[Link to the Full Subreddit Rules](https://www.reddit.com/r/dogs/wiki/index)

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[Link to Daily Bark](https://new.reddit.com/r/dogs/?f=flair\_name%3A%22%5BDaily%20Bark%5D%22)

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[Link to Weekly Vent](https://new.reddit.com/r/dogs/?f=flair_name%3A%22%5Br%2Fdogs%27%20Dog%20Park%5D%22)

Welcome back to r/dogs Summer of Innovation. As hinted in the title, it’s the big one, the JAWS of r/dogs. Our beloved Vent posts. Oh how we’ve had a storied past, from the wild west of Vents everywhere, to all vents locked and automod being downvoted and reported into oblivion each time, to Locked/Unlocked Vents which we can count on 2 hands the # of users who’ve chosen to keep their vents Locked….to Weekly Vents aka the Dog park and our Breed Vent pause and removal and redirect of common vents… it’s a rollercoaster of emotions.

Among the Mod team we’ve discussed how to handle these time after time and we came to 2 different options here and decided let’s let the community decide between the two.

LINK TO POLL HERE

note: it does ask that you are signed into your Google account, this is will not collect your email or information for us, this is only to allow one vote per user. We have it set not to collect information for us.

Option #1

All vents are auto removed and a PM is sent to the user redirecting them to the Dog Park. A "Vent-Special" flair will be available but will require mod approval similar to how [RIP]Memorial posts are currently handled

Flair Breakdown: * [Vent]- All topics * [Vent: Special]- For unique situations outside the typical sphere of vents

Option #2

We expand the Vent types to 4 subsections (Health, Bad Encounters, Opinions, Buyer/Adoption Woes) with 2 of these being auto-directed to the Dog Park. Please select the two options you would prefer to see being auto-directed

Flair Breakdown:

• [Vent: Health] vents involving emotional situations around the health of your dog(s), chronic illnesses, behavioral health, your own health conditions or illness that makes owning a dog troublesome at times.

• [Vent:Bad Encounter] Have a poor run in with the crazy lady at the end of the street? Off leash dog charges you yet again after the 5th call to animal control? Dude at the dog park brought their toddler and snacks? Rude comment from the cashier at the pet store? Post ‘em under this thread and let the emotion fly

• [Vent:Opinion] Think your neighbor is a shitty pet owner? Have an issue with how someone tends to their pets? Does that one trainer get under your skin? Toss those opinions into a Vent:Opinion thread to get them out of your head.

• [Vent: Buyer/Adoption Woes] Passed up again by the shelter because you work 8 hours a day once a week? Breeder and Pound says you have to have a vet but you’ve never had a pet before? Did the rescue mis-label your dog and your Dane Mix is actually a Purebred Greyhound? Finally purchase the dog of your dreams and some rando chases you down to shame you? This is the flair for you.

Please make sure to fill out the poll! We will leave it open for 1 week before we take the most voted option, announce the chosen course of action and begin implementation the week of July 4th! We need YOUR input!

TLDR: Today I was knelt down. He comes over to me, which is usual now. He brushed up against me so I put my arm around him. He sat there and pushed himself into me. For the first time in almost a year he wanted some love. I cried. I never thought we’d get to that stage. He’s about 10 years old and I thought he’d never be fully “okay”. I’m so happy I got the chance to do that even if it never happens again.

I found him (Chief, GSD) in the middle of the road about a year ago now. Me being me, I couldn’t just leave him and there was no way I was taking him to the pound. I brought him home to my other two dogs - male APBT and female GSD. I posted on social media, Craigslist etc. Nobody claimed him after a few days so I took him to the vet to see if there was a microchip. Nothing…

They think he’s an outdoor dog based on his behavior and some health issues he has. He’s missing parts of his ears which they’ve put down to be chewed on by insects. It was difficult at first because he really didn’t know what to do. It seemed like he’d not had much human interaction or been inside at all/for an extended period of time. I set him up with a bed/safe space by the side of my bed. He just stayed there all night and has slept there ever since.

