Saying that a dog’s behavior is 100% the owner’s responsibility basically implies that breed traits, genetics, individual temperament, and personality don’t exist. It means denying that dogs were bred for specific purposes and that different breeds have different instincts and behavioral predispositions.

And even within the same breed, every dog is still an individual. If three children are raised in exactly the same way, you won’t get the same result, because each one has their own personality, temperament, sensitivities, and experiences. Dogs are no different.

Two dogs can be raised in the same home, by the same person, and still turn out completely differently. One might naturally be more cautious and fearful, while another is confident and social or be highly sensitive, while another is more resilient. Dogs aren’t objects or materials that simply become whatever their owner makes them. They’re living beings with emotions, fears, instincts, personalities, and individual experiences.

Of course, owners have a huge influence on their dogs, and they have a responsibility to provide proper training, socialization, and management. Poor handling can absolutely create or worsen behavioral problems.

But thinking like this is not understanding a sentient beings and lack of respect and consideration to a living beings.

Sorry I just got annoyed remembering when I heard this and seeing these comments online.

For me, I’m so surprised how well my 150lbs Cane Corse responds to the command “Gentle”.

No matter the context whether it’s eating, playing, exploring he knows to tone down the intensity in his action. He’ll continue the action so he knows it’s different than stop.

I’d love to hear about the little habits and quirks that make your dog special. What do they do that always makes you smile?

Hi everyone, first time posting here and looking for some advice!

My 7.5-year-old Chocolate Lab is getting spayed soon. She is fully house-trained for the yard, but post-surgery she won't be allowed to negotiate our flight of stairs. Since she dislikes being picked up (and I don't want to risk injuring her post-op), I'm trying to transition her to use our patio.

So far, I've tried:

• Real grass patches / fake grass
• Applying her own scent to the area
• Commercial attractant sprays

She still refuses to go on the patio. Has anyone successfully managed a short-term potty transition for a recovery period like this, or found safe ways to navigate stairs with a large dog post-surgery? Any tips or alternative setups would be greatly appreciated!

And if they do, do they know they were dreams or remember them as if they really happened??

My goober was obviously doing some BIG chasing in his sleep just now and it made me wonder.

Okay, before I get too far into this: yes, I let my dog on the couch

He’s trained to go to his own bed, and he also knows he’s only allowed on one specific area of the couch (not the main spot).

The problem is that when I leave for work, he nests himself into the couch. I wouldn’t really care if he just curled up and slept, but he goes so hard that he’s actually creating holes in the couch. 😭

I’ve tried couch covers and blankets, but he’s smart enough to move them out of the way and get right back to nesting.

I love a good DIY, so I’ve been making my own aesthetically pleasing couch covers out of curtains, but I’m getting ready to move and eventually buy a new couch. I REALLY don’t want him destroying the new one.

So, dog owners of Reddit... what do you recommend? Is there something I’m missing? Is there a way to prevent the nesting behavior, or at least redirect it to something that he can safely destroy/nest in?

I’d love any suggestions before I sacrifice another couch!

Hi, my dog is a cross breed 1.5 year old who is chewing everything she can find. We got her in Dec 2025 and she’s currently in her teenage phase and has gone back to chewing things. This time she is chewing shoes, blankets and beds… pretty much anything.

We’ve had to remove all blankets from her crate and separate her from her bonded pair as he’s a skinny dog and needs a bed to sleep on, otherwise he cries and shakes.

She’s destroyed so many toys, beds and household things which we have removed. She’s ended up eating the foam of a pillow in my office when I went to grab water (2 mins) and then threw it up. I don’t want her getting a blockage or anything.

Im at the end of my tether and I don’t know what else to do. She has XL yak chews and goes through it in 5 days. She also has Benebone wishbone Chew which she loves and takes longer to go through it, and she gets 2 walks a day. However, she’s still destructive and can’t be left alone anymore. Anytime we leave the house or room, she has to go in the crate.

Does anyone have any advice on how to combat this? Do we have to muzzle her to prevent her from chewing?

TLDR: my dog is in her teenage phase and is chewing everything. She has enrichment but is still destructive. Help!

Poor lil rescue came to me with 1 eye. Had an accident 3 weeks ago & punctured her only eye. She got a graft asap, but is totally blind right now and may never regain functional vision.

She's the sweetest but smoothest brain ever, couldn't do stairs even before the loss of vision. She's never liked toys and the walks that were her only source of stimulation are impossible atm.

Shes (reasonably) restless and scared; cries when I leave the room, howls when I leave the house. Breaks my heart, but not sure how best to help her through this.

any tips, advice, or even reassurance would be great 🫶 thank you

me and my husband are moving to japan in a couple of days are we found out late my dog can’t come with us in the cabin.
so he has to go cargo, we got him a crate and stuff with it.
But I am so every ffing nervous and scared for him.
he’s never flew cargo’s before. Im having him sleep in the crate before hand as well. The flights hours in total to get there is 18 hours.
My baby is 13 years old, I just wanna know if hell be okay and know other peoples stories on it. I want it over with and to be in japan already.

I'm looking for recommendations for a high velocity blow dryer for a Golden Retriever available in Australia for personal at home use after beach trips/visits, between grooming.

I have no idea where to start on my hunt, but ideally, would like something decent quality, around or under about $250ish, and bonus points if it's on the quieter end.

What does your dog chill or sleep on? I want to get something for my dog a bulldog/Lab mix to chill or sleep on in the garage without eating or nawing at it. It’s a medium sized dog.

Just got a new blue healer puppy was looking for any advice on preventing and treating yard for parvo and anything i can buy to give my puppy to prevent parvo and something to have incase he does get it also planning on getting all his shots soon just want to make sure the yard is ok. Any advice pls lmk!

There is a really really good dog park near me. It has a huge field when you first enter and then you can go over a bridge to an area about 5x larger than the already large field. It's for all sized dogs.

My dog is currently 9 lbs and should top out around 30. Super mellow gets along with everyone and everything. I'm just concerned she could get hurt with all of the dogs around that are way bigger than her.

Hello everyone, I wasn't quite sure which flair to give this, but I figured this would be the best. Sorry if that's not correct.

We have a 15 year old senior dog, she's up to date on everything and despite the incontinence, she's as healthy as can be. Our vet was actually impressed she can still jump up on the couch. Nimble old lady that she is. ❤️

But like the title says, she's having a bit of trouble with the dribbles while she sleeps, which is quite often these days, so I'm just looking for some recommendations for washable/reusable diapers for her. (Disposables will work, but I figured reusable would be better for the environment.) I don't mind where they come from I just want to make sure she's comfy and my couch doesn't have to have a new pee pad on it every day.

Not necessarily a breed you will absolutely 100% own one day, but hypothetically if you could have a ethically bred, healthy dog, that will live to old age without major health concerns or behavioural issues, money wasn’t an issue and you could 100% devote the time and effort to give the dog everything it needs to thrive. Which breed are you choosing?

Personally mind would be a Kangal Shepherd, I love them, I’d love to own one. Unfortunately these dog are livestock guardians, and from what I can tell and have heard, are happiest outside. I live in a city, I couldn’t provide this breed the life it needs.

I have a Dogo Argentino and she is the sweetest goofball you could ever meet but a lot of people when we see when we walk around cross the road when they see us. Or sometimes when you say what dog you have people think it's weird to have one. What prejudices have you encountered?

I‘ve grown up with dogs and terribly miss the companionship. I’ve been looking into going to the shelter and picking up a dog, but I’m an apartment dweller, and need a dog that is comfortable with city life in general. Realistically thinking a smaller, calm dog would be optimal. I’m afraid my new dog might turn out to be uncomfortable with my lifestyle and I’d hate to put them through the process of having to find a new home again. What do you suggest, what route do I take finding a dog that is a reasonable pick for me?

Ich muss das mal loswerden, weil's mich langsam echt fertigmacht.

Mein Hund bellt bei buchstäblich allem. Es klingelt an der Tür? Ausraster. Der Postbote kommt die Straße hoch? Ausraster. Ein Blatt weht übers Fenster? Ausraster. Nachbar schließt zwei Stockwerke tiefer die Tür? Er weiß es besser als jede Alarmanlage.

Das Schlimmste ist inzwischen das Soziale. Wenn Besuch kommt, geht die erste Minute komplett im Gebell unter, und ich steh daneben und sag zum zehnten Mal „er ist eigentlich total lieb, er muss sich nur kurz beruhigen". Ich hab schon angefangen, Leute lieber draußen zu treffen, nur um mir das zu ersparen. Und die dünnen Wände hier machen's nicht besser – ich warte quasi täglich auf den ersten bösen Zettel im Treppenhaus.

Also mal ehrlich in die Runde:

Wer von euch hat so einen kleinen Dauer-Beller? Und vor allem – hat bei euch irgendwas WIRKLICH geholfen, das Bellen runterzufahren? Training, Routine, irgendein Trick? Gern auch die Sachen, die bei euch NICHT funktioniert haben. Ich fühl mich gerade ziemlich allein damit. 😅

He's a darling beagle, 7 years old. Recently whenever I've been petting his sides (like scratching them) he makes a motion w his hind leg like he's scratching that same area and taps his paw on the ground. When I stop he stops. Is he enjoying it or smth else?

