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You can try to do capturing behavior, where you wait for them to do the thing you want, and then instantly lavish rewards upon them for it. A lot of dogs, especially younger ones, will try a variety of different things to engage with you, so you just have the treat bag at hand and be ready to reward them as soon as they do the thing you want. E.g., back when I first got my dog (who was already an adult), I was able to do this so he would learn that when I'm sitting at my desk, and he wants attention, slapping the back of my chair won't work to get attention, but quietly sitting next to me will. I even got him to learn "shake off" on command by doing this, right when he makes that head/neck turn when they're about to unleash a big fur shake, I would just say the command right before it happens. So now I can make him shake off a lot of water before we go back inside.
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Oct 23, 2025 21:01
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| # ? Dec 5, 2025 08:50 |
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I got an undercoat rake and it does seem to be what my dog's majestic neck needs.
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Oct 24, 2025 19:38
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iris has a new trick: screaming like a banshee whenever i open the front door or the back gate. it's annoying because i've been making an extra effort these past few months to make sure she's getting enough exercise and adventures and games for mental stimulation and it's like she's rewarded me by evolving into a higher-maintenance level of creature that's never satisfied. i thought 3.5-year-olds were past the stage where they develop new problem behaviours out of nowhere, but she's full of surprises. i'm working on the "quiet" command with treat rewards, and have apologised to all the neighbours. she seems to be slowly making progress, but has also clearly discovered that it's fun to scream and is reluctant to give up her new hobby. (to be fair, it is fun to scream.) a strange fowl fucked around with this message at 23:51 on Oct 24, 2025 |
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Oct 24, 2025 23:18
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That reminds me of what I consider a very endearing behaviour of my dog (whose name is Bear). I work from home and when we moved in I got him a chaise longue so that he could look out the window that is next to my desk. Because we now live in a detached house, we also don't stop him from barking or making noises when someone approaches the house since he doesn't do it to an annoying degree. The behaviour that I consider endearing but my wife doesn't like is that when I'm home and someone approaches the house, Bear will do a loud moderately pitched bark, as if to alert me. However if I'm not home, he'll do a low bark and then keep growling as someone gets closer, getting louder as my wife gets closer to the door. I'm surmising that when I'm home he barks to alert me, the protector, but when I'm out he thinks he needs to be the protector. My wife doesn't like it because she thinks he ought to be looking to her for protection too.
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Oct 25, 2025 05:39
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My dog was varking at a malfunctioning outlet in the house and may well have saved all our lives. The outlet was removed and bricked over. Unfortunately she sees the repairs as an even bigger problem than the original malfunctioning outlet, being unwilling to pass by the new brickwork and barking at it for hours. Better than an electrical fire though. GlyphGryph fucked around with this message at 03:17 on Oct 26, 2025 |
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Oct 25, 2025 14:42
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My last dog, Rosie, did a similar thing when our old refrigerator had some faulty wiring in the back of it that started to smolder. we couldn't smell it, but she sure could, and WOULD NOT SHUT THE gently caress UP at 1 in the morning until we got up and checked it out, she kept trying to get under the fridge and so I moved it out from the wall and sure enough there were little wisps of smoke coming from it, and I could definitely smell electrical fire. had she not been there, it would've likely actually begun burning rather than merely smoldering. always good to have a dog
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Oct 25, 2025 18:47
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I am not a dog owner but I saw the damndest thing today. I live in a townhome and I was in my kitchen which has this big bay window which faces the parking lot and some grass where people walk their dogs. Out the corner of my eye I see my neighbor's little jack russell bolt out and start mixing it up with this guy who is walking his dogs. This is unremarkable to me and I turn around while they're yapping. Then I hear this guy screaming "NOOOOOOOO! STOOOP! NOOOO!" so I turn around and this guy is rolling on the ground looking like he's being mauled to death. He's screaming like he's dying, "NOOOOO STOOOOP!" and then "LADY GET YOUR loving DOG" and now he's got a shoe off and he's falling into a storm drain and I'm just dumbfounded for a moment - is this guy really being mauled to death by a ten pound dog? Does it have his throat? So my neighbor comes running out and then I see - he's holding this little dog clutched to his chest, rolling on the ground, and the jack russell is just latched onto its face and won't let go. My neighbor got him to stop - I mean it's only a ten pound dog - and it looked like everything was all right, but it was quite the scene. I guess jack russells are known to do this with anything small and furry because they're bred to hunt foxes. Still though, I don't know how a ten pound dog drags a guy down like that. I think maybe he tripped and was too scared to get up or something.