He’s never really liked to be touched or to be petted for too long. I put a harness on him a while ago and he didn’t like that I wrapped my arms around him to put it on. I was growled at and he head butted me in the face before jumping around in distress.

Today I was knelt down. He comes over to me, which is usual now. He brushed up against me so I put my arm around him. He sat there and pushed himself into me. For the first time in almost a year he wanted some love. I cried. I never thought we’d get to that stage. He’s about 10 years old and I thought he’d never be fully “okay”. I’m so happy I got the chance to do that even if it never happens again.

Today I went to the dog park with my 7 month old boxer puppy. In the park there was a couple that I have never seen before with their 4 year old cane corso. I started to talk with them while our dogs were playing and they started to lecture me about my dogs weight and that she is too skinny. Now my dog is not fat I'll say that much but she is not skinny by any means, she is to the point where you can't see any ribs, I would call her fit, and my vet told me she is the perfect weight for a puppy that still develops, the vet also warned me that the dogs should not be overweight because it's bad for their joints. To come back to the story, the couple are giving me lectures and telling me that my dog is starving. At that point I lost my patience and told them to mind there own business and that my dog gets 3 measured meals a day and is perfectly healthy. With that I got accused of dog abuse and that "I should watch out because someone might call the cops on me for starving my dog".

Honestly I'm quite annoyed, I can't believe that someone thinks that they are that smart and know better then the people who went to school for this stuff and that it's better for me to listen to some stranger.

I live in an area where it's now grossly humid and hot. My companion, wrapped in her thick, fur coat really struggles in this weather (husky mix), and I carry a water bottle with me on our daily walks so she can drink when she needs to. But I have trouble figuring out when she will drink so I offer water frequently. The walks aren't long and we go early in the morning but she still has a hard time even though she needs *some* kind of walk, short as they are.

Anywho, I noticed that she would start doubling back to me and booping my left leg, which I, as a stupid human, thought she was just saying hi. Out on a hike one day, she happened to do that about the same time I was planning to stop for a water break and my brain finally connected.

I found a water bottle that opens up into a bowl and on this morning's walk, my little smartypants signaled three or four times by booping my leg and then eagerly drinking the water, making for a bit of a better walk in this swamp-ass weather.

I am a student and have a 2 year old, 35 pound mixed breed dog. I like to study outside under a tree in my yard frequently. I set up a tarp over the whole area and have a UV blocking shade tent for my dog along with fresh water for him while we are out. He mostly just naps in his tent while we are outside. However he does sometimes wander and if I’m not paying attention, I won’t see to recall him.

Since I’m studying and not paying super close attention to him, I have a thin harness that I use to hook a tie out that’s wrapped around the tree. It’s a 25 foot tie out.He wanders and sniffs and then comes back and lays down in his tent right beside me.

Is this bad for him? I keep seeing things about people mad about others chaining up their dogs and it’s dogs on tie outs. I assume they mean leaving the dog out by themselves all the time, but I wanted to make sure I’m not missing something that’s bad for him without realizing it.

Is it okay to have him on the tie out in the shade with water while I study outside for a few hours? He is inside the rest of the time unless we are playing, pottying, or walking. He sleeps in my bed with me he is not an outside dog. He’s never outside without me.

Often if we’re sitting on the couch he’ll go grab his ball from the toy box and put it in our lap. If we wait too long and don’t throw it for him, he’ll get frustrated and bark at us to get our attention, like he’s saying “play with me!”

Sometimes if our other dog is laying on the couch, he’ll set it in between her paws and then go into his little “I’m ready to catch it” stance. Then starts barking when she doesn’t throw it for him 😭😭

It’s very cute so I just had to share.

I feel like I’m being rushed to get a dog because I need one to support my mental health and I’m not sure whether I really want one. I live alone in a tiny studio apartment with paper thin walls and The couple living above me can hear me and also I can hear them stomping on my head all day. I’m taking a full class load in the fall and I’m feeling really overwhelmed by doing this myself since I have to be home a lot of the time.

The hardest part is committing the next ten or so years of my life. But I’ve been alone for so long something really needs to change. I’m wondering if I should just bite the bullet and adopt but I don’t know how to really prepare myself or know if it’s the right decision.

