Top products from r/dogs

Lots of big dog stuff here! Here's some nice things for the little guys (~25 lbs and under). Many of these items are good for big dogs, too; will note them with a * sign and list them first in each section.

Treats

• Himalayan Dog Cheese Chew*: Long-lasting hard cheese chews; can be microwaved to make "cheesy popcorn" for your dog when it gets small enough to pose a swallowing hazard. Comes in a variety of sizes.
  
  
• Brushless Toothpaste*: Our dog LOVES this stuff, and it keeps his breath smelling awesome. Also helps keep his teeth clean. May want to introduce these into the dog's diet slowly, as some are sensitive to the ingredients but acclimate over time. Comes in an even smaller size for the really tiny dogs, and bigger sizes for the big dogs :)
  
  
• Freeze-dried chicken*: Easy to break into small pieces and sprinkle over your dog's kibble or regular food.
  
  
• Stella & Chewy Meal Mixers*: Great to sprinkle over your dog's regular food for both nutrition and novel taste.
  
  
• Fruitables Minis: Small and low-calorie; great for clicker-training your dog. Comes in a wide variety of flavors.
  
  
• Crazy Dog Bacon Treats*: Also small and very-low calorie; another good clicker-training tool.
  
  Toys
  
  
• KONG Mini Squeaky Tennis Balls*: Great for dogs who like either balls, squeaky toys, or both! My dog had zero interest in balls before these, and they're still the only ones he'll play with. Come in lots of sizes; not good for strong dogs who like to chew up their balls.
  
  
• Dog Tornado*: Easy introductory puzzle toy that's not too big for little dogs. Good for kibble, wet food, and treats. May be too big for dogs under 7 lbs.
  
  
• Dog Tower: Another great introductory puzzle toy suitable for small dogs. Good for kibble and small treats. Not sure how this'll hold up to big dogs, although I think it'd be fine with the gentler ones.
  
  
• JW Treat Pod: Kind of like the Kong, but better suited for gentler, 'licking'-type dogs. Easier to clean out as well, IMO; the small Kongs are so hard to get completely clean even with a brush.
  
  
• Outward Hound Flirt Pole: Fun and easy exercise, the Outward Hound version is more lightweight and suited for small dogs.
  
  Harnesses, Collars, & Safety
  
  
• Pet Stairs*: Large collection of pet stairs. Some on this page are suitable for large dogs as well.
  
  
• Hurtta Active Dog Harness*: High-quality dog harness for dogs that love to run around the outdoors in all kinds of weather and elements. Comes in a variety of sizes; for dogs 7+ lbs.
  
  
• Ruffwear Swamp Cooler*: Comes in XXS, XS, and S. Great for keeping your dog cool in the summer if you don't live in a humid area.
  
  
• Hurtta Pet Overall*: Great for rain and snow; comes in a variety of small sizes. Fit perfectly on our Pom mix and very high quality.
  
  
• Musher's Secret*: Protect your dog's paws in cold weather.
  
  
• Sleepypod Clickit*: Crash-tested car harness, comes in a variety of sizes.
  
  
• Sleepypod Mobile Carrier/Car Seat/Pet Bed: Crash-tested dog bed/car seat/carrier!
  
  
• Lil Pals Step-in Mesh Harness: For the seriously small dogs.
  
  
• Ollydog Marin Collar: Completely waterproof, rustproof, extremely durable, easy to put on...the perfect collar!
  
  Grooming
  
  
• The Stuff Detangler and Conditioner*: Keeps your dog's coat looking clean and glossy; easy to apply and doesn't have a strong odor.
  
  
• Lil Pals Grooming Kit: Miniature grooming tools for your miniature dog at a very affordable price.
  
  Edited to add more+formatting!

1. Kong Wubba Friend. Summit has the fox and it's his absolute favorite toy. He likes other wubbas too, but the fox is his favorite by a long shot. It's also super durable and doesn't have a bunch of stuffing to pull out. He loves the squeaking, the floppy tentacles, and it makes a great fetch toy as well.
   
   
2. Nylabone Prime Rib. Summit loves all Nylabones. His favorite is actually the dinosaur one, but I worry about the size of it and it stresses me out when he chews it. He loves the one we got him on sale after Christmas and I like the size. Really though, any Nylabone chew could be substituted in here. Summit loves chewing and Nylabones give him a great outlet for that.
   
3. Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball. I love the idea of food dispensing toys and Summit does too. It keeps him entertained and out of trouble for quite a while and he loves pushing it around and trying to get the food out. He gets extremely excited whenever he sees us pull this particular toy out of the toy bin.
   
4. Chuck It Max Glow Ball. We're still working on Summit's ball drive and it is definitely improving with age (yesterday he was actually running into a lake to fetch tennis balls which was a big first for him), but I love the bond that fetch gives. I also love things that glow in the dark (we could play when it gets dark out!) and the durability of the Chuck It balls as opposed to regular tennis balls.
   
5. Kong. A treat dispensing toy I can leave with him that he doesn't need as much room to use as the tricky treat ball. I also love trying the different recipes to throw in his Kong and it is great for calming him down.

You've gotten a lot of good opinions, I'll throw mine in for fun :-)

First. I think you're a good dog owner and I think you can make this work.

Many people have suggested a dog walker - I think that is a great idea. I have a coworker who has a dog walker who gathers up a few dogs from his neighborhood, drives them to a park and they have 3+ hour adventures! Plus they get to spend some time riding around to pick up and drop off the other dogs, I think it really fills their dogs day. My coworker does this M-F but even one day a week would be awesome.

Second. Work his brain. I'd start feeding all his meals in a food dispensing toy he enjoys. I used all of the ones I'll link below either for the dogs I work with or my pets.

[Bob-a-lot] (http://www.amazon.com/StarMark-Bob-A-Lot-Interactive-Pet-Large/dp/B001JQLNB4) This one is pretty tough and can be left alone with some dogs

[Tug-a-Jug] (http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Buddy-Dispensing-Medium-Large/dp/B000KV7ZGQ/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1426890582&sr=1-1&keywords=food+dispensing+bottle+rope+toy) This one can be dangerous if they eat the 'rope' but I love how ease it is to fill.

[Tricky Treat Ball] (http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Paw-Tricky-Treat-Large/dp/B0002DK26M/ref=sr_1_3?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1426890517&sr=1-3&keywords=food+dispensing+dog+toy) This one takes my dog FOREVER but holds her interest well. The plastic is really soft so I supervise her using it (while I watch TV or brush my teeth) so she doesn't just lay down and chew at it to get her food. The other thing I like about the soft plastic/rubber is that it is pretty quiet for her to use unlike the other options I've listed.

[Buster Cube] (http://www.amazon.com/Buster-Food-Cube-Large-Colors/dp/B0006G54OU/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1426890999&sr=8-9&keywords=food+dispensing+dog+toy) Not sure if the buster cube was the first of the roll around style food dispensers but it was the only one I knew about for a long time. They're pretty sturdy and challenging.

There are a LOT more food dispensing toys out there but I think the ones they have to move can be a little more exciting than a tightly packed kong they lick at. Kongs are great too, I'd just include them in a rotation of feeding devices.

Another thing you can do to make life more exciting for your dog is to rotate toys. If he has a lot of toys only leave out 2 or 3 on a given day and swap them out for toys you've kept hidden and occasionally introduce a new toy. Some dogs really love novelty.

Finally I think trick training is great. A few 5 minute sessions a day of learning a new behavior, or building on an existing behavior is a great way to beat the boredom.

Some fun tricks you can teach that you can use to make really complex behaviors are take it (hold in mouth), paw target (touch with foot) and nose target (touch with nose). You can use those behaviors along with others tricks to teach him to close doors, open doors, turn lights on and off, put things away, cross his legs, ring a bell, limp, pretend to pee (targeting with a back foot) etc.

Lastly, I'd teach him to search for hidden items in your house. I like to hide something while my dog is out going potty, then watch her search for it while I brush my teeth.

Hope those ideas for easy entertainment help some! Keep the dog, do what you can, you're doing SO MUCH MORE than so many dog owners already. I think he'd be fine if you kept him and just did what you're doing now. :-)

I've posted this before, and it's a great list! Originally posted by u/manatee1010 and I have tried several:

I keep this list of brain toy links handy to send to friends who get dogs. It's getting pretty long...

Toys that get stuffed with food and frozen:

• Kong Classic (15-20 minutes) (it sounds like Watson is lukewarm toward this… have you tried mixing a spoonful of canned food in with some kibble and freezing it?
  
  
• Zogoflex Toppl Interactive Treat Dispensing Dog Toy (this can be a stand-alone toy, or if you get a big one and little one they can fit together and dispense kibble) (15-20 minutes)
  
  
• Starmark Pickle Pocket (my big dog really likes this one… we put cheese in it) (20-25 minutes)
  
  Kibble dispensing toys, hard material (good for carpeted areas)
  
  
• Bob-A-Lot (~10 minutes… this one can be adjusted to make it harder)
  
  
• Tug-A-Jug (10-30 minutes, depending on the dog)
  
  
• Magic Mushroom (10-30 minutes, depending on the dog)
  
  
• Kong Wobbler (~5-10 minutes)
  
  
• IQ Treat Ball (~10-15 minutes)
  
  
• Pet Zone IQ Ball (this is the ONLY toy my dogs can’t get all the kibble out of. They’ll usually persist for half an hour or so before they give up)
  
  
• Buster Cube (I think this has several difficulty settings… my guys now don’t have one of these, but my dog when I was growing up had one. I’d guess this is probably a 20-30 minute toy depending on difficulty and what you load into it)
  
  
• Treatstik – I have NO idea how long this one takes to load, but it’s on my to-purchase list because it seems like it’s one of the longer lasting toys on the market. If anyone has/gets one, I’m super interested to hear about it!
  
  Kibble dispensing toys, soft material (good for hardwood/tile/laminate)
  
  
• Barnacle (this can be stuffed like a Kong as well… I lost this one when I moved but I think in terms of kibble dispensing it was shorter lasting, maybe 5-10 minutes)
  
  
• Tricky Treater (I REALLY like this one; super easy to load and clean, lasts 10-15 minutes)
  
  
• Tricky Treat Ball (another super easy one… <5 minutes)
  
  
• Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff Snoop Treat Dispensing Dog Toy – this one just arrived yesterday so I don’t have a solid rating of its durability yet, but so far it seems great… easy to load, takes the dogs awhile to empty, and super duper quiet.
  
  
• JW Pet Company Treat Puzzler Dog Toy (this one is super easy for them to empty… I’d say 3-5 minutes)
  
  
• PetSafe Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble Meal Dispensing Dog Toy (this one is okay, not my favorite… I didn’t like that I had to make a decision about cutting it immediately after opening. It takes ~5-10 minutes to unload)
  
  
• Starmark Treat Dispensing Puzzle Ball - this one is new! I almost bought it the other day but haven't yet; I think it's most similar to a Buster Cube in terms of adjustable difficulty, it's just a softer material.
  
  Time-release kibble dispensing toys (good for work days)
  
  
• the Foobler is great because it works on a timer that rotates to the next of six, ¼ cup food hoppers at set intervals of time (you pick, the options are 15-30-60-90 minutes), which makes it last way longer than most of these toys. This is hard plastic.
  
  
• CleverPet – this has a December release date. I’m way pumped about it and have been in touch with the company… hopefully I’ll be getting one of the first models off the line!
  
  Lastly, there are also these two that I haven’t tried yet, so I’m not positive how to classify…
  
  
• Starmark Crunching Barbell
  
  
• Starmark Treat Crunching Multiball
  
  
  ETA: If you have any others you like (or don't like) that I've left off this list, please chime in!

Honestly, you exercise your dog while doing things as a family. I don't have a child, but some of my friends with a dog do and them spending quality time together usually consists of them going to the beach with a dog or going to the park with the dog, or going on hikes with the dog. They were active people to begin with (their daughter went on her first camping trip at 1 month old, the dad's a marathoner, the mom's a triathlete) so an active dog fit into their lifestyle. (They have a border collie - the most active of active dogs) Additionally, once your dog is 3 years old, they should calm down a bit, although labs are notorious for acting like puppies far into their adult years.

Generally, this is why people are actually advised away from labs - they're far more high energy than most people expect. They were bred to retrieve and hunt - to work the whole day with a hunter so they've got a lot of energy.

Does your dog have all their shots? Is there a dog park nearby? My dog will get wiped when she gets to play with all the other dogs. Have you taught your dog fetch? That's another great way to get out a lot of energy fast. Do you know what a flirt pole is? It's basically a giant cat toy for dogs (I got mine here). My dog is uber prey driven, so this is the perfect toy for her. You want to go easy on it as your puppy is still very young and their growth plates aren't fused yet, but it can still be very fun and tiring.

Does your daughter have a lot of fun with the dog? Maybe you can figure out some game that will not only tire out your puppy, but allow you to give your daughter your time as well.

Here's what I think you should try:

• get an exercise pen so you don't always have to worry about your puppy getting into stuff while you're working
  
• Take 5 minute breaks from work occasionally and work on some training with your dog - training is great mental stimulation and will also tire out your dog (also it's more effective when done in short bursts throughout the day)
  
• Don't give your dog any more food in a bowl. It always goes into some sort of puzzle toy (I have the starmark chew ball and the kong wobbler but there are tons) or is a reward for training
  
• Try to extend your walks a bit and make sure you don't always go to the same place. Sniffing new things is also mental stimulation and will also help tire out your dog
  
• Try to find more activities you can do as a family that will also wear out your dog
  
• Try a bitter spray like bitter apple for things she shouldn't chew on (my dog used to chew on the table, now she doesn't)
  
• Make sure you're giving your dog really good chews like bully sticks. They're pricey, but much less of a choking hazard than rawhide. I buy em in bulk off amazon.
  
