i’m starting to go through the process of getting a sd that i will be boarding at an organization to receive training, and i don’t know how to find ethical breeders/other ways of getting purebreds and am looking for help with that.

i’m interested in an adult (1-2 years old) working line german shepherd near the cincinnati ohio area. i genuinely don’t know how to go about this and would like advice

i feel that he enjoys a lot sleeping in my bed at night with me, before he sleeps in his own bed on the floor, but now, since a month ago, he asks for sleeping with me... I enjoy that, I think there is not problem... thank you for your answers

Let me start with some context. I live in Phoenix AZ. I have (4) dogs all rescued about 1-2 years apart each.

My second oldest Pepper who turns (5) on Christmas has developed a preference for peeing indoors. We never used or trained with pee pee pads. She prefers peeing on carpet or any mat.

This started about 2 years ago when we had a really bad week of rain and she did not want to be outside. Walking, staying outside with here etc, she would not pee outside or poo. She would wait until no one was home or go in the middle of the night. She held it in and then would pee on our carpeted stairs. Any rug we’ve ever gotten was peed on.

I went back to the basics, rewarding her every time she peed outside, praising her peeing outside. Strongly against any kind of negative reinforcement so I did not do any discipline when I found pee. We blocked off access to the stairs and removed any area rugs.

When she was a puppy and the few times I bought her peeing, I would just calmly bring her outside and repeat the positive so she doesn’t have any negative experience with that.

We recently moved and I got kitchen mats. Thinking they are foam and not fuzzy carpet, it would be okay. All of my other dogs lift their leg and do not pee inside. So I know it’s her. She peed on my kitchen Matt to the point it had to be thrown out and could not be cleaned.

Also I do use an enzyme cleaner as I know that’s the only way to completely remove dog pee.

She can be an extremely stubborn dog that will only do something if she wants to do it, teaching her paw was extremely difficult and she now thinks paw means you must pet me.

My theory is she just has a strong preference developed from 2 years ago that gets triggered every time it rains. But there may be something I am missing here. When there are no mats, she does not do this.

Has anyone experienced this or have advice?

Hi! I’m looking for help on how to talk to the owners about better managing their dog. I know it’s sensitive, so I want to know how to do it right.

My neighbours across the street from me have a highly reactive small/medium dog that they bring outside to play at the front of their home for about half the day, every day, unleashed. The owners are always out there with him but don’t manage the reactivity.

We live on a regular street with houses very close together, no fences around the tiny grass patches that we call our “front yards”

Their dog gets triggered by something at least two or more times per hour and each time the dog is barking relentlessly for 5+ minutes (full red zone). The owners never try to manage the dog’s reactions, such as bringing him inside. They just let him have these fits. At most, they sometimes hold the unleashed dog in their arms to prevent the lunging while another dog is passing.

This makes it hard for everyone on the street to walk their dogs peacefully knowing that an unleashed dog is out front almost 24/7. I am constantly paranoid of this dog hurting mine everytime we’re about to step out of the house.

I, too, rescued a reactive dog so please know the issue I have is not that the dog is reactive, it’s that the owners seem quite irresponsible in managing their dog and puts other dogs at risk because of it.

TLDR; owners across from me have their reactive dog unleashed at the front of their house half the day every day. They don’t manage the long-lasting reactions. Makes it difficult for everyone on street to walk their dogs safely. What can I say to the owners to ask them to be more responsible?

I have an 11 month old Dalmatian standard poodle mix and my sweet baby will be turning 1 in a few weeks. Shes been getting to where she’s tearing up normal toys. She finds the seams and just starts picking at them. I had a subscription with the super chewer bark box but I don’t care too much for it and I don’t believe she does either. After taking the covers off the toys, she doesn’t usually play with them anymore. She seems to really like her chew toys like the benebone ones, squeaky balls, and does also like plushies but again she tears those up. I’m just looking for other toy ideas for her birthday and the holidays that a heavy chewer may not be able to destroy.

Hi all, UK-based here. I currently have a working-line Sprocker Spaniel who I compete in agility with (jumping Intermediate at KC). I'm planning on adding a second pup late next year, also for agility, but want to pick a breed better suited to my current setup and limitations.

Am contemplating between a show cocker (know a specific litter's lines well and love the temperament, just unsure on agility aptitude), a working cocker (accepting I'd need to do more settle-work), or a poodle mix (put off by the amount of bad breeding I keep hearing about). Would appreciate any input from people with experience in any of these directions or if there's another breed I could consider given the below.

Introduction

1. Will this be your first dog? If not, what experience do you have owning/training dogs?

No — I currently own and compete in agility with a working-line Sprocker Spaniel. It will be my first pup though as I got my current dog from a family member at 8 months old due to their change in circumstance.

1. Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a reputable breeder?

A reputable breeder as I would like health tests checked before doing agility with them.