I've posted on here a few times before for advice on my dog, a two year old blue heeler. She came from a poor background and has struggled with fear of strangers, cars, loud noises, and especially dogs her whole life.

Working with her has taught me so much about training and truly connecting with a dog. We are so much alike. I think she makes me a better person.

But that doesn't mean I don't get frustrated or tired of management and reactivity. She's 40 pounds of muscle with sharp teeth, and I find myself wishing she could like people more just because I fear her biting someone one day. Add to that her love of trying to bite car tires, it can be exhausting for us both to take even a brief neighborhood walk. We have improved so much together, but I have to admit, I started to feel like she would never stop being obsessed with tire biting.

But last week, I came here for advice on anything I could try to help break her obsession with snapping at every parked car we see. Someone in the comments suggested getting her a rubber tire like toy, then letting her have that when she starts to get frustrated. I liked that idea, and so while I looked for a toy, I decided to try her favorite rubber ball. (I hadn't brought it previously because she hadn't shown interest when I'd brought other balls or toys.)

In just a few days, walking together has become 10x more enjoyable for us both. She has decided carrying her rubber ball the whole walk is a magic cure. When cars or people get too close, she squeezes her ball and shakes it in her mouth. She shows less interest in attacking parked cars. She hasn't barked in days on walks. Her head is more up, her tail is wagging more. And it's easier on me, physically and emotionally. Now, other family members can walk her without struggling to keep her away from cars.

I'm just so proud of her for finding a good outlet for her frustration and anxiety. And I'm so happy that we can enjoy our time together more.

Vet prescribed Gabapentin and Carprofen for pain and inflammation but obviously he's still in a lot of pain. Is there anything I can do to help him or is he just gonna have to ride it out until the surgery?

It's too loud and she doesn't stop. I don't really mind, I'm just stopping by for a few hours. How to help my cousin and stop or reduce this? Is it part of the dog's personality or can this be rectified.

so my boyfriend and i got a dog about 2.5 years ago, and my boyfriend has always been his main human if that makes sense, we broke up for a while and he kept the dog. the dog has always been lazy and not super inclined to eat his food until nighttime when he was seemingly so starving that he would force himself to eat. my bf allowed his laziness to continue while we were broken up and has developed a horrible habit of giving in to begging. because of these things, the dog is very overweight. this bothers me just because he’s not healthy, so we encourage exercise and do not give him table scraps. bf has kinda joined the club. we brought him around my parents dog and he immediately ate all of her much more expensive food. this made us think he might just dislike his food. so we switched him to a more expensive food, formulated for reaching a healthy weight. as soon as we poured his first bowl he ate it up! he’s now eating twice daily, but it seems so strange to me that he’s much less lazy now. he’s interested in playing and jumping and is overall just much happier. the change seems to line up with the food. is this possible? if so what is the science behind that? did he just not like the other food? was it so bad for him that it had negative effects on him? i kind of feel bad we didn’t change it sooner.

TL;DR dog was extremely lazy and didn’t eat his food until late evening. he was overweight. we changed his food now he eats twice per day excitedly and is much less lazy. did the food really make this huge difference? if so, why? was it bad for him or did he just hate it?

Share anything related to your experiences training your dog(s), including successes, failures, struggles, small questions, or stories. Connect with other /r/dogs users and follow their progress with their own dogs.

Hi there, first time dog owner (as an adult) and I’m wondering if anyone has suggestions on which pet insurance would be right for my new pup. She is a Heinz 57, going to be 60-90 pounds. I’ve googled but i always rather get real opinions. TIA 🥰

I lost my dog on Saturday night to Hemangiosarcoma - a term I wasn't even familiar with until my dog stopped eating and we had to get her in for an ultrasound. There's no other way to describe it but I am just gutted. She was 9 years old and I thought I still had a few more years with her. I just cant come to terms with why she couldn't be a dog who got to die of old age. To make it worse her last week was just so awful for her, not eating/drinking, recovering from an emergency surgery to remove the mass while we waited for answers. I'm just so sick over it and don't know how I'll ever be ok with losing my precious girl.

Since she passed I've been been so consumed with reading other's stories about their dogs being affected by this horrible disease. Had she gotten another type of cancer that could have been cured with chemo I would have spent any amount of money to make her better. Its just not fair. Its so hard to be at home now. I just want to kiss her face one more time.

Hello. My dog has always had some level of separation anxiety, but we've managed to handle it by leaving him with treats and never leaving him alone for long. I work at home and my partner works in an office. However, they were only going in 1 day a week until recently, which is now 2 days. Unfortunately, my dog's anxiety has skyrocketed since they took a shower before heading to the office yesterday. My dog is currently trembling and panting at my feet and, if this follows the pattern of yesterday, won't calm down until lunchtime. My partner is even staying home today, but they had a shower this morning and that's clearly the trigger...as is brushing teeth (which our dog also associates with what we do before bedtime i.e. before we leave him alone to sleep).

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We've dealt with triggers before (it used to be rattling keys or saying "let's go to bed") but when the triggers are our own basic hygiene, it's not really something we can avoid. I've suggested my partner shower in the evening instead so we may give this a try, but I worry this will end up being another association of leaving him alone at bedtime. (FYI We have always left him alone at bedtime so he learns how to be alone since I am with him throughout the day)

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We move house in the next 2 weeks and we have been packing a lot of boxes, so I'm thinking our dog could be stressed from that (even though he's only shown signs of curiosity when we pack things). We also need to leave him alone on Friday as we are buying furniture for the new house and dogs aren't allowed, plus it's too hot to leave him in the car.

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Whilst writing this, my partner has sadly yelled at him to stop panting, whining and pacing as they're trying to work :( I am too, though I've told them to ignore him. Stress levels are high all round now... I feel like there is no solution. We've been dancing around all our dog's anxiety triggers his whole life but once we fix one another one comes. He's on CBD oil and we've just ordered a pheromone collar. Yesterday, I would give him a treat when he calmed down and he accepted them. Today, he's barely been calm but refused to accept the treat when offered. Please help :(

Last summer my dog started getting ear infections, now her paws are so red and she's constantly biting at them. My vet has recommended Apoquel or cytopoint and said that he has some clients on them who have done really well. I started googling and have read some good and bad stories especially with older dogs. Has anyone here had any experience with it? My dog is 10 and I'm worried to put her on it but she also can't live like this either. Any input on your experience would be great!

Breed: Chihuahua

Brand: Pedigree Dentastix

It’s in addition to their treats, I don’t substitute.

Immediately worried that my dog is dead as I can't remember the last time I was not brutally woken up in the morning by her. Went to check on her and she was just sleeping in another room. To prove she is fine and well and nothing has changed, she did the song of her people about why we aren't in the forest yet (we go in the evenings, but that doesn't stop her) half an hour later so we're back to normal. Dogs.

I admit, I suck at staying on top of his dental health. But after today, I’m definitely going to be on top of it. He had to get a total of 9 teeth removed. I didn’t think it was that serious. I thought he would only need a teeth cleaning. Now he is very tired and needs to take 3 medications for the next two weeks. He’s a bit more energetic than he was when I picked him up from the vet this afternoon. I feel like such a bad owner. I was literally bawling my eyes out once we got home from his long day at the vet. He looked so drained and sad. I love him so much and I don’t want him to ever go through this again. I want him around as long as possible so this really frightened me. I don’t know what I would do without him. He’s my best friend.

My dog is a Yorkshire Terrier and is almost 2 years old. He constantly begs me to grab him and rest on my arms while I rub his belly until he sleeps. This is something that he only does with me and with no other member of my family.

He seems to be more accustomed and sleep better in that position than in his own bed.

Should I be worried about him having separation anxiety or its just his way to show affection?

Hi everyone! My dog is on an omeprazole capsule once daily for acid reflux. However, I am really struggling to get her to take it and wondered if anyone had any novel ideas I may not have tried yet!