• Try dog parks
  
• See if doggy day care, even for a day or two a week is feasible - it may really tire out your dog (most of them around here have a discounted rate for a half day, so that's an option as well)
  
• Try a flirt pole
  
• Try fetch
  
• Get thee to a dog training class! Once again, training will tire out your dog mentally so they're less likely to destroy stuff
  

Walking with the leash attached to the collar can be harmful. This is an interesting article with a lot of information that explains the potential issue that can arise from using a collar. A dog can receive neck injuries, ear and eye issues, hypothyroidism, malfunctioning in the forelimbs' nervous system, and behavioral problems. It concludes by urging dog owners to buy a harness.

Also note, many think that harnesses make dogs pull more, but this isn't true. The harnesses with an attachment point in the back are what do this because it gives the dog more leverage. If the only times your dog is pulling is when she panics, then using a back attachment point is viable, but you want sturdy harness with a grip then.

​

If you are interested in some alternatives (based on the information you've given), here are some I'd recommend:

Simple No-Pull Harness - I used one like this at one point. This one is really lightweight and non-obstructive. If you need a harness that doesn't restrict movement at all, this is the one. The attachment point in front is what makes it so the dog doesn't pull.

Gentle Leader - This isn't a harness, and it certainly isn't a muzzle, and it works well. I used to have a Boxer, and I used this for him. It stopped him from pulling, and if he did pull it just brought his attention back to me. Overall, it is useful and performs quite well.

RUFFWEAR Front Range - I use this one now and it is great. This one is fairly simple, it can get dirty if you go through a lot of water, mud, or the like, but mainly performs well. It has attachment points on the front and back, reflective trim, can be hand washed, and has a neat little pocket where you can attach ID tags. Plus it has a good amount of padding that makes it comfortable.

RUFFWEAR Web Master - This is one I have also used and it has done a lot for me, so I may be biased, but is a wonderful harness. I mainly use it for hiking only because there are too many noises in the neighborhood that could spook him (thats's where a front attachment comes in handy) My boy, Odin, doesn't pull much when we hike, so I can get away with the no front attachment point. It has three straps instead of just two, reflective trim, can be hand washed, and has a really sturdy handle, but it doesn't have the little ID pocket like the Front Range (not a big deal though). The handle is what is unique for this, you can use it to lift your dog (especially when hiking) or just hold them still. I also have a nervous dog, and sometimes if he gets spooked I will use this to hold on to him and calm him down.

​

Honestly, my favorite brand is RUFFWEAR because of their harnesses and all the other gear and toys they have, but Gentle Leaders and that Simple No-Pull are both good options instead of a collar.

After years and years of wanting a dog, I adopted a dog... who promptly turned around and greatly preferred my boyfriend, who is a cat person and generally is ambivalent about dogs. It sucked. After owning him for ~11 months, my dog prefers me now but it was an uphill battle.

Some tips:

• If feeling loved is important to you, get a friendly, outgoing dog who loves everyone like a lab or a golden. My dog is generally aloof. I know he likes me because when given a choice, he'll follow me around rather than my boyfriend. But he still follows me into a room and lies down in a corner, rather than wanting to be super close to me. He doesn't love being petted, but tolerates it. He will leave after 30 seconds to a minute of petting. It's not because he dislikes me but he doesn't like petting. A typical lab, on the other hand, will lean against you and accept petting forever.
  
• Don't get a velcro dog who prefers one person but is aloof to strangers... something like a German Shepherd would fit this. Could the dog pick you as his person? Sure. But he also could pick your SO, which would be a bummer.
  
• Read more about dogs. Here's a list of books. The Other End of the Leash would be a good place to start. I thought I knew a TON about dogs before getting one but was definitely wrong. Especially some of your terminology in those post - it doesn't seem to line up with current research and thinking about dogs. Do you know about canine body language like calming signals? Learning more about that will help you bond better with your next dog. Some dogs put up with corrections just fine but you need to learn how to read your dog before you make that decision. My dog, for example, when I said "no" after he walked around the hoop instead of jumping through it, just refused to try again for a while. He's a very sensitive dog and needs a light touch. He's not a very expressive dog, either, but with the help of a more experienced trainer, I learned how to read his subtle signals and stop pushing him too far when he's stressed.
  
• Training classes and daily training helped me bond with my dog a LOT. It's the interaction he looks forward to every day and what helped tipped the scale in favor of me over my boyfriend. It works their brain, which keeps them happy, and having a well trained dog will make you happy.
  
  Even after all of that... your dog might take a long time to come around, and might never be the ideal loyal companion. Mine certainly isn't, but I've found ways to appreciate his personality. It has helped me bond with him a lot more. For months I was comparing him to my ideal dog and it really hurt both of us. I'd say ask a LOT of questions of the foster, vet the rescue organization well, and see if you can have a trial period with the dog. My foster was inexperienced with dogs and read Finn's personality all wrong.

Any way one of you could go home for lunch? I spoke to my manager before getting our puppy to arrange for longer lunches - I have to work the difference (so I leave a bit later) but it has worked fantastically while our pup was young. Depending on where you work/what industry you are in, you may be surprised at how flexible your places of employment can be (it is worth asking, either way).

Your dogs are really going to need that midday break. If this is extremely short term you can sort of ride it out - but if this is something that will be happening for the next few months you really need to figure out a better system.

Try talking to your vet or your local small time pet boutique and ask about recommendations for day cares, pet sitters or dog walkers. A lot of the 'small time' businesses may not advertise their services very well, but their success is built ONLY on their reputation - if your vet recommends them or you get several personal recommendations from your local pet boutique, it would be worth interviewing the person to see if they would be a good fit.

A dog should not be crated that long. 4-5 hours is really the MAX for day time crating. Crapped quarters can become very uncomfortable - imagine having to sit at your desk at work for 11 hours a day without being able to get up to get a drink, food or go to the bathroom. It would be pretty rough!

If you really can't move anything around in your budget to accommodate a dog walker or day care or come home for lunch for a 30 minute walk/bathroom break then setup doggy safe rooms. Separate the small dogs if you need to. If you are afraid of accidents, puppy proof a bathroom (remove rugs, shower curtain, TP, cosmetics, etc) so accidents will be easy to clean up if they happen. You can even utilize puppy litter boxes. I would stay away from puppy pads as they can easily be confused with other objects in the house (anything small and squareish on the floor will seem very similar to a puppy pad to a dog). The benefit of a sod box is it will still leverage your dogs surface preference for bathroom time (dogs naturally have a tendency to gravitate towards consistent surfaces they relate to bathroom time - which, for most dogs, would be grass) and reduce confusion about how and what to use as a bathroom in the house. Encouraging going to the bathroom in the house, in general, is risky ground and can lead to more accidents inside - but 11 hours is a REALLY long time to hold it, especially for smaller dogs.

In general your best options will be:

• Go home for lunch during work days to get in a walk and a potty break
  
  
• Shift around your budget to accommodate a dog walker or day care
  
  
• Talk to your vet and local small pet supply outlet for recommendations for potentially more affordable dog care options (some vets even offer day care services - ours offers a full service day care for much cheaper than many of the day care only facilities).
  
  
• If you absolutely cannot let the dogs out midday - set them up with doggy safe areas and know that there are certain risks involved in terms of bad habits developing (particularly with the small dogs).
  
  Do the best you can to ensure this is a temporary setup and you should get through it just fine. See if you can work out some varied hours between you and your wife - work out longer lunch breaks so one or both of you can go home once or twice during the day, move around your budget to accommodate your dogs needs, etc.
  
  Do not leave your dogs in crates for 10-11+ hours a day with no breaks, that is not going to be good for anyone (your dogs could become fearful of their crates, they could be forced to lay in their own waste if they cannot hold hit that long, being in cramped quarters for long periods of time for the long term can have very negative effects on a dogs mental and physical well being.
  
  Many people leave their dogs alone this long during the day. Some get through it just fine - others have marked issues with their dogs. It is not an ideal setup by any stretch of the imagination, but as long as you give your dogs plenty of exercise, plenty of activities, make sure the space they are in are free of destroyables and try to keep this schedule as temporary as you can, you should get through it with most of your furniture and yours and your dogs sanity still in tact (hopefully).

1. I would baby gate him in a dog/baby proof room. No carpet just in case he has an accident. No pillows or blankets in case he decides those look fun to destroy. Ask the foster family what their normal routine is for leaving him alone in the house.
   
   
2. Will depend on the dog. Mine was minimal because my dog had not interest in chewing things or getting himself in trouble. Some good things to do would be to ensure no access to garbage and recycling. If you have plants make sure he can't knock them over or eat them. You have children so just think about what you did when you baby proofed the home.
   
   
3. Fromm would be a good upgrade from Blue Buffalo. Fromm Gold specifically
   
   
4. I like Lupine Pet Products. I also really like rope style leashes and biothane. Biothane is water proof. I but a lot leashes and collars on Etsy.
   
   
5. I just lock my dog in there over night. However, he sleeps in his crate all day on his own. It is his safe spot. I would never ever stick my arm or hand in there to try and grab him. That is his personal space and I do not violate it. Make sure you teach your kids to always leave your dog alone when he is in his crate. If your dog has a good relationship with his crate he will retreat there to rest and relax on his own. It should always be available to him.
   
   
6. This book and a clicker. Super straight forward and fun. Don't buy too many toys to start. Buy a few different ones and see what your dog likes and that are safe to give him. I would also pick up some bully sticks
   
   
7. Don't overwhelm him with new experiences to start. Don't have visitors over for a couple weeks. Limit his exposure to new things. Take him out for walks but don't bring him to the pet store until you guys can build a relationship together.
   
   
8. I would be careful with hugging, grabbing collar, kissing the dog's head and just being too affection. Humans are primates and dogs are canines and each species has different ways of communicating. Hugging and face-to- face contact is the way to communicate if you are a primate but not if you are canine. It is scary and can be threatening to a dog. Patricia McConnell has a great book on this subject.
   
   
9. Look into the two week shutdown. Do not feel the need to rush him to the dog park or your kids soccer games in an effort to socialize him. He has probably had a lot of changes in his short life so just take it slow. Once he is settled in a month or two look into doing a pet obedience class at a training club. It is a great way to learn more about dogs, get your kids involved in dog training and get your dog out the house for some fun. You will also learn the basics for having a well behaved dog.
   
   
10. I'd take him in a month or two unless the adoption contract requires to take him in sooner.

Can't answer anything area specific but I'll link some toys/beds/products my dogs like.

Food Dispensing Toys

• IQ ball. My dogs eat all their meals out of this one. It is quite loud on hard floors.
  
  
• Bob-a-lot.
  
  
• Magic mushroom
  
  
• Tricky treat ball
  
  
• Kong Wobbler
  
  Puzzles
  
  
• Twister
  
  
• Tornado. This one is fairly easy.
  
  
• Chess 3
  
  
• Move to pull
  
  
• Brick. Very easy but good starter puzzle.
  
  This is a nice bed for dogs who like to burrow/get under covers. They also like beds similar to this one.
  
  Food is up to you. Do some research online and read through ingredients to find a good one. One of my dogs gets Orijen and the other gets Wellness.
  
  I definitely recommend you seek out some training classes. They are also good for socialization in a controlled environment. It's a great way to bond with your dog and really fun to advance through different classes and class types.
  
  The toys my dogs like are beanie babies and kleenex. If your dog is a chewer then don't waste money on stuffed toys.
  

ACDs are quite the toy destroyers aren't they? Although my guy isn't quite as esteemed in the destruction field as an ACD, he is pretty bad. Here's what has survived him:

• Kong Sqrunch
  
• Ethical Skinneeez Big Bite Coyote Stuffingless Dog Toy (I really like this one because you can replace the water bottle inside. The only issue I have with it is that it can get kind of grimey)
  
• KONG Wobbler Treat Dispensing Dog Toy (good if he likes puzzles)
  
• KONG Extreme Dog Toy, Black
  
• Invincibles Snake Stuffingless Durable Tough Plush Dog Squeaky Toy with Squeakers by Outward Hound
  
• Jolly Pets Push-n-Play 14-Inch (might be really fun for him as it taps in to some herding dog's natural herding instinct)
  
• Benebone Real Flavor Wishbone Chew Toy, Made in USA (I'd be careful with these and supervision only at first. If your dog's chewing style is too aggressive, he can end up bleeding. I wouldn't dismiss it until you try it though. My boy is pretty aggressive, but works for him.)
  
• West Paw Zogoflex Hurley Durable Dog Bone Chew Toy for Aggressive Chewers, 100% Guaranteed Tough, It Floats!, Made in USA, for Strong Chewers (this one is awesome. Aside from some dirt, it looks exactly like the day I bought it to this day.
  
• goDog Dragons Flats Plush Dog Toy with Chew Guard Technology (My guy really likes plush toys and squeakers. He doesn't normally get them because he likes ripping them out and it's not the safest. This is the best one that I've found so far that will put up the biggest fight.)
  
• Goughnuts - Original Dog Chew Ring (a lot of people really like this, but unfortunately, Atlas doesn't seem to like the shape too much.)
  
• MultiPet Goblets Pig latex Dog toy Assorted Colors (lmfao my dog fucking loves this pig. The squeaker doesn't last, but the pig's outer shell does. He loves it a lot.)
  
• JW Pet Company Mini Hol-ee Roller Dog Toy, Colors Vary (They've also got an extreme edition here)
  
• MuttNation Fueled by Miranda Lambert Faux Suede Dog Toy (his face has come off, and his tail is frayed, but it is still chewable and he enjoys playing with it)
  
• KONG Cozies Dog Squeaky Toy (Also a really great option if you want to treat him to a plush toy. It will last longer than most others. Mine ripped off the ear when he first got it, but the rest lasted quite a while.)
  
