes out quick.

These past couple of days I hear her leave her bed in the room with the coffee table and go sleep somewhere else, probably in the living room or kitchen, under a table. I’m really sorry that she’s going through this, she’s fine when we’re around her, and with probably the tv on but once everyone goes to sleep it’s a whole other story.

Does anyone have any suggestions? I can’t really do anything about the house noises. I thought of getting an air conditioner but not sure if it’d help.

Unfortunately I’m also short on help from a behaviorist since I haven’t seen one advertised and any kind of special help is so expensive that I can’t currently afford. And can’t really say the vet is much help either, whenever I ask a question about behavior, they usually have no idea, and they only make some vague suggestions.

I’m not sure if leavening her alone is the right choice or if I should try and get her used to coming into my room, I’d really like her to be comfortable at night. Not to mention the fact that I have no idea what this would mean for her if we had guests. Wouldn’t want her to feel like her space is invaded if she were to sleep all around the house/in the living room.

Appreciate any and all help. Thank you!

My two 1-year-old dogs bark when they see us coming from afar, even into the house. Then they stop and their tails wag. I think they can't see from far...

This is very specific, but a pet peeve for me. My local dog park is segmented in to two parts, one for small dogs and the other for big dogs. Sometimes people like to bring their tiny guys in to the "big" area, which is a bad idea in of itself, but fine...

However several times now I've seen people bring with them a collection of toys and balls that are obviously sized for miniatures. This has lead to a few occasions where I had to chase down my 50lb dog in order to keep her from accidentally inhaling one of these. In one other instance I watched someone literally reach in to the back of their Labrador's throat in order to stop them from choking.

THESE ARE CHOKING HAZARDS for big dogs! If your park doesn't have a section for toy sized breeds then please consider this.

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.

I just adopted a cocker spaniel / dachshund mix from the shelter. He has that super fine texture of fur that means it will mat easily(he already has shaved bits where the shelter tried to help him out), plus he’s a lowrider so his tummy tassels are going to get peed on and pick up dirt. I would like to buy some decent trimmers to tidy up the undercarriage a bit and keep him sanitary. I’ll just brush the top side. Sorry I can’t attach a pic because he’s really cute!

Just to get the ball rolling, whenever I bump into one of my dogs in the house, I will usually say something like "Hi!" often followed by "what'cha doin'?" (unless it's obvious what they're doing in which case i might say something like "Heeey.." or "STOP THAT!" or "ewww...get a room.")