(Part 2) Reddit mentions: The best dog supplies

I'm not entirely sure why the cooing at toys would work. I feel like this is just anthropomorphizing the toy and your dog's "understanding" of the situation. If it is actually working for you, it's probably the fact that you are taking away the toy from her, letting her settle, and then returning it when her energy level/fixation are more in check. The "gentle" cue is definitely nice to teach, but it is probably working due to your addition/subtraction of reinforcer. That being said, "gentle" is a tough thing to teach some high energy dogs so props to you.

Also, the exercise thing is a great point. If you exhaust your pup with a good run or hour at the park they will be far less destructive in the house. Physical stimulation and mental stimulation need to go hand in hand, and one should not replace the other.

Just a point to bring up: if your (OP's) dog is chewing things like wires, socks, etc. he probably has a lot of opportunity to do so. How are you managing his environment - supervision levels, puppy-proofing, movement throughout the house, restriction when unsupervised (crating), etc? You need to minimize or eliminate as many possibilities for your dog to "mess up" as possible and set them up for success. For example, make sure he is in "puppy proofed" rooms with all foreign objects picked up off the floor and is provided with appropriate outlets for his energy (Kongs, stuffed bones, etc). A six month old puppy probably should not have free run of the house just yet, especially since he is most likely still teething and is still learning appropriate outlets for chewing. Slowly increase his freedom once he has learned these things. Start by keeping him in one or two rooms, gated off, and slowly increase his freedom once he learns more appropriate behaviors and has matured a bit more. Am I suggesting condemning your dog to a room for life? Absolutely not. You just have to manage his environment as much as possible and eliminate possibilities for him to fail.

It would also be worth investing in some brain toys to drain more energy, such as Wobble Kongs, Busy Buddy feeders, Buster Food Cubes, etc. In fact, feeding his meals exclusively out of these toys rather than a bowl would be a great opportunity to mentally stimulate him and drain more energy. Just make sure you supervise him as some of these toys could definitely be torn up if left unattended.

Just some food for thought. Hope you found this helpful! :)

Edit: Some products I've found helpful.

Brain toys for feeding:

• Kong Wobbler for meal times. Pretty durable and my guy can't figure out how to open it. Loves eating out of this thing, even if it was simple for him to figure out. My lab took weeks to get it though. Regardless, great brain-toy.
  
  
• Buster food cube for dispensing. Pretty difficult to figure out.
  
  
• Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble egg: My guys LOVE this, although the plastic just cracked on the inside after a few months. Can definitely be torn apart if left alone but super stimulating and engaging. Worth it!
  
  
• Tug a Jug for keeping them busy when you need to do something else. Durable bottle that gets scratched up. Ours is a few months in and still kicking.
  
  Chew toys:
  
  
• Kong XL for stuffing with RB, wet food, boiled chicken, etc. Strong than the regular red Kongs. Can also be frozen which increases the difficulty and time needed to get the food inside. have several I rotate out and they are basically the same shape as the day I bought them, which is impressive as my pup is a monster chewer.
  
  
• Filled thigh bones are pretty nice. They last as a while and can be rinsed and restuffed if the bone is still in good shape. Watch out, though - some brands are more prone to cracking and splintering while others last for ever. Trial and error basis. I can't remember the brand I use that works well but it's carried at my local Farmer Supply store (I find the bones and toys at these places to generally be better quality and also cheaper than chain pet stores).
  
  
• Meaty thigh bones are marrow filled and still have some "meat" on the exterior. They tend to last longer than the washed filled variety (above) and are "stinkier" and (I would imagine?) tastier. My guys prefer these to the plain bones since there are more goodies to get at. Downside is that they are a little stinkier at first and can possibly leave a mess, so make sure the dog is eating it on a towel.
  
  
• Bully sticks! Make sure they are real beef tendons though. Many companies make pressed rawhide varieties to resemble the real tendons but rawhide is, IMO, less safe for dogs. Last a while and smell like bacon but made my stomach a little queasy. Dogs go nuts for them though.
  
  
• Jolly Ball - not necessarily a chew toy but lasts a long time. Their teeth can penetrate the ball but the design is such that the ball doesn't pop. I had the variety with the rope that went through the center. The rope came off pretty quickly but the ball itself is still kicking. It is challenging to pick it up when playing fetch so he is less interested in tearing it to pieces than retrieving. It's poked through with holes but is the only ball that has lasted this long. Still going. Maybe worth checking out.

I’d focus on all around confidence building at home - obedience group class is probably overwhelming for a shy dog, so set your expectations low for slow progress in a class environment.

First of all, I’d implement a Nothing in Life is Free regime at home for now. It sounds harsh but for a fearful dog, knowing what your expectations are can reduce her anxiety and earning affection/privileges successfully by doing what you want her to will help her build confidence and trust in you - which should translate to her looking to you for leadership in all situations.

Work on reinforcing/teaching basic commands at home with really high value treats, lots of short training sessions (90 seconds to 5 minutes each session multiple times a day if possible) and way more reps than you think necessary. Once she has a command down, you can work on transitioning it to the world outside your home.

Puzzle toys are also an effective way to help build confidence. With shy/fearful dogs, we typically feed all meals in puzzle toys - solving them helps boost their morale. The Starmark Bob-a-lot is my favorite for meals, but Kongs are a good option too and the Planet Dog Orbee-Tuff Snoop Dog Toy is another great one.

Nina Ottosson makes great puzzle toys for treat puzzles (too small to feed full meals), with varying levels of difficulty. There are also tons of DIY puzzle toys on the internet. Anything that works her brain and requires her to think through to solve will help her become a more focused, confident dog.

Hopefully all of the above will translate into increased focus and confidence in class too, but if not, you might want to consider doing some in home training if you can (obviously with the caveat that in home training is expensive af, especially compared to group classes, so I totally understand if this isn’t an option). If group classes are your best option, don’t worry too much about her performance IN class, just focus on doing the homework and building up her responsiveness at home and then slowly transition to the outside world.

With regards to men, it’s probably not something you can completely “solve,” but if she’s food motivated and you have male friends she doesn’t know, ask them to come over and hand feed her. This is one of the most effective ways to build a bond. When men are around, have them give her high value treats and ignore her as best you can, so all good things come from men. But let her take it on her own terms and don’t push her either. Contractors can be scary - generally they’re wearing work boots, carrying big/loud/heavy objects, etc., so that may be a situation you just want to manage instead of trying to train her to be more comfortable - just keep her crated or confined to an area where your contractor won’t be, maybe put on a noise machine or the radio and give her a frozen Kong or bully stick to keep her calm when they’re around.

Not all of this will be helpful or apply to you and your dog, I’m sure, but these are some of the things I find the most successful with my fearful fosters! Best of luck to you and your pupper! You sound like a very dedicated owner 💕

Oh Lordy I have a ton...I'll try to categorize them...

Best for Puppies
These are all easy toys that dispense a lot of kibble with very little movement. Perfect for baby puppies or really low-confidence dogs. These can also be upgraded in difficulty later by stuffing them with wet food and freezing, or stuffing with a large, hard to extract treat (like a slice of lunchmeat).

• PetSafe Busy Buddy Twist 'n Treat...total pain in the ass to fill if you put more than half a cup of food in it, but it's a great "intro to puzzle toys" for a dog that has never had to work for food before. Also very easy to clean.
  
• Soda Pup Coffee Cup...representative of a whole genre of "rubber toys with large holes" that make great easy kibble toys or challenging stuff and freeze toys. Some other toys in this genre are the Kong and the West Paw Toppl. I like the Soda Pup ones best because they have higher capacity and a flat bottom.
  
• Planet Dog Orbee Tuff Snoop...pretty easy by itself with kibble, can be made more challenging by stuffing a Mazee ball in the large hole.
  
• Plastic Milk Jug...or a water bottle, raid your recycling bin. You'll have to supervise to make sure your puppy doesn't shred and eat the jug, but it's a relatively easy and fun (and free) enrichment item. Another puzzle toy you may find in your recycling bin is a cardboard box filled with paper balls. Sprinkle some treats in the box, fill with the balls, and let your dog forage around in your DIY ball pit.
  
  Easy Rollers
  These basically just dispense kibble by rolling. Not particularly complex, but good for the dog that prefers to solve puzzles by brute force.
  
  
• IQ Treat Ball...this toy takes the longest to empty out of all my toys, but it is way too freaking small and loud as hell on my hardwood at 6am. Really easy to fill and clean though, as it comes completely apart.
  
• Omega Paw Tricky Treat Ball...a lot quieter but it empties faster and isn't as easy to fill (or clean).
  
• Kruuse Buster Cube...this one is also ungodly loud, but it takes a good while to empty despite the fairly consistent payoff per roll. It's a cube (but they also make a spherical one) and the insides have a few baffles to keep kibble from just falling out.
  
  Wobblers
  These require a more finessed rolling motion to empty, so they're the next step up from just batting a toy around.
  
  
• PetSafe Busy Buddy Kibble Nibble...more of a wobbler/roller hybrid. Surprisingly time-consuming for how huge the holes are, and it gets an A+ for filling and cleaning. Unfortunately my GSD knows how to unscrew it, so it's not much of a challenge for him.
  
• Starmark Bob-A-Lot...lots of ways to adjust the difficulty on this one, which is nice. I had a foster chew the yellow piece off of mine, but it still works well.
  
• Kong Wobbler...pretty standard toy, I actually do not have one of these but I know a lot of people that like them. They're available at big box pet stores which is nice.
  
• Nina Ottosson Pyramid...very similar to the Kong Wobbler, but the hole is in a more difficult location. Good toy but the bottom could use more counterweighting for the wobble action.
  
• PetSafe Busy Buddy Magic Mushroom...really good wobble action, but for some reason it's common for dogs to try and chuck this one down the stairs and break it. I've heard of a few dogs doing this, including my GSD. I have no idea what about this toy screams "fling me down the stairs!"
  
  Complex Action Toys
  These need movement in more than one direction (or very specific movement) to get kibble out of, which makes them pretty challenging.
  
  
• PetSafe Busy Buddy Tug-a-Jug...this toy is hard to learn but easy to master. Once your dog figures out the mechanism it doesn't last long. Also that rope gets SUPER GROSS.
  
• Nina Ottosson Board Games...I don't personally have any of these because my dogs cannot be trusted with small parts, but I've heard people say good things about them.
  
• Trixie Mad Scientist...this toy is cool because the dog has to learn to spin the tubes slowly or centripetal acceleration holds the food in. Good exercise in impulse control. I had a DIY one for awhile but my dogs decided to brute force this toy.
  
  Soothing, Low Energy Toys
  Along with the stuff n' freeze toys, these are good for dogs on crate rest or who need some extra help relaxing before bed.
  
  
• Snuffle Mat...great toy for activating a dog's foraging instincts and calming their minds. This is a good DIY project, or you can get extra lazy and chuck a bunch of food into the grass for nature's puzzle toy.
  
• HyperPet Lickimat...my cats eat their wet food from the orange kind ("buddy"), and my dogs use the green kind ("soother") with some PB or cheese as a distraction during grooming. You can spread a thin layer of something tasty on them and freeze for a long-lasting treat that promotes the calming behavior of licking.
  
  
  My dogs (and cats!) eat all their food out of puzzles so I am constantly on the lookout for new challenges! I'd be happy to provide more details on any of the toys I have, or buy and review any toys people have been wondering about :)
  EDIT: btw this Jackson Galaxy Asteroid is my favorite cat puzzle toy. They really need to make one for dogs because it is kinda quirky with its bounciness and super quiet.

Barking

The trick is not to reward silence after barking, but to shape not barking in the first place. Is your dog reacting to a stimuli? It sounds like he is barking for attention, not as a reaction to a trigger. A better approach would be to shape desired behavior and redirect to a different behavior before rewarding if the dog barks. Try doing place/mat training and focusing on shaping desired behaviors instead of reacting to bad ones. Really focus on offering lots of attention BEFORE the bad behavior starts and set them up on very short duration to practice being quiet (and doing the new desired behavior, like laying on a mat) before reinforcing. If the dog barks, it is very important to completely ignore them (no yelling, no eye contact). In the beginning, you may only offer a simple cue and reward them for doing something ELSE, and use that to build up and add duration to alternative behaviors rather than barking. Simply rewarding NOT barking doesn't teach them what to do instead (the game can easily become "bark then stop to get food"). Try having other people reward the dog randomly with praise, attention or small treats throughout the day. Try to randomize duration and frequency/type of rewards as soon as possible!

It will ALSO be very important to ensure the dog is getting plenty of exercise and stimulation. What is your exercise routine, currently? In addition to daily walks, add in conditioning work and be sure to train new behaviors regularly (tricks, sports, obedience, drill known skills, proof in different situations, etc). You should be spending at least 60-90 minutes every day working and exercising with your dog. JUST walks are usually not enough for a corgi. If you can build up a good routine between desired indoor behavior and plenty of exercise, you will likely see improvement with barking within a few weeks.

Seeing as this is a new dog to you, I'd strongly encourage enrolling in a training class with them and doing at least 2-3 levels of obedience with them, even if your dog know basic obedience already.

There are tips for doing this on the dog training wiki. See :

• Calmness and Relaxation
  
• ABCs of behavior modification
  
• Teach "Go to Bed" with free shaping
  
• Training Basics
  
  
  Waking up routine + Crate problems
  
  This is a routine for her now, so this will likely be the hardest one to work through. You need to do counter conditioning to improve her relationship with her crate and work up to having a good routine around using it at night (and other times during the day). The crate should be a NORMAL routine place, NOT a place for punishment! Never use a crate for 'time out' if the dog already has negative associations with parts of the crate experience! Here is a resource on crate training, you may want to revisit this from the beginning and blend it with place training to help reduce stress/anxiety with the crate.
  
  Ensure she is getting more exercise throughout the day to make it easier for her to sleep. Create a routine about getting up and modify the routine slowly over time to arrive at your final desired behavior. This is really common for training young puppies. An example is : Get up 15 minutes before your dog typically starts barking. Put them on leash. Take them outside on leash. Bring them back inside and put them back to bed (typically back in their crate or back in a controlled area where they sleep). Reward them for laying in bed quietly. Generally you would just let the dog whine and totally ignore them (no eye contact, no speaking, no gestured, nothing), but if you cannot deal with that, you can stay up and use this as an opportunity to work on your quiet alternative behaviors. There are also devices like the manners minder that can be a good tool for these types of scenarios. Over time (think a few weeks of establishing a routine), very gradually start to push back the time you get your dog up by a few minutes. This will take a few months, but is typically how young puppies can be trained to have better morning routines. Management of behavior, shaping of desired behavior, and redirection away from undesired behavior will be key when working through this.
  
  You may be better off starting with group classes at a reputable, positive reinforcement focused training club. Your problems revolve more around a dog lacking manners, routine, boredom, and good ways of asking for what it wants than anything else. A basic obedience course or two will help you build a better working relationship with your dog and likely give you many of the skills you will need to start working through these problems. Your trainer can also help answer questions and give you tips about specific behaviors you are struggling with. Most training classes will range between $80-200 for 4-8 weeks, depending on where you live, who th class is with and the duration of the class.
  
  
  Working through all of this will take time and I recommend breaking up these behaviors into very specific sets of circumstances to work on it. You want to work on changing the dogs reaction to a specific trigger (whatever that trigger is).
  
  Good luck!

I'm just going to start listing off puzzle toys that I like since I don't know which ones you'd used before.
Kong toys are excellent ways to stimulate using food. You can also try food puzzles, such as the IQ Ball or Trixie Pet products. Snuff mats can also be helpful, if your dog likes to "forage" for food.

Licking and chewing can also relieve stress. There's a lick mat that I recently found that my pups really love. You can put something like peanut butter or yogurt on it, freeze it, and my dogs go at it for 30 minutes. For chewing, you can look at variety of different things, such a bully sticks, chew toys, Himalayan dog chews, etc. My dogs like all of the above, but the longest lasting chews for them are Benebones.

Search high and low for these types of toys and puzzles. You can often find discounted pet toys at Marshalls or Ross, if you have these types of stores near you. I know they can be kind of expensive, but a good brand will last forever, and for my dogs, they've been great investments!

You can also make your own games, if you'd rather not purchase toys. Hide treats under plastic cups and tell Micah to "go find!" You can play hide-and-go-seek around the home. For a DIY toy, put treats in a muffin tin and cover each tin with a tennis ball for him to remove. If he is comfortable with these in the house, you can take these types of games outside, too.

Beyond just toys and physical things you can buy to help stimulate and relieve stress, working with your dog can only help. This means basic obedience training. I highly recommend using a clicker-- dogs learn very well when they know exactly what behaviors you want of them.

The benefits of working with your dog? Mental exercise can be as satisfying and grueling at physical exercise -- I'm not saying that it's a substitute for the physical stuff, but it can certainly play part of your dog's overall health. Working with your dog, teaching him basic obedience, and perhaps moving onto some fun tricks will not only turn the gears in Micah's head and give you more of a foundation to work with him in the presence of other dogs, but obedience builds confidence. You're teaching Micah that he has other behaviors he can present in XYZ situation aside from reactivity. It's always important that dogs understand they have a choice, and the choices they make have consequences. In Micah's case, he can get upset at other dogs and bark his head off or he can choose to sit with you and get tasty treats for "watch me" or "shake" or "lie down" or whatever it is you ask of him. One is far more pleasant for both you and him than the other.