• Outward Hound Hide-A-Squirrel and Puzzle Plush Squeaking Toys for Dogs (He loved this toy so much. He loves puzzles, but he destroyed the log fairly quickly. Surprisingly, he has had one of the squirrels for over a year ... and it still squeaks. I lost the rest of them, but that one little squirrel is still going strong.)
  
• Mammoth TireBiter Chew Toy with Rope (don't get this unless you don't mind bits of tire coming off)
  
• OurPets IQ Treat Ball Interactive Food Dispensing Dog Toy (great if your dog eats kibble and likes puzzles)
  
• Nylabone Dental Dino Power Chew DuraChew Dental Chew Toy (Like the benebone, watch him with this one at first. It's really hard and you don't want him to hurt himself. Eventually wears down, but takes a damn long time)
  
• We also do rope toys, antlers, bully sticks (special occasion- they last like 5 minutes), raw bones (we feed raw), Himalayan Yak Chews, and Flirt Pole.
  
  Reading my list, god damn my dog is spoiled. Keep in mind, these are just the toys that have made it. I'm not even counting the ones he's destroyed!
  
  Let me know if you have any questions!
  
  Lastly, I don't own a husky, but man do I respect the destruction a husky can wreck. I would recommend going to a husky group on facebook or a subreddit to see what toys they would recommend. If it's husky approved... it should last.
  
  
  

Even at my dog's worst his blood work-ups (and parasite checks) came back normal, so I wouldn't necessarily trust those as an indicator that everything is fine. That being said, my dog was throwing up blood and getting spontaneous bloody diarrhea in the house though, so those are really obvious signs that something's wrong, you would notice something like that! Unfortunately it took a long time for the vet to figure out what was wrong, but since we've gotten it figured out we haven't had a single incident, thank goodness.

Since you don't have concerns about your dog's health, one thing you can try is feeding your dog his meals in a puzzle toy. My dog is much more motivated to eat if I put his kibble in a "kibble ball" (http://www.amazon.com/Omega-Paw-Tricky-Treat-Large/dp/B0002DK26M), but you could also look into the kong wobbler or other toys where the dog can play to get his meal out. Even sticking kibble in a toilet paper tube and pinching the ends shut is fun for my dog. He thinks empty toilet paper rolls are fun though, too.

My dog is eating Annamaet, the venison/salmon formula. He doesn't do well with chicken/turkey/duck/some fish so his options are pretty limited. Annamaet does make GF foods too if you're really into that, I used to feed the red meat formula ("manitok") but 30% protein is too much for my pup. Plus I'm not opposed to grains for dogs, I'm just careful about which ones/how much. I really love Annamaet, it's really popular here, but it's definitely not available everywhere!

If you're looking for a basic guide to dog foods, this website does a pretty great job rating dog foods. Ultimately, the best dog food for your dog is one your dog does well on, but this is a nice place to see what kinds of ingredients are present in dog foods and the potential benefits/issues with certain ingredients in dog foods: http://www.dogfoodadvisor.com/dog-food-reviews/brand/

Got it. Sorry for the knee jerk reaction, without the info that you were taking her from a deceased owner it seemed like just an impulse decision to adopt a difficult breed.

Here we go. When you get the dog, start with a Two Week Shutdown to ensure the smoothest introduction of your dog to their new environment. This is super important and something i WISH I knew about when I adopted my dog.

General Dog Care Checklist from the ASPCA.

The bare necesseities of supplies:

• Premium-quality dog food. [Taste of the Wild](https://www.amazon.com/Taste-Wild-Prairie-Formula-30-Pound/dp/B000W5SLB8/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&amp;amp;ie=UTF8&amp;amp;qid=1485423771&amp;amp;sr=1-4&amp;amp;keywords=dog+food) is very popular for being affordable and high-quality<br />

• Food dish
  
• Water bowl
  
• Toys, toys and more toys, including safe chew toys. KONGS are wonderful for keepiing your dog occupied. Fill with wet food or PB, freeze, and give to dog.
  
• Brush & comb for grooming, including flea comb. Look into breed specific brushes
  
• Collar with license and ID tag
  
• Leash, Easy Walk Harness
  
• Training crate
  
• Dog bed (check Groupon for great deals) or box with warm blanket or towel
  
• Dog toothbrush
  
  I don't have experience with huskies but I have heard over and over how they are a difficult dog to own, and require around 2 hours of intense exercise daily. I found this Breed Discussion which may be informative for you. Do you have a dog park nearby? That would be great if its a fenced in area, because huskies are "escape artists".
  
  Honestly, like myself, a lot of were quick to jump the gun on you and didn't offer any real help. I would suggest posting a new post with a title like: "Inherited a husky whose owner died, what are some tips and resources I can read to give this dog a great life?". Definitely include that there are no shelters nearby. Are you in the US?
  
  Hope I helped atleast a bit. If you use the "search" function on this subreddit and search for "husky", you will see users who have "flair" saying that they own a siberian husky. You could PM them and I'm sure they would be more helpful than me. Also try posting in r/siberianhusky/. How old is the dog? Pics?
  
  Sorry again for the insensitive reply at first. I really wish you luck and if you have any questions I'm happy to help!

To be honest, if she has started killing your chickens you are unlikely to be able to train her out of it. Your options are probably to either keep her separated from the chickens (assuming she doesn't become obsessed by watching them) or rehome her, as others have suggested.

There are a set of behaviours involved in the hunting instincts of dogs:

orient > eye > stalk > chase > grab-bite > kill-bite > dissect

SOME dogs have been carefully bred to keep only certain components of the chain of behaviour. E.g. border collies will orient > eye > stalk > and to some extent chase.

Your dog obviously has an instinct that includes chase > grab-bite > kill-bite > dissect, and was not introduced to chickens early enough to overcome this instinct. This is very deep seated in the dog and it would be very unfair to try to train it out of her (and pretty miserable for you).

If you want a flock guardian, you have again get a dog with exactly the right parentage and habituate the dog at under 8 weeks to the specific species (chickens) it will guard.

http://www.canismajor.com/dog/instinct.html

>I guess my question is when can she really fully learn things?

Dogs learn from birth what is 'normal' and safe vs unsafe. The sights, sounds, people, other animals, environments it encounters in its early weeks are essential to its understanding of the world. But it depends what you mean by 'things'. Some things must be learned very early or it's super hard to learn them (much like it's WAY easier for humans to learn a language while they're a baby, when it happens instinctively - learning languages after that age involves huge mental effort. ) Things which involve more complex behaviours, impulse control, or a certain amount of experience confidence (e.g. long sit and stay, or a formal heeling routine) require a fully developed brain (adulthood, 2-3yrs) a good experience of how to learn, and time to build up the foundation skills.

>I know that stock dogs and duck dogs both go to school no younger than 6mos, but service dogs are started basically from birth.

Just like babies, dogs learn many things which become a core part of their personality and outlook long before they go to preschool. You can train basic behaviours and even more complicated things like a retrieve at the age of 8-10 weeks.

There are great tips here on how to train dogs:
https://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/index

Gently showing them the behaviour you want, making it super easy at first and gradually making it more challenging - and rewarding with food and play (not just praise) is essential.

To learn more about how dogs think and learn, this is an excellent read.
The Other End of the Leash: Why We Do What We Do Around Dogs by Patricia B. McConnell
http://www.amazon.com/The-Other-End-Leash-Around/dp/034544678X/ref=wl_it_dp_v_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=EB90Z6TWT7WO&coliid=I3328FEAF7EDB9

Do you mean she pulls/fights/struggles to go see them because she wants to see them (in an excited way) or in an aggressive fearful way? I didn't get a reactivity read from this post, but correct me if I'm wrong.

Your problem is three fold. 1.) your dog needs more exercise. It's a vicious cycle - you don't like walking your dog because it's a nut, but your dog is a nut because she doesn't get walked. Being a shepherd mix, she probably needs a lot more exercise than a walk anyway. Are there any fenced in dog parks you can go to? Maybe look into a flirt pole. Your dog would benefit from a lot more exercise than it's probably getting. I would guess she's probably strung up tight like a child's wind-up toy, and it's virtually impossible to get focus out of a dog that over-threshold.

2.) You need to get control of her before any sort of training can take place. I would get a gentle leader. It is harmless to the dog and very difficultly for a dog to pull through it, even a very strong dog. This should stop your dog from pulling you over. An no-pull harness might work, too, but the gentle leader is the most effective, imo.

3.) You have to train your dog to focus on you instead of on really excited stimuli. This is tough, and it's best to start with a well-exercised, tired dog. Start in the home, with minimal distractions. Reward and praise your dog for any attention your dog gives you. Have her sit by you and literally any eye contact gets a "yay!" and a treat. You need to slowly retrain your dog's brain to focus on you instead of other things. Once she's good at that, add distractions indoors (people moving around, toys on the floor, etc). Eventually, once you're getting steady focus indoors with distractions, move to a low distraction outdoor area. The backyard maybe. For some dogs this can be really, really hard. Use a high value reward (hot dogs, cheese, beef liver, etc) and reward and praise any time she chooses to give focus to you instead of the environment. If you keep at it, you can start to ask for focus in very stimulating environments, and then throw a treat and praise party when she gives it. It's not a fast process, but it works. I started my dog at 8 weeks, admittedly, but at 8 months, she can sit in the middle of a crazy busy Home Depot, with carts rattling around and lumber falling to the ground and people everywhere, sitting in heel position, looking up at my face. She can do this because I have paid her (in treats) for offering me focus so much the entire time I've had her. It's so worth it!

Find a good vet and positive reinforcement trainer or take classes still positive reinforcement. Makes sure to crate train. Be consistent with all training everyday. Give lots of mental mad physical stimulus during day. In morning before you leave house talk potty walk and play to use some energy up. Make training fun, exercise some before you start will help them pay attention to you. Which every way you go class or trainer you must still work with your dog daily between the sessions. Being consistent is the only way they will learn what is expected. Only working onece a week isn't going to help.

Understand dogs do not know what we expect of them and must be taught. Again be consistent use redirecting for bad behavior giving a positive experience.

Potty training again make it fun and make a solid routine. If caught in house simply sternly say "no out" and walk outside. I'd suggest bell training to ring every time you go out with out command also give dog a way to say I need out. When goes outside be excited with lots of love and treats. I'd buy a small carpet clean, use enxyme ceeaner with it, for messes they can happen when change causes stress.

They are perpetual toddlers who will always need us including entertainment. You've got this wihh everyone here to help when we can.

Also a week not hearing from a rescue is not ghosting you. They stay busy with many run by volunteers. Sometimes it takes a little bit for them to go over everything before making a choice and other people are also interested.
I am glad it worked out and you have you new family member.

A few toys ideas:

UOLIWO Dog Treat Dispensing Toy, Duck Dog Toy Squeak Dog Treat Puzzle Toy Durable Plush Chew Toys for Small Medium Large Dogs Training Playing https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N2NLBQ2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Xl7LDbJTMP3F3

AWOOF Dog Puzzle Toys, Pet Snuffle Mat for Dogs, Interactive Feed Game for Boredom, Encourages Natural Foraging Skills for Cats Dogs Bowl Travel Use, Dog Treat Dispenser Indoor Outdoor Stress Relief https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07N1JYYCW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Ym7LDb7DCBKCJ

Our Pets IQ Treat Ball Interactive Food Dispensing Dog Toy (ASSORTED COLOR) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ARUKTG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_in7LDb9AX6C5Q

Trixie Dog Activity Flip Board Strategy Game (9.05 inch) (Multicolored) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076MGW9RM/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_Fn7LDbBAQ1KAK

The Trixie has tons of different ones.

Whew, ok, lots to unpack here.

First question: does your dad know you're about to give him a GSD puppy? You're signing him up for a pretty big 2 year commitment here (and that's just the puppy phase), so please make sure he's 100% on board with the idea of raising a landshark demon spawn before bringing it home.

Secondly, breed standard puts an adult GSD somewhere in the neighborhood of 24" tall and 60-80lb. This can vary widlly based on sex, line, and breeding quality. My poorly-bred GSD male is 29" tall and a scrawny 85lb. I've also seen some pretty petite females come through my rescue.
On the subject of lines, do you know what kind of GSD you're getting? There are various working and show lines, and the personality and structure of your GSD can come out all over the map. If you don't know the answer from talking to your breeder, run away, because you're not getting a well-bred dog. Poorly-bred GSDs are health and temperament nightmares.

Thirdly, the breed standard calls for a confident but aloof personality, but again, temperaments may vary depending on lines and breeding quality. GSDs need to be socialized thoroughly but carefully to lock in that confident-but-also-aloof sweet spot. Flooding your puppy with tons of new people and places will create a fearful adult, but so will keeping your dog locked up. I have seen lots of success using a puppy-led gentle exposure technique. Take your dog to lots of places, but don't make the novelty into a big deal. Don't force your puppy to interact with every person and dog you see, and call it a day if your puppy seems overwhelmed or scared. A puppy builds confidence by exploring on its own, you're just there to moderate the experience and make sure it's a positive one. I can't recommend a group obedience class enough for young GSDs...learning to focus in a controlled environment around other dogs is a valuable asset for future life skills. Consider finding a local trainer that does group positive reinforcement based training, or at least very positive-leaning balanced training. Avoid anyone who mentioned "alpha" or "pack leader" because that school of thought is outdated and disproven (but is holding on forever in GSD breed circles for some reason). Also avoid anyone who wants to put a prong or choke collar on your dog without evaluating their behavior first.

Honestly, if I were you I'd stop and do a little more research before bringing home a GSD. They're a little more of a "lifestyle breed" than your average family pet, and will find and exploit any weakness in your dog-owning abilities. Read some books (recommendations here: 1 2 3 4), talk to your dad, take a good look at your breeder, maybe find a local trainer with a good positive puppy class, and try again with a little more information under your belt.