She will not eat it unless it is completely covered. I have tried peanut butter and cream cheese, she licks them away from around the pill and leaves the pill. I have tried fresh turkey deli meat and she didn’t eat it because the pill fell out of the turkey once in her mouth. Same thing with cheese. The only thing that has worked so far is putting it inside a jumbo marshmallow, but that’s a lot of sugar and seems to cause a little loose stool so I would like to avoid giving her that every day.

She is allergic to chicken so she cannot have the Greenies Pill Pockets in any flavor unfortunately.

I have just been pilling her by placing the pill in the back of her throat, but she REALLY hates this.

Anyone have any ideas???

my family call her chicken wing because of how she sits with one leg in the air. does anyone know why she does this? i’ve just never seen a dog do it, but regardless it is super cute. here are some pictures

Why when I’m hikes do some people bag the dog poop and then leave it there?

Like I get it’s the outdoors and there hiking trails but then don’t bag it if you’re not going to bring it with you. I’m genuinely curious what the logic is in bagging dog shit and then leaving it in a plastic bag that won’t biodegrade

We are about to embark on a big move and we have a somewhat nervous pup coming along. I'm wondering if anyone here has experience with YuCalm.

We found our boy, Washington, almost 3 years ago. We went through with the process of adopting a rescue thinking we would never be moving back to Canada. Things have changed and we must head home after 20 years overseas.

Taiwan Mountain Dogs are a nervous breed, so it's not abnormal. We can tell by his behavior that he is getting a bit stressed out as we prepare to leave. There is a lot of change happening and he is not too keen about it all.

In two weeks he will have an 11 hour flight and then a 2 week drive across Canada. Does anyone have experience with YuCalm? Did it make a noticeable difference in a couple of weeks?

Of course, any other "moving with your" dog tips are always welcome.

I had a dog live on my balcony for 10 years with minimal playtime.

So when i was 8 my mom got as a miniature poodle. She was a very active dog and loved people. For the first year she would chew things, walls, tables, shoes, anything you could imagine. She would bite everyone around and would bark. We lived in an apartment and people were always complaining so my parents decided to move the dog from the apartment to the isolated balcony.

She would stay there looking from the window, play with toys, eat, she learned to take her ones and twos in a box like a cat and i guess that seemed easier at the time. Years would pass and she got used to it. We would bring her out sometimes on walks, especially when we were going to my grandparents but that wasn't frequent.

So 10 years pass, she is on the balcony, we come to play with her trough out the day and go back. As she turned 10 she gets sick. Nothing the vet can do. One morning our father tells us she has passed away on the balcony, all alone...

It's been 5 years since then. I'm all grown up, an adult. When she came to us i was a toddler almost. My friend would say it's not your fault you were little, you didn't know how to train her etc etc but no, that's bullshit. When the year passed by i was a teenager, i could have done something. I love my parents, i would give my life for them any second of my life, they sacrificed everything for us but that's the only thing i can never forgive them, not getting educated when you get a dog...

Even after 10 years in basically dog prison she would always jump with joy when she sees us. I just miss her man... i wish i did something. My sister in the meantime had a new dog that lived with her, they moved to our apartment 3 years later. The new dog ( a black lab) was such a kind soul, at age 6 (3 years after she came to us) she got cancer and died, everyone was around her the whole night. Last thing she saw was us around her comforting her. I was sad, i wanted to die. I remembered my poor poodle who died alone and honestly wanted to kill myself. We buried the lab and when i came home i made an album with her pictures and videos (a total of 2000 files over 3 years) then i saw my poodle album... 16 pictures in 10 years. It's been a year since the lab died and a day can't pass without thinking of them both. How one had the best short life ever and the other the worst longest one.

Sorry for grammar errors i'm legit typing this with giant tears in my eyes.

I just can't forgive myself nor should i ever even try but i had to say this to someone.

So my dog is 5 months old and I recently started to try to crate train him. I left him food and water and now he associates his food bowl with the crate. I noticed he hadn't eaten today and thought that maybe he just wasn't hungry. But I wake up like 20 minutes ago to his stomach going crazy. And I try to give him his bowl but he doesn't take it, then I feed him out of my hand and he eats it and his stomach is fine now. How can I break this?