You have to work up to these ideal behaviors, of course, but you have to start somewhere! You can google and search on Youtube for basic cues and tricks to teach him. There are some very comprehensive Youtube videos out there that will teach you step by step and make it fun for both you and Micah. Here are some common ones: sit, lie down, watch me, touch, shake, take a bow, rollover, play dead, spin around.

As for physical exercise, you're going to have to find something that works for you, I'm afraid. If you don't have a backyard and are limited on space in the home, you might have to get creative. This might mean taking a jog after dark when no one else walks their dog, assuming you live in a safe neighborhood -- although, with a dog as big as Micah, someone would have to be an idiot to do you harm. You might resort to a flirt pole, fetch, or frisbee in a trusted friend or neighbor's yard. Although kind of pricey, Micah might take to agility training or some other dog sport/activity. You could also engage him in an intense game of fetch/tug if you can find some room in your home.

I can almost guarantee that if Micah gets the energy outlet that his husky/shepherd heart and brain need, he'll be easier to manage and train with regards to reactivity.

I know this is a lot of information. I have more if you want it. There is always hope, and Micah really is lucky to have found you. He will get better in time!

Hi! We adopted a four/five-year-old frenchie a few months ago and have had great success getting her yeast infections, fur, and overall health under control. She was in literally the same situation before she was rescued.

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Our vet prescribed us ketoconazole wipes, which you can get on amazon (for less than the vet price! and it's the same thing!). These have done wonders for her face, paws, and bottom end. If he has yeast on his feet, he probably has it in his tail crease as well. At first, we were going through a pack of these every 3 weeks. Yikes. You can find them here: https://www.amazon.com/Mal-Wipes-Support-Healthy-Dechra/dp/B01IO9563E/ref=sxts_sxwds-bia?hvadid=178372316526&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9002006&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=10651630771226582108&hvtargid=aud-647006051489%3Akwd-33682989493&keywords=mal-a+ket+wipes&pd_rd_i=B01IO9563E&pd_rd_r=17b03f45-b65a-4d10-915a-5f2d282f3f38&pd_rd_w=LhGqy&pd_rd_wg=7jM7d&pf_rd_p=23754a30-606a-4e0a-ba42-b43d14507217&pf_rd_r=NP7E26CJCVV82H56D8V6&qid=1554385994&s=gateway

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She came to us on a grain free diet but the vet put her on a grain-included diet for her heart murmur. We give her Honest Kitchen food and it's been working incredibly well. If you want to remain grain-free, they have an option for that. I linked her favorite flavor. Her tear stains have been clearing up, coat is all shiny, and yeast is more manageable since switching from kibble to this. Also, they have a great intro offer on prime. https://www.thehonestkitchen.com/dog-food/meals/dehydrated-grain-free/dehydrated-grain-free-chicken-dog-food

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Our Phoebe is big for a frenchie (30-35 lbs) and loves walks. She and I do 3-4 miles a day. She also loves to go for hikes and once a week will do a short run. People will tell you that these are "lethargic apartment dogs" but it completely depends on the particular dog. As yours gets healthier, his energy level will increase a lot.

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Also, Phoebe loves clothes. She did not have clothes before us. She will pick out a shirt to wear if I give her options. Her favorites are the Hanna Anderson dog pajamas (here: https://www.hannaandersson.com/discontinued-product/50902-AH1.html?dwvar_50902-AH1_color=AH1&cgid=). I think it's because the fabric is super soft. She also wears sweaters when it's cold, and will pick out which one she wants to wear. She has learned how to help get herself dressed.

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Frenchies should wear harnesses, not collars, because of their lack of defined neck and general lack of skill at breathing. If you're looking to spend money, the canada pooch ones are double adjustable and comfortable. Before she got that one as a special present, she had this one that my parents' beagle used to wear. She loved it, but the elastic was getting old! link here: https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-EasySport-Harness-Adjustable-Reflective/dp/B00HY6TFKE/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=dog+harness+with+handle&qid=1554386488&s=gateway&sr=8-7

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Phoebe loves her toys and is a big chewer. Strong mouth. The toys that have held up best to her are these strange platypus ducks https://www.amazon.com/Multipet-Large-Dog-Toy-Yellow/dp/B000084E7Y/ref=sr_1_3?keywords=duck+dog+toy&qid=1554386781&s=gateway&sr=8-3 and her trash panda, which she picked out at home depot https://www.homedepot.com/p/Loonies-Raccoon-54021/307751080.

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I have lots of opinions and recommendations so feel free to ask me questions! I love to talk about Phoebe. You can also follow her on instagram at @phoebephilothefrenchie.

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!

That is a red eared slider. It is quite possibly the most popular pet turtle species. These turtles are popular because they're prolific and they look like little turtles, unfortunately in a few years that little turtle will have grown exponentially. Most of the time it's a parent who bought the turtle for a kid, kid loses interest, parent doesn't know what to do...

Do not release the turt. It would die in Toronto and even if it did not, environmentally if anyone releases a non indigenous species into the wild, although it sounds harmless enough there are large implications when it comes to OTHER reptile populations. This little turt could mate and create a bunch of other turts that eat up food sources etc...

1. Keep the turt as best you can
   
2. Find a home for the turt via craigslist or a rescue
   
   1A.
   
   A 10 gallon tank would be a great starter tank for a RES this size. 10 gallon tanks usually run about $10 at petsmart or petco so there is probably a similar cost up there
   
   1.B
   
   You will need two lights to run during the day:
   1 UVB fixture with a bulb
   
   and 1 heat lamp. Some people splurge and purchase heat lamp bulbs specifically made for reptiles, however I have found that using a household bulb provides the same amount of heat. User a bulb that the fixture can handle.
   
   1C.
   
   The turt will need a basking platform. There are super cool options but simple and efficient is the way to go if you're starting.
   
   1D.
   
   You will need a filter. Turtles poop a lot more than fish do so when you're shopping for filters always double the GPH needed to account for the extra nitrates.
   
   1E.
   
   You will need food. Every food is different and let me tell you from experience that you can spend hours researching what is best to feed your turtle...
   
   Protein:
   
   I have learned that omnivorious turtles such as a red eared slider do well if they are started with a protein rich diet and then transition into adulthood with an omnivorous diet.
   
   I would suggest doing the following: go to the grocery store and buy a small Salmon fillet. It may seem silly, but it will last you a very long time. Keep the Salmon in the freezer and feed the turt a few small strips (a serving size should be thought of as, if the turts head were empty, how much food could you fit in it). Make the strips small enough so that the turtle can swallow it.
   
   Feeding tip: Salmon or any other form of protein such as bloodworms, krill etc... can be quite messy because of the amount of oil in the meat. Many turtle keepers (me included) prefer to feed turtles outside of the tank in order to keep the living tank clean. get a small rubbermaid tub or something, make sure it's clean of course and fill it up with enough water for the turt to float around. feed the turt in that water, when you're done, discard the water and put the fat n happy turt back in the living tank. This method lowers the frequency of water changes and keeps the tank cleaner. Handling the turtle like this to feed is also helpful to make the turtle okay with being handled.
   
   Calcium:
   
   As you will read, reptiles need calcium in order to stay healthy. Snakes need calcium in the form of rat bones, bearded dragons eat crickets but turtles do best when supplemented with a cuttlebone. There are turtle specific cuttlebones but they're more expensive and the only real different is that they do not have the hard backing that the cuttlebones for birds have. All you have to do to remove the backing is toss it in a saucepan, boil it for a minute or so, let it cool and then that backing can peel off. This also softens up the cuttlebone some. It's not easy to get the backing off in one fell swoop, but turtles don't care if the cuttlebone is in one big piece or if it's in little white chunks. Calcium supplementation is vital for young turts just as the protein is. Once a week or so is good for calcium.
   
   I have rambled. I am passionate about reptiles so I tend to nerd out. Anyway. Please feel free to PM me with questions, I would really love to help in any way.
   
   Chad

The basics (food, leash, collar, dishes, crate) will probably already be taken care of. I'd focus on training and positive dog-kid interaction, because it will set the stage for their relationship. If they're working together then it's easier to commit long term and be responsible, because it's enjoyable.

I guess it depends how much money are you looking to spend.

In the upper ranges, you could pay for a puppy kindergarten class (great for socialization, great for everyone involved).

Or maybe, a manners minder, a very effective training tool.

In the less expensive categories,

What about puzzle toys? They'll keep the puppy mentally stimulated, keep him quiet(er) when left alone, and give your family some peaceful breaks from the chaos. People need to destress too, in order to interact with dogs successfully.

• kong is a classic. Smear some peanut butter on the inside and it's like a puppy pacifier. Or, stuff it with mushy dog food and freeze it for an even longer lasting activity.
  
• JW treat ball is more active and will tire a puppy out. Treat balls are good for feeding kibble at mealtimes (no need to use dishes at every meal!).
  
  Maybe a portable dog water bottle/bowl for long walks? Something like this: gulpy water. That would encourage the idea of exercise and getting out and about, and also the idea that the puppy's well being and safety need to be accounted for.
  
  Books are a good idea too. It depends what his reading level is, and how much he enjoys reading. I wouldn't want to make puppy care tedious or a chore. There's a good training booklist here http://www.reddit.com/r/Dogtraining/wiki/books. If you think those would be a bit too heavy for him, maybe a book of dog trick ideas would be fun.
  
  The sooner kids interact positively with a puppy, the better it will go in the long run. On that note, like flibbertygiblet said, a clicker, treat bag, and a bag of tiny stinky treats would be a great idea. If you go the clicker route, I'd recommend starting with a quiet one, so the puppy doesn't get startled at first. Kids and puppies can be a bit unpredictable, so better safe than sorry. I like the iClick model.
  
  
  

I am not a trainer so take this with a grain of salt (I am training my own SD currently with assistance of a trainer, though). I'd definitely recommend clicker training, too.

For puppies, I'd start out feeding them out of your hand (to prevent resource guarding) and then transition to a bowl in your lap. Or feed him in a kong in his crate (put some water in a serving of dry food, mix it and freeze it in the kong). Be sure when you crate him to give him lots of teething and chew toys (no stuffed animals because they could be torn up), no rope toys (because they could be swallowed and make him sick), and no squeaky toys (for obvious reasons). Give him positive association with the crate (throw treats in and around it, feed him in it, put chew toys in it, etc) Be sure to let him outside enough during the night (since he's so young) but don't let him out every time he barks or he will think every time he barks, he gets to leave. For things to chew, I'd recommend any type of chew toy, split antlers, hooves, and benebones. (Don't do rawhides, though)

I'd recommend doing a lot of socializing and building your bond at this point (especially since he's a GSD, if he's not socialized enough he could become protective of you). Get him used to traveling in a car. Touch all over his body and get him used to being touched (for grooming purposes). Do a puppy socialization class if you can. Carry him into pet friendly stores and get him used to lots of situations & have good meetings with strangers and let them pet him. Get into a routine. Feeding, exercising, crating, etc. all at the same time every day. Don't let him sleep in your bed at a young age. While he's still potty training, crating is essential. And make sure he can walk on a loose leash (and use training collars to help with this if you want to).

Start with basic obedience (come, sit, down, stand, stay, etc.) and do a lot of self control training. I'd keep him on a leash at all times. What I do with my dog is give her a "place" that she stays on all the time when we're at home and not playing or exercising (and she's on a leash too but I'd recommend getting some type of tether instead to keep him in his place). This teaches them to settle. Reward being calm and work on waiting (like drop a treat and they have to wait for you to say "okay!" and waiting to go through doors, etc.). Do not let him get into behaviors like jumping on people or counter surfing.

Then after all of that is solid (and he's older), do a lot of PA training. Then work on task training. Here is a good video on medical alerts. I don't know if seizure alert training is similar to other medical alerts but I hope that the video is helpful.

For training help, I'd recommend this YouTube channel.

> I wouldn't register him if he wasn't ready or able to do it though.

I don't know where you live but in the US, there's no such thing as registering.

(Source) Look at questions 7 and 17

Good luck with your dog!

I am currently working with a fear-aggressive dog. The absolute best thing to do is find a positive trainer who is experienced with this. Do not punish the barking, any negative reinforcement will increase the anxiety your dog feels. You want to move her to a distance where she feels safe and have someone come in, give her treats if (and only if she stays calm.) You need to try to find a distance where she is not too aroused. Have a friend come and stand by the door if thats what you need, then once she is calm have them jiggle the door knob, etc. If that is too much you can start by rewarding her for staying calm for noises outside. You can also practice giving her a cue to lie down on her mat before ever having anyone over.

Another helpful trick is "go home" once you get cricket to the point where she is comfortable when people enter if she is far from the door you can train her to go to her mat on cue, so that you can tell her to go to her safe spot when people come over. A relaxed down (stretched or on her side) is even better than sphinx style. She will learn that when people are over and she is on her mat she gets treats, otherwise she gets nothing.

To do this teach her 'down' and then have her lie on her mat. Every time she does this say "good go home!" once she has gotten the cue that "go home" is the same as down when she is on her mat, move two feet away and try again. This will take some patience, she may not understand immediately that "go home" means she needs to go to her mat. Just wait, if you get too frustrated you can move closer. Slowly increase the distance you are from the mat when you tell her "go home." It will help to give her the "go home" cue and then feed her on her mat. My dog gets super excited about it now. It can also help to have the manners minder so you can reward from a distance.

I would also suggest Control Unleashed by Leslie McDevitt. Particularly the "look at that!" game - where you teach your pup that whenever she looks at what she is afraid of she gets a treat.

Another excellent book is On Talking Terms with Dogs: Calming Signals by Turid Ragaas it's a really easy read and a really good introduction to doggy behavior. When dogs get nervous they have a whole range of signals they show to calm themselves down and to tell other dogs (or educated people) that they are nervous. You may see her flick her tongue, yawn, shake, sniff the ground, etc. You should reward these behaviors, since encouraging them will help Cricket stay calm.

Obviously I could go on and on. The main thing is try to make people coming over as good an experience as possible for her so that she becomes less and less afraid. You will also need a reward marker - for instance "Yes!" or preferably a clicker. The idea is you click exactly when she does something good. She lays down click. She yawns click. Yes! is somewhat less precise and it's undesirable to have inflections that she will try to interpret. Obviously teach her what these markers mean before using them in the stressful situation. (click then treat, click treat, Cricket! click when she looks then treat, etc.)

EDIT:

One more thing - be sure to completely ignore her barking. Do not try to comfort her, or give her treats. In fact the best thing to do is have your friend stand there and let her tire herself out. As soon as she stops and takes a breath reward her (a clicker is really useful here.) You can even have the friend move farther away when she stops. The idea is "barking gets you nothing, calm gets you everything." Obviously do your best to limit the times when she triggers, but they will inevitably happen

Good luck!

Oh, and there is a very low traffic dogtraining subreddit where dog nerds like me will be happy to go on long training rants for you any time :-)

I don't think I have too much to add beyond the great advice others have given you, but I just want to encourage you to hang in there. We definitely went through similar frustrations (adopted a 2y/o lab border collie mix 10 months ago), and plenty of tears over this with our pup. I'm not going to lie, the first few weeks, and even months were hard, very hard at times -- we'd solve problems, and then others would pop up, and 10 months in, we're still figuring things out, but at this point, not a day goes by that I'd wish for it any other way. A great thing to remember is your pup has lived for a year in who knows what condition with who knows what, if any rules. Dogs love routine, so give the guy a chance to build a routine with you and reward him when he's being good without you asking. It won't happen overnight, but a very precise routine helped us tremendously. Other game-changers that others have already mentioned -- fetch on a long-lead to replace one of his walks in the late afternoon (this was the BEST thing we ever did, and taught him a great drop while we were at it, and has also helped buckets with recall -- also just got a flirt pole, which is equally amazing), using brain games to feed him (if he's a chewer like mine, and can clean a frozen kong out in 5 minutes, start with this one, since it's too big to easily chew, on the flip-side, it's also pretty hard: https://www.amazon.com/OurPets-Buster-Interactive-Large-Colors/dp/B003A23HZK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466528343&sr=8-1&keywords=dog+cube -- totally nuts how much this tires my pup out, panting and everything, not to mention 20 minutes of peace), impulse control training, and capturing calm techniques. My pup is too anxiety prone for daycare settings, but if you can find a facility that works for your pup, this is amazing too, even for just a couple of hours a week, not to mention fantastic for socialization. Once we got my pup's leash skills a bit more under control (this took him months, ack!), running with him was also a great addition. You got this, and I can almost promise you, it will get better!!!

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.
  

How much physical and mental exercise is he getting daily right now (in hours)?

It sounds like he's food motivated! An easy way to introduce some mental stimulation is to get some treat dispensing puzzles and feed him his meals in those! If he's never done them before I would get a few and start him off on an easy one first. This one is a great one to get started with and this one has a piece in the middle you can take out or put in for more difficulty. Other than that, just two 5-10 minute sessions of trick or obedience training daily can make a big difference. There's lots of great guides on youtube for that. Taking a fun training or sports class together is also a great way to tire out his brain and body and a wonderful way to bond and become closer.