> Any books or guides you recommend?

• A well balanced trainer so you can properly socialize the dog.
  
• Ian Dunbar's Before and After.
  
• The Puppy Primer and Perfect Puppy.
  
• kikopup
  
• zak george
  
• Pam's Dog Academy
  
• Donna Hill
  
• Training Positive
  
• Kristin Crestejo
  
  > Crate recommendations (we will be doing crate training)
  
  Crate Games and the weekend crate training plan -- adjust as necessary for your dog. Remember, never reward the dog for crying if you know they don't need anything (aka, they've been pottied, fed, etc).
  
  > What should we be prepared for? What will a rough schedule be like for having a puppy around? When do we start leaving the crate open and letting him roam all day?
  
  It can be a bit rough the first two weeks, but get onto a schedule you like ASAP. Feed at x AM, potty after, feed again at x AM/PM, etc. It'll make your life substantially easier. I take water away just before our last potty for the evening. You can start leaving the crate open and letting him roam after the teenage-angst-kill-everything phase. That'll vary by dog.
  
  > There are always debates on the best dog food for puppies and adults, so any input on that would be awesome as well
  
  For the first month, keep the puppy on whatever s/he's on. It makes it substantially easier. Too much change can really upset their digestive system. :) Honestly, I'm a firm believer in keeping your dog on what they do well on.
  
  > When we get him, should we take him right to a vet for a check up, to get established there or no? Are there routine/annual checkups we should be doing?
  
  I personally would. Shelters aren't always the most thorough in their examinations. It isn't really their fault. But, it also allows you to start the socialization process for the vet. Take lots of treats, and reward heavily during the exam - reward whilst the mouth is looked at, paws, etc. It's never too early to start that. Just keep him/her crated or off the floor until s/he's had all the vaccinations!

I would suggest a few things:

• Implement a Nothing in Life Is Free Policy.
  
  Dogs don't know that there is a thing called "obedience training". They don't know why we ask them to come when called, or why we like them to sit to greet us instead of jumping. So, NILIF is a training philosophy that tells the owner to have the dog "ask" or "work for" everything he wants, including pets.
  
  If he wants to go outside, he must sit before you open the door. If he wants his dinner, he must do a task(sitting is an easy starting task)
  in exchange for his food.
  
  My own dog does sit stays and down stays for everything. He sit stays until I allow him to leave when I open to door to my house or car, or when I give him food, etc.
  
  Start small here. The dog has probably not been asked to do all this before, so if he doesn't listen, just back him up from the door and ask again or pick up his food and ask him to sit again.
  
  When you get good at NILIF, you can start asking for more complex behaviors.
  
  Now, it's important to understand that although NILIF will help him listen to you in all circumstances, it will not curb his aggression. His aggression is a matter that is completely separate from your leadership.
  
  
  
• Establish bonding.
  
  Dogs who don't know you are less likely to listen to you, especially if they've been put in an unfamiliar environment. From his perspective, a lot of stuff has changed lately. His parent went away. The people he knows aren't there as often. Don't take him not listening personally. Instead, offer your sympathy. Hand feed him from now on, and while you are hand feeding him, pet him. This will help with the food aggression a bit and it will make him trust you. Get the book Mine! by Donaldson that I linked in my other comment to improve his aggression.
  
  
• If you can, start clicker training him.
  
  Clicker training is fun training for the dog and it will encourage him to listen to you because it's fun. Also, it will help him feel bonded to you and you can use the clicker to help deal with his food aggression-teaching drop it and leave it, etc.
  
  You can either take a clicker class at a local pet store like Petsmart, or buy a clicker and practice tricks in your home for 10 minutes each day. This book is pretty fun

These are the books I read! The training the best dog ever was probably my favorite as it focusses on manners commands like recall, stay, leave it, drop it, yours/mine as well as socialization methods. Puppies for Dummies is a lot about the first week/month/year of dog ownership and includes training but also health info, nutrition, supplies, budget, etc. 101 tricks is basically a party tricks book, not focussed on manners more on obedience training/showing off to house guests. I think it's always good to read a book about your dog's breed too so that was my last one.

Training the Best Dog Ever: A 5-Week Program Using the Power of Positive Reinforcement

Puppies For Dummies

101 Dog Tricks: Step by Step Activities to Engage, Challenge, and Bond with Your Dog

The Australian Cattle Dog: An Owner's Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet (Your Happy Healthy Pet)

I have a reactive dog, too. Today we had a particularly stressful walk... we weren’t even a block from home when she went and lost her mind barking at my very sweet elderly neighbors who were also out for a walk. It was pretty much downhill from there.

We have been working so hard on dealing with her reactivity, and she has made a lot of progress... But... this is not what I wanted... I wanted a dog that I could take places, go hiking with, take to the dog park, who could play with my friend’s dogs, not freak out on my neighbors...and it’s hard to come to terms with what I actually have. It can be very stressful.

It helped to accept her for what she is. To realize that she is not going to be the dog that I pictured having. I don’t know what the cause of her anxiety is, but I know that she’s been through a lot in her two years. It helps to think about how much progress we have made, to celebrate the baby steps. It helps to realize that dogs, like people, can have bad days too. I try not to let her reactivity overshadow her many other great qualities. But yeah, that can be pretty hard sometimes.

I recommend picking up a copy of the book The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell. It’s a fantastic book with a lot of insight about dog behavior and their interactions with us. She is also the author of Feisty Fido: Help for the Leash Reactive Dog , which I also recommend.

No problem!

Tiring out dogs can be a real pain. Thankfully I have 2 that play well together... One that has a never ending drive to retrieve, and one that loves to be chased. I throw the ball for the one that wants to be chased, and they run in big circles around me for 30 minutes non-stop, then we go inside and they pass out on the cold tile floor in the bathroom! It's fantastic. Haha.

The best advice I can give you is to use high value rewards. One of mine loves fetch just for the sake of fetch. The other wants a food reward. We had to initially get him interested by "trading" a ball for a small slice of hot dog. Once he understood that, we'd toss the ball 2-3 ft away, and he'd bring it back for more hot dog. Then we slowly moved to 10 ft, 20 ft, then full tosses. Once he gets the hang of it, you can phase the hot dog out (1 piece every other retrieve, then every third, then every fifth) until he's really just playing fetch because they like it.

My other big point of advice would be to get a Chuck It Launcher and a pack of Ultra Balls. The launcher makes it way easier to throw for a long time, as you don't have to bend over to pick the balls up, your hands don't get nasty, and the balls go farther. And the ultra balls are great because they are a near-indestructible rubber rather than the tennis ball that comes with the launcher (and they float!).

I got the IQ Treat Ball in one of my monthly Bark Box packages (highly recommend for their great products and awesome customer service) and it is one of the best, longest lasting dog products I've owned.

My dog has abused it in many ways, including chewing. It only broke open once when I wasn't supervising but I'm guessing it was because the top was loose. However, I've tossed and rolled it across my house and hasn't broken open once. You can adjust the opening for the treats depending on how easy or hard you want your dog to get to the food.

It hold a good amount of food, definitely enough to feed my dog. You can always refill it too. The ball has a twist open top so you can clean it inside and out. Your dog must be very food motivated in order for him to play with it. At first you need to show your dog there food and treats inside to get him to play with it but she will catch on. After a while, my dog figured out how to roll the ball in a way that will get multiple treats out. One of my more prouder moments as a dog owner.

Amazon link: http://amzn.com/B003ARUKTG

My Boxer is a connoisseur of puzzle toys. In Minnesota, it gets way too cold for us to go on long walks to curb his energy, so I engage his brain when it becomes a frozen wasteland outside.

I feed Keenan out of a large Kong Wobbler -- he gets at least one meal a day out of this. It takes him about 30 minutes to work out all the kibbles.

IQ Treat Ball is great for pets that work out puzzles super quickly. This is a fairly difficult toy. Be warned, if you have hard floors, this is loudest thing ever. It's also the perfect size to get stuck under sofas with legs.

Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball is easier to roll around and get kibble sized treats out of. It's also a pain to fill and clean. We don't use this one much.

Everlasting Fun Ball is also hard to fill and difficult to clean, but it's tough. When Keenan is on my last nerve, he gets something super delicious in this and it keeps him occupied until he gets frustrated with it.

Monster Mouth is really tough to get things out of for pups. I'll stuff full sized milk bones in this and leave just a tip hanging out so he can try to pull it out. It keeps him pretty busy, but he gets frustrated by this one quickly.

Buster Food Cube is brilliant in design--you can make it easier and harder to get food out of by twisting the opening. This was Keenan's first puzzle toy and when he figured it out, he got a lot of enjoyment "hiking" it through his back legs at a hard surface to make it bounce off and spray kibbles around. It's loud on hard floors. So loud my ex SO threw it away.

I also pick up random puzzle toys at the store when I see them. I can't find accurate representations on Amazon. Most of them are soft/silicone that you can bend to open and put treats in. Keenan likes his big football one because he knows the yummy, big treats go in that one.

One: it is not terribly difficult to teach a dog to 'heel' or walk alongside you. Googling around real quick will give you several different teaching methods to choose from... it'll take some patience and time, but it's definitely a worthwhile thing to get down if you walk your dog regularly. If you'd rather not do that (or are in a hurry to get this fixed), I've heard the best tool for this is the leashes with muzzles/loops at the end that attach to their snout. They cannot pull or it'll yank their own head backwards. this seems to be a pretty popular one on Amazon.

As for two, I'm interested to hear answers as well. I have two dogs that don't play terribly well with other dogs. They are both very playful with me, but not with each other or other dogs they come into contact with. I'm going to give doggy day care a shot to see if I can get them socialized (part of the problem is they just don't come across other dogs very often), but I'll be reading any other tips that pop up in this thread.

We've just abandoned any stuffed toys for Joe, because what is enjoyable for him is methodically ripping them apart. The first thing he goes for is the tag, because he knows that comes off easily, and after that he goes for the seams :)

Anyway, best toys for him are ones that we play with together: this flirt pole is great and I'm surprised how sturdy it is; we have a rope tug toy (it used to be a snake but the head was stuffed and so it got ripped apart within 24 hours!); and we have a Hol-ee roller ball which he enjoys chewing occasionally and chasing even more rarely! The holes are a little big to put regular treats in, but once I put the end of his rawhide chew in there and he had a LOT of fun with it, and another time I stuffed it with socks and an old dishcloth for him to pull out the holes because I thought it would replace stuffed toys a bit more safely. Then he tried to eat my sock, so I haven't done it since :P But it's fine if you're going to supervise!

We also have a rawhide chew for him and an antler. He really likes the antler; I think next time I would get the antlers that are split down the middle so that it's even more attractive to him.

• Culture Clash
  
• The Other End of the leash
  
• Execl-Erated Learning
  
• Don't Shoot the Dog
  
• The Thinking Dog: Crossover clicker training
  
  All of the above in that order. The first two are on dogs in general and how to work with them with out being a dick. The other three are serious books on dog training theory. The last one especially is amazing and well worth a read once you get the other concepts down.
  
  One other book I would highly recommend to read
  
  
• Be the pack leader
  
  The reason I recommend it once you get in to dog training you are going to her a lot pro and against Caesar Milan. And it is far better to be informed so you can speak competently about it. Honestly I don't think he is the great satan he is made out to be. People need to exercise their dogs more and take an active role in training them. More people need to preach this message. Its mostly the flooding and dominance theory that I personally to find to be bunk.
  
  Read it and read it after you have read the above books so you can be prepared to talk with those that have him as their one and only dog training resource. Don't be a douche with them and put up your nose and shout them down but help try to steer them to other resources instead.
  
  So now you have read books and watched DVDs what now?
  
  Practice! How do you practice? Damn good question. If you have your own dog start there and then find yourself a local rescue or shelter in need and in most metro areas there are.
  
  Volunteer to work with shelter dogs this has many advantages.
  
  
• There is no shortage of dogs that need help
  
• You will be working with dogs at their worst and most stressed
  
• You will get a lot of experience with several kinds of dogs (small, big, hyper, calm, kennel stressed, flat out crazy, shy, confident)
  
• These dogs need the most help and you will be quietly literally for some of them saving their lives by making them more adoptable and staving off kennel stress
  
  NOTE: My own personal bias. Clicker training is godlike. I am getting faster and better results than I ever did with yank and crank or even with lure and reward! I also do all my dog work pro bono with local shelters and rescues.
  
  Example: Teaching a dog to walk at heel in under 45 minutes, with it being solid after only 4 training sessions, completely off lead by 6. Even with my best lure and reward this took months.
  
  TLDR: Read up, get some skills, practice on crazy dogs in shelters, come back to us and ask again after you get a few thousand hours under your belt.
  

Sounds pretty similar to my dog (bloodhound/lab mix). She likes Kongs alright and it takes quite a bit before they are destroyed, but her absolute favorite thing are chuck-it balls. The specific one she likes is this one:
http://www.amazon.com/ChuckIt-Medium-Ultra-2-5-Inch-2-Pack/dp/B000F4AVPA

They are strong enough to hold up to a lot, but also have give to them that she will just zen out on biting down on it. It's like literally her stress ball. She does have some anxiety issues so I think that's part of why she likes them. We have to give her a new one every month or so, but totally worth it with how much she loves them.
Have you tried any games with her to keep her mentally engaged? We'll hide kibble around the house so she'll have to go around seeking it out and also have a puzzle toy. These are good in the winter months when she can't spend as much time outside.

Feed him with this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003ARUKTG/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_8?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

Anyone have a dog you can borrow to come over and play with him while you work? Other dog friends are great for exhausting pups. Plus it's very good for socializing.