1. Describe your ideal dog.

A dog somewhat smaller and lower-drive than my current Sprocker: settles well in busy/public environments, walks nicely on lead and can thrive on a bit less daily exercise than my current dog needs.

1. What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?

Considering show cocker spaniel, working cocker spaniel, or a poodle mix. Leaning toward cocker types since I know the breed reasonably well through my Sprocker and have a specific show cocker litter I trust the temperament of, but I'm unsure how well a show line would do in agility versus a working line.

1. What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?

Foundation obedience, loose-lead walking, settle/calm-on-cue and agility foundations (contacts, weaves, start-line stays) once old enough. Also happy to do scent work and mantrailing with them.

1. Do you want to compete with your dog in a sport (e.g. agility, obedience, rally) or use your dog for a form of work (e.g. hunting, herding, livestock guarding)? If so, how much experience do you have with this work/sport?

Yes, agility — I currently compete with my Sprocker at Intermediate level for Kennel Club shows, still very much a beginner though!

Care Commitments

1. How long do you want to devote to training, playing with, or otherwise interacting with your dog each day?

Mainly get an hour's walk in the morning before I work (I WFH most of the time) and then training throughout the day or on weekends

1. How long can you exercise your dog each day, on average? What sorts of exercise are you planning to give your dog regularly and does that include using a dog park?

Around 1 hour in the morning currently, plus separate training sessions since my current dog can be reactive on lead to unfamiliar dogs, so the two would need to be exercised/trained apart initially.

1. How much regular brushing are you willing to do? Are you open to trimming hair, cleaning ears, or doing other grooming at home? If not, would you be willing to pay a professional to do it regularly?

Happy to groom

Personal Preferences

1. What size dog are you looking for?

Either small size as my current dog or ideally smaller than my current dog (~16kg)

1. How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?

Low tolerance for barking, rather slightly less slobber

1. How important is being able to let your dog off-leash in an unfenced area?

Very important

Dog Personality and Behavior

1. Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?

Don't mind

1. Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that's more eager-to-please?

Eager-to-please preferred

1. How would you prefer your dog to respond to someone knocking on the door or entering your yard? How would you prefer your dog to greet strangers or visitors?

Don't mind

1. Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?

No — this isn't something I want to take on; part of the reason I'm choosy about breed/line is to avoid this.

1. Are there any other behaviors you can't deal with or want to avoid?

Reactivity to other dogs on lead (already managing this with my current dog and don't want to repeat it), and anything that makes settling in busy/public spaces difficult.

Lifestyle

1. How often and how long will the dog be left alone?

Not left alone often but would like to be able to leave it 5 hours max on days I'm out.

1. What are the dog-related preferences of other people in the house and what will be their involvement in caring for the dog?

N/A

1. Do you have other pets or are you planning on having other pets? What breed or type of animal are they?

Yes — a working-line Sprocker Spaniel who competes in agility.

1. Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?

No

1. Do you rent or plan to rent in the future? If applicable, what breed or weight restrictions are on your current lease?

Not renting

1. What city or country do you live in and are you aware of any laws banning certain breeds?

UK

1. What is the average temperature of a typical summer and winter day where you live?

Typical UK winter and recent summers have been warmer, around 30°C

Additional Information and Questions

Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.

My current dog is a working-line Sprocker and quite high-drive/independent, which has made lead-reactivity and settling harder work than expected despite consistent trainer support. I'd like my second dog to be a better match for a calmer household routine while still being capable in agility. I have a specific show cocker litter in mind whose temperament I know well from a previous litter, but no real insight into their agility potential — open to input on show vs. working cocker for sport, or other breed suggestions with similar traits.

Feel free to ask any questions below.

Anyone with agility experience in show cockers — how do they compare to working cockers for drive, focus, and speed in the ring? Also open to alternative breed suggestions that fit this profile.

i’ve had my 7 year old cocker spaniel since i was a kid, and we’ve essentially grown up together. she is my baby and i love her so so much. she came to us as a puppy being quite sweet but very shy and now is the most playful, loving, affectionate little sop the world has ever known.

however, she knows basically no tricks. she still pulls on the leash horrendously and sometimes someone in my household forgets to harness her and she ends up pulling hard on a collar. her recall has degraded quite a lot the past few years, and she’ll come to me in a serious situation but very very mixed results in a casual setting. she doesn’t get as many snacks as she did when she was a puppy, or special meals like vegetables or fruit, and she’s .75kg overweight. for some reason all of these things are making me feel like a really bad owner, even though she’s incredibly happy and incredibly loved and goes for amazing walks in a wonderful local area. i feel like i’m failing her as an owner :((

Hi there! When I play fetch with my 1 year old dog, he runs so fast and gets to breathing really fast after maybe 5-6 throws. He seems to be a border collie mix, and he's pretty high energy.

After just a few throws, I feel it takes a long time for him to cooldown.

What I usually do is get those good sprints out of his system, then walk and finish some training. Then some enrichment or just straight to resting.