As far as off leash back yard play time, I always like to recommend a flirt pole. They are super easy to make yourself or you can order off Amazon. I've got a BC/Cattle Dog mix and we like to alternate flirt pole, fetch, tug/keep away/chase, and blowing bubbles!

But honestly if he's getting a lot of exercise and fairly chill, not destructive or having other behavior issues he might just be fine. Not all dogs like to snuggle or be right up in your face all the time.

Congrats!! If you've never had a puppy before, my #1 recommendation is to get a trainer who will come to your house and work with you. They are more for you than for the dog. We did that and while it was really expensive, it was a blessing!

One thing our trainer told us is to let the puppy have access to only a little bit of the house at a time. A crate helps with that, but we didn't want it to feel like punishment and we wanted to be able to let him play around just as a dog in a controlled area. So we bought this playpen and zip tied it to the crate. You can also get linoleum to put underneath the playpen area, but make sure it's all one sheet (otherwise he'll chew on the ends). That also helps clean up potty mistakes!

Speaking of potty, we got a little bell to put on the door. We made him nudge it with his nose or paw (basically picked him up) every time we went out. Then when we finally let him explore more, he knew how to let us know he had to go. Of course, he also used it just as an excuse to go outside, so there's that.

You mentioned you're good to go on crates--did you get one that is life stages and lets you adjust how much room is available? Not a huge deal if not, but if you did, make sure you use it. They don't need a whole lot of room in the crate because they'll just pee on one end and sleep on the other.

For grooming, you don't really need a lot for a puppy (at least in our experience, and our older dog grew up to be a HUGE fluffball). You're more likely to hurt him and turn him off. For our grown up guys, we use a pin brush, a rake brush, a de-matting comb, grooming scissors, and dremmel. We also do your normal ear cleaning solution (we get ours from the vet, so I don't remember the brand offhand, it's the same thing as online) and shampoo. This is what we used when they were puppies. Another essential is puppy wipes for pesky danglers and muddy paws.

For a puppy, though, I really wouldn't use all that stuff. We used a little kong brush to get him used to a brush on his fur, but we didn't even use that until his fur was a little longer (but still too short to use the other brushes). The big thing with grooming a puppy is getting him used to you touching him EVERYWHERE. Stick your fingers in his ears and mouth, rub all over his paws, make him lay down on his back in your lap, etc. Definitely start on nails asap--even if you don't actually trim them, just holding the dremmel up to their nails and getting them used to it helps A LOT. Also the ear cleaner is an essential for golden puppies. Our trainer and vet both told us to drop it in their ears, let them shake their heads, then use q-tips in all the nooks and crannies.

Other essential products are LOTS of toys. You'll figure out real quick what your guy likes. Our first dog was more of a casual chewer, so fabric toys worked, but our second dog LOVES to eat fabric so we had to go with hard toys only. I highly recommend toys by West Paw! As you know, golden puppies will chew on LITERALLY EVERYTHING so you need a backup distractor toy at all times to replace the flavor of the minute. Keep in mind that if you give up trying to stop them chewing on something (say, for example, your computer chair), they will think it's ok to chew on that for the rest of their life. :(

We also got a slow-feeder bowl because our guys gobble down their food like it will disappear if they don't. And if your guy is really annoying with the water bowl (i.e., repeatedly knocking it over), don't worry too much--he'll grow out of it. I recommend keeping a towel under it until he learns all he wants to know about water!

Have fun with your little guy!!!! I'll add anything else I can think of later but feel free to ask if there's anything else you're curious about!

"Dogs are not our whole life, but they make our lives whole."

I like the puppy and day of adventures ones. <3 Perfect memories of your pup.

So sorry for your loss. <3 I get all depressed just thinking about what I will do when time comes, I only hope that when it does, at least my pets have lived a happy life with the ones they love. And obviously it looks like yours did, so that makes it just a tiny bit easier.

This is my dog, Merlin, and also probably the kitten in there. He is deaf, and really dumb, but he is MY first pup I picked out, and I love him like no other, plus he is so damn cute and goofy. He also is generally good with my daughter and just a good member of our family.

An Antler for him would be awesome, they're one of his fave things and his is down to a nub, but they're expensive.

• Dishes: should be stainless steel and washed every time you use them. I feed raw in big, frozen chunks which slow my dog down.
  
• Collars: I don't trust the little 3/4" plastic slide release buckles on most collars. Depending on the material they have a 100-200lb breaking strength and can be brittle in the cold. Fine for a little dog, but my 130lb guy gets a 2" double layer leather with welded steel hardware AKA an agitation collar. This Collar is incredibly well made and a great value. In regards to your opinion on "shock collars" - remote stimulation collars are very effective training tools when used properly. The idea is not to cause pain, it's to use it at a stimulation level that your dog barely notices and train him that that sensation means you want his attention. I use mine at a level that just barely tingles the back of my hand and can recall my dog when he's out of earshot. I can also use it to get his attention when off leash in noisy areas and give him hand signals. I use the vibrate function like one would use a clicker - to mark behavior that I want to encourage. Granted, most people use them totally incorrectly.
  
• Leash: I use a 3/4" by 5' biothane leash. It's strong, grippy and has a O-ring on the handle for tying your dog to a parking meter, etc. Retractable leashes aren't allowed under my local leash laws (though many people still use them). I hate them. You are not 100% in control of your dog unless it is locked and at that point, you might as well use a regular leash.
  
• Toys: Tuffy's Mega Ring last decently well for a soft toy. My dog goes through kong extremes in a week and most "indestructible" toys in a matter of minutes or hours. For me, it's all about cheap toys. If you can train your dog not to swallow bits that he rips off, mine loves big, orange, traffic cones which you can pick up for $2.
  
• Crates: Depends on the dog. Mine can be alone at home for 16 hours and not "investigate" the garbage, bark, or get into any trouble at all. We've trained him to open the door and relieve himself in a corner of our patio if he needs to. He also gets 2 hours of vigorous off-leash exercise every morning and an hour walk in the evening - he's all about a nice quiet day on the couch.
  
• Brushes: Not a fan of the furminator - it cuts hair, not brushes it. The sticky silicone Kong ZoomGroom is great at pulling off loose hair/undercoat.

>However I think I have to replace the motherboard (not quite sure what the best word for the main controller board is). Why would I have to do this?

Because the melzi board in your printer (saying main print controller board / main controller board is fine) doesn't have enough memory in it for a feature like auto bed leveling. It's pretty much using all it's extra pins and available memory to run the version of repetier host on it (which is an older version before they added auto bed leveling).

>Could I not just replace the Z endstop switch, and wire the inductive sensor into the same inputs?

You could, but your firmware is still going to do what it's still doing, which is probe for X min, Y min, Z min, all only at 1 point. Auto bed leveling can be set up to probe multiple points on the print bed, then adjust the Z level in realtime while it's printing to make sure it's keeping the nozzle the same height from the print bed at all times. For example lets say your front left corner of your bed is at Z height 0, your front right corner is at Z+0.5mm, your printer will adjust the z height as it's printing left to right +0.5mm.

>If I do in fact need to replace the motherboard, what would my best option be?

Cheapest option is a ramps 1.4 board.. You can find them cheaper than amazon, but you'll at least need to get the arduino mega 2560, the ramps 1.4 shield, and the stepper drivers (A4988's are what your melzi board has). Basically, the display is optional if you want it to be cheaper, just remember you can't use your current melzi display on ramps though. That being said, changing over isn't too difficult, but it scares a lot of people away because it's pretty easy to fry a ramps board if you don't follow directions too closely, and it requires uploading firmware to the board (which means downloading arduino software, loading a sketch -- the link has a copy already preconfigured for the i3, but there's plenty of tutorials on the net for changing options over to using a Z probe and enabling auto bed leveling). It's a bit of new learning for new people.. but again, there's plenty of tutorials out there now on how to get it done. That being said, if you do learn how to do it, it opens up a lot of cool new options, you can pick from different firmwares like repetier host or marlin, configure lots of new features available in firmware (have the printer turn on LED lights when starting a print, etc..)

That all being said, if you want the easiest, cheapest fix, buy a new carriage plate for your heated bed. The one that comes on a lot of the newer I3's is prone to warping / bending and that's probably why you can't get a completely level bed. Swapping it out for a better quality one means you can forgo all that other work and have a bed that can be level with your current setup.. it's a lot less work and learning and probably a better solution that using auto bed leveling to solve a problem you'd want to fix anyway even with auto bed leveling.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MUAMRN7/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

upgraded carriage plate, should be one of the first things you do, the stock one is flimsy and prone to warping, making the print bed extremely hard to level reliably.

https://www.amazon.com/Micro-Hotend-SLOTTED-Cooling-Wanhao/dp/B01E1HANLS/ref=sr_1_fkmr3_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1497736485&sr=8-1-fkmr3&keywords=i3+plus+all+metal+hotend

all metal hotend will enable you to print at much higher temp, and increase reliability of the print head. not strictly needed, but a great upgrade if you want to print abs, petg, or other higher temp filaments.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01HCVJ3K2/ref=sxr_rr_xsim_1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=3008523062&pd_rd_wg=sUxZ5&pf_rd_r=W5Q7RV181EJYGTBW4YDJ&pf_rd_s=desktop-rhs-carousels&pf_rd_t=301&pd_rd_i=B01HCVJ3K2&pd_rd_w=ZPXZq&pf_rd_i=tri+gorilla&pd_rd_r=F2X8G4XDPCVTNXX6J560&ie=UTF8&qid=1497736655&sr=1

heater bed mosfet upgrade. again, not strictly needed, but also useful for high temp filaments like abs, as you can run the heated bed at higher temps. also solves (small possibility, i3 plus supposedly fixed issue) of stock mosfet burning out and catching fire.

https://www.thingiverse.com/search?q=i3+plus+cooler&sa=&dwh=295945a7ab3d0cd

print a cooling fan shroud, i use the ciiicooler, the diiicooler is great as well. preferably in abs. BIG quality improvement, the stock fan is useless.

these are some of the ones i use, and there's a lot of other things you can do, extruder gear, improved bearings, too many to count really, just a matter of how far you want to go for incremental gains. the carriage plate and the cooling fan shroud are the only strictly necessary ones though.

oh and i made my own version of this z-brace, don't have the files anymore unfortunately, but this one is fine:

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:1653631

that's also something you should do asap.

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.

Thanks! He's such a dream, I love my little Buckley. :)

Good idea with teeth-brushing, routine is the best way to get a puppy settled and behaving well. As for nail-clipping, basically you can just start as soon as his nails are getting too long. How long this will take heavily depends on your dog and his activity - if he spends a lot of time walking/running on hard surfaces like cement, they will stay worn down more and need to be trimmed less often, but if he spends more time on softer surfaces like grass/carpet you'll need to trim them more often. The dewclaw will need to be trimmed more often as it is above the ground, so keep an eye on that. Your best bet for knowing when to trim them is to ask your vet - you'll be seeing your vet frequently in the first few weeks/months anyway for his puppy shots so just ask how his nails are looking and if you should give them a trim. We just clipped my basset's nails for the first time about 2 weeks ago (so 12 weeks old), and he spends a decent amount of time on cement surfaces.

I'd recommend guillotine clippers, as those are easier to use on dog's nails. Nail files are also useful to just smooth out the nail after it gets clipped (since they can splinter a bit after clipping and be extremely scratchy). Just use LOTS of treats, praise, and high-reward toys after he gets his nails clipped so he learns that nail trimming = fun! Most dogs are uncomfortable with nail trims, so he might never love it, but he may at least tolerate it without squirming around which will make it MUCH easier on you.

If nail clipping does end up being problematic, you can get a Dremel nail grinder. They're a little pricier, but effective and they prevent the nail from splintering, which is a problem with clipping.

Both my pup have been road tripping since they were 8 weeks so keep that in mind. We also recently moved from East to West coast with our pups which meant a pretty long road trip (3 14 hour days). Since yours is use to the car a 4 hour road trip shouldn't be a problem as long as he doesn't get car sick.

So make sure you have a copy of vet records (at least proof of shots) with you. A dog first aid kit is good to keep on hand, [I have this one in my car] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CL0PB9W/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_gXwdBbKKGXYPY). To prevent car sickness make sure they don't eat an hour or two prior to the trip. Benedryl makes them sleep (1mg per lb) so it can help if they're anxious. Also have your vet's phone number on hand as well as a 24hr emergency clinc for the area you'll be in.

For the ride itself, I stop about every 2-4 hours (whenever I get gas) or if they are acting like they need a potty. They ride in the back seat on a car hammock. I cover it with blankets too for comfort and easy clean up for accidents. It's also suggested to buckle up your dog with a car safe harness, I really only do this if one is riding in the front seat.

For hotels, I like staying with la Quinta but BringFido is a good resource for finding hotels and activities you can do with your dog. When we were in a hotel, we used chairs to block of the area immedietly by the door since our pups would bark when people were loud in the halls. We also left the TV running to help cover up random noises they heard to help prevent barking.

Make sure you bring toys, blankets, treats, water and extra food. Nothing sucks more than trying to find your dog food while you're in a new area. Also would recommend bringing an extra leash and collar just in case.

If you have any specific questions or anything I can sure help.

They don't have squeakers but I've had good success with rope toys. Not all dogs like rope toys, and some dogs shred them, if your dog shreds them then they shouldn't be allowed to play with them. For dogs that just chew the rope and try to untie the knots, I've had them last 5 or 6 months. An XL 3-knot like this could work (I usually get the large for a 40 - 60lb dog).

If you really like squeaky toys, you might try duckworth (the yellow one). There's nothing special about the materials or construction of this toy (meaning he'd delicate) of but for reasons I do not understand dogs that have destroyed all squeaky toys at my house have played with duckworth without damaging him. If you do try this, cut off that black thing on his head. He didn't have that when I bought him, but if he did I think it would be his undoing.

Overall though, I don't think dog toys are BIFL items. They're generally pretty inexpensive and given that your dog's jaws are strong, their teeth are fragile and you expect them to use their strong jaws and fragile teeth to chew on the toy, it's just not a recipe for a long lasting toy (or the toy lasts but the dog's teeth don't, which isn't a win overall).

Yeah, most of those would get destroyed in minutes in our house.

Firstly, as I'm sure you know, plan to take her on a decent walk first. It's not always possible, but it helps with the process. Then there's a little wind-down time when we get back to the house.

Anyway, as for toys, your real question, I suggest one of these two:

http://www.amazon.com/StarMark-Bob---Lot-Interactive-Small/dp/B003YHB8EI/

http://www.amazon.com/OurPets-Smarter-Interactive-Inches-Colors/dp/B003ARUKTG/

We get some tiny little treats to pop in there and it has good success. Noodle still tries to play with it at my feet, but at least it keeps him occupied. But, as Aussies are velcro pups, he only plays with it in the same room that we're in.

The other thing that could help (if what you want to get done is in the same general area) is to keep treats in your pocket and continuing to reward for staying on her bed. So as you're working, toss a treat back. Maybe every 30 seconds at first and then lengthen the time. Our "Go to your bed" command is pretty rock solid at this point...but the staying part is certainly something that can be continuously worked on.

Good luck! And seriously, that Weazeball will die a horrible death in minutes. Don't waste your money.

Get them into training ASAP. They can be a stubborn, headstrong, energetic breed. In the wrong hands, this could be a disastrous combination.

They have razor sharp puppy teeth that they like to put to good use. You will most likely end up with some handsome red scratches on your legs/arms/face/etc. Do not fret, this is normal.

If you did not know already, this breed is prone to hip dysplasia. The occurrence of hip dysplasia is based on mainly genetics, weight, and exercise. Hopefully you got your pup from a good breeder who screens the parents' hips and elbows, as orthopedically sound parents will more likely produce orthopedically sound pups. You can also help reduce the likelihood of HD by keeping your GSD lean and on a healthy food. I recommend Victor Nutra Pro here https://www.chewy.com/victor-select-nutra-pro-active-dog/dp/129281 You can find other good foods on Dog Food Advisor. In addition, here is a chart that illustrates the different body types of dogs: http://www.dummies.com/pets/dogs/how-to-evaluate-your-dogs-weight/ This is just a general guideline of course - the healthy body types will vary slightly by breed. But this is a good starting point. Last point is exercise. Don't put too much stress on their joints at a young age. Ie, don't run them too much, have them jump too much, etc. Keep the exercise low impact at this stage.

I recommend feeding your pup from a Long Wobler, as they can tend to eat fast. You can find them on Amazon here https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003ALMW0M/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496502891&sr=8-1&keywords=kong+wobbler

I recommend brushing out their fur with a rake and Kong Zoom Groom. You can also find them on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0062Z0RPA/ref=mp_s_a_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1496502790&sr=8-3&keywords=dog+rake+brush and https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0002AR19Q/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496502846&sr=8-1&keywords=zoom+groom&dpPl=1&dpID=51QkRAxrf0L&ref=plSrch

I would highly recommend crate training. It's one of the best things you could do for your dog. I like the Midwest 48" crate here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000QFWCLY/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1496503032&sr=8-1&keywords=midwest%2Bicrate%2Bfolding%2Bmetal%2Bdog%2Bcrate&th=1&psc=1

Let me know if you have any questions!