Just like with children, the excess of energy could be due to something more than lack of exercise. His little puppy brain might not be getting enough stimulation. He also may be wanting to chew/gnaw something. Give him the food ball, and a healthy dog bone chew.

Also, quick tip: make sure he has a dedicated space that is his own. A place like a den that is for happy feelings (give him treats in said place) and sleep; like a crate with a comfy bed. And NEVER feed your dog a meal and then overwork/ run him, it may cause BLOAT.

tl; dr : food ball, dog friend, dog chew.

I have a border collie, and I second this. One of the best things we ever did was get a Tricky Treat ball, which we feed her in every day. We don't even have a food bowl for her anymore, because she eats all of her meals out of this. We fill it twice a day and she does an amazing job self-pacing her eating, and it immediately calmed her down. She feels like she's working for her food, and she likes being independent, and she likes to feel useful. Every now and then if other dogs are over, we feed her normally, and she does not like it. She loves going for bike rides, but I've found that teaching a new trick does just as well at tiring her out, which is great in bad weather. She's like a person: she needs to feel like her life has purpose in a way that I haven't experienced with other, non-border collie dogs. Another easy thing to do in bad weather: play fetch up and down the stairs. Start with regular fetch, then start adding tricks to it. Make her sit and wait A LOT. My dog is two, and she's calmer than she was a year ago, in part because we moved a year ago to a house with stairs and windows that she can watch things from, and in part because we switched her to a grain-free kibble which solved her digestive issues, so be aware of that as an issue for lots of border collies!

The flirt stick I have is here (which honestly was probably way more sturdy than my dogs need XD), but you can also learn how to make your own here. It's important to limit tugging and chewing on the flirt stick anyway-- the game is the chase!

​

Rally is something you can easily start doing at home if you're interested and if your dog enjoys training with you. You can see signs and descriptions here and there's a great video demonstrating the signs here. If there's a certain exercise you're stuck on, you can generally find videos on YouTube that will teach you how to teach your dog X, Y, or Z. (This is how I learned how to teach my girl fronts.) I use a treat pouch when I train, and my dog gets SO excited when she sees me put the pouch on! In novice, you don't really need any equipment (some signs include cones, but you can either avoid those signs or use other things you have around to act as cones), which makes it a little more accessible than agility off the bat.

Aww. Glad they were so generous about it.

Here's some unsolicited chewing dog advice. Take it or leave it.

With a dog that loves to chew, here's a few recommendations and a blog that is really great for hyper / anxious / chewy dogs. Goes without saying if you're already doing these things then keep on keeping on.

1. change all meals to puzzle toys like the tug jug and the wobbler. Make them work and think for their food
   
   https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Buddy-Dispensing-Medium-Large/dp/B000KV7ZGQ
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003ALMW0M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1493834636&sr=8-1&keywords=kong+wobbler
   
   
2. more exercise and consider adding a backpack like the outward hound or ruff wear. Use filled Nalgene bottles for weight for an excellent doggy workout.
   
   https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00B2KAACK/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1493834678&sr=1-3&keywords=ruffwear
   
   
   
3. More training. A trained dog is a confident happy dog. Do a new trick a month. Join a class. Etc.
   
   All this is a recipe for a less chewy dog. If they're tired both mentally and physically and are confident, unwanted behaviors like chewing and barking generally decrease.
   
   Here's the blog - 3lostdogs (dot) com

My 10 lb dog loves the IQ ball and we've got the larger size (4"). We've also got a Wobbler that she enjoys, but I think I should have gotten the Bob-a-lot instead. I borrowed a Bob-a-lot from a friend, and it seemed like it was more challenging and I liked that the hole size is adjustable (I taped over most of the Wobbler's hole to make it smaller). The Busy Buddy Twist & Treat is pretty good too.

> Oh and also he sometimes (not often) reacts with barks or growls at people or dogs I interact with (he even bit one guy, but nothing serious)

Every dog bite is serious, as it is a predictor of likely future dog bites. Behavior like this could very well escalate into your dog biting someone badly enough that he gets reported to animal control. Dogs get put down for these sorts of behaviors if left unchecked. This is a serious problem behavior. It needs to be taken seriously and addressed immediately before it escalates.

The barking, growling, and biting when people get near you sounds like resource guarding behaviors. Your dog has decided that you are “his” and he has to “defend” you from others who could take you away from him. You and your SO need to work on curbing his resource guarding to prevent future bites. The book “Mine” is a good overview of the resource guarding issue and how to address it.

As for the rest it sounds like your rescue dog is anxious and has latched/fixated onto you as his security blanket. Working with a dog trainer would be a good help on building up your dog’s confidence and independence, as well as the resource guarding issues.

Some dogs just aren't crazy for kongs - we have a few classic kongs but our Standard Poodle can empty them in a minute and they're a bit boring to him. We've had more success with different styles of puzzle toys - the JW Megablast ball is my current favourite, because it works great for chunks of hard cheese, which are my pup's favourite, and takes him ~30 minutes to work through. The WestPaw Toppl is another good one - easy to fill with something like PB, wet dog food, cottage cheese, etc. and freeze. We use the Kong Quest for things like apple slices, carrot, etc. The StarMark Bob-A-Lot is a fun one, but NOISY on hard floors, so maybe not the best if you live above someone. We also have a snuffle mat that we hide bits of freeze-dried liver in - snuffle mats can be weirdly expensive, so if you're interested, a shag style bathmat will serve the same purpose.

I wouldn't recommend rawhides since they tend to cause stomach upset. /r/puppy101 has an awesome wiki entry on the different types of chews you could try. I particularly recommend yak chews (AKA himalayan or nepalese cheese bones), which last a long time compared to something softer like a bully stick.

My favourite mentally stimulating game to play with my pup is hide and seek. Either hide yourself or some treats around your home and release pup to sniff them out - playing this game improved the duration of my pup's long sits and long downs immensely.

https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Gentle-Leader-Collar-Training/dp/B00074L4W2

A gentle leader might be your best option. When a dog pulls, it instead gently brings the snout down and stops the pulling motion. That being said, it takes a good bit of training for a dog to accept this (as taught by the helpful dvd they send with it). Best of luck in your search!

Grand Pyrenees are super active dogs that are incredible escape artists. So in addition to a really good crate you should make sure you fix up your fence. Make sure you install a dog proofing system or consider a dog specific fence. Invisible electric fences are useless on them when they get older. They definately need to run around. They are crazy diggers.

Other than that make sure you get dog food toys like this. They have lots of energy. More than regular pups. They also will get annoyed of you crate them for 10+ hours a day like some people think they can do.

The biggest thing with them is to remember that they need to play a lot. Puppy play dates in your own yard will help them out a lot.

We have three not including Kongs! She gets bored easily lol.

This is my favorite one because it's really easy to change the difficulty and it's too big to get caught under the furniture.

You can change the difficulty on this one too by closing it more tightly but is pretty easy

And this is the easiest one out of the three we have but she still really likes it.

There are like hundreds more to choose from! Someone posted this and I'm probably going to pick a couple from there, too.

I have a 2 year old red nosed pit.

none are affiliate links

My pit is obsessed with large circular balls, and she'll easily deflate a soccer ball in minutes, so I bought this rubber soccer-sized ball that doesn't deflate. I kick and throw this ball around, and all her attention is on it. She's a gnaw-er, so she try to bite through basketballs and soccer balls as quickly as she can. This ball has stayed un-deflated for weeks now: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01EMSVVAI/

For fetching with smaller balls, I bought two lacrosse balls, as they are very durable. And the reason they're durable is because they're not mostly empty inside, like regular bouncy balls you'll find at Petco. My pit isn't good at dropping the ball at me, so I throw the second when she gets close enough to me with the first, and she'll drop the ball: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B006JANLLU/

Nylabone, super durable and a great chew toy: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0002ASNAM/

This food dispensing toy for mental stimulation: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ARUKTG/

I also have the luxury of having a co-worker who had a dog supply ecommerce website (closed shop last month) and he gave me these large deer antler(?) bones as well as several other items for free. But the antler bone is easily the best chew toy the dog has ever tried to chew on, and it was free.

Are you looking for training treats, or longer lasting things? I'll give examples of both. Bobb only has 4 teeth and is about 10 years old, also from horrific unspeakable neglect (he also only has 2 legs). Things that have worked great for him:
-Treats: Baked sweet potato. I bake them at home so I can leave them a little bit soft. Super easy, I do peel them but you don't have to.
-Treats: Small bits of meat, cheese, pizza crust, fries, etc. Everything in moderation!
-Treats: Kibble. Bobb loves kibble and this is our #1 treat. We use high quality grain free kibble as treats for his physical therapy exercises and for a lot of our training and enrichment. Dogs don't need to chew kibble so it's great to use for training treats. Easy to factor in to his diet too.
-Long lasting: Himalayan Chews have been a big hit, they are too hard to chew but provide hours and hours and hours of licking and gumming. There are different sizes available.
-Long lasting: Licking stuff out of a small Kong or the Busy Buddy Twist n Treat. Peanut butter, plain yogurt, mashed potato, cottage cheese, canned food, cream cheese. If you're using it for training or reward, you can let him get a few licks.

I looove this pet bed for your exact struggle.

My rescue boy STILL randomly marks our house (it’s been four years since adopting him).

That bed is so easy to wash and durable. I vacuum mine or hose it if it’s truly dirty (it’s meant to be hosed off).

I don’t think you will be retraining that poor abused boy at this point, I commend you on doing your best.

You might modify a sherpa pillow cover to snugly fit over the top. Maybe a fitted covering would be less appealing to bunch up and pee on.

Regardless, it may be easier to surrender to daily blanket washes and use that as his bed. I was so fed up with how most pet beds are not washer-friendly. The Coolaroo is great for allergies since I can clean it easily and wash blankies. Best of luck.

Oh this is hard.

1. Magic Mushroom. Her favorite food-dispensing toy.
   
   
2. Puller Rings. Syd's very favorite toy to play tug with.
   
   
3. Squeaky Alligator. With so many squeakers what's not to love?
   
   
4. Kong Squekair Tennis Ball. Best fetching toy. In fact, the only ball Syd likes to fetch. We go through these really quickly.
   
   
5. Flirt Pole. Great for getting her to run, jump, and chase. Also good for impulse training.

Hi there! Yes, I too have a big strong reactive pit. I agree that getting in some work to tire her out physically will go a long way. Will she play fetch in the yard? You could always play some fetch or use a flirt pole to wear her out before going on your joyride. Then she could actually enjoy the joy ride without having pent up energy.

Hm. When you did nosework in the past, did you do it on oils? Formal nosework uses their search/scent instincts, but the prize is usually an essential oil scent (like birch), which doesn't smell at all like any prey animals. If you haven't already done that, it might be worth a shot without the risk of bringing home other animals.

My boyfriend used to get his boxer mix to pull him on a longboard when he was a kid to exercise his dog and it was great fun!

Biking can definitely be a bit safer if you use a specialized biking attachment like this to make it harder for the dog to topple you over.

With any pulling sport it's a good idea to get basic directional and stop commands in (especially if you don't have brakes like on a bike). We plan on doing pulling sports with our next dog and are shopping around for good harnesses to make sure he stays safe.

So he's six months old and acting EXACTLY like a puppy with a lot of energy. You need to DO things with him and TRAIN him in bite inhibition. Dogs use their mouths to communicate and that includes play. More than likely he's not being aggressive but trying to play with your hands/arms/feet.

Since he's still a baby you can't do heavy exercise due to them still having to grow but you can still do things with him. You can make a flirt pole (an example: http://www.amazon.com/Squishy-Face-Studio-Exercise-Squeaker/dp/B00HFFXEWE )and play with him outside. You want to ENCOURAGE him to interact with you positively outside. A tired dog is a happy dog.

There are some devices for attaching the dog to the bike. I think this one is really popular. Some people just attach the leash to a bungee on their handlebars (but they tie the bungee a special way so it won't come off but still absorbs some force). I don't actually know anything about training a dog to run beside the bike but someone on here will have a good answer and tips. You can't really make them run a lot until they're over a year (or year and a half)because their bones are still growing and you don't want them to damage anything. After that, it's fair game!

If he responds negatively to other dogs, the trainer should be knowledgeable enough to help him get over it an work in a class setting. We had two or three dog aggressive dogs in our classes or trials and they never had a problem; we could all learn/compete without a dog fight or major disruption. It's a good socialization opportunity, too. It's going to be really great for him and for you! :D

Trick training is amazing to wear out your dog's brain and you can make major progress in as little as two 10 minute sessions a day. Check out Kyra Sundance's books:

101 Dog Tricks

10 Minute Dog Training Games

101 Ways to do More With Your Dog

Kyra runs the Do More With Your Dog website which is an easy way to earn titles with your dog by doing tricks. At the lower levels anyone can sign off as witness to your dog's tricks to earn the titles so you don't have to be in a class or anything (though classes are fun and the DMWYD website has resources to find local trainers)

You can also check out brain engaging toys such as these (NOTE these toys should be used with supervision so your dog doesn't eat the toy!)

-Ethical Pet Seek-A-Treat Shuffle Bone Dog Puzzle

-Ethical Pet Seek-A-Treat Flip 'N Flap Dog Puzzle

-Nina Ottosson Plastic Dog Brick Interactive Interactive Doy Toy Puzzle for Dogs, Plastic

-Nina Ottosson Dog Casino Interactive Doy Toy Puzzle for Dogs, Wood

Really any toy by Nina Ottosson is a good choice.

Enrichment can also be as easy as not feeding your dog out of a bowl. Try these (can be used with less direct supervision)

-Nina Ottosson Dog Treat Maze

-Kong Wobbler

And my dogs have constant access to these chewies (i leave these in their crates as well as long as they don't chew them down small enough to be choking risks).