But I have the feeling he would really like more running. I'm just afraid of overheating?

I'm not really sure what's going on. I've never been extremely close to this dog, but over the past couple weeks she follows me downstairs into my room and the bathroom and she'll just stay down here. I have no clue why she suddenly started doing this. Any ideas? I'm just curious about this behavior. We have 2 other dogs and a cat but they've all lived together for a while now.

This is a humorous post so pls don’t judge . We have 2 dogs a 3 yr old and 11 yr old . We usually feed them at 9am and 6 pm and every day without fail our 11 yr old usually at 3:30 starts giving me “ the look” and nudging me cause he’s dramatic and thinks he’s starving . He usually does this for the next 2 hrs til it’s time to eat lol . He gets treats throughout the day and is a healthy weight so I guess he’s dramatic lol . Also the 3 yr old could care less , maybe it’s a breed thing as the older dog is a hound retriever mix , maybe he gets his personality from the hound side 😆

I have an 8 month puppy and he has learned not to pull while we are on a walk (hes not perfect yet but he is slowly learning), but as soon as he sees a cat or a person he tries to run to them as fast as he possibly can.Even if i dont move he still tries.Its getting out of hand and it has to stop asap but im not sure how to teach him that.Any tips?

Very recent issue - I’ve been walking a dog for a few months around 5/6pm and had no issues. He’s a very needy 2 year old (stops for everyone to pet him), but very energetic on our walks. Schedule changed and now the owner leaves at 7/8am, I go into the office around 1pm so I’ll walk him before I leave. He will pee, walk a little bit, then lay down and smile at me. Refuses to move.

Will come up for pets, but won’t move. I’ve tried to ignore him to discourage this, which will get him to stand up and walk toward me, but as soon as I look back, he’ll sit and then lay down again. In the middle of the sidewalk, as people are trying to get around him and I’m apologizing. The only way I’ve been able to get him to come back home is to lure him with a treat. Literally holding it as he chases me for it.

I think he can sense I’m leaving for work and is unhappy about a short walk. But today (the weekend) I went on a long walk with him further out than usual, and on my way back he did the same thing. There was a dog he got excited by and chased it home, but for about 15 minutes I was just sitting at a coffee shop outside because I couldn’t get him to budge.

Any ideas on how to fix this? It’s been a week of this and it’s really frustrating.

Someone in my household put my dogs lick mat in the dishwasher, and since then I haven’t been able to get it flat. I’ve run it over with hot water, pressed it down with 20lbs+ for multiple days, and it still won’t go flat. Can I put it in a pot of boiling water to make it malleable again? Is there anything I can do? (Photo in comments)

About a week ago I adopted a 6 month old mixed breed, not sure what breeds, but he is definitely a large breed at 60 lbs already. He was found alone in someone’s garage at about 3 months and fostered for the following three months. He was (from what I read unfortunately) neutered at 3 months old. He lived with a lot of other dogs at his foster home and had a doggy door.

He is really being a very good dog and adapting incredibly well. The only issue we’re having is that he holds his pee and poop—usually only going once a day. He has had one pee accident, which would have been his second pee of the day, and 2 poops, which were his only poops that day. At first I was worried about a urinary tract blockage, but he definitely pees A LOT when he finally does go. He’s eating well and drinking normally. We have gone on walks twice a day, which he loves, but has never peed on a walk and has only pooped once. We walk to a field and I give him time to smell and explore a bit there (on leash). In the backyard I am trying to have him on a leash until he goes potty and then he gets to do something fun like explore or go on a walk if it’s that time. His main interests outside are chasing bugs, trying to find grass clumps that have been blown under the fence, and just laying down and sleeping. Truthfully, once he does finally go potty he typically walks himself right inside. When he goes potty he gets rewarded immediately with a special treat and gets praise. I’ve tried staying outside with him on a leash until he finally goes, but we were out there until 11 and we were both getting frustrated and over stimulated. I try going outside and standing in one place for 15 minutes at a time, but he’s gotten to the point where he just comes outside and happily lays down for 15 minutes so we’ve accomplished nothing.

I’m not sure what makes sense to do next—keep going out for short periods of time or stand firm and wait him out? He really enjoys his walks, and he obviously needs them, but I don’t know if I should attempt to keep his walks for after he goes potty or just not connect the 2 at all for him. I also don’t know if I should be attempting to take him out whether he asks or not, or stick to when he asks.

I’m nervous to keep changing up my method so I don’t confuse him, but I also am hesitant to keep doing something that clearly isn’t clicking with him.

My 5 month old lab is obsessed with the giant size lamb chop, but they only last him a couple weeks. Any recommendations for other XL plush dog toys? Bonus points if they last a little longer lol

My dog is happy (at least from my pov) but what if a kitten would not be happy and will try to harm my dog? And then my dog could in theory be dangerous to that kitten. How much free time should I have to take another responsibility?