Now that I think about it, she does it sometimes. I've always thought she was trying really hard not to fall asleep when she does it.

I brush her about once a week. She hates the brush with a fiery passion though so it usually ends up with me chasing her around with it. This is the one I use. I found that she has really light hairs and they come out really easily so that brush is great because it doesn't scratch her and also picks up loose hair with static since it's rubber. She keeps really good care of her fur though so the brushing once a week is pretty sufficient.

I also give her a trim once in awhile when I notice that her hair is blocking her eyes (she tends to run into walls then but I've read that hair in front of the eyes can be helpful for albinos since they're more sensitive to light. maybe something particular to the rabbit then). She also gets hay stuck in her face fluff so I try to trim it down a bit. If you do this, be very careful of trimming the whiskers by accident. They'll grow back but they're important for a rabbits balance. I also trim down her butt fluff once she starts catching things (hay and stuff) in it.

You're in for a joyride once his heavy shed starts. :) I recommend investing in lots and lots of lint rollers. Especially if you have any black clothing. Cricket goes through a heavy shed once every three months (probably with the seasonal change) and a not as heavy shed every month. During any of her sheds but especially the heavy ones, you can basically see clouds of fluff drifting everywhere in my apartment. :)

Congrats on your bun though. Lots of binky's and love coming your way!

Edit: A quick warning on the brush thing. I've found that furminators and any metal brushes tend to pull out more hair than anything else. It might just be particular to my rabbit but be careful nonetheless!

I have heard good things about this training club: http://www.sicdtc.org/
They appear not to offer private lessons, but perhaps you could call and see if you can get any kind of referral to a positive reinforcement trainer who will be able to come to your home. Failing that, their basic obedience classes might be enough to help you, particularly because there will be other people in the class, who might participate in reinforcing the no jumping, no mouthing behavior. Is this specific to guests in your home or does she do this with strangers outside as well?

I agree with /u/SuffragettePizza that board and trains are usually at best ineffective (because dogs don't generalize training well as he/she points out) and at worst harmful if the trainers use harsh methods you don't agree with - I would be particularly concerned about this with a muscled larger dog because there is some perception that these types of dogs need to be "forced into submission" and "only shocks and corrections work," etc. If you lose the argument with your dad and absolutely must use a board-and-train, Instinct Dog Training in Harlem uses only positive reinforcement in their board-and-train program. It would be a real trek for you, but I'd hate if you sent Genie elsewhere where they shocked her every time she jumped :(. This could make her go from being over excited to aggressive.

Here are some suggestions for the jumping behavior.

Do not let her practice this behavior. Jumping and mouthing is self-reinforcing so every time she does it, she gets rewarded for it and it becomes more likely that she will repeat this behavior in the future. If you do not wish to train her or work with her when particular guests come over, put her in a different room or contain her in some other way: crate her or tether her to her bed or mat and give her a chew toy to work on while your guests are present. Occasionally give her treats for remaining calm in the presence of guests.

I initially used the Treat and Train, which was specifically invented to reinforce calmness around guests. It's expensive, but not as expensive as several training sessions, and if you follow the dvd's instructions, it really does work, although it's a bit large and clunky and occasionally jams. I believe there are other treat dispensing machines out there so you can do more research into which one is the best one. I would actually pay the $100 just for the dvd that comes with the Treat and Train though because it has some really solid, comprehensive, easy to understand training videos especially tailored for overexcited jumpy dogs.

When you have guests who are able and willing to participate in training, keep her on a leash when they enter and prevent her from jumping on them or mouthing them. Tell your guests to complete ignore her, even turn their back on her, when she jumps and only pet her when she's sitting or lying down. To speed up this process, you can keep a jar of treats by the door and have the guest place the treat on the floor at their feet so Genie is forced to keep her head down to eat the treat as she gets petted. Here is a Kikopup video demonstrating this concept: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lC_OKgQFgzw. Depending on how willing you are to act like a crazy person, you can practice this with one of your family members first to make it easier for Genie so she starts to understand what behavior is expected of her before a real exciting guest arrives. So, like, you could have your dad ring the bell, and then enter and pretend to greet everyone just as a guest would.

Sorry for the novel, hope this helps!

Not sure if this allowed couldn’t find anything in about section that prohibits sharing links but here ya go!

Nina Ottoson Outward Hound Dog Brick Treat Puzzle Dog Toy https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0711Y9XTF/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dzNPDbQ0N6AW1


PAW5: Wooly Snuffle Mat - Feeding Mat for Dogs (12" x 18") - Encourages Natural Foraging Skills - Easy to Fill - Fun to Use Design - Durable and Machine Washable - Perfect for Any Breed https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N1FV55I/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_dANPDbB4NDWAG

The last thing we did was get tennis balls and a muffin tin, filled a few with treats and covered the muffin slots with the balls to have her sniff them out.

And the easiest is to hide treats and have her sniff them out throughout the house.

This - make eating fun, engaging, and mentally stimulating!

My guy eats every single meal out of either a Kong or one of these. I do a lot of work and mental development with him, and if I could only do one thing, it would be the practice of active feeding.

I very seriously cannot recommend it enough. The mental exercise every meal seems like nothing, but the dog is not only doing it a few times a day, every day, but also getting rewarded for problem solving. If you want a smarter, more resourceful, calmer, and happier dog, practice active feeding!

Hi. I'm late, and my stuff is similar to yours but I'll show you anyway.

Our piglet LOVES this thing, we put cheerio halves inside: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YHB8EI?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

I made this rooting box last wknd during the snow storm and he now uses it once a day. I went the cheap route w the pans until I knew he'd actually use it. That's regular hay sprayed down with water and we add raw cut up veggies.
http://imgur.com/YM4DK4r

Also, this bed is the best. He roots in it 24/7 and tires himself out. I also have a hot water bottle in there that is kind of heavy, he likes digging under it and rooting into it too.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B008GQV68U?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s00

Good luck!

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.

My family's big into Bostons...my mom has had 8 total in her life. They are notorious toy destroyers. My first Boston is 1 1/2 now.

The owner at a pet store in town advised that we have "play" toys, and "chew" toys... so if we notice her chewing on a "play" toy, we take it away. For chew toys, I've given up on a lot of things and I advise either getting an edible antler or a bully ring It's completely digestible and doesn't mess with their stomach.

I've had some good luck with Chuck-It. As for balls, my BT loves this huge one, which is pretty durable because it's twice her size: kick fetch ball They also make small rubber balls and "indoor" balls that work well.

My BT loves fetch so we got her both a Kong and Chuck-It frisbee. They've lasted a while but we take them away from her once we're inside, otherwise she'll destroy them.

There's also this company called Helping Udders that is fairly durable toys, made from recycled stuff, and you can donate 15% of your purchase to a BT rescue. Mine loved those :)

Last bit of advice: if a toy doesn't last very long, take a picture and write the company a letter. I've done this a couple times and without fail, the company will send you a more durable product to try out. With one, it turns out it was a design flaw that they had fixed; the new product lasted much, much longer.

Good luck!

We did so much polite behavior training yesterday. Kirin did downs and sits while waiting for dogs, scooters, etc to pass! We had a funny moment with this guy watching us train and then he joined us for like 5 mins of our walk asking about him and the breed 😂. That was new for me ..

PS my American peeps the treat and train is on SUPER SALE on Amazon. $63+ tax! Ours gets here today which we bought off a friend and I'm so exited to use it for mat work!

PetSafe Treat & Train Manners Minder Remote Reward Dog Trainer https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0010B8CHG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_PpDPDbPE2XATX

Hey there, I know exactly what you're dealing with. I Love pit bulls and had one for 13 years. Now my dog was very very chill when it came to bath time and getting his nails trimmed. But I also had him since he was 4 weeks old and I used to mess with him all the time while we would lay together ( put fingers in his mouth, ears, play with his toes, etc. ) which i think helps. Anyways my roommate has a blue and our dogs lived together and she HATED getting her nails trimmed.. mind you shes about 65 lbs with a massive head. Built like a tank and super strong. We would have hold her down unfortunately as best as we could. Literally my roommate would hold her with all his strength and I would take one of those pet grooming dremel kits (I got on amazon) and just go for it. Those dremels worked the best in my experience, really easy and fast. Before we had the dremel and just clippers it was almost impossible to trim her nails. I know it sucks to have to hold the dog down but maybe that dremel would help you. Also we would leave it out for her too, to help her get used to it. even when she would lay in her bed we would set it next to her.

this is the dremel I use.
http://www.amazon.com/Dremel-7300-PT-4-8-Volt-Pet-Grooming/dp/B003TU0XG4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1406066521&sr=8-1&keywords=dog+dremel

Good luck!

Limit her access to unsupervised rooms and give her something to do! Any dog, but particularly a young doberman, needs mental stimulation the same way as you or I do. We can pick up a book or watch tv, but if a dog isn't provided with stimulation then they will find stimulating things to do. Like tear things up or throw cushions around. Great fun!

Suggestions:

• Take a five-ten minute break from your work to give her a training session, every hour, or whenever you feel like she's getting restless.
  
  
• Invest in treat-dispensing toys like the Kong Wobbler, the Twist n Treat, and/or a Star Spinner.
  
  
• Invest in puzzle toys like the above spinner, a Paw Flapper, and/or a Slide n Seek.
  
  
• Buy a Kong and stuff it full of kibble, bits of ham and peanut butter, then freeze it. Give this to her and she will take time to work it all out (time she's not tearing up your house!)
  
  
• Shut the doors to rooms that don't have any people in them, so that she can't do anything "out of view" of you or your wife.
  
  Any and all of these options should help your situation. The problem is likely just plain boredom.
  

Furminators really are great! On the right coat type. Depending on the coat an undercoat rake may work better. This one by Oster is AMAZING http://www.amazon.com/Oster-Professional-Grooming-Undercoat-Coarse/dp/B00061MWJ0. Rubber curry brushes, like Zoom Groom by Kong, are great for getting the top coat on both double coated and smooth coated dogs. Don't forget a slicker brush and steel comb (for long/double coats)! I have a cavalier and you wouldn't believe the amount he sheds. I use a combination of all these tools for the best results. I'm also a groomer, so I'm a little anal with it.

Vets don't provide the best equipment when it comes to that, but I really recommend the cloud collar that is around 15 bucks. A lot of dogs like that collar because their sight isn't inhibited.

Could you do gauze pad soaked in Epsom salt and water and quickly tape it around him? If not, get a doggy diaper, place the cloth in there, and put it on your dog. At that point, your only job is to keep him still as opposed to holding him down. You'll have to get a female diaper, but it would be fairly easy to put a cloth in there and place on your dog. You can get disposable diapers or a cloth diaper with disposable liners. You could even soak the liners/diapers in the solution as they are meant to hold liquid. Not sure how well that would work, but I do suggest trying the diaper and cloth thing.

Is he getting antibiotics? If not, ask your vet about that. Cream, which is good, can be horrible to apply and antibiotics sometimes can replace the cream.

Edit: Also, whenever you apply anything, I highly suggest giving treats or something to occupy him. A kong with peanut butter works amazingly. Anything to associate that routine with something positive and fun for him.

I've got three little monsters! Their names are Bandit, Bubbles & Butters. Bubbles & Butters are both rescues and Bandit was purchased from a farm.

A new fleece blanket for the musketeers would be wonderful! They absolutely love my SO's baby blanket, but I think it's probably time to retire that before it becomes completely destroyed (through love, of course)

I don't have a dog (yet), but my friend purchased this for her dog and she says it's wonderful! I'm not quite sure how it works, since it looks like a hard chew toy but it's bacon flavored, so that must be good, right?

My 9 month old puppy loves his benebone (http://www.amazon.com/Benebone-Bacon-Flavored-Wishbone-Chew/dp/B00CPDWT2M/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1411690320&sr=8-1&keywords=benebone). I just got him his third one a few days ago. There's two flavors, bacon and peanut butter (http://www.amazon.com/Benebone-Peanut-Butter-Flavored-Wishbone/dp/B00IK243R6/ref=pd_sbs_petsupplies_2?ie=UTF8&refRID=1WFNGHN8B9FBJXC180JX), but my dog likes his bacon flavored benebone so much that I'm worried that he won't like the peanut butter one, so I haven't purchased that one for him. These last for a pretty long time. When he was a very young puppy, it lasted 3-4 months. His second one lasted 2 months. He used to spend 30 minutes to an hour chewing on it, but this has tapered off slightly.

I've bought him lots of chew toys, like a couple of different nylabones, an elk antler, bully sticks, etc. He chews on his elk antler once in a blue moon. He likes bully sticks, but can finish a 12" one in about 20 minutes, which is way too expensive for me. He never really liked his nylabones, especially the ones that are original flavored. Benebones are a lot like nylabones (they're both made of nylon), but the wishbone shape makes it easy to hold and it smells pretty strongly of bacon, which I think is why my dog likes it so much.

Does your dog tend to bark more when you aren't around? If so, it might be helpful to record your voices and play that on loop so it seems like you're at home. I was lucky to get a good price on a [Manners Minder] (http://www.amazon.com/Premier-Treat-Remote-Reward-Trainer/dp/B0010B8CHG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1409194417&sr=8-1&keywords=manners+minder). Sophia Yin designed it, and it's been great--it's a remote controlled treat dispenser, which helps a lot with "capturing" good behavior. Whenever there are any weird noises or voices, I discreetly press the button, so it actually seems like noises and people = magic treats to my dog. She no longer associates me being around with the treats, since I've been pressing the remote from outside the building also :-).

FWIW--I just moved to a new apartment, and previously it took a month to get my dog used to the new noises and stomping. Our new place is right across the street from some barking window dogs, and after three days of feeding my dog via remote, my dog is pretty calm and hardly responds to sounds.

Jumping in to recommend the Bob-A-Lot that I got my dog a few months ago. It seems to be a little more work for her than the Kong Wobbler since you can adjust the hole that the food comes out of. If I don't feed her out of that, I use this dog bowl. Another good way for me to wear her brain out is to take the meal with us on our walks and train a little as we go.

Just recently my friend got me this toy and she loves it. She'll pull all the toys out and play with them for a while, then wait while I stuff them back in again.

Good luck!! I really hope you get to keep your pupper!

Kongs are the simplest and its really easy to "level up". Start by just putting in dry kibble, then wet kibble, then freeze the wet kibble and seal up the big hole with yogurt or peanut butter. Then you can layer it so its frozen wet kibble, cheese, kibble, yogurt, kibble, peanut butter etc. It'll start taking longer and longer to get everything out. My pup loves the Kong Wobbler too! Not only does it tire him out, but it spreads out his meal so he doesn't eat it as fast. Same with the IQ ball. The puzzle board was great for awhile but then got too easy for him. Snuffle mats are pretty easy to DIY too if you don't want to fork over the money to buy a real one.

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.

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.

WOW! so much great info! exactly what I was looking for! So you would recommend the DIY self service > PetSmart Furminator package?

Thanks for getting me the info while on mobile, i looked at furminator brush but thought that cant be the only thing i need, and couldn't find a specific grooming source this was super helpful. I will look into both DIY & Furminator.

Just to make sure i got the DIY procedure down:

1. Find self service dog wash with high power dryer ( i found a "Petco- unleashed" nearby ~$10/visit)
   
   
2. Buy Furminator brand Shampoo/Conditioner ( ~$10 each)
   
   
3. Buy Oster undercoat rake (~$16 bucks online) + bring my own regular brush...
   
   
4. Bathing-
   
   

• Wash dogs down first, get completely drenched
  
• apply shampoo (let sit in for ~5 min while rubbing?), wash dog again
  
• apply Conditioner to entire coat, then wash out again?
  
• Then begin drying with high powered dryer (~1hour?).
  
• Once completely dry i can then start to use brushes, correct?
  
• start with regular detangling brush, then use Oster brush.
  
• for my Pyr her hair seems to be heavily concentrated on her hind legs and chest. Any recommendations for these areas?
  
• Continue HighPowered drying while brushing? or once dry no need anymore?
  
  Thanks for the help! seems like DIY could cost me about ~$50-60. I just thought it would cost more for the tools they had in this grooming pyranees video

Here's what I've picked up for christmas gifts so far:

• Husband: Nintendo Switch, Zelda and Mario; and a microwave popcorn popper with a variety of popcorn kernels
  
• Mom: Kate Spade handbag from the surprise sale
  
• Dad: Chipolo Classic 4-pack
  
• Every parent and stepparent in my husband's family: 23 and me ancestry kits
  
• Brother in law: Books (his request)
  
• BFF: She requested bright, cute and practical kitchen accessories so I got her this sponge caddy, blue le creuset salt and pepper shakers (acquired locally), these tea bag holders, this cast iron trivet and this spoon rest.
  
• Work friends: These are more like gag gifts that make more sense if you know the people-- but I got one guy a blind box from an aquarium-themed cat hat collection and another guy a fidget pen.
  
• Dog themed secret santa: This was a pretty high budget exchange that I took part in this year. My recipient has a blind dog so I got her a snuffle mat, a giant bone and I found a company on aliexpress that literally has someone HAND-PAINT whatever image you want onto canvas and mail it to the US for like $20. So I ordered a painting of a modern pop art style greyhound. It hasn't arrived yet though.
  
  Still need to arrange a low budget work group secret santa, pick out some liquor for my boss, a nice candy set or something for some of our support staff downstairs and maybe something more personal for each of my in-laws-- I did find a beautiful painted glass Turkish bowl for my MIL but I'm at a loss for the others.

For getting rid of molded clothes, and so many other super useful things, I recommend owning a dremel, or other rotary tool.

You don't need a fancy one. I've got 3 dremel tools, of varying degrees of torque and power. One is identical to this one - only without the pet grooming branding. It's still a dremel - it'll still work.

Dremel 7300-PT 4.8V Pet Nail Grooming Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TU0XG4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_jF4xDb8CJPTXW
$30


I did find this guy for a super cheap price -
WEN 23006 Two-Speed Cordless Rotary Tool Kit with 10-Piece Accessory Set https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MSL9PW4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_4C4xDb9MG46FY
$12

Can't vouch for it being any good, given its price, but it should be compatible with the dremel rotary bits, and for a starter tool, and just working on dolls, it should be fine.

Whatever rotary you get, you'll need a few things to go with it. I recommend one or both of these -

Sanding drums
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BK1VRH6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_yJ4xDb738D61Y

Abrasive buffing wheels
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B075C72PGK/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_NH4xDbCZ6DM5C

The buffing wheels are pretty good a removing tiny molded clothing details without eating up the plastic a lot.

If you ever do anything with apoxie-sculpt, the dremel can come in handy with grinding down things after its cured.

OH - and sand paper. Buy sand paper.

I recommend getting some 120 grit, 220 grit, and some 400 grit. You work your way from the lower, rougher paper, up to 400 to get a smooth finish. When you get up to 400, make sure you sand in circular motions to avoid leaving gouges in the plastic.

My roommate and I got a Select v 2.1 a few weeks ago (most that ship out from any retailers are 2.1s now, you can tell because the bed leveling screws are thumbscrews instead of wingnuts).

Just to get it out of the way early, just print a filament guide. Enough said about that.

You're absolutely right about the z-brace, worlds of difference. We also did the z-extension, not quite as important but it gives you the full print height potential. The fan upgrade doesn't do much for PLA from what we've tested but it helps on overhangs for ABS and the type.

I've noticed ringing pretty recently, which is from the springs used for belt tensioning. You can print belt tensioners that use screws instead to help alleviate that.

Bed warping is an annoying issue as well, that'll have you leveling your print bed at least twice a week. We got a y-carriage and got a piece of glass cut 8" x 8.5" x 1/8" for a print surface, which you can just secure down with scotchblue tape. Glue stick on the glass helps with print adhesion.

And just some tips for the road: Do not underestimate the amount of bolts/nuts/screws you'll need. It'll take at least a week and a half to get all the mods you want done, and it will never feel like you're finished. Finding a cabinet or some kind of enclosure is nice if you need it in the same room as you do your daily stuff/sleep in (like if you're in a dorm). Print settings like temperature and speed do more for print quality than any mods you can find. You will fail most of your early prints while trying to find the right settings. The bearings used are kinda crap and they make a cringey crunching noise, but I'm convinced it isn't affecting the prints much, if at all.

Any other questions, feel free to ask. We don't have the most experience with it yet but we've gotten a feel for the ins and outs. Welcome to the club!

Happy for you and the dog!

First, buy one of these:
http://www.petco.com/product/100491/KONG-Zoom-Groom-Brush.aspx (Amazon is cheaper)
and one of these: http://www.amazon.com/Oster-Professional-Grooming-Undercoat-Coarse/dp/B00061MWJ0
These will help with the shedding. It's a lot. Adding salmon oil to her food can also help (talk to a vet first). And yes, she will certainly be able to learn a new name! It took my guy about a day. Your mileage may vary.

Finally, shameless plugs for r/germanshepherds and r/GermanShepherd. Lots of helpful people. Best of luck!

Haha I know all about rubber toys and the millions pieces you'll have to pick up afterwards. I remember seeing an online list of the best toys for Pits and bought some.

Currently, I have the Benebone Wishbone both Bacon and peanut Butter flavor. I bought this for her about 3 months ago and theyre only halfway destroyed. Definitely worth it.

I also have this Nylabone toy and just like the Benebone, it has lasted the past few months as well. This one is wearing down more, but 3 months is fine with me.

Finally, these Goughnuts toys are great. I bought both the Stick and the Donut, even though my Pit likes the stick more.

And I have a large amount of tennis balls because you can never have enough lol. Hope this list helps!

https://amzn.com/B00CPDWT2M

I have a boxer/plott hound and she's not obsessed with chewing but once she gets a good start on a rawhide she powers through it as fast as possible. I've tried a bunch of treats/toys and this one holds up the best and keeps her interested long term. Can't say how well this will work for a daily/constant chewer cuz luckily my dog is happy to pick it up a few times a week for an hour or so and then forget about it.

I'm a dog fanatic, so here is a list of awesome dog supplies for under $25, for those interested!
-[vet wrap] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UELUXNO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_9y2-yb13E3QJH) for any time you need to help your dog with his/her boo boo.
-[large chuck it ball] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084DRJKO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_9z2-ybMRKYDYG) that my puppy is addicted to.
-[topical spray] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0025YKUIQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_mE2-ybRANQ1AN) to help with your doggos minor cuts.
-[slip lead] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QJU7FE/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_9F2-ybWB9FW9J) for quick trips outside.
-[Kong Zoom Groom] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002AR1A0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_DJ2-ybD5EXKZH) for brushing out those thick double coated pooches without tearing the coat or scratching the skin.
-[treat pouch] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000JCWAWA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_LL2-yb1WKAR0N) for those fun training sessions!
-[large pet waterer] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0057LAGNS/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_TN2-ybCVJN55F) so you don't have to keep filling up a bowl.
-[Kong Wobbler] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003ALMW0M/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_zP2-ybPN8N34J) for those really fast eaters.
-[Herm Sprenger Prong Collar] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00I0F8702/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_4R2-yb0ZM4BGR), an excellent training tool for beginner and higher level dogs when used properly.
-[Red Barn dog food roll] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00008DFOG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_tai_wU2-yb83KED07), great training treats, and you can cut them up into any size you want to.
Let me know if you want more!

SO and I keep our pup in an open area and just keep tabs on him, which inevitably results in a lot of us saying "stop chewing on the chair, stop chewing on the plant." So I feel you there.

If we need time where we can't watch him constantly (folding laundry, for example) we'll put him in his enclosed space, usually with something to chew on. Sometimes he barks at us or lays on top of the couch and stares at us like, "uh, guys? You forgot to let me out..." It's definitely not his favorite but sometimes it's necessary. If we really need him to be occupied we give him a bully stick; we might as well not exist when he has one of those.

As for toys, my dog loves his frizbee, his Chuck-it! ball (we can't give him regular tennis balls because he eats the fuzz off, but the Chuck it balls are pretty sturdy), and rope toys, which he can only have if we're around. Currently we have a Flossy rope toy and the Kong Tugga Wubba. He also has a few rubber chewy bones, which have held up to his chewing so far. Amazon seems to have better prices for toys than anywhere else I've found. The Flossy rope toy is huge and it cost me like $3, I think?

Another thing that keeps him occupied is a wobbling food dispenser, which another poster suggested and I also highly recommend. It makes dinner time a little more interesting for him and lets you do your own thing for a bit. We have one of these. You can adjust how difficult it is by adjusting the two openings in the toy.

Do you rotate toys out? If I introduce a new toy I always put one away and don't bring it out again for a few weeks; he goes nuts for ones he hasn't had in awhile.

I had the exact same problem with our puppy. She would bark as soon as we got out of sight, and we tried the leaving/coming back thing and it really didn't work. If we were in another room of the house, she would bark for HOURS, not just minutes.

We tried everything for months, and finally, I got an automatic treat dispenser. There are a few different ones out there, but the one I got was Manners Minder. A little expensive, but definitely worth it. I put it on top of her crate so that the treats drop in. It has a remote control, so I can control when the treat is given to her, and also has a mode to just dispense treats randomly.

I used this to aid my training. When I went out of sight, I clicked to give her a treat. Then I would randomly keep clicking it while I was away. It took her a couple of days, but she finally realized that good things happen when she's in the crate and I leave the room.

When I leave the house in the morning, I set it to automatically give her treats incrementally. We don't live in an apartment, so it doesn't bother our neighbors, so I have no idea if she barks throughout the day, but I know she doesn't bark anymore when I first walk out of the door.

Also, try doing some basic training. Train the stay command as much as you can. The more he is used to staying in one place not doing anything, the more he will be ok with staying in his crate when you're not there.

But yea, try out an automatic treat dispenser. It was a life saver for us.

Hey Everyone! If you saw my other post you know that I've been looking in to setting up a new tank. While looking around i saw that this topper was on sale. Perfect timing :) I thought some people might want to pick this up since it seems like it's at a pretty good price.

Does anyone have any experience with this topper? Would you recommend just making your own instead?

Edit: Amazon Smile link for convenience! http://smile.amazon.com/Decorative-Turtle-Topper-Basking-Platform/dp/B002O09MYE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1417810537&sr=8-1&keywords=turtle+topper

This is the one we used after we had our gsd spayed at 6 months. It worked really well. It was a lot more comfortable then the cone. Plus she was still able to get around without banging into everything and fit comfortably in her crate.

My mom has older dog that was doing the same thing on his back leg. What's hard is once there's a sore there the only want to lick it more. She ended put him in a cone and wrapping the leg. Thankfully once it was healed he finally left it alone.

Good luck! Stay strong! It will get better!

KONG Cloud E-Collar, Dog Collar, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0045Y1JGG/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_5TQ.zbFE63ZJY

They've finally started to modify collars for post-surgery, I used this Kong collar, but make sure she has the right size. Pet stores near me sell them, or similar styled ones. Can you call your vet and discuss the howling, possibly a trial run of pain meds to see if it helps - honestly I'm careful not to assume that my dog letting me touch something means it doesn't hurt, the pain may be further in, or i may not be applying the right pressure. If the medication helps, then you know there was pain, potentially inflammation, and as you wean her off them ensure the howling doesn't return. Aftercare should be a part of her surgery - when are you due for a wound check? Ideally you could trial the meds and discuss results then.

Sorry for all that - it comes down to, is she eating well, drinking well? For the howling call your vet and see if a trial of pain meds is possible, or if they think it's behavioural. Does one of the nurses know if she was howling in the kennels? Given she is also limited with walks and such at the moment that may play a part. Either way, call the vet, discuss eating and drinking habits and make sure you feel right about their response. And check your check up date :)

You are both quite possibly the most beautiful redditors in the world!! :)

<.a href="http://www.amazon.com/Modern-PURPLE-BLACK-SILVER-Chenille/dp/B00B6PJ2HA/ref=sr_1_88?s=bedbath&ie=UTF8&qid=1371237879&sr=1-88&keywords=Bedding">Gift One<./a> I am moving out on my own again soon and I really need some bedding!
<.a href="http://www.amazon.com/Chasing-Our-Tails-100-Percent-Naturally/dp/B0053WMOKE/ref=lp_2975434011_1_17?ie=UTF8&qid=1371238681&sr=1-17">Gift two<./a> A treat for my best bud!

C'mon...gimme.
You guys are awesome for doing this! :)

We use Merrick grain free pork and sweet potato. I am not sure if it's available outside of Texas though. We had good luck with Castor and Pollux Organix grain free, but we wanted to find something similar that used local ingredients. One thing to note is that we tried various formulas of Merrick until we found the one that produced the most solid stool. You might be able to find another Blue Buffalo formula that produces firmer stool.

We use Kong's Zoom Groom brush. It's great both for bath time and for regular brushing. It's gotten pretty hot here in Texas, so I take the hounds out to the courtyard in our apartment complex and brush them there. This brush gets handfuls of hair out of them!

Image: Pixie is confused about why she can't get into her sister Trixie's bowl any more!

 

For years, I've used the PetSafe automatic feeder to dispense kibble, because my last cat was a food-obsessed only cat and this was the only way to keep him from begging incessantly. When he passed away and I adopted new kitties last year, I continued using the same automatic feeder as they had no complaints about sharing a bowl. Unfortunately, it turns out that one of them will often not eat her share of kibble, and her sister will happily eat the extra, so a weight problem was developing. Enter the SureFeed Microchip feeder. I had been looking for options and ran across a mention of this here on Reddit, and as it will actually read an implanted microchip instead of requiring a collar, it seemed perfect for my needs, although pricey.

 

I ordered two feeders in early February, expecting to be able to start training the kitties right away. Unfortunately, I missed the teeny, tiny "batteries not included" note on the order page, and so due to weather issues and multiple Amazon delivery failures, it took nearly two weeks to get enough batteries for both feeders (I had enough for one but not both.) In the meantime, however, I decided to set the feeders up with the lid open, and at least start getting the kitties used to the new contraption. Fortunately, since they have a self-cleaning litter box and were eating from an automatic feeder, they're already used to small mechanical noises and just needed to get used to the new bowls.

 

The first thing I did was take the automatic feeder and large shared bowl out, then put the feeder contraptions in the same place inside the cabinet where the kitties eat. I opened the lids on both feeders, and set the bowls in front of them so the kitties could have a new bowl without having to stick their head into the smaller confined space at first. Once they got used to the bowls, I put the bowls in the feeders and left them with the lid open for another week. During this week, I would occasionally call the kitties over, and push the open/close button on the feeder with batteries to show the mechanism without having it be in the way of eating. Lots of "check this out, isn't it cool!" positive encouragement while doing so. Luckily my kitties are young, curious, and fascinated by movement so they got used to it pretty quickly.

 

After three weeks of eating in open feeders, yesterday I finally programmed each feeder to read the microchip from one cat. Luring the cats through the hoop was no problem, a couple of favorite crunchy treats dropped in their bowl did the trick for that. Then once the feeder was programmed and the lid closed, another round with crunchy treats to lure them through and show them that it would open for them when they moved their head through.

 

The first couple of hours with programmed feeders was a little bit dicey, mostly because extra-eating kitty was quite confused about why she could no longer eat from her sister's bowl, and also slightly worried about the bright green light reflecting behind the open lid of her feeder. A couple of times sitting with her an re-assuring her while she approached the feeder and ate took care of that, along with setting the lid to the maximum slow-close duration so she had enough time to approach, open, contemplate, and get comfortable to eat.

 

The biggest problem mentioned in the reviews is the ability for a second kitty to come over the open back of a feeder and steal food while the "authorized" kitty eats. Luckily mine aren't at the food-stealing stage yet, but now that I don't need a cabinet large enough to handle the automatic feeder, I'll be moving the microchip feeders into a small Kallax cube shelf so each kitty is in a walled-off section that her sister can't invade. Bonus for being able to store the kibble and supplies in the upper sections of the shelf. There is also a back cover available for sale for the feeder, although apparently they can't manage to keep that in stock as it keeps going "unavailable" on Amazon. The only other change I need is to order a second set of the stainless steel bowls for the feeder, the included bowls are plastic and based on past experience, plastic bowls often cause chin acne in cats. I'd prefer ceramic over stainless, but so far I can't find the right size/shape of ceramic bowl to use with it.

 

Overall, a pricey option for multiple kitties, but worth it to be able to control feeding portions without having to separate kitties or add more daily feedings or other sort of crazy additions to daily life. Open feeders twice per day, add appropriate amount of kibble, and done. (Supplemented with wet food, which is a whoooooooole other thing. Note, though, that the lid on this feeder closes well enough it could support feeding wet food instead of kibble if needed. )

You're right about the Z motors, but I don't think irock168 was talking about the heat bed. He was talking about the Y carriage below the bed. It's flimsy and will continually cause leveling issues. The replacement from Amazon is this. Unavailable right now on Amazon, but you may be able to get it directly from RepRap Champion.

Other than the MOSFET mod for safety, it's the best mod I've done to my Maker Select. I rarely have to level my bed unless I move the printer.

Hi! I have a big softy German Shepherd named Jack, who also loves to destroy everything. He ate my couch! Yes, while I was at the grocery store, he ate the cushions off of my sectional sofa. He also ate a glass butter dish to get to the butter. Always while I'm at the grocery store! There was blood everywhere. My vet told me he was okay, tongues bleed a lot, and just asked how much butter he ate :| he has gotten to my shoes, my daughter's plastic chairs, lots of stuffed animals, the list goes on and on! He has mellowed out a lot now, but he can go to town on some toys!

I'm not sure how big your dog is, but how about some antlers?

This is an add on, but it has lasted a few months now for Jack. He has the dinosaur pictured.

Jack has a few balls in this style and they have lasted for forever! He loves them! They also have a similar one at target in their bins for around $5. This is another toy made from the same stuff.

He has also had this shark and a few others made like this and they last at least a couple weeks before he starts tearing their limbs off.

I have this or a Kong toy on my wish list for him :)

I use a Mars Coat King on my Pyr; this Oster undercoat rake is also good, it just doesn't have replaceable blades like the Coat King does. Undercoat rakes work really well to get out that undercoat while they're blowing it, without cutting the long top guard hair. I don't care for Furminators, which tend to have tines which are far too short to really get into a Pyrenees undercoat, and will instead pull and break the guard hair. You need to comb the rake with the direction of the coat, and it will help tremendously. It's what my mobile groomer guy uses on mine, and I keep one on hand to run through her coat about mid-way between grooming sessions.

Pin/Slicker brushes are sometimes not terribly effective on Pyr coats - some dogs have a super thick undercoat, and for those cases, a greyhound comb is usually a little better for a weekly brush session.

There's a bunch on Amazon. Just search for dog puzzles. For my dog I have:

• traditional kong toy that I put peanut butter in which I leave with her in her crate
  
  
• a snuffle mat that she loves. She gets both meals using it. She's super nose driven so she took to it right away. Some dogs will just flip it over tho. I'd recommend just putting in a couple pieces at a time to start so he gets a feel for it.
  
  
• a ball thing I put kibble in that she needs to roll around to get kibble out. I don't use it much since she likes her snuffle mat so much.
  
  
• her favorite chew is an antler I picked up at a pet store.
  
  
• bully sticks on occasion. Mainly if she's really riled up. I'll put her in her crate with it to calm her down. It'll keep her occupied for 20-30 minutes and usually brings down the energy level.
  
• don't forget just plain old training. Techniques like free shaping can really get their brain working (look up "101 things to do with a box" and "two feet on the box" for examples).

Hi, CaptainAre! Quality grooming tools make all the difference. I personally took other peoples' advice and use a FURminator during shedding season. It works great and gets the job done relatively quickly, is very efficient, and leaves my Husky with a soft top coat. Other people also swear by the Oster Rake, but I have yet to try it. I've owned a shedding blade in the past and used to use it on my other dogs, however I've noticed that while it might work on other breeds with thinner coats, it's not necessarily the best tool to use on a Husky. Will it work? Yes, but it's the equivalent to hammering a nail in with a wrench. Quality grooming tools are worth their weight in gold, especially with a Husky's thick undercoat.

Also, from my understanding, all brushes/blades/rakes were designed to be used along the grain of the fur and not against it. The best comparison I could think of would be shaving a beard. Sure, you could get a closer shave if you go against the hairs but it comes at the price of mild discomfort. Same thing goes for a dog's coat.

Another invaluable tool for daily maintenance and upkeep of her coat would be a decent Slicker Brush. Hope this helps!

> He'll quiet when told, but he resumes howling about 1 minute later. I assume he just howls to get the attention, negative or otherwise.

I would use something like a manners minder where you can remotely reinforce. I'd increase the rate of reward to you're rewarding just before he's likely to start howling, and then slowly build that duration up. It helps. :)

• 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!

My vet recommended this website for food questions. It's pretty ghetto design but it should give you all the info to figure out how much food he should be eating and what kind. It's nutrition so you'll have to take your time reading it because dem calories aren't the only consideration. That will solve the question about volume of food he should have. Obviously check with you vet about whatever plan you develop first. To give some perspective my female bengal is a month younger and ~2.7kgs, your male has another ~2kg to go till he's at the average ~5.5kgs and males are typically bigger then females. You do not want to starve a kitten either, you can address the weight when he's fully grown and you will notice if he begins to become a total chonker. Keep in mind he could just be a much larger cat then his parents.

You can give the second cat an RFID enabled bowl so only the female can eat from it. No sense in the second cat developing food anxiety as well. Here's an example, but honestly feed free to find one that suits your budget/needs

The lack of activity for a bengal is weird but not unheard of. I'd bring that up with the vet. For now enjoy the quiet, my female is full of turbo charged jelly beans at all hours. I have to run her up and down the hallway daily, and if I'm home take several play breaks to help her wear down.

Start with clicker training and free-shaping, since he seems curious and driven. I like 101 things to do with a box.

Toy recommendations:

• Pickle pocket
  
• Snoop
  
• Food cube
  
  Impulse control exercises:
  
  
• Doggie zen
  
• Wait & release
  
• Impulse control exercises
  
  Essentially, you want your dog to "ask permission" before doing things. Do lots of eye contact exercises. I did a lot of the things on kikopup's youtube channel when I got my dog. If you keep at it, you'll eventually have a dog that looks at you once he recognizes a distraction.
  
  What kind of treats are you using? I love using Easy Cheese (aerosol can) as my highest-level reward. You can put some on a wooden spoon and give the dog a tiny lick of it as a treat. Very few dogs don't go crazy for it.

We alternate between the Kong Wobbler, the Buster Cube, and the IQ Ball every morning for breakfast. The wobbler is definitely the easiest, the cube is definitely the hardest, and the IQ ball is Sequoia's favorite (but she loves balls of any kind, so no real surprise there).

The total surprise winner was the Pickle! I was convinced it would be torn to shreds in minutes, but it has held up well! It doesn't last super long, but it is easy enough to just stick a little more peanut butter and some more kibble in when she is done.

Just to add my two cents, I've found the Furminator removes a lot of fuzz but it's uncomfortable for the pup and may remove too much of their undercoat.

Ideally, you want something that removes loose clumps and de-tangles knots. The dogs shed plenty on their own, your brushing should just keep their coats clean and silky.

My aussies' favorite brush is this Safari undercoat rake. It's way cheaper than the $50 Furminator, removes a ton of fuzz, and it's much easier to brush with. The teeth don't poke or tug so my guys love it, they'll even roll over and ask for extra brushies, something they've never done with wire-toothed or Furminator-style brushes.

Mine is 9 months old. I work from home and still enforce naps and have her in her crate for roughly 4 hours each day during my work day; sometimes a little more if she's being too unruly. It's just not feasible for me to keep an eye on her constantly despite being home. And quite frankly wasn't fair to me; I need a break from her too once in awhile despite how much I love her. Watching a puppy is also work, and trying to do both my work and the work of watching her at the same time was too tough. And my pup doesn't always settle on her own when she sees that I'm doing other stuff. Sometimes her nap is broken up into 2 2 hour naps, and other times it's a solid 4 hour chunk. I let her sleep until I see she's awake; I have a webcam pointed in her crate and I cast the image to the TV closest to me so I can keep an eye on her.

As far as keeping her occupied when she's awake, I use bully sticks, nylabones, kongs stuffed with string cheese, and an Orbee Tuff puzzle ball stuffed with chicken jerky which keeps her occupied for usually a couple hours at the least. Orbee Tuff: https://www.amazon.com/Planet-Dog-Interactive-Dispensing-Puzzle/dp/B00EE1660O chicken jerky: https://www.costco.com/Top-Chews-Chicken-Jerky-Fillets-Recipe-100%25-Natural-Dog-Treats.product.100246298.html definitely not how the Orbee Tuff is supposed to be used but I tear the chicken jerky pieces in half and put them inside the ball and they're super hard to get out. They're a high value treat for her though so she stays at it. I try to keep toys out for her that are mostly rubber and not soft, so I don't have to be constantly staring at her to make sure she isn't pulling out strings or stuffing from soft toys.

I also moved her crate from our family room (was in there per the advice of this sub so the dog 'wouldn't feel left out from the pack since they're so social' or something like that...worst advice ever for us) into our guest bedroom. I cover her crate with a blanket, close the door, and have a white noise machine running in there so she can't hear me when I'm on a call. Moving her crate was by far the most beneficial thing I've ever done for her I think. She sleeps more soundly and is so much better behaved overall. Her demand barking when awake and out of her crate pretty much stopped after I moved her crate. I'm chalking it up to her actually getting restful sleep for once and not feeling like she's missing out or being disturbed by what's going on around her. 🤷

Sure!

My partner built him something like this.

I also got him these two puzzles that I only give him when I'm home, just for safety reasons: this "level 2" one that he solved in 30 seconds and this "level 3" one that he hasn't quite gotten the opening drawer part down yet.

He also has this treat ball that he LOVES, but I don't recommend if you live in an apartment/condo with hard floors.

His favorite that he carries around and chucks down our stairs to open is this mushroom.

He also gets kongs with peanut butter in them.

Amazon gets a lot of my money. Lol.

Happy birthday Lucy! My dog Fenrir will be 3 on July 1st and Tuesday will be 12 in September.

If your dog is an extream chewer like my little pit is you might want to try antlers both of my dogs love them and they actually last for more than a month.

And here is my little dog being a beast trying to get his stick.

If I win please get my dogs something from their WL

Yeah I'd say bad bearing. The ones The came with my Plus were noisy too on fast moves.

I picked up some better ones from Amazon and switched them out when I had the bed apart for the Y carriage replacement.

Bearings (pack of 12 for $8.99 so I've got spares for down the road): edit: they're $10.99 now, Amazon having fun with supply and demand.

CTYRZCH 12Pcs LM8UU Linear Bearings for 3D Printer, RepRap Prusa Mendel DIY CNC Motion, Prusa Mendel, reprap(8mm x 15mm x 24mm) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CE4H5PC/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_6t3NqiIxMNsPK

These were longer than the stocks and fit perfectly in the brackets on the Select Plus. Haven't changed my X axis bearings yet.

Also, I upgraded the Y carriage, highly recommended:

RepRap Champion Y Carriage Plate Upgrade for Wanhao Duplicator i3 and Monoprice Maker Select V1, V2, V2.1 and Plus 3D printers https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MUAMRN7/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apip_bTZZKsFBnZWRg

We tried the clicker and it was not effective. Honestly what worked for us was a remote vibrate/shock collar. I know it sounds terrible but I am so thankful I went this route. When we took our puppy to training he was a pain in the ass. The teachers alway used me and my dog as the example and talked about how they are stubborn as can be. When training dogs, they suggest using a choke collar to "correct" your dog. However the amount of strength the trainers used to "correct" my dog made me feel very uncomfotable. They would pull so hard all 4 legs would come off the ground, but after that he listened to every command. I did some research after that and discovered these remote zap/vibrate collars for training (The is the one I use, it is fully waterproof with a 3 mile range, I have never had any issues and it has the best power control setting).

When I got them I tested them on my skin to make sure they wouldn't hurt him or anything. I got it to the point where you could barly feel it. This allowed me to gain his attention with-ought excessive for on a choke collar, which I was very happy with. The collar works amazing, after a few times he misbehaved or didn't listen he got that hint that after 2 vibrations came a shock, so he would listen after 1 vibration. This turned him into the most obedient dog every, he was even happier because we could walk him without a leash.

I know this is not typical of all dogs, but this is what worked for me and my Mini Aussie. I am so thankful I found this collar because I would have no been able to take in for walks in public without it.

We keep him in his crate during the day, usually he is only in there for 5 or 6 hours max a day. When he comes out he is ready to play play play so fetch time is a must after work.

For toys, I purchased TONS of real tennis balls from Walmart, a Chuckit Kick Fetch, Frisabee, Bones with marrow from our local deli, and rope toys. His Chuckit Kick Fetch is his favorite!

We bath the dog once a week, usually on days he swims. In the winter not so much, only when we notice him licking himself or if we notice any fleas to keep that under control. We have had a hard time with fleas in the past because his fur is so thick its hard to get rid of them once them have them.

Aww nothing worse than waking up to animal vomit! My puppy, now 2 years old, was such a chewer... chewed through many computer cords, bottom of our dresser, socks and underwear, corner of baseboards, rails under our bed. She did eventually grow out of it, we did exactly what you are planning to do scolded her as we saw it happening and tried keeping everything out of her reach. I also ordered a ton of chew toys until we figured out what she liked -- check out amazon, I found their prices way better than the pet store. My pup loves this one https://www.amazon.com/Benebone-Bacon-Flavored-Wishbone-Chew/dp/B00CPDWT2M/ . She sleeps in our bedroom at night, no crate, and we close the door so she isn't out getting into trouble. Seemed like if she had gotten plenty of play time before bed she slept through the night and didn't chew on our furniture :) Only time we have issues now, which is really rare, is if she is bored and doesn't have a bone to chew on. Good luck!!!!!

Hey, I've got a Great Dane who has really short hair. For him we us a zoom groom which is a kinda medium-soft rubber brush. It works pretty well for him, and I would imagine it wouldn't be too painful for any dog. Ours has lasted a pretty long time too (over 2 years) so they're also pretty durable.

I have a papillon mix and they are so much fun to train! I do agility with my pup, and you are going to love it. :)

You could do nosework at home, or teach different "practical" tricks (put your toys away into a basket, fetch a newspaper, close the door etc.).

We also play the "101 things to do with a box" game with clicker training. This one is particularly fun because the dog gets to offer random behaviors, and you never know what your pup might be capable of. With this game, we've inadvertently taught our dog "paw at that" and "get in the box".

Edit: I wanted to mention that one of the few drawbacks with having a smart, "gotta have a job to do" dog means that you need to be mindful of keeping them from getting bored. We feed our dog all of his meals using various food toys/puzzles and that will usually keep him occupied for a while.

We bought a puzzle feeding bowl and never looked back, they are cheap on amazon, under $10. If your dog is high energy (mine is) then it’s perfectly fine to feed all meals in devices that make your dog work for the food (this advice came from our trainer). It helps tire them out and they eat slower. It’s very common for us to feed our dog from this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001F0RRUA/ref=mp_s_a_1_27?ie=UTF8&qid=1524460063&sr=8-27&keywords=dog+treat+ball . I know the reviews are not amazing but the small one works great for our dog. I do not recommend the large, it comes unscrewed to easy. A lot of people like the kong wobbler but our dog doesn’t get it. Frozen Kong’s only work for us if it’s a mix of wet food and dry. We have this one too which works well but is a bit of a pain to fill an entire meal in. https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B003YHB8EI/ref=mp_s_a_1_15?ie=UTF8&qid=1524460313&sr=8-15&keywords=dog+treat+dispenser

As someone who has two turtle tanks sitting next to me, I'll give you some advice. Both those filters are API NEXX models. They're pretty weak canisters. Their rated gph is horrible (companies post rated gphs are low head height and with no media). I run two of these filters on my main turtle tank. My smaller tank runs a smaller version of that, but it's just a growout tank for a baby map.

Water changes are your friend. Turtles are MUCH less sensitive to water quality and quality changes than fish. They don't stress out as much, and when a fish stresses out its immune system weakens a lot, turtles don't really have the same problem.

If you build a basking area to go on top of the tank like I did, or buy a pre-made one like this (AND MODIFY IT TO FIT, look at this video) you can fill the water to the top of the tank. You'll be getting another 15 gallons or so of water in that tank, and that will help dilute the waste. Now instead of having 40ppm of nitrate for example, you'll have 30 or so... This will also make the turtles happier since they now have much more room to swim around in!

LIGHTING. What kind of bulb is in that fixture? If it's not a powersun, then you need to get another fixture and a UVB bulb.

After resisting for ages due to the price i finally gave in and got one of these: https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/B00O0UIPTY/
Totally worth it. The healthy cat eats fast and finishes his food so luckily i only need one (to stop him stealing the prescription food), but having used it i now think if needed i would happily bite the bullet and put a second one on my credit card. Not only does it keep other pets out, it keeps wet food fresh for longer which means the little parient is eating more of it and doing noticeably better.

I'm a dog walker and it can be a fantastic service if you find the right one. It depends on what you want for your dog, so have a look around if you just want a lead walk there are plenty who do that. I do social outings (~4 dogs at a time) and we go to off leash parks/beaches. If you want a social group do some research, look online, also asking people at your local dog park. They will often pick up which walkers are engaged with the dogs and really play with them as opposed to those who just stand around talking/playing with their phone.

Puzzle toys are also a great option, if my dog isn't with me at work she generally has a raw meaty bone or chicken carcass and a puzzle toy. Our favourites include the Bob a lot, the Magic Mushroom, the Kibble Nibble and the Buster Cube. A lot of the other types became too easy after she figured out the tricks, these consistently take a while to empty.

> Your weekend ignore training regime, was that again in an x pen? Where you frequently went in/out of the room but not pen?
>
>

My puppy is a 16 week old Indian pariah mix that we've had since she was 12 weeks (though separated from her mother at <6 weeks, since that's the age the fosters found her at as a lost stray). The breed is known for its social playing, intelligence, but is also not big on cuddling.

I don't have an X-pen, but we do have a puppy gate: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0089HDZYY/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 that has been a lifesaver.
Cords have been moved behind big furniture, like the couch, where she can't reach them.

My dog has a lot of food-toys and chews.

Food ball: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003ARUKU0/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Bob-a-lot: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YHB8EI/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

"Wood" stick we use to lure her away from tempting wooden furniture legs:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0754P3NSC/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Solo-playing works best with toys that make a noise or move on their own (at least for my puppy). We've found a hard golf ball that noisily rolls across the floor (debatable whether this is a good idea; right now our puppy is too small to fit it fully in her mouth, let alone choke on it, but it's definitely hard enough that I worry she might break a tooth. But no signs of aggressive chewing yet), but she also likes other balls and stuffed toys (which she just takes in her mouth and shakes about wildly).

IMO, the food-dispensing toys are a must-have.

We also leave her dog bed and crate available in this space, and a blanket on the floor, that she likes to sit on while she chews.

Weekend training regime is the same as anything else. Dog in the living room, living room closed off with puppy gate so she can't follow us out, and is in a relatively puppy-proofed space, and toys and chews left strewn about.

She mostly sleeps through the day, now, knowing we won't engage with her playing. If she's being too noisy or needy, I'll leave her alone in the puppy-gated living room and work in another room.

I hope this helps!

My terrier mix puppy rips every single plush to shreds within minutes or hours of getting it except this stuffed duck which has lasted two and a half weeks so far and is still fully intact. I don't know if it's the texture of it or what. Clearly by the reviews, some dogs are still destroying it, but I've been super impressed with what it has survived so far and it's her go to toy and gets roughed up a lot. I've also heard good things about the softer toys from the Bark Box Destroyers Club.

Meet Terra. She is a red nose pitbull mix. She'll do just about anything for a treat, including "Shut the Front Door". Like Reginald, she is a POWER chewer. When we first got her and hasn't figured that out, she preferred coffee tables D: Then, we discovered elk antlers.. For a power chewer, just make sure you get the right size, or they tend to go through them fast. Terra isn't allowed to have anything but her black Kong and an XL elk antler, and a rope that is kept away for special play time, that would otherwise become shreds around the house in a couple hours. The antlers are expensive, but Terra chews on hers for about 2 hours a day AT LEAST and she's barely made a dent. Congrats on bringing Reginald into your family!

EDIT to add a couple more pictures:

• the thinker
  
  
• the cat
  
  
• the protector

Yeah, it's tough. I love my pup like a first child, craziness and all. We've had a behavioral trainer come in home and help us make some modifications. The best thing we've done is use this:

https://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Treat-Remote-Reward-Trainer/dp/B0010B8CHG

I can't imagine we paid this much for it, but we might have - being at the end of our rope and all. Basically it's remote controlled so it's super easy when holding a baby. Every time Maybe (our pup) looked at the baby we'd click the remote and it would beep and dispense a treat (we put it AWAY in a corner by her settle mat so she didn't have to get near the baby to get the treat). Then we gradually just started treating her for moving closer, etc.

I have two lights set up for my male slider as well as the water heater itself. One is a heat lamp and the other is a uvb bulb which is like artificial sunlight to help with colors/shell/digestion. I personally recommend a turtle topper, sliders love to swim so it allows a full tank of water as well as a basking area that you can clamp your lights on.

edit: turtle topper

This is GREAT and keeps him busy for a bit:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003YHB8EI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

These are great for training:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00TGIFUYI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I feed mine 1 cup x2 per day of this food. There are pretty clear directions on how much to feed based on weight / goal weight. Mine is on the bigger side but still in excellent shape at 50lbs.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0089A66N8/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

We have a very similar situation. After lots of experimenting, we finally settled on:.

• [Surefeed Microchip Pet Feeder] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O0UIPTY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_3BmnDbJJ4VQ2S) for our older, skinny cat so she can continue to free feed throughout the day and the fat cat can't get to the food.
  
  
• Scheduled feedings of wet cat food in separate spots
  
  
• Fat cat's kibble goes in a [FUNKitty Egg] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XTGKCEQ/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_CEmnDbNYMJTVR) or slow feeding bowl. If he's really hungry and willing to work for it he can get food. But it slows him down and has eliminated boredom eating.
  
  Use a cat calorie calculator online to look up the recommended calories for a cat 1-2 pounds less than him. Then figure out how much canned food, kibble and treats he gets each day to add up to that. Once he's almost at that target weight, look up the calorie level for a pound less and adjust the food accordingly. Repeat until you reach his ideal weight.
  
  Don't just calculate calories for his ideal weight starting now - too rapid of weight loss is harmful to them.
  
  Also, add in some vigorous play time, preferably before each meal since that mimics the natural cat life of hunt-eat--groom-sleep. The exercise will help him get in shape and burn off calories. He may be able to go less than a minute initially, but you should be able to build up. I highly recommend [Da Bird] (https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001BOVEU4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KKmnDb31BNCKA). It's far better than other wand toys; I've never met a cat who wasn't excited by it.

Puzzle toys are great too. Kong Wobbler, The Foobler, and Snuffle Mats are great options. You can make your own snuffle mat pretty easily.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017JDGZO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_kr6-zb8PX80P6

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000084E7Y/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_Av6-zbS52SFWB

These are Penny's favorite toys, and they are super cheap. Feel free to link your pup's favorite too! Christmas is coming!

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!

My Kees used to do this exact thing - when I wasn't home she never barked or fussed but if I was home and she couldn't be near me (i.e. I'm in the bathroom) she acted like she was dying.

I never crated her when I was home except for overnight - I used an extra tall ex pen (the sides were over 4 feet tall) for when I couldn't watch her closely and mostly just let her follow me around the apartment. Even when I went to the bathroom or took a shower she just wanted to hang out next to me - she would just stand outside the shower and rest her head on the side of the tub watching me like a creep.

I used a manners minder to train some of this away - mostly for when my wife and I wanted a bit of time alone. Basically I filled it up with treats and went into my bedroom and shut the door. As I was closing the door (before she could start barking) I released a treat. Then I kept releasing treats as long as she was quiet. I did this for 5 mins, then 10, then longer. Always extending the time between treats and only releasing a treat if she was quiet.
It took several sessions but now she does a lot better being alone in the living room when I'm elsewhere in the apartment.

Definitely time to get back to the basics on potty training, consider investing in a set of potty bells. Bring treats, and a clicker if you've been doing clicker training, and click and reward any time your puppy correctly goes outside.

We trained our puppy to ring his bells by using his 'go outside' command, ringing the bells by hand, and then immediately heading outside to his bathroom spot.

I like to joke that my Doberman puppy is a miniature nuclear reactor, just an endless supply of energy that seems to defy science and logic. He's about to turn 1.5 yrs old and we're still doing 3-5 walks a day for upwards of 4 miles total, and that's barely enough to tire him out.

Walking alone isn't enough, larger, high-energy breeds need to run, and run, and then run some more. We got him a 30' cotton leash and this large ball that we take out to the park a few times per week for him to chase until he won't run anymore.

We've been using this one for the past few months and it's been great. It takes my dog about 7-10 minutes to get all the food out. Plus it's super entertaining to watch her play with it.

Coat King and a nice metal dog comb works great. Oster brand makes a good coat rake sold on amazon for a decent price https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00061MWJ0/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_GNLBDbY3WNHMG
The furminator tends to rip healthy hair out.

We stay inside at -30C
We play until I make him stop at -20C (~10-15 min)
Anything warmer than that and I watch his body language. Any sign of loss of interest in playing or holding a paw up away from the snow and we'll stop. If he gets snow stuck in his pads I'll stop him and melt it.

We dont do much leash walking in the winter. We'll go to a dog park where I can throw a ball along a trampled path where we might not lose it. If we can't do that sometimes we'll go to an open area where he can chase around some larger toys like his egg or ball.

I have a lot of fun when there's a crust layer on top of the snow that a ball will roll on forever, but the dog is too heavy and has to fight through it.

To specifically address your question, at -10C for 30 min I wouldn't be too worried as long as he's moderately active. If you are doing most of your walks on city streets/sidewalks I would consider boots to help protect his paws from the salt.

Also check his paws nightly to be sure that the pads aren't split or cracking, there are balms/moisturizers you can use if they are. My pup usually ends up cutting his pads on icy snow at least a couple times a year.

Poor pup! That breaks my heart. I'm glad he has good fur-parents. It sounds like he's a strong little dude.

This is what I had to eventually get for my yellow lab: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0045Y1JGG/ref=mp_s_a_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1482119008&sr=8-1&keywords=pet+cones+for+dogs&pi=SX200_QL40

Great post.

I'd like to add-One of my absolute most essential tools for my sam - a rake, specifically one with very wide teeth. This is the one I've got: Coastal Pet - Safari Long Tooth Undercoat Dog Rake

Once they start to blow their coat, it's absolutely essential (helps gently pull all of the loose fur off). I had a smaller one for when he was a pup and it worked great!

Came here to say west paw. My dog is a CHEWER.

We’ve been getting him the super chewer bark box for the last couple of months. Half of the toys don’t last 5 minutes (we like the treats). They sent us a benebone as a replacement and he liked it a lot. It’s about halfway gone after about two weeks. Nylabones get shredded. Soft toys are basically non-starters (though the duck toy is doing pretty well a few days in... feet are gone but no fluff out yet!)

The West Paw toys we got him MONTHS ago are still fully intact and he loves them.

Good answer! My most helpful item on my list is this

My puppy's nails grow super fast and I'm too terrified to clip them myself but he doesn't trust anyone other than me with his paws so the groomer and vet always get his quick and make him bleed and cry because he squirms so much. That dremmel tool would let me just file them down super quickly and painlessly. Win for both of us!

This one is the go-to for a lot of professional groomers. It’s durable and works really well.

I use one from Andis that isn’t as durable as the Dremel but I like it because it has a safety feature that stops the motor if it senses that it’s caught on something so it’s nice for working on dogs with long hair.

Both are fairly quiet and I don’t think you would get much quieter without sacrificing power. If the motor isn’t strong enough, it’s going to take forever to do the nails.

Just the obvious, even it and wait until it grows back.

Regarding the sheltie summer trim question, you aren't really supposed to trim their coats, the hair protects them from overheating and getting sunburns, is my understanding.

I have used undercoat rakes with great success on my shelties though, have you tried those?

I have used this one on Amazon. I use it after I bathe my dogs, once their coat is dry. The warm water is supposed to loosen the undercoat, so the undercoat rake will take more out. One year I swear I had enough fur to make another dog, and my female with the thickest coat looked like she lost 10 pounds after I finished. Of course it took an hour.

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.

yeah, but theyre not exactly cheap lol here u go!

here is a review, it really looks like such a good solution for cats with special diet needs, it kinda sucks that its so expensive lol

I have to be honest. In the first picture he looked kinda creepy. In the second one he's super adorable. I am so sorry you lost your poor pet and beloved family member. I'm dreading the day when my Perdy has to go. I dun want her to leave me. Jeez, just thinking about it is making me sad. I'd better stop before I do something silly. Holy crap is that a freaking dinosaur bone?! How much is something like that? My dog might actually take more than an hour to bust through it. She's a rather strong chewer. It's hard to find anything that she'd like that she can't also destroy right away. She loses interest in anything that she can't rip apart fairly quickly.

• I don't know what she'd do to something like this. Or you can pick anything you want if you'd prefer.
  
  
• I'll hug her extra hard just for you.
  
  
• It's kind of hard to see, as I didn't have the light on when I took this, but the white and brown one is her. The black blob is Duke who came to hang out with her. Doggeh. If you'd like a clearer picture I can post the other picture I have of her as well.

When my older BC had surgery to remove a wee lump, the vet didn't give her a cone, but a neck pillow - kind of like you see people use on airplanes. It was great! Worked really well, and it didn't seem to humiliate her that much. (http://www.amazon.com/KONG-Cloud-E-Collar-Collar-Large/dp/B0045Y1JGG/ref=cm_cr_pr_product_top)

I got this one and it's been working pretty well. The little side flaps don't line up perfectly with the sides of the seats, but for $20, I say good enough! The pup loves it too. He likes to lay down with his head cradled, and suspended between the front seats.


https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B019EOQ6AK

Okay, thank you! I'll keep that in mind. I have an undercoat rake (the kind that has straight pins, not curved - similar to this one) but I've heard mixed suggestions on how often to use it. Is once per week about right?

I also way overspent on a Chris Christensen buttercomb lol, the one with a fine and a coarse side. I almost certainly could have just gotten a cheaper Andis one but here we are. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Haha, yep! We know whenever we give her a tennis ball that it's being sacrificed. We have a couple of Kongs, and we've also been really impressed with these bones - it's basically a nylabone, but with a bacon flavor (they have peanut butter, too). Her previous one lasted her about 6 months, and she seems to love it - it's the only toy she'll chew on regularly.

Here are the bits. if you don't mind helping me out (I make 3d printing videos etc..) Goto my Video for the same links as affiliate links. Regular links provided here if you don't want to do that. its also a good video on the Maker Select Duplicator I3

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tpcm4XEbP1Q

It is not monitized with ads.

I have purchased all of these with my own money and use all of them.

you can save a little cash by printing your own z brace parts but the kit is not that expensive and looks DAMNED good and is super fast to install. if I get another maker/i3 printer its what I will use (I printed my first one bought my second one) I actually installed my Z brace kit while it was printing :-)

Z Brace Kit

My Video installation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuVSxyYoKk0&t=1s

https://www.amazon.com/RepRap-Champion-Z-Brace-Duplicator-Monoprice/dp/B071SD7B4Z


Replacement Y Plate

https://www.amazon.com/RepRap-Champion-Carriage-Duplicator-Monoprice/dp/B01MUAMRN7


If you have a glass cutter this is a lot cheaper for the glass 12x12 Mirror Pane

https://www.amazon.com/Darice-Inch-x12-Square-Mirror/dp/B002PNUZAA


Or just buy the right size Glass Plate

https://www.amazon.com/RioRand-Borosilicate-heatbed-printer-Reprap/dp/B00GAV9SVU

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

Link please! Last time I looked for a product like this they all looked terrible. Edit: nvm looks like I just didn't want to spend $300 for two feeders. This looks pretty great though: SureFeed Microchip Pet Feeder https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O0UIPTY/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_dDz8BbBFAGS50

I find that a fur rake works better and is cheaper, I've used them on Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers and Huskies to great success.

Buy

($6)Wires:For the MOFSET mod

($1o)MOFSET

($6)Wire spades:For the MOFSET mod

($8)Assorted M3 Bolts:You need some for a few mods and for the bolts you will inevitably strip on this cheap wonderful machine

($13)Longer assorted M3 Bolts:For a few mods

($9)M4 Bolts:For one of the mods

($9)Metric allen wrench set:Had to order one of these since metric tools aren’t common round these parts

(~$20) PLA of preferred choice- You’ll run out of the sample bit quick so go ahead and order a roll or two to be prepared. You will note some upgrades require ABS so a small spool of that to your order will also help.

($6)M3 Lock nuts:Critically needed for a simple mod

($10)Threaded rod and nuts:Please note that this item seemed difficult to find online. I recommend going to your local hardware store and getting two 5/16” rods of at least 16” in length. They should have an assortment of threaded rod in various lengths available. Also note that the pitch of the threading matches the nuts you buy. Further instructions regarding this can be seen in Azza’s Z-Axis braces below.)

($6)9mm Wrench for the nozzle: Don’t wait for your first clog, go ahead and have this on hand to remove/change the nozzle. Note to only tighten/loosen the nozzle when heated.



Below is the order of printable upgrades I recommend but I suggest you mix in a few other prints along the way because this is a hobby after all and you should be having fun. It helps to have your quality as tuned in as much as possible for some of these so be patient and keep trying if you need to.

Print

Spool holder- temporary : Until you can mount your spool on top of the enclosure or any other personal preference.

Belt tensioner- print x2

Z-brace

Shielded stop button

Cable relocator : It’s a pain, but if you spend the time to do this and turn your extruder motor 90 degrees then you can get the full Z height without ruining your cables. It does involve opening all the cables to the PSU and feeding a few extra inches back through the cable chains.

Cable shroud : Looks nice if you do the cable relocator.


The following need to be printed in ABS:

M3 Bed Nut retainer: 10/10 upgrade. I know they look worse than the nice metal stock ones, but these help keep your bed level longer.

CiiCooler

Glass bed Holder


Now that the first major round of printed upgrades is done it’s time to shift to a few more supplies to pick up to really fine tune the machine.


Buy

($5)Radial fan: For CiiCooler

($5)Glue sticksThis and a glass bed is magic

($25)Borosilicate glass 8” x 8”

($26)Y-Carriage plate upgrade: This has been a nice upgrade as I now only need to relevel the bed every couple weeks instead of every print. Check out this guide for a ‘how to’ as well as a free upgrade by shifting your Y pulley over.

($15)rechargeable dehumidifier: For keeping in the bin with your opened filaments

($9)Extruder gears: Might be able to hold off on these, but will need eventually. If for some reason you have a Maker Select with metal X-axis blocks (V1 and V2, but not V2.1) then this is a must. You can follow this guide for a how to.

($28)Metal extruder plate and lever: Not needed, but nice.

($14)Noctua 40mm fan: Not needed, but makes the printer a lot quitter. A LOT quieter.

($50)MicroSwiss All Metal Hot End: The destruction of my PTFE tube by this point pushed me to doing this upgrade. If needed you can follow this guide for replacement. Remember to tighten/loosen when the nozzle its hot.

($6)Ceramic cotton: Tore off the stock one when replacing for the all metal hot end by accident. At least its thicker than stock

Now that the printer is in its final form, its time for the enclosure which is a stacked Ikea Lack hack.

Print

Spool holder

Pi Case

120mm fan cover

Fan grill

120mm fan PSU modification: I edited this to fit upside down since my PSU is mounted on the underside. This was nice since I blew the 40mm fan anyways so it made everything a lot quieter than before.

IKEA Lack filament guide

Webcam holder: This is one I designed specifically for the webcam I happen to have lying around. The camera mount piece can be changed out no problem though for what ever webcam you have or buy. The SketchUp file is included on Thingiverse for such purpose.

Buy

($20)2x Ikea Lack: Luckily there is one right down the street from me. I am located in North America though, so we do not have the STUVA, if you live literally anywhere else you may check in to this as an alternative.

($80)Plexi glass for enclosure: Could be cheaper alternatives, but it looks cool

($9)Foam pads for feet

($42)Raspberry Pi3: For OctoPrint. I also suggest using a different USB cable than the stock one provided by Monoprice or you will have issues.