-Nylabone

-Busy Buddy Treat Holding Bone

-Busy Buddy Jack

-Refills for the above Busy Buddy bones

-Busy Buddy for extreme chewers

I think it's okay if the bed is plush and warm. The main thing is that the dog goes cheerfully and stays there until they are released. If you do some googling, you'll find a lot of resource on this topic - how to teach it and the different ways you can use it to help manage problem behaviors.

I actually don't use a mat, I use a raised dog bed (the criteria of "stay on this thing" is a bit easier to teach on a raised bed).

For the lure vs. reward, "bribery vs. reward" probably would've been a better description for me to use. I unfortunately don't have time to type out a full response on the topic, but here's are a link that speak to what I'm referencing

Bribery vs Rewards

Setting up you're training so that you're consistently rewarding instead of bribing -- and practicing it in lots of places -- will get you much better training results, and will help break the "will only work if you show me food" habit.

Does he realize he makes you incredibly anxious? Maybe its something you should just come out and say to him. :)

Some Books:

• The other end of the leash by Patricia McConnel - This is a staple in any dog trainer's library
  
  
• Zak George's Dog Training Revolution by Zak George - I like this one because it links back to his youtube channel and videos that go along with what the book is talking about. So its a multifaceted learning channel.
  
  
• The Secret Language of Dogs - By Victoria Stilwell - I just started reading this book. Wonderful so far.
  
  
• The Power of Positive Training by Pat Miller - Great introductory on understanding and reacting appropriately to dog body language and other positive training techniques.
  
  
• And The Official List of Books from /r/Dogtraining - GREAT recommendations here.

Easy solution to trash digging is to simply get a locking trashcan or put the trashcan in a place the dog cannot access.

From the way the dog acts it sounds like he isn't getting nearly enough exercise and or mental stimulation. Just because you have a big yard doesn't mean you don't have to exercise your dog. Especially if you just let him out and expect him to "play with himself". I have a fairly nice sized fully fenced yard and my GSD still gets 3 walks a day plus interactive playtime with me about once a day.

If your dog isn't interested in tug, fetch or frisbee, then the next step would be to run your dog. If you aren't in the best physical shape then what you can do is buy a cheap bike and purchase a Walky, run him for even just 20-30 minutes hard and I guarantee you his unruly behavior will decrease. I will note though, since he's a large breed dog I would wait at least until he's 12-15 months old to start doing this, as you can damage his joints by exercising him too hard before his joints have fused. Also get a kong, you can keep him occupied for at least 45min-1hr by putting peanut butter in it, freezing it, and then giving it to him.

I'd also recommend crate training him so that if you don't want him around guests you can crate him and you know he's safe. You can also crate him when nobody is home to guarantee your property and your dog's safety. Another thing you can do is buy a tie out and put it in the middle of the yard so he can't smash and paw on the door.

I'd definitely second getting a trainer to help you with his behavior in general though, it sounds like you aren't communicating with him in a way that clicks with him (remember, every individual will respond differently to different training methods), a seasoned trainer with lots of experience will probably be able to teach how to
communicate with him in a way that let's you communicate what you want him to do.

Lastly, you need to be patient with him, the Akita is a breed known for being very stubborn and hard to train, so you have to remember to manage your expectations. Just be consistent with what the trainer tells you to do and you will see results.

What was your last one made of? Was it plastic coated wire cable? I have one like /u/tokisushi linked for potty breaks and my dog has broken 2 collars (running after cats/squirrels) but never has hurt the tie-out.

Better than a stationary tie-out might be one of those zipline tracks that you string between two trees, especially if your intent is for the dog to get some exercise. Dogs generally do not "wear themselves out" like you are hoping for but it would at least be more conducive to running than a regular tie-out.

I read your other comment about how the dog is not yours and all that, and I totally get where you're coming from. Just thinking out loud, mental stimulation is usually a lot more tiring (especially for puppies) than physical stimulation. Since he's confined to the kitchen a lot, he'd probably benefit from something like a puzzle feeder.

Yes Yes Ultraballs posted below, http://www.amazon.com/ChuckIt-Medium-Ultra-2-5-Inch-2-Pack/dp/B000F4AVPA - these are my border collie's favorite tennis balls in the whole world. He will do anything for one of those orange and blue ones. My friend's whippet doesn't destroy these ones either. They also make some excellent kick balls that our border collies where having a blast with last night.

Actually the whole Chuckit lineup of rubber balls, which you can find here: http://www.chuckit.com/ are solid. They last forever and they float. There are various types, whistle balls, random bounce, etc.

The other company who makes great balls and rubber discs is WestPaw: http://www.westpawdesign.com/ generally I've found their stuff in smaller pet stores. My west paw discs have been going for years and work wonderful.

From what I've heard (and seen of the balls myself) that grit on a traditional tennis ball isn't the best thing for teeth anyway. So we just stick with the various chuckit rubber balls and the westpaw discs.

I ended up with the most energetic and playful Newfie in the world, and she loves to chase the cats so I have some experience in this.

• First, I never let the puppy out of my sight. She's in whichever room I'm in, if I leave she's in her crate. When I use the restroom or shower she's sitting in the bathroom doorway. If she tries to leave the room I call her back and give her a treat. She's pretty good about that.
  
• Second, there are parts of the house she's NEVER allowed in--the kitchen and the laundry room. The kitchen is where everyone's food is prepared and where the cats eat and drink, the laundry room is where their litterbox is.
  
• Third, my cats have lots of high places to go to if they don't want to be hassled. They have a cat tree, shelves, and they like to hang out on the back of the sofa (my dog doesn't like furniture, luckily).
  
• Forth, I recognize and reward when she ignores the cats, and call her to me if she's gets too close.
  
  Obviously all of this requires training and conditioning, but it was very worth the time. You can also get baby gates with a little pet door on the bottom. If your pup is especially unruly and disregards boundaries, gates like that are great.

Also, check out r/puppy101, which has a nice FAQ/wiki with guides to basic stuff such as house training and crate training. And get yourself some good books. Sophia Yin's Perfect Puppy in 7 Days is nice. So is Patricia McConnell's Puppy Primer. There's also a free e-book by called Growing Up FDSA. I confess I haven't read that one carefully (been a while since I had a puppy), but I know that the author has a solid reputation, and I've heard good things about it. Good luck!

The why is tricky because it varies from situation to situation - can you account for her training/socialization/etc prior to you having her? A lot of that stuff is developed in that first year.

The NILIF (Nothing in Life is Free) lifestyle is great for dogs that resource guard, because it teaches them that all good things come from you. Make sure you manage the environment so that she can't guard (pick up all toys, food, etc). In regard to people, obedience is the best bet, a solid leave it command, or go to bed can help alleviate these.

MINE! is a great book resource for possessive behaviours.

I would give something like this a try! It seems great for your situation, especially if you like the idea of potty pads.
Fresh Patch Disposable Dog Potty with REAL Grass - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005G7S6UI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_8.NPyb6T2Z8MT

Also, a dog walker would be a great idea! Gives your dog a much needed potty break and some extra exercise. I would think you could find someone for a pretty reasonable price.

Yes, I like the thick rubber ones with holes in them, which I stuff with treats and peanut butter. My dog will then paw and throw it around in order to get the treats out, and he'll be occupied for hours licking it. Kind of like this and this though we don't have those exact ones, but you get the idea.

My dog also loves this guy but you'd need extra small training treats for it so it can fall through the small hole. Also it's hard plastic and my floors are tile, so it makes a huge racket when he tosses it around.. no big deal when I'm out of the house though.

Good luck!

Kong is good. Get two: one to keep in the freezer and one to give to her. The frozen ones will take longer for her to get through. Put some peanut butter and treats in there and she'll be occupied for awhile.

I also have one of these things for my smart dog and it's great for her meals. I put her full serving of dry food in it and it takes her a good half hour to get everything out. It's also great because you can adjust the size of the release points to make it harder or easier for her.

Third suggestion for flirt pole!

My dog is the exact same, she likes chasing and being chased. I adopted her from a shelter and the old owner wrote down that she "likes playing tag" which exactly describes how she plays haha.

I bought this exact one a few months ago, and my dog loves it. It's very durable and has a great handle for the human. It's bigger than it looks in the photos.

Have you looked into puzzle toys? What about enhancing the current toys and supplies you have as a more engaging activity for your dog?

For instance sometimes I'll put small treats and peanut butter in a couple bones and hide them around the house. I'll also use a puzzle toy like this that you can put kibble/treats inside and only the correct roll pattern will eject treats out. They make several types of toys like this in several formats, FYI. Another way to "enhance" your toys is creating more value to them pending your specific dogs value system (dog is more attracted to bones and balls inside the home rather stuffed animals and squeeky plush toys for instance.)

Try to give your dog more of a "job" to do when you are gone. This may not help pending the severity of the chewing but another tack to take is to try and understand why your dog is chewing. Is it because lack of excercise (seems unlikely) or mental stimulation (more likely the case) or something else? Try to figure out a correction for why the dog chews to begin with and you may land a better answer than to figure a "work around" or something else that doesn't identify the root issue.

Good luck!

• Labs are notoriously fast eaters, so maybe a puzzle toy? Here are some good ones: 1, 2, 3. You can also never have enough Kongs, and they're sold at big box pet stores.
  
• A cool fetch toy might be fun too, like a Chuckit or a Ball-on-a-Rope. You can find Chuckit products at the big box pet stores. I like the ball-on-a-rope for training...I can throw it, tug with it, dangle it like a flirt pole, and it fits in my pocket. This Frisbee is good for training too because I can fold it up and put it in my pocket. Plus it glows in the dark and floats!

We use the large KONG Extreme Dog Toy, Medium, Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000GUDZO2/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_sQ81AbHCEGYVC, trixies flipboard 2 TRIXIE Pet Products Flip Board, Level 2 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0054Q9TMA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_RR81AbJEX56X9. treat ball OurPets IQ Treat Ball Interactive Food Dispensing Dog Toy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ARUKTG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_oS81AbJ0XDRE8, a treat hiding thing Dog Smart Treat Dispensing Dog Toy Brain and Exercise Game for Dogs by Nina Ottosson https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711Y9Y8W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_MS81AbJWBH0TC, a rolling nibble kibble PetSafe Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble Meal Dispensing Dog Toy, Medium/Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001F0RRUA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_FT81AbYG9PW7N, a self toy KONG Rambler Ball, Large (colors vary) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01BBGRT4Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_wU81AbYC200R4, and a large tug a jug PetSafe Medium/Large Sportsmen Tug A Jug Pet Chew Toy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01K4KZ8M0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_LV81AbFBTP67F.

The kong I use spread treats inside because dry treats last only a few seconds.

Trixies flipboard is low to meh at getting her attention, sometimes she doesnt care for the food to bother with it.

Iq treat ball she finds a way to break, pushing into a wall, chomping on it, the moment you look away.

The hide a treat thing is easy for her.

The nibble kibble is the same as the treat ball.

The kong rambler she easily pulls the ball from its station and the toy is moot, now its just a ball.

The tug a jug becomes a weapon that she whips around until it smashes open.

The one thing I have noticed that can keep her attention is a pile of wood we have outside. Inside that pile of wood is chipmunks and squirrels that she messes with until I call her over. I'm thinking that she enjoys live toys? Or does she it as just something for her to herd.

Have you tried a flirt pole for him to chase?

Also, what kind of training have you tried? He's only a puppy, so I'd hate for you to write him off as "dim" when really he just might not be...properly motivated. Check out Kikopup's puppy training videos and start clicker training to get him thinking, which should help tire him out (and training is always good).

Additionally, maybe look into an interactive feeder for another mental challenge. I use the Kong Wobbler to feed my dog her meals, and I think that might be the best thing I've purchased for her yet.

Edited to add: Hide and seek is also a great indoor game to get your pup moving and thinking. You can hide yourself and have him find you, or I just hide little treats around for my dog to sniff you. I can really tell her gears are turning and she's actually working when she plays this game! I'd also look into what kind of group training classes are in your area and talk to local trainers--he's definitely not to young to do basic obedience, and from there he may be able to start with classes like agility or flyball which will really wear out an active adult dog.

My dog has some similar play tendencies and she LOVES this ball:
ttp://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002DK26M
These treats are the perfect size and not too high in calories (and they smell delicious):
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002R8SLUY
She'll nudge the ball around for hours trying the get a treat from it, even picking it up in her mouth and bouncing it against the wall! It's made from a durable plastic. I've had hers for over a year and it's good as new. Its just the right balance of work/reward and is hands down her favourite toy.
2nd runner up is a braided rope bone for thrashing about and playing tug-o-war.

The dog will be fine. My boyfriend and I just adopted a dog the end of May this year. She is a 1.5 yrs old Malamute/GSD/Lab mix. She has a TON of energy. We are out of the house from 6:50am-5pm and we have a webcam set up to watch her while at work, all she does all day is sleep in the sun. When we are home, we make sure to play with her, take her for a 20-30 mins walk in the morning before we leave, and a 40-60 mins walk in the evenings. We take her to the dog park on the weekends to help her burn off her energy as well.


If you are worried about burning off the energy, we invested in a flirt pole for her, maximum energy burn for her, minimum time/effort for us :)

Your job is absolutely not a problem!

While not an overall solution, these beds are awesome for dogs who like to chew up beds. We have three dogs who arent crated anymore, but occasionally feel the need to eat their nice beds. Coolaroos are hard to chew, easy on the joints, and easy to clean/replace the mesh bit. I agree with the high-energy-ness of border collies statements in here but throwing in my two sense for the bed aspect at least

Taking food from a dog MAKES A DOG possessive of all food. It can lead to really dangerous stuff like the dog biting anyone who reaches towards their food. Unless it is a DIRE EMERGENCY- DO NOT ATTEMPT TO TAKE FOOD FROM A DOG. Do not bother a dog who is eating, do not approach a dog who is eating, just leave eating dogs alone!

Step 1 is to not put any food anywhere the dog could get it. This isn't hard- I have a dog that can easily reach every counter in my house and I can keep all food out of his reach- the dog should never get food unless you gave it to him intending for him to eat it. Accidents might happen, and I would just let the dog eat something in that case unless it is cleaning supplies/other poisons, cooked bones, grapes/raisins, chocolate or alcohol.

Step 2 is to always trade an even better treat if you really need to get something from your dog. This goes for ALL DOGS, even dogs who have never been food possessive before. For example, say my dog is chewing a knucklebone I gave him but it is time for me to take it away. I call my dog into the other room and give him some really good treats (like chicken) and then while he is not looking I scoop up the knucklebone. A two person system can be useful to distract the dog.

Third- teach the dog leave-it. There are many videos of this on youtube. This can allow you to teach the dog the food is not for him to take and keep him from getting food that he shouldn't have in the first place. You should reward your dog often for leave-it and leave-it is not for something already in your dog's mouth!

And the best resource on resource guarding (the formal name for what your dog is doing): http://www.amazon.com/Mine-Practical-Guide-Resource-Guarding/dp/0970562942

Not trying to shoot down your idea, but I did Barkbox for a few months and it was just okay. The treats were nice but the toys didn't last long and I had to fish pieces of them out of my dog's mouth so she didn't eat them - not exactly something you can leave the dog to do unsupervised. If he is into puzzle toys at all (working to get a treat out) that might be something to look into.

Does she have a flirt pole? They're very cheap (or you can make your own) and it has been the best thing I've ever bought my dog. Ten minutes and she's tired. I've had it for a year plus and left it out in the rain and cold, and it just looks a little sunbleached. Really sturdy and you can attach pretty much any sort of toys to it.

I have a 1.5 year old Labrador with an endless amount of energy. I take him on a bike ride almost every single morning and depending on energy level some times twice a day.

He has the Easy Walk harness http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Harness-Large-Black-Silver/dp/B0009ZBKG4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427159959&sr=8-1&keywords=easy+walk+harness
Basically uses his body weight against him.

I bike with my left hand on the bike at all times and my right hand free with his leash wrapped around my wrist. He caught on quick and will stay right by my side 90% of the time. There is an occassional lunge here and there at a squirrel but with my arm off the bike it just whips him back around with the easy walk harness (uses his body weight against him and pulls him around towards you).

I never thought the ones that attached to the bike were safe seeing as my 85lb dog is pretty powerful. He can yank on my arm all he wants and not pull me over but I worry with the bike attach ones he could alter the bike enough to possibly cause me to crash.

I second u/i_illustrate_stuff 's suggestion on the cot beds. The Kuranda dog beds are pretty much indestructible and I believe have a warranty on them. They are pricey, but you will indeed have it forevermore. Amazon has less expensive options such as this one that you might want to try first. I'm sure you can locate one that will fit inside her crate.

I would absolutely not recommend having her uncrated yet if she's still that unreliable. This should be worked up over time at a gradual pace (leaving for short periods, gradually increasing the duration). I'd try to always leave something fun for her to chew when left to keep her busy/hopefully less likely to focus on the bedding, but some will chew regardless.

in any case, we have this self-warming cot-style bed, and my greyhound (obviously the boniest of boney dogs) does really seem to enjoy it. He's not crated all the time, though he does have to wear his basket muzzle when left unsupervised as even at 10 years old, he still can find himself getting into trouble!

It seems you've tried most toys.

Have you tried something like a tug-a-jug or other toys designed to keep a dog interested?

Poodle crosses are generally smart, almost too smart for their own good. They can get bored easily and need to be mentally engaged and stimulated.

You can also do it in the yard! Scatter the food around the grass so he has to search it out.

My dog gets her breakfast out of this ball. It's fairly easy for the kibble to fall out (until the last one, which she can never get), but she spends about 15 minutes wandering around the house rolling it and eating. Gives her mind something to do, takes her a bit longer to eat her food, and gives me a peaceful 15 minutes to drink my coffee.

There are also 'snuffle mats' you can try (basically a fleece blanket with a bunch of knots in it; lots of DIY options). All of these are fun ways to get your dog his food while giving him a bit of a challenge!

What about using a hand's free leash for her? Something like this. That way she's leashed but you can still have both hands on the other dog's leash.

I know someone else already mentioned a front-clip harness, but I have to mention it again. My dog pulls like crazy on a regular collar or harness, but the front clip harness has made things so much easier. If I want to put her in a 'heel' position, all I have to do is shorten how much leash she has. If she sees a squirrel and tries to bolt, she gets turned around at the end of the leash and can't dig in and pull me where she wants to go. It's really amazing. This is the one I have.

(We are also training her to walk nicely while using it, but it has made such a difference.)

On the subject, these balls are hands down the best play balls ever. They are nearly invincible, have a great throwing weight, and are easily seen in grass for recovery. A little pricey but they dont need to be replaced nearly as fast as your standard tennis ball. They also sell glow in the dark ones which are great at night.

That's pretty neat. I had a food dispenser for my last dog (who was a pukey guy). When the food got released, it did make a lot of noise. How smart is Henry? He'd have to work for food to get it out. The dog I have now is smart, so we put some food in there and he has to work to get it out. http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Premier-Buddy-Tug-A-Jug-Medium/dp/B000KV7ZGQ.

Also, some of the rescues I've helped with recommend freezing treats in a Kong.

Also, you might want to bring it up next time Henry has a check up. Our last dog required daily antacids. The acid was making him throw up.

This is not for basic caretaking like how much to feed, but is extremely useful in how to bond with and begin building a relationship with your dog.

Perfect Puppy in 7 days- Sophia Yin

Good luck!

Antler dog chews last almost forever, but they're a chew toy.

Also great are "flirt pole" type toys that are not meant for chewing but are soft and fluffy interactive toys that you can play with your dog and put away when you're done.

http://www.amazon.com/Kyjen-PP02290-Exercise-Training-Replacement/dp/B0042I5G2I/

I have found that "puzzle" type toys (squirrels in a tree, pieces that come apart with velcro) are good for dogs who like destructive toy play, as they satisfy their need to destroy by pulling the pieces apart, and MAY not need to destroy it further. Of course, your mileage may vary.

http://www.amazon.com/Kyjen-PP01076-IntelliBone-Interactive-Multicolor/dp/B0002I0O6K/

Tuffy Dog toys and those indestructable snakes that squeak even after they're punctured also last a while.

http://www.dogtuff.com/tuffy-dog-toys.html

http://www.amazon.com/Kyjen-PP01481-Invincibles-Stuffingless-6-Squeakers/dp/B003RQNE7U

I love the twist and treat (link). It's nice because you can set the difficulty by deciding how tightly to twist the top down. I screwed it down all the way the first time, and my dog couldn't figure it out, but once I loosened it, she was able to really start working on it. Now that she's realized how to twist it open (she's also part pittie and used to just stick her jaw in there and wedge it open!), it still takes her a while to rub it against the carpet while pulling at the top. Good luck!

I have this bike attachment for riding with my dog and I love it.

My dog is pretty good on leash, so getting him to do it on a bike was pretty easy. I did it in the following steps:

1. Put him in his harness, attached the bike lead (with no bike) and just took him for a walk with it.
   
   
2. Attached him to the bike, and walked the bike with him around the block.
   
   
3. Went for it.
   
   I don't know, it's very possible I under thought it, but it really worked pretty easily for me. No accidents so far.
   
   A couple of tips I've found:
   
   You should not pull your dog! If you start to notice it's a little harder to go, it's because he's lagging. Slow down, or let him stop. You can really get your dog up to a "sprint" on your bike, which my dog loves, but he just doesn't last very long. When I'm going fast, he can only got about 3 miles (when I started, it was about 1.5 miles). Make sure you bring water, a bowl and poop bags.

Our lab puppy was very destructive in the beginning as well. No matter how tired we tried to make her, dogs are resilient she has never ending energy. So if we weren't able to tire her out, we had to keep her interested in something.

I found some dog treat puzzles on amazon, like this one. It did help but definitely not 100%....

https://www.amazon.com/OurPets-Treat-Ball-Interactive-Dispensing/dp/B003ARUKTG/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1510695642&sr=8-5&keywords=dog+treat+puzzles

We also installed cameras, where we could talk through them to the dogs, so if I would see her start to get into something I could call her name. it distracted her for the most part, not all the time though...

You just have to keep thinking of ways to keep them engaged in something other than your stuff! Anything you could set up and control remotely in the puppy room would help

You should definitely try the videoing and catching him

Something interesting to get is a [bob-a-lot.](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001JQLNB4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_JiVwxbF4BKWQC
) Or a flirt pole!

Both are fun, interactive toys that you don't see too often and I would love to get them at a dog birthday party.

https://www.amazon.com/Squishy-Face-Studio-Exercise-Squeaker/dp/B00HFFXEWE

If your puppy is strong for his size, get a large flirt pole meant for bigger breeds. I know our pug Fizgig (1yr)LOVES to play with things meant for bigger dogs. And I honestly think she feels like she's a BIG dog lol.

I have read some reports of dogs breaking their teeth on Nylabones, and they have never been our dogs' favorite thing anyway, so here are some alternate ideas for ya:

• Tie off a squeaky tennis ball loosely, in an old sock. Depending on the weave and material of the sock this toy will last from 20 minutes to 4 days.
  
  
• Toilet paper and paper towel tubes, or plain cardboard sections (no dyes or tape, etc.; I often use the unprinted flaps of shipping boxes). Non-toxic, fibrous if they ingest it, and it lets them destroy something without costing you a penny.
  
  
• Fill a treat ball with 10-15 small, soft, training treats, and watch them push it around with their nose for the next 10-30 minutes.
  
  
• Build a treat puzzle yourself with layers of non-toxic boxes, take out containers (NO STYROFOAM), and newspaper. Sprinkle small treats in each layer and hold it all together with a little string or paper tape.
  
  
• Like most breeds, both the Staffy and Terrier lines love to lay tug of war. If your dog has good teeth you can use something like this, or this one if they have any oral issues. Just remember to put away toys like this when you are not actively using them, or they will get shredded/chewed to bits.
  
  Have fun!

Agreeing with this agreement!

When I had an heartbreakingly obese foster, I ended up feeding her exclusively from a tricky treat ball. It was like magic: she used to scarf her food down in 5 seconds flat and spend the next hour begging for more. The tricky treat ball slowed her down enough that she would frequently get full before the kibble was all gone!

Edited to add: OP, once his weight gets down, you're very likely to find his interest in playing will increase significantly.

The Kong Wobbler and Bobs-a-lot are great toys. I also use a Tricky Treat ball a lot. My dogs also really love the Snoop.

You could also try the Tug-a-Jug, Kibble Nibble, or Buster Cube.

Gentle Leader's "Easy Walk" works great for my large boxer. Connects at the chest, so if he tries to pull, it just turns him around, he effectively stops himself. Under $20. Doesn't "squeeze" the chest.

http://www.amazon.com/Premier-Harness-Large-Black-Silver/dp/B0009ZBKG4/ref=sr_1_4?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1343305037&sr=1-4&keywords=Gentle+Leader

I don't know about walks, but I do know about indoor potty-training. They sell these things that I think are called puppy pads. It's like a slate of fake grass with a tray underneath (only $20) It's scented like grass and everything, so if your dog is used to going outside, this will be an easier transition than newspaper. And I think the playpen is fair. I know my Shetland sheepdogs never played unless I was around, so I know mine at least would've been satisfied with that amount of space.

puppy pad

These are great balls that Staffies, Boxweilers and terriers haven't destroyed in the months that they've had them and are good workouts for their jaws, just be prepared for the noises 😃

Chuckit Ultra Ball-M https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B000F4AVPA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_KGUzxbCZBN0WV

these ones. I think I'm going to start ordering them online now. A two pack is usually $11 in store.

This is our fave frisbee. It's soft so it doesn't hurt their teeth when they catch it, pretty durable especially compared to the cheap hard plastic ones, and Ozzy loves carrying it by the bone on top.

I have a 7y/o lab mix who is insanely food motivated. I bought a little ball that I fill with kibble that slowly dispenses the kibble as she pushes it around and plays with it, and it is her absolute favorite thing ever! Found it on Amazon!

OurPets IQ Treat Ball Interactive Food Dispensing Dog Toy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ARUKTG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_26ALAb3XT8VFQ

We have the tug a jug for our dog ----- which, won't crinkle or tumble like a soda bottle (it's hard plastic), but it's the same size and shape, and they're great for kibble or treats to keep them busy.
Different than what you were asking, but first thing that came to mind lol.

Hmm..Make sure it's something yummy - maybe try something you haven't before ie - peanut butter if you use wet dog food, my dog loves plain cream cheese and yogurt in his (low fat/fat free). Some dogs also just might not enjoy the kong for one reason or another, there's plenty of other food puzzles. My pup's favorite non-kong food dispenser is the magic mushroom

I don’t use those in particular, my current go tos are the tug a jug, Magic mushroom, and game changer.

I usually show him that kibble comes out and let him go to town. If he seems to be having trouble, I’ll usually show him every couple of minutes what to do but he usually picks it up pretty quick.

I introduced him to them pretty much as soon as I brought him home at 9 weeks. He very rarely gets a meal in a bowl. It’s pretty much training and puzzle toys when I’m feeling lazy.

We have Labs and have to slow them down while eating or otherwise they can get bloat, which is potentially lethal.

The behavior consultant we hired to iron out some cat cohabitation issues recommended we feed our dogs by putting the food in one of these.
Works great, and it's actually intellectually stimulating for the dog.