People who flew with dogs before, please help me and give me some insight what to expect. I’m thinking about taking my 5 years old Jack Russell terrier with me next time when I’m going to Europe. I’m flying from Newark to Budapest, so I will be on two flights. She is 16 pounds so I believe I can have her with me in the cabin, not under , I would not do that .
I see people with their dogs all the time but I never spoke to anybody unfortunately.
Is it true that you can not have your dog out of the carrier at all ? She can’t sit on my lap ?
Can I buy a seat for her ? So I can have the dog carrier next to me at least?

If you ever flew with your dog , please tell me how it was . I would appreciate it so much . I googled as much as I can about this topic but hearing it from actual people who did fly with their dogs is necessary! Thank you advance!

Our shepherd mix, Goku 6yo neutered, broke his front right pinky toe chasing a bunny last week Wednesday. The vet has it splinted and wrapped and he's on meds for pain and sedation. He's doing pretty well so far, but I imagine he's going to get antsy sooner than later.

I'm hesitant to do slow feeders or other low key enrichment that involves him standing since it seems that being a temporary tripod with a front leg is more difficult than a back leg.

Any ideas or experience doing enrichment strictly from a laying down position that doesn't involve standing? Or am I being too precious worrying about him standing?

dog tax, of course: https://imgur.com/a/mwhq2Bm

Hello everybody,
Sorry for my English beforehand..
Our 16 year old Chihuahua's health hasn't been well since June. But she was still happy, went along for walks as if nothing was wrong,.. Then in August, her well being started deteriorating: walking unstable en being very fidgety,.. Now she is at a point where she has 3 bad days and then a good week for example. And so it goes up and down. But even on the best of days is not like she was before. Her tail is often between her legs. :(
Now I think it is time to start thinking about euthanasia since she is so old, has a lot of other health issues (under control but still). The vets don't really know what's wrong with her and that is eating me up. If we knew for sure what she had, it would somewhat easier. Now I keep thinking we just haven't got the right cure yet..
At what point do we give up although we don't know what's wrong..?
[euthanasia]

Which pet insurance is best for you? Are there any that may cover your dog's current treatment? Did your dog get injured during the waiting period and want to know if you're covered?

Here's the place to ask.

Do know we cannot help you here with medical concerns, and lying or not disclosing things to the insurance company is illegal so we don't allow that either.

So I'm hoping to get my first dog and i have some questions as to which breed would be best for me,

I'd like a dog that:

Doesn't shed too much

short-medium hair

not too loud

good with apartments

preferably adoption

a little young(up to 1 year?)

no major health problems

Thats about it, any ideas?

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

* I've takin care for a Shih Tzu for about 3 months twice.

2)Do you have a preference for rescuing a dog vs. going through a [reputable breeder]( http://ownresponsibly.blogspot.com/2011/07/identifying-reputable-breeder.html)?

* preferably rescue.

3)Describe your ideal dog.

* Doesn't shed too much short-medium hair not too loud good with apartments preferably adoption a little young(up to 1 year?) no major health problems 

4)What breeds or types of dogs are you interested in and why?

* Haven't done much research yet but maybe Basenjis.

5)What sorts of things would you like to train your dog to do?

* nothing much, just some basic commands and tricks.

6) 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?

* No.

**Care Commitments**

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

* at least 3 hours

8) 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?  

* walks for about 30-45 minutes.

9)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?

* Yes, 2-4 times weekly

**Personal Preferences**

10)What size dog are you looking for?

* Medium, around the size of a Shih Tzu.

11) How much shedding, barking, and slobber can you handle?

* little to average

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

* Not too important but it would be nice if its possible

**Dog Personality and Behavior**

13) Do you want a snuggly dog or one that prefers some personal space?

* a snuggly one

14) Would you prefer a dog that wants to do its own thing or one that’s more eager-to-please?

* He can do his own thing when he wants

15) 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?  

* Calm, as in not loudly barking

16) Are you willing to manage a dog that is aggressive to other dogs?

* rather wouldn't

17) Are there any other behaviors you can’t deal with or want to avoid?

* Aggression toward other dogs/cats

**Lifestyle**

18) How often and how long will the dog be left alone?

* Depends, 1 Hour mostle, but that too only weekly

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

* The above listed preferances, and the tasks will be split up between the three of us, two of us, who have more free time would take him on walks and the other person will help with feeding 

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

* No

21) Will the dog be interacting with children regularly?

* Not very often

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

* Rent, but no restrictions that I'm aware of

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

* Frankfurt am Main, Germany and No.

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

* 34 degrees to -6 degrees

**Additional Information and Questions**

25) Please provide any additional information you feel may be relevant.

* No additional information.

26) Feel free to ask any questions below.

Hi! What’s the best flea treatment for dogs? I’m not sure which ones to avoid and which ones are good!

Bonus points for flea treatments for cats.. I have one dog and one cat

Edit to add: and what do you do for the fleas in your home? I ordered diatomaceous earth food grade powder to sprinkle on the carpets after a bit of research but idk what else to do besides vacuum a lot