($9)2x 120mm fans: Used for the power supply cooling and enclosure

($6)Rocker Switches so that the enclosure fan can be on for PLA, but off for ABS

($15)Dimmable LED lights

($10)8mm LED light connectors


Total:
$250 printer + $452 upgrades/parts + ~$80 PLA/ABS to date

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.

My 2 1/2 year old Golden Retriever (now 80 pounds) has a box full of animals, chews, balls and tug ropes. it appears her absolute favorite is
called "Chasing Our Tails Elk Rack Snack" about an 8-9" piece of elk antler. She chews and chews and it seems to never wear down. I purchased it on Amazon in October 2012 for $20. A solid investment giving her hours of enjoyment. I'm including link but if that doesn't work the description should bring it up on Amazon's pages. Good luck - wish I could have a few more dogs around the house but mine absolutely hates other dogs. She loves humans of all sizes and shapes but goes nuts when another dog comes close. It's a bit of a pain as I have to regulate her walk times so minimize exposure to other dogs. I won't even talk about cats, squirrels or rabbits.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0053WMOKE/ref=oh_details_o00_s00_i01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

This big hedgie is one of my dogs favorites. They have smaller sizes too!!!

Not only is this.... duck/google/schmoo one of my doggos favorites, it has tons of reviews from people saying for some reason their dog really loves it.

Are you looking for zero treat toys or just "less" treats? Are you giving her an empty Kong?

For treat-less, my pup kinda likes the Benebone. Every couple days he'll play with a ball by himself; he'll throw it in the air, then run to catch it. You can also try split elk antlers too if you consider that treat-less.

My pup used to not like Kongs either until we found the right canned food. Now it'll keep him busy for about 45 minutes. We fill them with stuff like Merricks 96% Beef and freeze it. That way you can use it as a meal too and not worry about over-treating.

I currently use this cover and this harness with one of the seatbelt hooks that connects the harness to one of the seat belts for my five month old Newfoundland puppy.

It works pretty well and it's made from a super durable fabric. The only downside is that it doesn't have any sides to protect the doors or stop him from going into the floorboards, my biggest issue is that he likes to slip between the door and the side of the hammock to get to the floorboard.

I have a coworker that has a GTI and the seat hammock that he has for his car does have sides, I'll ask him where he got it and I'll post a link once I find out.

I agree with all of this.

The neck donut collars are tolerated SO much better than the cones. Most dogs get overwhelmed by the cone and will shut down. The donut is more like a travel pillow that conveniently prevents licking.

You want to find a veterinary behaviorist, NOT a regular trainer. This is past what a trainer is educated for and is a medical issue.

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.

You don't need to do any electrical mods. The higher voltage in the plus fixes the problems that were present on the older versions. The Z-brace mod is a good idea, but not necessary. It's easy to do and improves print quality though, so you should do it.

It's also probably a good idea to swap out the steel y carriage with a stiffer aluminum one like this, but again, it's not entirely necessary.

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.

Important thing to remember: Nothing is -ever- mandatory unless it's a major safety issue. The closest thing to that on that printer is the mosfet. I believe your original message implies you replaced the buildtak, so the Mosfet upgrade would be a very good idea unless you plan to change out the control board entirely.

Everything else is Optional and Quality of Life/Print stuff. ^.^

The following are examples on Amazon. Other folks and posts may have better advice on where/what to get.

Y Carriage plate
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MUAMRN7/ (This is the part under the heated bed)

MicroSwiss all metal hotend (From other person's post):
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E1HANLS/

Linear bearings would be LM8LUU for the Y rods. If you have the plastic bearing holders, it's easy. If you have the aluminum block bearing holders, you'll have to find somebody else to source info on the circlips and how to not become sad with them.

You can print things just fine without any of these upgrades, so don't worry about the long print (unless you run out of filament).

A new controller board can do extra stuff and is required (Highly recommended, since you "can" make the probe work on the Melzi board, but poorly and at the cost of other things) for Z-Probe use, dual extruder, and with the heated bed on that printer, can remove the need for a separate MOSFET. It opens the path for other upgrades, can improve print quality to a degree in some cases, and can drive you absolutely nuts trying to set it up.

The inexpensive Quality of Life I'd recommend are thumbwheels with nylock nuts (hard to turn, but keep your level for a long time); corner-bracket spring cups (printed); and glass print bed. Two sets of printed things and about $12 at worst for the glass.

The bearing upgrade (If you can do it without fighting circlips) helps reduce Y-axis stutter and vibration. That upgrade brought my print quality up hugely. $25 or so if you get a lot of spares or higher quality ones.

The Y platform helps you with leveling and staying level.

The lack enclosure has some printed parts, $20-40 worth of Ikea furniture, and up to $50 worth of siding depending on your ability to cut glass and plexiglass.

So many things you CAN do. None that you MUST do. Some that you SHOULD do. And everything else is Just For Fun.

I'm not a fan of furminators. I find they end up cutting the fur more than anything.

As recommended, give them a good bath and blow dry. That will loosen up most of it. I find my trusty comb (like this one ) works very well on my landlords lab, as well as a zoom groom.

We got one of these inflatable Elizabethan collars for our pup. It worked perfectly and we could still snuggle comfortably. He could eat easier and he didn't knock as much stuff off the table.

KONG Cloud E-Collar, Dog Collar, Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0045Y1JGG/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_CjTXzbNFGJY89

I would try with amazon if it’s not too late. this is a great treat ball, made of rubber and it has got also some accessories to make the game more challenging!

Our boxer has a special love for destroying things, but a few toys that have managed to last:

• Good old fashioned Kong's
  
• Pocket Treat thing from JW -Obsessed with this thing
  
• Chuckit Kick it - Purchased after she loved a foam soccer ball to death
  
• Chuckit Rebounce - only tennis ball/fetch balls that don't get crushed to smithereens
  
• Tuffy soft toys - she wanted to rip all the stuffing out when she first got it, but besides that first little tear its held up
  
• We've also braided together old sheets to make long tug of war toys, the solid sheet fabric seems to hold up better than regular rope toys.
  

My 2 cents, skip the raised dishes, and definitely skip the create.

Realistically you need at a minimum, a bed, food and water dishes, food, I strongly recommend sweet potato chews. It'll help with the stress induced diarrhea, a few toys and a Duckworth (see link below) I have yet to meet a dog that doesn't love them.

Multipet Duckworth https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000084E7Y/ref=cm_sw_r_other_apa_i_8T4QDb0BKC3DQ

Edit: obviously collar and leash, but those should be supplied by the rescue

When my wooly Mally is blowing her coat, it is a multi-step process. Step one is using a slicker brush like /u/blounsbury linked - that helps get rid of most of the loose fur. I then move on to a rake style undercoat brush, often in conjunction with a de-matting rake. That will get the bulk of the undercoat out. The second to last step is using a metal comb to make sure all of the undercoat "chunks" are out. The final step is going over with the slicker brush for the final time.

Understand that this is a multi-day event. While the sound of "blowing the coat" sounds like something that should just suddenly happen, it takes place over a week or so. I measure my Mally's fur output in cats. Day one is usually one cat-sized lump of fur. Day two is like three. By day 3 and 4, we're usually down to a cat a day.

My Shiba uses one brush for his entire grooming process when he's blowing his coat - The Furminator. It does zip for a wooly Malamute (even the long-haired version does nothing).

It sounds as if he's getting you trained. lol Dr. Sophia Yin created this awesome remote training device. You may want to try something like this out, to let you be away from him, instead of running down the stairs at his command. :)

I feel your pain. Nail trimming can be a total nightmare (for you and your dog). If you're using actual clippers, make sure they are very sharp (dull blades will squeeze the nail, causing a lot of pain and sometimes cracking the nail). Dremel trimmers are definitely something worth looking into too. But even with the best tools, it can be a huge chore. I had a dog who passed away a few months ago who would just lay there and let you trim his nails. Sometimes he'd actually fall asleep while you did it. He was a godsend.

See this duck here? https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000084E7Y/ref=psd_mlt_bc_B000084E7Y this duck has amazingly survived my dog since she was a puppy through her teething. He's her favorite toy and even though the constant squeaking makes me tear my hair out I'm glad she has at least one toy that she can chew and dig her teeth into and not have it fall apart. It's not even soft anymore and we've washed it dozens of times.

If you get one and it grows to look this this: https://imgur.com/a/lDzIvUj

Then this is your friend: https://www.amazon.com/Oster-18-Tooth-Coarse-Shedding-Brush/dp/B00061MWJ0

Light brush (5-10 mins) a night keeps on top of everything.

We know a few others and they all seem to be very social animals - love family and other dogs.

I've been using this one with my chihuahua, and it works great!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003YHB8EI/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_GQh2xbQ8KR4TT
You can choose the size of the opening, which is great for small kibble and my chi just has a blast pouncing on it and batting it around.

I brush all three of my cats every day and it really helps with shedding and the cats love it.

This works really well on short hair cats:

https://www.amazon.com/Coastal-Pet-Undercoat-Designed-Undercoats/dp/B0083TSC64?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_3

I don't know how we lived without snuffle mats.

This is the best one you can buy that I'm aware of for meal feeding and regular use. We've had a couple for a long time and machine wash them frequently and they've held up beautifully. I personally wouldn't waste my money on a fleece one.

Hello fellow furry dog owner. My dog sheds too. I found that adding one of these to my car helps alot. They are super easy to take in and out.

http://www.amazon.com/BarksBar-Original-Seat-Cover-Cars/dp/B019EOQ6AK/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&qid=1458527387&sr=8-5&keywords=car+hammock

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.

I did scheduled feeding with stations for a while, but then I found bowls with microchip sensors and now life is great. They're about $140 each but totally worth it. I have 3 of these now

We had the same problem with our two kitties. One is almost 3 kg heavier than his brother and was eating way too much, so we got two of these.

They're a bit pricey, but are perfect for this situation as they only open when the registered microchip is within distance of the feeder. If the fat one tries to bully his way in, the flap will slide shut and force him out. They each get their portion in the morning and can "free feed" from their own dish all day. :)

The hydrogen peroxide was a good call. I don't have much experience with my grey eating things so I'm not sure whether you should take him to the vet or not at this point. Seems like maybe just keep an eye on him.

But as for you second question - I bought this Buster Food Cube puzzle toy for our girl since she's home alone all day and she started to get into a few things and she LOVES it. Knocking this around the living room is probably the highlight of her day. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003A23HZK/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o00_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Also putting treats and biscuits in her Kong that are really hard to get out can keep her busy for a long time too.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B002O09MYE

Although, I love the DIY aspect. Great job.

Pretty sure this is the one I have: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B019EOQ6AK

EDIT: Since it sounds from your post like you just let your dogs roam around in the trunk while the car is moving, please try these out. They let you buckle the dog into a seatbelt: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000301EHK

It's a chuckit brand ball!


Canine Hardware Chuckit Kick Fetch Ball Large https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084DRJKO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_KskoDbAWSW1B8


He loves it too, not totally indestructible, but still holds up great

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

It's definitely something to consider. Microchip feeders are amazing to have for situations like yours. You can buy one that only your slower-eating cat can get into, so she can graze whenever she wants and your bigger guy can't get into it.

They really don't need to be cut. All that fur is important to them, especially during the summer because of insects and sunburn. You just need to spend some time cleaning out the undercoat. You want to use something like a 'undercoat grooming' rake. This will take quite a bit of time. After this you'll want to do just go back over with a slicker brush/or comb.

If your dog has mats (mine get mats around flanks) then you'll want to apply some dematting spray and then use a dematting comb.

This will help a lot in keeping your derglet cool.

Trimming around flanks, ears, etc is fine. I get my dogs butt flanks trimmed a lot because poop.

My Springer spaniel girl loves puzzle toys! I got her a Bobalot and Kong 'flying saucer' plus a puzzle bowl, all of which she loves!

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.

Depending on your yard/outdoor situation, I'd suggest a ball large enough to roll and be chased. Chuckit makes a small soccer ball with ridges that our girl loves to chase. It's big enough to roll along the ground rather than bounce in the air, and she can't fit the whole thing in her mouth, so I feel a lot better about safety. She can grab ,the ridges but can't fit her mouth around the whole thing, so she has to work on catching it, and even though shes had it for about a year she hasn't chewed through any part of it!
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0084DRJKO/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_pfoPDbRX4149Y

Also, anything fuzzy that squeaks! Our girl didn't know what toys were at first, but boy did she know what to do with a squeaky rabbit! Animal shapes seem to have the biggest draw for our girl.

Also I definitely second the winter coat. I'd also recommend a thunder shirt, ours is terrified of thunder but sleeps like an angel with her shirt on.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JPL4193/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apap_t6TQNgUiR7ueE

Ringing and banding is a really hard problem to fix. Ultimately, it comes down to making sure your printer is insanely rigid and its firmware settings are tuned in to fit YOUR printer.

I see you already dropped acceleration and jerk settings, which will go a long way to helping with ringing and banding. Make 100% sure your belts are tensioned well. That's the #1 key to successful prints IMO, and I see you didn't mention it here.

Consider upgrading your printer with a stronger Y carriage. Here's the one I use: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MUAMRN7

After replacing the Y carriage, make add some auto-bed leveling to your printer so that you can rigidly secure your heated bed to the Y carriage. The springs that let you level your printer now add springy-ness to the print results from the sharp movements of the very heavy Y axis moving.

The default Cartesian design's biggest flaw is the moving heat bed IMO. Its very large and very heavy, which means precise movements at high speeds is always going to be very hard.

Also, can we see some pictures? You might be where I am at this point, limited by the factors of your printers design on a mechanical level as opposed to the quality of the build and parts.

They make one specifically for dogs
Dremel 7300-PT 4.8V Pet Nail Grooming Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B003TU0XG4/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_sRJVzbV6SE0PA


But I use my pedicure one and it works great on my dog
Amopé Pedi Perfect Electronic Foot File, Extra Coarse https://www.amazon.com/dp/B013AX6U6Q/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_yQJVzb7T1EP9F

My wiggle loves this and this
Also, frozen Kong’s are great.

I put treats and even dry food in a puzzle toy for my yorkie, he loves it, it slows down how fast he eats and it keeps him occupied for a while. This is the one I have https://www.amazon.com/StarMark-Bob-Lot-Interactive-Small/dp/B003YHB8EI/ref=sr_1_13?ie=UTF8&qid=1521658287&sr=8-13&keywords=dog+treat+puzzle

He knocks it all over the kitchen getting his food out and it wears him out a bit which is great this time of year when it's too cold or snowy to walk every day.

Please please please consider an alternative. Declawing is very painful to an animal and oftentimes changes their behavior for the worse after it has been done (no surprises really, as declawing is not just removing the nails, it is removing the bone as well. think of it like removing your finger up to the second knuckle). How about try something less intrusive/costly first? There are booties you could purchase: https://www.amazon.com/QUMY-Waterproof-Reflective-Velcro-Anti-Slip/dp/B01LYITJ4S/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3OW12TD5FRSDR&keywords=dog+booties+for+hardwood+floors&qid=1569187744&s=gateway&sprefix=dog+booties%2Caps%2C263&sr=8-4
Or you could file your doggie's nails down with a dremel, so they aren't nearly as sharp (they make pet specific ones for those too): https://www.amazon.com/Dremel-7300-PT-4-8V-Nail-Grooming/dp/B003TU0XG4/ref=sxin_1_osp54-3d58a629_cov?ascsubtag=3d58a629-5407-463d-bdc4-ae4dbba21da4&creativeASIN=B003TU0XG4&cv_ct_id=amzn1.osp.3d58a629-5407-463d-bdc4-ae4dbba21da4&cv_ct_pg=search&cv_ct_wn=osp-search&keywords=dremel+dog&linkCode=oas&pd_rd_i=B003TU0XG4&pd_rd_r=a5f5dc22-c306-4952-875e-2a306ba459e2&pd_rd_w=bRrY7&pd_rd_wg=BltYA&pf_rd_p=53eff971-6e12-4016-9864-b6dfd929b2b3&pf_rd_r=SRCDDXV0AR8EDXP32SA5&qid=1569187884&s=gateway&tag=42987st350sr-20
I use the dremel on my boy, and he doesn't mind it at all compared to the nail clipper! Just had to entice him with enough cheese when introducing it lol.

We use a furminator too, and while it works, we really have to go to town to get all the undercoat off and it seems like it just rips his top coat apart in the process. I was thinking of getting one of the undercoat brushes to see if that was any better.

Anyone have any experience with something like this?
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00061MWJ0/

Here are my dogs being a beast Ike the Rhodesian Ridgeback/Boxer mix (Can you tell which one he is?) and the runt of the litter Boxer Roxi. They don't mess around when people come around.

Lucy definitely needs this antler for her birthday, I don't think she'd be able to chew threw this bad boy (That's a challenge)

Beautiful dog!

I got a waterproof hammock type one. Very protective, relatively easy to remove, and very secure.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B019EOQ6AK/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1536634308&sr=8-4&keywords=dog+car+hammock+waterproof&dpPl=1&dpID=519HKxcJG2L&ref=plSrch

Similar to this. I definitely like and appreciate mine.