Thank you all for your replies again. I really enjoyed the TED Talk you linked to- this guy is really funny and really makes a good point on how ridiculous the way people typically train dogs can be!

This is the book I ended up getting to start off with BTW

Get a baby gate that has a pet door in it. Assuming your dog isn't the same size as your cat, you can leave the pet door open so your cat can eat in peace and your dog cannot enter that room. It doesn't have to be the mudroom, it can be a bedroom, bathroom, etc. Basically anything with a door frame for you to attach the gate to. Most cats will just jump over it anyway, but the convenience of the door is pretty nice.

There are SO MANY things you can work on training, even with a small space. I've used this book but you could look around for one that seems interesting to you. It's really amazing how even 30 minutes of mental stimulation can tire a pup out.

Dog puzzle feeders.
My dog gets his dinner from toys everyday. I rotate between OurPets IQ Puzzle Ball, Kong Wobbler, Magic Mushroom, and Tug a Jug, since those are the slowest dispensing as well as easiest to fill. I also have a load of other ones but found them to be too easy for him (One minute to empty Buster Cube on "hardest" difficulty vs average 20 minutes from the toys I mentioned). I used them everyday for about 5 to 6 years and never had to replace them.( Then again, my dog is not much of a chewer of hard plastic.) My dog LOVES getting his food from toys to the point of actually almost refusing to eat while giving me a very sad disappointed face when I just put it in his bowl. He has fun and they tire him out (he is panting after every meal). Win for me.

This sounds like resource guarding to me. Especially if he's in a daycare and isn't aggressive there. He doesn't want anyone messing with his things. At daycare it's rare for there to be resources to guard, and if it's a reputable place there won't be. So it follows that he'd have no reason to be aggressive. You're also entirely right that the pup would learn from him. While he has these issues it would be unwise to introduce another dog into the situation.

A great primer for understanding resource guarding as well as protocols that can be set in place to prevent and eventually fix the issue is Mine. At his age he is still relatively young and the problem is only just now really developing, so it can be reversed. It's not your fault for not seeing the signs before it began to happen on a very obvious scale, you're not trainers or behaviorists nor have you been taught to recognize these things. It isn't your fault and you did you best with the knowledge you had.

What methods did the trainer you used in NY use if you don't mind me asking?

Sometimes Badger gets part of his food for the day in a treat ball (this one). It's great for his kibble, though noisy on the non-carpeted floor, and he loses it under furniture all the time so he doesn't have it unattended.

It's pretty feasible for him to eat a good portion of his food this way because he's only 12 lbs. and he eats about 3/4 cup of kibble a day. Most of the time we feed him at least one meal in his bowl. It takes two kibble balls to be about equivalent to one meal.

The jolly ball has been AMAZING!!! I have had this one for at least two years and it only just recently got a hole in it.

I'll also plug Chuck it. These balls are the absolute shit. I buy them l the time only because they get lost. I tried puncturing one with scissors, a knife, a wine opener, and pointy tweezers to make a treat dispenser and fully understood why they are next to indestructible.

They're other toys are very good quality and my dogs love them, but they can be chewed through. Those ones have to be supervised. The ultra balls, I don't have to worry about.

Yeah, unfortunately senior incontinence is one of those things you just have to adapt to. A doggy door is a good idea. If he doesn't seem to improve with trying to re-housetrain him, you can also look into a grass pad, something like this. There are a bunch of them out there, I have no idea what's best, that's just an example of one. it may be more attractive to him than the papery puppy pads.

Labrador, huh? Some of these would be a great option. (In addition to Amazon, most major pet supply stores carry them.) They're basically super durable rubber tennis balls.

We love Jan Fennell: http://www.amazon.com/Dog-Listener-Communicate-Willing-Cooperation/dp/0060199539

And The Other End of the Leash is an invaluable book for any animal lover: http://www.amazon.com/Other-End-Leash-What-Around/dp/034544678X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1314422999&sr=1-1

OH! And any Karen Pryor clicker training books!

I just picked up one of these and it holds the attention of my easily bored, overly excited, chewer. I've used the tug-o-jug and the food cube, both of which she figured out how to pick up and throw around until they break open, and then she chews on the sharp plastic bits if I don't get to them quickly enough. So far, she can't pick up the ball so she can't slam it down and destroy it, and it rolls around which entertains her a good bit. She gets every meal served in this and never seems to lose interest.

Yep we have this one, this one, and this one. She always gets meals in one of those, or mixed with yogurt and frozen in a Kong, or I'll give it to her a few pieces at a time while doing tricks. Never just in a bowl. And we do scent work and tons of tricks. I think a lot of the problem is just that she's so freaking smart. Sitting there chewing a bone doesn't do it for her the way it does for a lot of dogs, she really needs to always be actively mentally engaged. I'm happy to do scent work with her for 20-30 minutes, and teach her a new trick every few days and run through all her old tricks, but I can't spend literally the whole day giving her mind something to do, so she gets bored and starts with the whining/pacing/pawing at me. I think I could get away with just a run a day if I could think of enough stuff to engage her mind, I'm just out of ideas! So we go walk for an hour, so she has new things to sniff and explore.

Like this dog plots things out. Once she saw I'd left the dog gate to the "cat's room" (where his food and litter are) open and she had a chance to go eat his food. She came back to the room I was in, watched me a little, then picked up her ball and threw it under the couch. I went down to get it as I always do, and while I was digging around under there she ran and ate the cat's food. That's so many steps of thinking for a dog. "Hm, I can get to the food. But if I just go for it she'll hear me and come stop me. I need to distract her. It always takes her a minute to get my ball out when I lose it under the couch. I'll put my ball really far under the couch so I have plenty of time to dash off and scarf down the cat food." That's just one example, it's amazing how much stuff she has figured out and how far ahead she can think to get around the rules and get what she wants.

This is Cosmo's most favorite food toy on the planet. He likes the mushroom but it doesn't dispense food quickly enough so he'd rather use it as a toy than for a meal. I ended up removing the divider since he's a puppy and just learning. We use it for every meal now. He absolutely loves it. Video: https://www.instagram.com/p/BHXbJhUjGzG

Loved this book. Dr. McConnell had 2 or 3 border collies at the time of that book and has had them her whole adult life. she uses them on her sheep farm as herding dogs. She is also an animal/dog behaviorist.

Stanley Coren has some good ones too like this on on How Dogs Think, this one on How to Speak Dog, and this one on The Intelligence of Dogs.

Food dispensing toys for meals are a good start. Kong Wobbler , Tug a jug* , and Buster Cube are a few that are recommended often on this sub. I use the tug a jug, but I wouldn't recommend it if your dog gives up easily. I've used the kong wobbler in the past, but my aussie figured out how to just slam it against the ground repeatedly to produce a small pile of food, but it was a good beginner food toy.

Kyjen makes a ton of puzzle toys, ranging from food-rewards to toy-rewards Hide-a-squirrel is a favorite for my dogs, though it's sometimes hard to figure out where they put all the squirrels.

You can also make DIY puzzle toys using old cardboard boxes, and stuffing them full of paper and treats, and letting your dog figure out how to open the box (usually by ripping it to shreds), it's a good boredom buster for rainy days if you don't mind cleaning up the shredded cardboard and paper afterwards.

My go to toy for Charlie when she's home alone is always a Kong with mix of kibble, veggies, chicken/turkey and peanut butter/greek yogurt depending on what I have in the fridge. Freeze overnight. Charlie loves working on those and they're indestructible. Another treat dispensing toy Charlie likes is the Pet Safe Buddy Twist Treat.

I smear peanut butter or greek yogurt on the insides and then put her kibble in. Takes her maybe 5-10 minutes to finish if I haven't put it in the freezer overnight.

Have you tried a front-attached harness or a Gentle Leader headcollar? The latter was amazing for teaching my dog not to pull. You have to train them to use it the first few times but it's so worth it - it's seriously like magic. That, especially if it means getting in a few visits to the dog park a week, will do wonders for your dog.

You sound like a good owner, and it would be terrible for your dog to lose you. She's still young, she's still adjusting, and you're both still learning. I live alone and have an energetic, social young rescue, too - I know how exhausting it can be! But you'll be fine!

This is exactly what I did with my 2 year old rescue dog. Stopped walking every single time she pulled and told her to "slow down". In less than a week, she was barely pulling at all. Then we started obedience classes, and I bought her a PetSafe Gentle Leader headcollar. Now she heels almost perfectly on our daily walks. I've had her for about nine months now.

Biking is the best! It's been a lifesaver with my dogs. I use the Walky Dog bike attachment and it's been amazing. My jogging speed is more like their slow trotting speed, but with the bike they get to all-out sprint. Plus my boy is fairly dog reactive but on a bike we go by so quickly that he hardly has time to notice other dogs.

ChuckIt! Ultra Balls. They last forever (pitbull tested and approved) and they float... which is great because my dog loves retrieving them out of the lake.

My lab/pit Ella can't go to dog parks either as she's leash reactive (so like, actually getting her to the dog park is the issue) but she's young so she has craaaazy energy! We feed her both of her meals in either her kong wobbler or her "magic mushroom", we switch it up on her a lot so she doesn't get bored of the same puzzle feeder over and over. She's a pretty heavy chewer and hasn't been able to destroy either one!

We also freeze kongs for her pretty much every day, we'll put cottage cheese (her favorite) or broth with some cut up apples in it. Like I said earlier, she's a power chewer! So this keeps her mouth busy. She also gets beef trachea, nylabones, Himalayan chews and bully sticks. Chewing wears her out because she stays so focused.

The other thing we do is looooots of mental stimulation. We play hide and seek in the house, we'll hide her toys for her to find them, we do lots and lots of training, and we just try our hardest to make her use her brain! Our trainer once said 15 minutes of training is equal to 45 minutes of running in terms of exhaustion, so we've taken that and rolled with it lol.

ETA: here's a link to the magic mushroom on amazon! https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Buddy-Mushroom-Dispensing-Medium/dp/B00520EJXW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1506283184&sr=8-1&keywords=magic+mushroom+dog+toy

I got this book and i love it, it's a lifesaver: https://www.amazon.ca/Mine-Practical-Guide-Resource-Guarding/dp/0970562942

Zoe is a toy destroyer! I've found a few good toys that I will list below.

1. Bionic Urban Stick This thing is indestructible! It also has 2 holes in the ends for treats to be stuffed into.
   
   
2. Flatskinz This is the only plush toy Zoe can have without destoying it and swallowing all the fluff...because there is no fluff.
   
   
3. Twist 'n Treat This isn't for sure indestructible, but it's quite tough. She LOVES this and you can adjust it for many different treat types, but I have to take it away once shes emptied all the food out, otherwise she gnaws on it and can break it a little bit.

Recently they've also had tricky treat balls which are GREAT and QUIET!

There's a bunch of anthropomorphizing going on here... but your dog is not having PTSD "flashbacks," your dog is resource guarding. Dogs can resource guard food (ie kibble, treats, bones), toys, objects, people, and places (ie favorite spot on the couch).

Here are some resources to help you work on this issue with Dita:

http://www.patriciamcconnell.com/theotherendoftheleash/resource-guarding-treatment-and-prevention

https://youtu.be/ALpvuFIoZxc

https://www.amazon.com/Mine-Practical-Guide-Resource-Guarding/dp/0970562942

Wood Treat Puzzles like the ones Zanie's, Ethical Pets, and Nina Ottosson make are all ones my pit likes. Since they're made of wood they'll last a while. Also the Premier Tug-a-Jug has kept him guessing for 2 weeks now.

Not sure if you mean one of these http://www.amazon.com/Coolaroo-Large-Steel-Framed-Brunswick-Green/dp/B000P7JKD6

If that is it, I have that model and my dog loves it. Definitely recommend it

Resource guarding. It's a very normal natural instinct for dogs, but a problem for owners.

Had he ever broken skin?

This is something you would want to call a trainer to come out to your house for. And keep separated from kiddos when they are over. There is a book that may help if you guys do want to work in it, but everybody in the house needs to be on the same page. Mine! A Practical Guide to Resource Guarding in Dogs https://www.amazon.com/dp/0970562942/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_6Lzcvb06F7FYR

Has she tried trading for a yummy treat away from the object so she can grab it?

Surprisingly it's got a pretty big list of different things that it can cause:

http://pets.webmd.com/dogs/hypothyroidism-in-dogs

The first thing we noticed was aggression when he got kicked out of day care and the first time we heard about checking on his thyroid which I'd never heard of before in dogs. After reading up a bit while waiting on results(took a day or 2 each time) there was a lot of signs but I can't say it was anything more than confirmation bias until we got the confirmed result.

For him though, the signs that we noticed were along the lines of a tendency of baldness from neck to chest, slow hair growth, lethargy, aggression, and so on.

Even if he has a thyroid issue, this is potentially only part of the problem, training will have to be addressed immediately and never really ends, though it gets easier.

As soon as we got the blood test started I began reading a book that came highly recommended from the vet and friends The other end of the leash and it's taught me a lot about the things we show them we don't realize that leads to bad behavior and how to pay attention to your dogs behavior and mannerisms for warnings, etc.

Those combined, and pending getting his levels right, have led to huge strides in his confidence, aggression, and behavior. Eventually the day care place said they would re-evaluate him but we're holding off until the medical issue is addressed.

Besides checking /r/puppy101 often and posting for help, I really recommend kikopup on YouTube, the late Dr. Sophia Yin's advice (she did write a puppy book -- I liked it enough (there's a Kindle version)).

Engage them outdoors. Even check out a Flirt Pole!

They require more stimulation.

Sometimes you can also productively offer them an outlet to that energy that digging burns. For us, we take our dog to the beach where he can go dig into the sand until his heart desires. That's stopped him from digging out the backyard.