Dog Owner Chat v3 ~Open!~

[FlynnEugene]

Hello everyone! A friend of mine wants to have a dog. They says that before anything, they wants to see if there's a breed that fulfills what their parents tell them. Otherwise, they can't have a dog. This is what they told me they want in their dog:

• Sheds very little > no allergies.
• Low energy, they would'nt be able to handle one of those energetic dogs.
• No prey drive, or working dogs > couch potato.
• Medium sized. Not too big to hurt their younger sibling, but not too small so it isn't stepped on.
• Bonus if it's good with children, because of their younger sibling.

Does anyone know of a breed like this?

There are no such thing as a dog that doesn't cause allergies, but if they are looking for a "hypoallergenic" dog I would suggest any poodle mix.

As for prey drive most possible mixes don't have "prey" drive necessarily but as stated before it depends on the dog. Our Maltese poodle mix has no prey drive what so ever but I have met other maltese poodle mixes who do. She also enjoys sleeping all day now that she is older. As a puppy she was crazy. So again, it depends on the individual dog.

Any medium sized dogs are usually out of the picture because most of those are actual working breeds. Any really big dog, or really small dog are non working breeds ( usually) not all the time. But most medium sized dogs need a lot of exercise and especially any puppy they would consider would be very hyper and difficult to work with.

Dogs have the potential to be good with kids, but the only dogs who are known to be good with children ( Newfie, St.B, etc) would be out of the picture because of their size.

Idk honestly I would just go to the shelter, find a dog the family all enjoys and do a test to see if it gets along with all family members and meets their needs to an extent. The owners can't forget that the dog needs exercise otherwise that will cause a lot of behavioral issues, as well as a good amount of training. But as someone said before, an older dog would be a lot better than a younger one. There is no breed of dog that would fit what they specifically want.

[Toothed Goose]

Thank you! :D

I told my friend what you guys wrote. I guess now it's up to them to decide what to do, though.

[Viperly]

Update on Dolly! She's a handful lol she's noisy and she gets into everything. I kinda like a noisy dog though lol. Our Shih tzu, Milo, is very quiet and not particularly affectionate. They balance each other out well. He's been so good w her!! I'm so proud of him. He plays with her, but he's not afraid to snap at her when she gets too rough. He doesn't hurt her. It's just the sound of it I think. He really needs to stand up for himself now, bc she's only gonna get bigger. She's already bigger than him now xP

I'm happy we got her. She's the kind of high-energy breed that I wouldn't be able to handle on my own. (I think I'm more of a papillon, coton de tulear, maltese, etc. kinda person.) But since there are 5 of us, the responsibility gets shared.


1st day we got her; 8 weeks




Yesterday; 13 weeks

We've never had a large dog before. So it's crazy for us to see just how fast she's growing. She all legs right now haha

[Imzadi83]

Eight is great! Today is Chloe's 8th Birthday!

We took her out today. She was a little scared but considering what she's been though lately I can understand that. She went to the jewelry store, the guy who owned it really liked her, and she was adorable in her pink sweater and new baseball hat. The hat seemed to be working at first but she eventually shook it off so many times I gave up and took it off her. I think it's a good idea still to keep the sun out of her eyes and off the top of her head so I'll try to work with her on it. Maybe some training will encourage her to leave it on for longer.

I took her walking around the library yard and it was amusing watching her try to walk through the leaves. It was like she had to swim to get through them, I don't know how dogs smaller than her do it. Next we took her around a Christmas store, she didn't like walking and cried to be picked up. I had left her sling in the car, stupid me, I didn't realize the store was that big from the outside. So she got heavy but we made it.

The main thing I went out for was her birthday cake. I knew one store that had gluten-free cakes for dogs but when we got there they were closed for lunch so we walked around an antique store. The people there thought she was adorable and wanted to talk about her. She was a bit shy about the attention but I picked her up and she was okay. I put her down though to walk around because the place was massive and I thought she could use the exercise. She was a little skittish when people passed close to her (if I was her size I would be too). She was doing good until....the one woman who'd been really fond of her came over to her and was talking to her and she piddled on the rug...the $500 rug! I took the wad of tissues out of my pocket and immediately started to blot it up. Most of it got on the floor, only a little was on the rug but still, I was so embarrassed I wanted to cry. The women was very nice about it, and of course I offered to pay for any cleaning the rug needed. I'm so lucky they were dog people! My mom gave me a wet wipe and I wiped the rug on that. With blotting the pee up right away there wasn't a stain or anything. Still I feel horrible about it. I was shocked it had happen, she had piddled not even an hour ago. I think she was scared, she'd just had too much. Although I didn't realize she wasn't doing well since she had been wagging her tail at times, sniffing and looking around, and even took a treat from me not too long before. I feel like such a bad parent for not having prevented it. I cried a little in the car, I don't handle emotional things well anymore. Mom said not to feel bad, at least we know Chloe has good taste

We did go to the pet store and get her cake. She got a big treat I had brought for her at lunch, and she loved her cake. She wasn't too excited about her gifts but that's ok. Dad gave her some socks, unlikely to fit but it was a good try. Mom gave her a pink bandana that says "Drama Queen". I have her a new puzzle toy which we'll save for tomorrow as she's had enough treats today. Overall I think she had a nice birthday, me..well...lol.