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Oct 27, 2025 05:05
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people really need to socialize and train their dogs, every single one 
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Oct 27, 2025 05:23
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Flesh Forge posted:people really need to socialize and train their dogs, every single one I took Lupe to a big Halloween festival on my town's main street yesterday. It was super crowded with lots of people paying zero attention to where they were going, and Lupe did really well. She still really pulls and wants to play with other dogs she sees, but she is super good with humans and loves kids and getting petted. I'm pretty drat happy with how well behaved she is in a crowd, although I do need to work on getting her to not try to jump up and lick faces, especially with small kiddos.
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Oct 27, 2025 05:49
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Jarvis and Edith both love being around people, full stop (crowd or otherwise). I just keep a thumb in the collar when they're meeting new people because they will both get overly excited now and then. With Edith it's NBD except that her teeth are sharper, but Jarvis has enough heft that he could knock an adult over.
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Oct 27, 2025 10:48
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Yes hello. I am going on a trip for a few days. This will be the first day(s) I have not spent with my very tiny, very fluffy 3 year old very good boy called Whiskey (Pic for evidence of said fluffyness and goodness)  He will be staying with my Dad who is such a softie, he makes me look like Himmler in comparison. Can somebody kindly explain how I am supposed to survive the separation anxiety? ... As in...my separation anxiety? And I feel bad because my good boy will not understand why I am gone on a trip and when I will be back (it is only 5 days!) and he will be sad even though he's going to be mercilessly spoiled by my parents.
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Oct 28, 2025 00:55
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Crying is a good outlet. Not joking.
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Oct 28, 2025 02:36
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Mulaney Power Move posted:I am not a dog owner but I saw the damndest thing today. I live in a townhome and I was in my kitchen which has this big bay window which faces the parking lot and some grass where people walk their dogs. Out the corner of my eye I see my neighbor's little jack russell bolt out and start mixing it up with this guy who is walking his dogs. This is unremarkable to me and I turn around while they're yapping. Small dogs are the actual loving worst. Imagine someone with small man syndrome and teeth who doesn't speak the same language as you.
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Oct 28, 2025 10:25
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H13 posted:Yes hello. If it helps I've not had a day away from my dog since we got her 3 years ago. She goes everywhere with me..
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Oct 28, 2025 10:26
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H13 posted:Yes hello. We just went away without Darwin for the first time. It was only 2 nights, and he was staying with a wonderful lady who has her own dogs, plus had another staying with her - he loves other dogs so that was a bonus. But I felt terrible - terrible leaving him there and hoping he wasn't thinking he was abandoned (even though we went away countless times without our old dog Dylan over 14 years - perhaps one difference was that Darwin is a rescue, and has spent less than half his life with us so far) and terrible as I knew I would miss him. For the dog's sake, it helps if beforehand he already knows your dad and has been to his place and has some familiarity with it, ideally having spent some time alone with him too, i.e. been on a walk alone together - and when you take him there it helps to take his bed, a toy, familiar treats etc. For your sake, I find it definitely helps to get photo/video updates. This always made me feel better with Dylan, and did again this time with Darwin. And to simply look forward to the moment when you see him again, knowing that it will happen and it will be lovely.
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Oct 28, 2025 10:29
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We were gone for a few days during fall break and had someone stay at the house, the kennel is too stressful for Pongo. When we pulled back into the garage I insisted on being the first one through the door. Whiskey will be okay, especially with good caretakers. Whatever you think will be going on in his head will go right out the door the moment he sees you.
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Oct 28, 2025 11:00
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A typical moment on the throne. I guess I should start locking the door one of these days.
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Oct 28, 2025 16:11
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I am going to have to replace all my nice interior door handles with regular old round knobs, as Lupe has discovered the magic of jumping up and hitting the handle to open the door and no room is safe from her now unless I am on the other side and the door is lockable.
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Oct 28, 2025 16:43
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OneSizeFitsAll posted:A typical moment on the throne. I guess I should start locking the door one of these days. one day you will need the comfort and companionship while you are at your lowest point, stuck on the shitter, in dire misery, and you will change your tune
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Oct 28, 2025 16:56
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lol it's pretty adorable in truth and I welcome it. Only problem is when he tries to fully enter the room, cause there definitely ain't space for him, not that he cares.
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Oct 28, 2025 17:03
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OneSizeFitsAll posted:For the dog's sake, it helps if beforehand he already knows your dad and has been to his place and has some familiarity with it, ideally having spent some time alone with him too, i.e. been on a walk alone together - and when you take him there it helps to take his bed, a toy, familiar treats etc. I give Whiskey a morning and after-dinner walk, and when I am at work, Dad comes over and gives him a walk (mostly because Dad wants to). We also go over to the folks' house (where he will be staying) once a week or so for dinner. I'll get some of his favourite toys to go with him though  Dad will give me updates as well. Mostly because Dad will be going: "OMFG DO YOU KNOW WHAT HE JUST DID? HE'S THE FUCKIN BEST"
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Oct 28, 2025 20:28
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after three and a half years the dog has finally accepted the piano accordion as her friend and sibling
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Oct 29, 2025 02:25
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devmd01 posted:We were gone for a few days during fall break and had someone stay at the house, the kennel is too stressful for Pongo. When we pulled back into the garage I insisted on being the first one through the door. We left Stevie with a boarder for like 2 weeks when we went to Europe for our first time away from her, and had only had her for 9 months. It was nervewracking while we were gone, but she was fine, and really didn't want to leave the boarder when we reunited. It helped that we did a meet and greet with resident dog and another dog he was going to be boarding at the same time and she got along great with them. It also helped that he sent us pictures like every day of her.
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Oct 29, 2025 04:23
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a general heads up about boarders, or leaving your pets in anyone else's care in general really, make sure in advance of how they're going to handle your pet, e.g. someone posted in this thread a while back about how they found out the boarding host was putting a shock collar on their dog without telling the owner in advance.
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Oct 29, 2025 05:58
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OneSizeFitsAll posted:lol it's pretty adorable in truth and I welcome it. Only problem is when he tries to fully enter the room, cause there definitely ain't space for him, not that he cares. Im fine when theres not really enough space, its the poking my thigh with the wet nose during where I draw the line
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Oct 29, 2025 06:21
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Stravag posted:Im fine when theres not really enough space, its the poking my thigh with the wet nose during where I draw the line Pavlov knows that the best way to distract me from my standing desk is to shove his nose into the inside of my knee.
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Oct 29, 2025 15:01
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TooMuchAbstraction posted:Pavlov knows that the best way to distract me from my standing desk is to shove his nose into the inside of my knee. Annoyingly, most dogs are of the opinion that "a negative reaction is better than no attention at all". Kepler knows he's not allowed to lick people and is generally good about respecting that. But if he's bored -- or especially if he's having allergy issues and feeling poorly -- he'll walk right up and blep one of us right on the hand.
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Oct 29, 2025 16:09
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I have left to go on my trip. I am leaving my puppy with my adoring parents. Dad is going to spend every night sleeping at my house so that the puppy can sleep in his normal place(s) and give him all of his normal walks and food and treats. ... I am a monster.
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Oct 31, 2025 01:47
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Your dad is a good dad.
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Oct 31, 2025 06:28
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 Happy hallowbean
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Oct 31, 2025 12:10
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Oct 31, 2025 12:20
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this is a cartoon animal
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Oct 31, 2025 12:59
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The face of a soul who has run into a thousand walls with tunnels painted onto them, hung precariously midair for an eternity before plummeting from a cliff, and accepts that he will soon explode, yet he must carry on, for he yearns for roadrunner flesh The device was removed soon afterward and he was given copious treats and a walk
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Oct 31, 2025 19:40
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 It's not a halloween costume, but I got Carmen a little winter base layer and she gets mad when I take it off of her lol
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Oct 31, 2025 20:07
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8-ish days to go and the belly is getting out of control. She's gained over 15 lbs so far. X rays are happening on Thursday to count all the little skeletons inside.
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Nov 3, 2025 02:35
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Instant Jellyfish posted:8-ish days to go and the belly is getting out of control. She's gained over 15 lbs so far. X rays are happening on Thursday to count all the little skeletons inside. this is so exciting, i can't wait to see all the little white cattleblobs
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Nov 3, 2025 03:20
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a strange fowl posted:she's huge! is she coping well? She's starting to get annoyed about her giant belly preventing her from doing things like climbing onto things to cause chaos and playing ball until she drops but is otherwise in good spirits. Her belly is huge but she's still fit and active. She was just helping with a reactive dog training session on Saturday and was pissed that I didn't let her round up rams the week before. I am so much more appreciative of her long body, sturdy legs, and level back now. I don't know how dogs with poor conformation do it without breaking down. Edit: Also, because I just love spending money for rads at the repro vet, Scram got his final OFA x rays done there on Friday. Vet gives his bones a thumbs up, now to see what OFA says. I like how giant and beefy his thighs are. 
Instant Jellyfish fucked around with this message at 04:00 on Nov 3, 2025 |
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Nov 3, 2025 03:54
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Quite like this snap of Darwin I took on his walk yesterday.
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Nov 3, 2025 13:55
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OneSizeFitsAll posted:Quite like this snap of Darwin I took on his walk yesterday. That's a good pic. Sadly it won't load for me on the forums, but if I copy/paste the link into my browser it comes up fine. And magically once I opened it in another tab I can see it here fine!
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Nov 3, 2025 16:23
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Interesting. I've started using https://postimages.org/ due to imgur not working in the UK anymore - might be something to do with that, though I've used it a few times on the forums now.
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Nov 3, 2025 16:39
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