Notes to me: stick pet sling in pocket, carry carpet cleaner

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[FlynnEugene]

So I thought I found the solution to Addy being in heat.... I bought her diapers because I didn't want blood everywhere and she has been wearing them. Well today she figured out how to take them off. She doesn't shred them or anything, she literally learned how to take them off. She learned how to unhook the velcro. She doesn't do it around me, only if I am not looking or not home. Sadly I found this out the hard way today. I left her inside the house, she took off her diaper and sat on my bed. I had to wash the sheets, so hopefully the stains come off.

So I have a couple questions.
1. I have never had a dog go into heat before, I have always spayed them at 6 months before they start. So How long does it last?
2. Until it ends what can I do so that I don't have blood all over my house?

I don't want to buy anything too expensive since I will be getting her spayed in January, but I do want a solution so that she doesn't bleed everywhere currently.

[Nyxeva]

I've seen people have some luck with using these and crating when they're not home. Do you have a crate for Addy?

Also, peroxide works wonders for getting blood out of items you can't just toss in the wash, like your furniture!

[fairytale.]

I know people who use boxers and put light pads or liners in them. I just got May a pair of doggy underwear, and and while she's not in the bleeding phase of her heat, they seem to work well and stay on.

On average, heats last 17-19 days, I believe. The bleeding can vary by dog. There are three different phases of the heat, bleeding starting closer to the middle of it. Sone dogs have barely noticeable bleeding!

Also, for bloody sheets and things, make sure to use cold water, as hot water will cause the proteins to set into the fabric. Oxyclean and things work really well on getting it out.

Also, because a while back I said I would give you tips for her carsickness...
Make sure she isn't looking out the car sideways. Like, out the side window. You're more likely to get carsick if you aren't looking the direction the car is going and can't see the horizon. A common mistake is putting a dog in a crate that's sideways. It essentially forces them to get sick lol.
Ginger is a great anti-nausea. You can make dog biscuits with ginger, buy biscuits with ginger, Raw Bistro has chicken jerky with ginger (and they send out samples, so you can contact them and ask for some to see if they help before buying any!), and I make bone broth with ginger. Whatever you decide to do, you can give her some a little bit before going in the car, and it might help calm her tummy.
Benadryl is supposed to help with carsickness, and it does seem to help May. You have to make sure to give the right dose, and prepare for a sleepy dog. It helps by slowing things down. If you've ever taken medicine for motion sickness, then you'll probably relate to that. It always knocks me out! Hey, benadryl knocks me out too.
My favorite thing by far for May has been HomeoPet's Travel Anxiety drops. It isn't just supposed to be for anxiety but also for nausea. It also makes her tired and a little loopy, but it helps the most BY FAR. The bottle lasts a long time, too, so it is worth the ~$15 investment.

[FlynnEugene]

I've seen people have some luck with using these and crating when they're not home. Do you have a crate for Addy?

Also, peroxide works wonders for getting blood out of items you can't just toss in the wash, like your furniture!

I have a crate that used to be Izzy's but I don't have one specifically for her. I am sure it would work either way though. I have worked on crate training her, but I just recently got her. She is already potty trained and good in the house. She doesn't chew anything up so I never saw the need for a crate. I am not sure if her old owners ever used one but from my experience working with her she is terrified of the crate.

@Fairytale Currently I am using baby diapers with a hole cut in the back for her tail. It actually works really well but she figured how to get it off. So I will try the boxers I just need to find a size that would fit her.

Yeah her bleeding is pretty bad! She bleeds a lot so it is something I need to work with so she doesn't get it everywhere lol

Okay thank you!! I will try that out. I knew about the cold water I just never knew what stuff to use with it.

And thank you for all the carsickness information as well! I will try that out with her and hope it works
Thank you so much for all this information!!

[Tipsy]

Can't talk much, on the phone. But I was going to the store with Missy and Swizzy owner and we found a dog! They can't take her bc of family drama so I might take her home

[rose.bloom]

Hello everyone! A friend of mine wants to have a dog. They says that before anything, they wants to see if there's a breed that fulfills what their parents tell them. Otherwise, they can't have a dog. This is what they told me they want in their dog:

• Sheds very little > no allergies.
• Low energy, they would'nt be able to handle one of those energetic dogs.
• No prey drive, or working dogs > couch potato.
• Medium sized. Not too big to hurt their younger sibling, but not too small so it isn't stepped on.
• Bonus if it's good with children, because of their younger sibling.

Does anyone know of a breed like this?

When looking for a dog I had some of the same requirements (Doesn't shed, medium sized, friendly) and I ended up with a goldendoodle. They're awesome with kids, very friendly, and don't shed at all! I wil upload some pics in a minute c: