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If you are really active and want to get an older dog (1-2years+) a corgi could be a really good addition. They are really active dogs and love being with their people. They are highly intelligent herding dogs, however, so you will need to take training seriously and be consistent or they can quickly become a handful. A corgi or corgi-mix, however, would likely be a good fit! It is also a good idea - if you are considering an older dog - not to be TOO concerned with breed, but rather find an individual in rescue who meets your size/exercise/personality needs and expectations.

Advice does vary from dog to dog - it is a bit like raising children. Something that works for one kid may completely backfire with another. That being said, I would encourage you to do some research on positive reinforcement and the related training methods to form the foundation of your training ideology. The whole point of positive reinforcement is to teach dogs what you EXPECT of them by making desired behaviors and skills pay off for the dog and ignoring/redirecting/discouraging behaviors and skills you don't want repeated. Dogs like corgis respond very well to this type of training as they tend to be somewhat sensitive and do not respond that well to 'discipline' in the 'dominance theory' sense. They are smart enough to repeat behaviors that are beneficial to them, they just need to know what you expect!

I would suggest these resources to get you started with training research:

• Dont Shoot the Dog
  
  
• Culture Clash
  
  
• The Power of Positive Reinforcement
  
  
• The Digital Dog Training Text Book
  
  
• /r/Dogtraining Wiki
  
  
• Kikopup Videos
  
  Also become familiar with the training clubs in your area - even with an adult dog it is recommended that you do a couple rounds of introductory obedience training, especially if this is your first dog (and DOUBLE especially if you get a corgi for your first dog).
  
  Now for the full disclosure part -
  
  
• Make sure you have a sizable about in savings and/or look into pet insurance. Medical care for a sick dog can easily run $500-$5000+, especially with genetic disorders or emergency medical care.
  
  
• Do not rely on your roommates to take care of YOUR dog. It is fine to share responsibilities to some extent, but YOU are going to need to make sure the dog is let outside regularly, has all the necessary training, has ample food and water, etc etc. Also make sure your roommates are OK with the dog. Dogs tend to chew, bark, pee, poop, vomit, among other things. If they are going to flip their shit over a chewed up shoe - maybe wait until you don't live with those people anymore.
  
  
• Make it clear the dog is YOURS. It is not uncommon in roommate situations that the line between who really owns the dog becomes blurred. If you get the dog while you live with other people make sure everyone is clear on that point (and everything related to the dog is in your name.)
  
  
• Make sure you are willing to give up your time. If you are just starting university, you are going to have a lot of opportunities to socialize/go out/travel/etc. If you get a dog, the dog needs to come first in some respects - make sure you have several options available if you need to leave for a period of time (internship/travel/etc) don't just ASSUME your roommates or parents will take your dog - make sure you can afford boarding fees and you have a trusted kennel to board your dog. Not all students are staying out all night partying, taking impulse trips, or otherwise not available but seriously consider this before you get a dog (and what will happen to the dog if things change).
  
  
• Consider your future. Here and now you have roommates and an open schedule, but what about 5 years from now? 10? Are you going into a field that requires long hours or has an irregular schedule? what if you need to make a huge move to get a job? What if you meet someone/get married/have children? How does the dog fit into your life not just now but in the FUTURE? A dog is a 10-15 year commitment, be ready for it!
  
  
• This is your first dog so do a TON of research on training, health, care, and expectations before getting one! I am not talking a couple of half-assed hours - meditate on this for the next several months and make sure that this is REALLY something you can commit to. I am sure you have already done this - but thinking about getting a dog in that dreamy state is much different than actually having one. Your first dog on your own is a huge shock to the system - you are solely responsible for a LIFE; it can hit people pretty hard sometimes. It is not uncommon for people to get cold feet or freak out and bail within the first month of having a new dog. These are often the people who act more on impulse or idealism rather than realism and planning - it can happen to anyone, but I guess my point is make sure this is something you REALLY want.
  
  Dogs are great - as a corgi owner, myself, CORGIS are great, but they will change your life (for the best, in most ways). Life is no longer about you - about long nights out partying or hanging out with friends, impulse trips or spending all weekend on the couch or absorbed in a project. Your life now includes your dog who wants to be with you ALL the time having fun adventures. You will need to spend several hours every day with your dog and for many students that is just not a reality given their class/social/work/life schedule. Be realistic about the here and now and your future! If it doesn't work out right this instant, don't worry - that right time will come! We waited 5 years to get our current corgi puppy and I am SO GLAD I waited until I had a stable job and a more reliable life schedule than when I was in school or living on my own. It has changed my life, but it has been a good change and I would not give my dog up for anything.

> eager to please


The Eager to Please Fallacy:

by Jean Donaldson in 'The Culture Crash'

http://www.amazon.com/Culture-Clash-Jean-Donaldson/dp/1617811122/

The anthropomorphic spin on dog behaviour is not limited to exaggerations of their intelligence. We also misinterpret their regard for us. When are we going to put to bed once and for all the concept that dogs have a "desire to please"? What a vacuous, dangerous idea. I'm still waiting to meet this dog who wants to please his owner. Indeed, where is this dog who is interested at all in the internal state of his owner except with regard to how manifestations of this state impact events of relevance to the dog? Actually, let's start by tracking down a dog who can form representations of another being's internal states at all. Although praise works as a reinforcer for some individuals in the total absence of any competing motivation, this effect is limited, and casts some pretty extreme doubt on a "desire to please" module.

Closer scrutiny makes the case even weaker. Rule out, for starters, that the praise functions as a safety cue--a predictor of extremely low likelihood of aversives. This is evident in traditional obedience classes. The primary motivation is said to be praise. The primary motivation is actually avoidance of aversives, called "leash corrections". If the trainer is any good, the dog learns that if a response is praised, a correction has been avoided, and so the praise acquires meaning and relevance. But does this mean the dog is employing this sound as evidence of some internal state of the maker of the sound? This is unlikely.

Praise can also acquire some "charge" as a secondary reinforce in the day-to-day life of a dog. People tend to praise dogs more before doling out cookies, attention, walkies and games. This all is more evidence of what we already knew and should be exploiting with a tad more sophistication: dogs learn by the immediate results of their actions, and by tip-offs to important events in their lives.

And yet the use of food in training meets moralistic resistance among a staggering number of owners. I Once spoke to a traditional trainer who poured scorn on the use of food as a motivator. The line he trotted out, and which still makes me retch even to this day, was: "If you use food to train, the dog is doing it for the food and not for you." This man's dog, trained by avoidance with a strangle collar, was supposedly doing it for him because the only positive reinforcer was praise. Trainers who make claims about dogs working "to please" or strictly for praise seem oblivious to the main motivator they employ: pain. The first task in training any animal is finding out what motivates it. No motivation, no training. All animals are motivated by food, water, sex, and avoiding aversives. If they are not motivated by these at all, they die. A lot of animals can be motivated by play, attention, and the opportunity to socialize with or investigate other dogs and interesting smells. All animals can be motivated by signals that represent one of these primary reinforcers, provided the relationship between the signal and the primary is kept adequately strong. This is mostly where praise comes in, as sort of a imprecise marker that tells the animal the probability of a primary has improved. If you opt not to use positive reinforcement, you end up, like they all do, using aversives and announcing that your dog is doing it for you. Pathetic.

None of this is to say praise isn't good or important. I personally praise my dogs an embarassing amount because I like them and I like doing it. They like it when I'm in a good mood because Good Things Happen for Dogs when She's in a Good Mood. I personally love it when someone like my Kung Fu instructor, who has power over me, is in a good mood, but not because I'm genetically wired with a desire to please him. My interest in my teacher's mood is pretty selfish, and I;m supposed to be a morally advanced human. Any interest you dog has in your mood is based on what he has learned it means for him. And that's okay.

Praise does work as a primary reinforcer for some dogs. They like it enough to work for it, especially when it's the only game in town, but this is weak grounds on which to marginalize those dogs for whom praise does not work as a primary reinforcer. It is also weak grounds to support the hypothesis of an underlying mechanism of desire to please. A lot of dogs seem to kind of life praise but won't reliably work for it. This is fine. There's a difference between expressing affection to the dog, for what it's definitely worth to the human and for whatever it may be worth to the dog, and relying on praise as a principal means of motivating an animal in training or behaviour modification. In other words, don't confuse bonding activities with training and behaviour mod. For the latter, heavier artillery is usually needed.

Some people feel disappointed to discover the necessity of using heavier artillery like food and access to fund and games and other primary reinforcers in order to condition their animal. They feel like their particular dog is a lemon because "he listens when he wants to," "only does it when I have a cookie" and has in short little or no desire to please. Generations of dogs have been labeled lemons for requiring actual motivation when all along they were normal. In fact, many people are actually put off by the intensity with which dogs will work for strong primary reinforcers such as food. It too directly assaults any cherished belief they might have in the desire-to-please myth, and makes them feel less important to the dog. ("Wow, is this what motivation looks like?") I'm still waiting to meet a real dog with desire to please. If he shows up, I'll send him for therapy.

The desire to please thing has been fed, largely, by the misreading of certain dog behaviours. Dogs get excited when we come home, solicit attention and patting from us, and lick us. They are very compulsive about their greeting rituals. They often shadow us around when we're available and become gloomier or even anxious when we leave. They are highly social and genetically unprepared for the degree of absence from family members they experience in a human environment. They also bounce back amazingly well, to a point, from the immense amount of punishment we mete out at them. They monitor our every movement. I can see how this could be interpreted as worship, but it's important not to get a big ego about it: they are monitoring our every movement for signs that something might happen for dogs.

My dogs' brains are continuously and expertly checking out the behaviour of humans, working out to eight decimal places the probability at any given second of cookies, walks, attention, Frisbee and endless hours of deliriously orgasmic games with the latex hedgehog. They appear devoted to me because I throw a mean frisbee and have opposable thumbs that open cans. Not to say we don't have a bond. We both are a bonding species. But they don't worship me. I'm not sure they have a concept of worship. Their love is also not grounds for doing whatever I say. It is, in fact, irrelevant to training. To control their behaviour, I must constantly manipulate the consequences of their actions and the order and intensity of important stimuli. Interestingly, some of the most sophisticated training jobs are done where no love and little bond is present. THis is not to say that training is not one of the best ways around to foster a bond. It is. But it's not a prerequisite of training.

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

Treats

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Toys that get stuffed with food and frozen:

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

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

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

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

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

Here's what I think you should try:

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

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

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

​

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

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

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

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

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

​

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

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

Some tips:

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

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

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

Food Dispensing Toys

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Congratulations! It will be exciting and tiring and overwhelming and so much fun. Don't feel bad if you ever get stressed or overwhelmed, it happens to many people and does not mean you will be a crappy owner.

For videos, I love kikopup and lots of people here watch Zak George as well.

A few overall things - physical stimulation (exercise and playtime) is important but so is mental stimulation! Things like classes, puzzles, trick training, etc... are really beneficial and can also tire out a dog. A properly exercised and stimulated dog is much likely to behave better and be easier to work with and train. Just be careful to take lots of breaks and not over exercise a puppy as it can affect their joints and development. Also, patience and consistency really is key. Be firm and consistent with your pup and as /u/mushroom_fae says, think about the kind of adult dog you want to have.

I also suggest keeping a good supply of an enzymatic cleaner such as Natures Miracle or Anti Icky Poo. Many cleaners don't really do a good job of getting rid of the mark or scent and enzymatic cleaners will deep clean pet messes so that your dog can no longer smell the residue and won't go to the same spot to mark repeatedly. Great for potty training and just to have around in general.

edit: also if you're interested in reading some books, I love Patricial McConnell! I've not read the puppy one but she has several that are great.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

It's understandably tempting to ask what the "best" food is out there, but the truth is that is an impossible question to answer. Like people, dogs are individuals and they're going to have different tastes and dietary requirements. It's easy to get discouraged when a food you've chosen for your dog doesn't seem to be working for him.

The good (and sometimes overwhelming) news is that there are a ton of options out there. Some are better than others, for various reasons, and you'll have to experiment a little to find the right option for your dog.

If you're really interested in the finer details, my highest and most enthusiastic recommendation to you is to read the book, Dog Food Logic, linked below. Otherwise, check out a few of the articles I've linked here, and at the very least read some of the excerpts from Dog Food Logic. Good luck!

The World Small Animal Veterinary Association

• The Savvy Dog Owner’s Guide: Nutrition on the Internet
  
• Recommendations on Selecting Pet Foods
  
  Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University
  
  
• FAQ's on Pet Nutrition
  
  The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine
  
  
• How to Choose a Diet
  
• Myths and Misconceptions Surrounding Pet Foods
  
  'Dog Food Logic' Book Excerpts written by an animal nutritionist (MSc)
  
  
• What's Your Dinner Ritual?
  
• Label Claims
  
• Not Your Grandmother’s Kibble
  
• The Nature of Natural
  
  I HIGHLY recommend reading the full book. It's a great read, and dives into detail on the science of canine nutrition for the layman. No, seriously, read the book Dog Food Logic: Making Smart Decisions for Your Dog in an Age of Too Many Choices. It will help you, it certainly helped me.

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

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

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

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

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

A few toys ideas:

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

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

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

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

The Trixie has tons of different ones.

Whew, ok, lots to unpack here.

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

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

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

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

> Any books or guides you recommend?

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

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

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

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

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

No problem!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Have you gone to any training/obedience classes with him or had a trainer/behaviorist work with him? That's a good first step. Look for a trainer or training class that favors positive, force-free methods over corrections. Most of his behavior sounds normal for a young, energetic dog who doesn't know yet what good manners are or why they're worth following. It makes perfect sense for him not to listen to you outside, too; everything else is just so interesting (picture a 10 year-old kid being told to focus on his homework in the middle of Disneyland). It takes a lot of work to get a dog to focus on you outside and near distractions. So patience, repetition, lots more positive reinforcement, and most importantly time and consistency.

The fear aggression is a bit higher priority, though. A behaviorist is good for this. There are also books and videos you can look into in the meantime, such as BAT 2.0 and The Cautious Canine.

There are a couple of other users mentioning the use of a shock collar. If you decide to go the route, put it at the absolute bottom of your list as very last resort. Punishment like that comes with a lot of risks, such as making fear and aggression worse and developing new triggers. Plus, it won't actually show the dog what you want it to do, so it will be a painful "no, don't do that" without showing what the right behavior is--that's achieved through positive reinforcement, time and patience. And you stay consistent with the +reinforcement, you likely won't need the collar at all. All of this in aside from the fact that I and many others do not accept shock collars to be humane or ethical. I don't believe in inflicting pain, and moreover, you can't fix fear with pain. Pain can only cause fear, and in an already fearful dog, that's a recipe for disaster.

One last thing: increase his exercise amount. He's young, so he's got lots of energy and craves and outlet for it as well as mental stimulation. Tiring him out every day will make him substantially easier to handle and train.

No matter what you choose, I wish you good luck. Training will be challenging, but it can also be so much fun. I hope the best for you and him both.

Here's my list of favorite training resources:

• Jane Killion (Great book: When Pigs Fly: Training Success with Impossible Dogs)
  
• Karen Pryor (Great books: Don't Shoot the Dog & Reaching the Animal Mind)
  
• Sophia Yin (Great book: How to Behave So Your Dog Behaves)
  
• Jean Donaldson (Great books: Fight! & The Culture Clash)
  
• Pat Miller (Great book: The Power of Positive Dog Training)
  
• Patricia McConnell (Great book: The Other End of the Leash)
  
• Ian Dunbar. He's done a lot of work with puppies and has a blog and tons of articles as well as a TED Talk.
  
• Zak George
  
• Kikopup
  
• Kristin Crestejo
  
• A great article on canine body language/calming signals: Calming Signals: The Art of Survival by Turid Rugaas.
  
• 101 Things You Can Do With A Box.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

One side effect of allergic reactions can be a dramatic change in the microecology of the dog's skin. Huge overgrowths of unhealthy microbes can then occur and greatly exacerbate an existing, but otherwise minor, skin problem.

Best advice is to eliminate the fleas--be patient and follow the Advantage instructions exactly. Elimination of the infestation can take 6 months (or more TBH) and is essential. Because flea larvae do not thrive outdoors, it's very likely every single flea you see on your dog hatched inside--which is great news because it means you don't have to worry about when you dog leaves the house.

If the skin problem persists after the fleas are gone, or if you want to improve the skin's condition during the flea treatment, then the cheapest (and IMO most effective) treatment is shampoo therapy. Bath your dog twice a week for a month in a veterinary grade anti-microbial shampoo containing any of the following medicinal ingredients:

• benzoyl peroxide
  
• chlorhexidine
  
• sulphur and salicylic acid
  
• chloroxylenol
  
• micanozole/ketoconzanole
  
  If you see an improvement, then continue bathing once a week after that.
  
  What shampoo therapy does is knock down the population of bad microbes and reduce the related symptoms. In some cases, most of the dog's allergic symptoms are a reaction to the microbes, and not the allergen itself, so it may be the only treatment your dog needs.
  
  This shampoo looks to me to be the best on the market right now.
  
  Someone else recommended against bathing your dog, but I think they're wrong. We've used shampoo therapy on one of our own, and hundreds of our customers dogs with great success. I highly recommend trying it. At worst, it doesn't work and you're out $20. At best, in a couple of weeks you'll see decreased scratching, new hair growth, and healthier coloured skin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

​

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

Aww. Glad they were so generous about it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I have a 2 year old red nosed pit.

none are affiliate links

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

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

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

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

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

Someone already mentioned BAT training, look that up straightaway!

This book helped me a lot, it is designed for agility dogs with dog reactivity, but it has lots of specific exercises for you to do with your dog. For the ones that require other dogs I improvised- like I would work 100-300 ft away from a fenced dog park.

I also really love anything Patricia McConnell and this specific pamphlet is about leash reactivity. Short, to the point, honestly anything Patricia McConnell you can get your hands on would help you get an idea on the training methods you need to use.

Lastly, the Protocol for Relaxation by Dr. Karen Overall is just a basic exercise (you repeat it the same basic thing many many times), I feel like it greatly increased my dog's calmness and his ability to be calm/relaxed in various situations. This exercise doesn't directly relate to dog aggression, but it does teach your dog what you want him or her doing while a variety of crazy things are going on.

edit: For safety, I would keep your dog physically separated from other dogs at all times. Don't try to 'get over' the aggressiveness by forcing him to meet other dogs. If you are walking down the street and a person with a dog is walking towards you (or a loose dog!), immediately turn around and walk the other way. Or you could make a huuuuuuuuge arc around them. If you think your dog might bite another dog or a person I would use a basket muzzle.

I feel your pain. I just had my pup spayed in late December. Your pup sounds like she might be more energetic than mine but my lab definitely wasn't happy about being kept inside that long.

People here told me puzzle balls too but I'll try to be a little more specific. Out of all the puzzle balls I found this one to be the best one http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Kibble-Nibble-Dispensing-Medium/dp/B001F0RRUA/ref=sr_1_9?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1393869755&sr=1-9&keywords=dog+puzzle

I fed her her meals out of that when she was housebound. It typically takes her maybe 30+ minutes to get most of the kibbles out. Sometimes longer. Between 3 meals you will probably keep her entertained maybe 2 hours with no work on your part (other than having to listen to the ball roll around).

Another game my dog likes to play is hide and seek. I'll tell her to sit and stay in a room and then call out "come!" from another room and have her find me. Hope that helps.

Oh this is hard.

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

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

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

He sounds like he's resource guarding your boyfriend. This is a great read on the topic and this is a great book- Mine!

In the mean time, it is time to use management techniques. Get a crate and start building crate love with crate games, and general crate training. If this is not an option in your location, make use of another room, or an x-pen. Go about your nightly business and throw him high value treats - chicken, liver, cheese, hot dogs, etc - do this for any good and/or neutral behaviours.

I'd also take over all feeding activities and any other relationship building activities such as play, walks, etc. Or at least do this things together.

DogFoodAdvisor is not a very good resource when it comes to evaluating food. The writer has no education in nutrition or veterinary medicine; he's a dentist who believes that his dog died because of the food it ate, and therefore has developed this completely unscientific method of evaluating how good a food is based on how palatable the ingredients sound to him personally, without taking into account actual reputable benchmarks of food quality such as AAFCO labeling, feeding trials, in-house veterinary teams available for consultation, in-house research, reputability of company/length of company's existence, in-house quality control procedures, and actual food safety (in the case of raw).

He also has a number of completely unqualified beliefs about which ingredients are better than others when it come to how he rates various foods, and he frequently uses the naturalistic fallacy in determining what is good and bad for a dog without taking into account the difference in lifespan between feral and owned dogs and between dogs and wolves, as well as the large differences in biology (including digestive ability) between domesticated dogs and wolves.

He, along with other dog food corporations, claim that veterinarians get little nutrition training - completely false (they take multiple courses in nutrition over the course of their veterinary school years) and really laughable when put in juxtaposition with how it's recommended we take advice from lay people like groomers and trainers instead. They also like to claim that vets only recommend brands with research like Science Diet and Royal Canin because they get a kickback - again, completely untrue, and vets only carry prescription varieties of those foods in their offices anyway. According to some analyses done at /r/AskVet, vets actually lose money carrying those prescription diets, too, because they have to keep all kinds in stock regardless of the frequency of it being used, and get rid of that stock when it expires. The only reason they even carry these prescription diets at their office is because otherwise some of their patients would not be able to access the prescription food they need to live. It's a courtesy that costs the practice money, not a money-making venture.

You are likely much better off choosing a high quality food from a brand that meets the above requirements (AAFCO labeling, feeding trials, in-house veterinary teams available for consultation, in-house research, reputability of company/length of company's existence, and in-house quality control procedures) than going off of a fad "holistic" diet with no scientific research backing it up and no advanced quality control such as the kind used by larger, more established companies.

For more information on choosing a healthy diet for your dog:

• https://www.amazon.com/Dog-Food-Logic-Decisions-Choices/dp/1617811386/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1466375173&sr=8-1
  
  
• https://vet.osu.edu/vmc/companion/our-services/nutrition-support-service/myths-and-misconceptions-surrounding-pet-foods
  
  
• http://www.cliniciansbrief.com/sites/default/files/attachments/Pet%20Food%20Myth%20Busters.pdf
  
  
• http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/pdf/10.2460/javma.243.11.1549
  
  
• http://www.dogster.com/lifestyle/dog-health-food-debunk-5-myths
  
  
• http://veterinarynews.dvm360.com/pet-food-facts-and-fiction
  
  
• http://www.websterlakevet.com/how_to_pick_a_good_pet_food.html
  
  
• http://avetsguidetolife.blogspot.com/2014/12/nutrition-mythbustingcurrent-pet-food.html
  
  
• https://www.smartcookietreats.com/blogs/news/12803257-breaking-through-the-myths-of-grain-free-food-raw-diets-and-other-pet-food-fads

I would recommend reading a lot, as there are some things you should have before the dog comes home and you should be prepared for the first day. This book is often recommended. Too often people have the mindset of "just wait and see what happens" and that can create a lot of problems down the road.

Is somebody going to be home with the puppy? He will need to pee every two or so hours, so if you both work full time I would recommend hiring someone to come let him out so housebreaking is less difficult of a process.

People are in your situation and post about it all the time so I'm going to copy something I said to someone recently:

"If I had to pick three things: be consistent, be patient, and socialize her.

Elaborating:
Be consistent. Don't let her get away with anything you wouldn't let an adult dog do (sleep on the bed, jump on you, bite at your hands). Don't let her up on the couch once and expect to be able to tell her "no" the next time without her being confused.

Be patient. The hardest thing for me to do was to accept the fact that the way you communicate normally often doesn't work for dogs. Yelling doesn't convey your meaning better. Saying "no!" over and over again doesn't help them understand. Remind yourself she has only been alive for three months, it's no surprise she doesn't understand how the world works!

Socialize her. Puppies need to be out exploring the world while they're young, so they don't become fearful or aggressive. This doesn't mean you take her to a dog park and plop her down in a group of dogs. It means slowly going out and meeting new people and animals and getting used to all sorts of sights and sounds - but all at her pace. Letting her get overwhelmed and fearful isn't socializing. A great way to start is in a puppy class. She's old enough to be enrolled in one. If you can, do one at a local trainer, not one of the big stores like Petsmart or Petco. If you can't find a local trainer, one of those stores is better than nothing but sometimes the trainers are really not that experienced.

I also recommend going to /r/puppy101 or /r/dogtraining and reading their sidebars and wikis."

But again, read a book written by a professional. There's no way a comment can cover everything you should know before you bring a dog home, or really, even before you buy a dog. If you plan on having your dog join you in therapy work, I hope you told this to the breeder and had them select the pup that had the best temperament for this.

Not trying to be nitpicky, but it's Beagle, not beagel.

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

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

Seconded on Jean Donaldson's Culture Clash! It should be mandatory reading material for all dog owners. It isn't really a training guide, so much as a guide to understanding your dog's behavior and mentality from a realistic point of view, rather than the typical Disney fairy tale mentality.

For an in depth training guide, read Pat Miller's Power of Positive Dog Training
It gives step by step instructions on the basic obedience training, an introduction to learning theory and how to apply it to dogs, a 6 week program to follow when starting to train, some fun tricks, and some planning charts in the back that you can track your progress with. I found it very down to earth and helpful, especially with the detailed instructions on how to actually elicit certain behaviors - like where to put your hand, how to hold the treat, what exact moment to click/praise, vs some other guides that just say "lure dog into x position, click when they do it".

Edit Also, listen to HTMLfail, throw those Cesar books out! You want to build a positive relationship with your dog, not a relationship based on intimidation techniques and fear. Also, I'd definitely recommend crate training, it was worth the initial investment and saved my sanity on multiple occasions. I've heard great things about the Crate Games DVD but I haven't watched them myself (it's more than just crate training I think). I'd also suggest Kikopup's youtube channel. She has tons of short little training videos, and I tend to just browse through them occasionally, there's lots of good stuff on puppy training on her channel.

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

Some Books:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MINE! is a great book resource for possessive behaviours.

ChuckIt! Ultra Balls. I've met just one dog that preferred regular tennis balls to Ultra Balls. These Ultra Balls are ridiculously durable. They're not indestructible, but they last a long time even with heavy chewers. Also, they bounce really high and are easy to clean.

ChuckIt! Flying Squirrel. A good frisbee, a great tug toy, very durable. The feet will fall off and the frame will come out long before the fabric rips.

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

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

Good luck!

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

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

Third suggestion for flirt pole!

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

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

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

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

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

Good luck!

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

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

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

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

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

The hide a treat thing is easy for her.

The nibble kibble is the same as the treat ball.

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

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

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

Have you tried a flirt pole for him to chase?

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

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

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

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

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


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

Your job is absolutely not a problem!

I definitely agree with /u/KestrelLowing, and this is something you can practice at home.

I didn't own a real agility jump until recently (I have a mini schnauzer mix taking agility classes) and we learned jumps in class months ago. For many weeks we didn't set a real bar at all. In order to train jumping, we taught it using jump shaping, which is basically throwing a reward forward to get the dog to drive through two stanchion-type objects that represent the jump poles. Since we didn't own any equipment, we taught jump shaping using traffic cones at a park, two kitchen chairs with the backs facing each other, pretty much anything that was a reasonable distance away from each other and were identical, no actual jumps or a bar/broom on the floor. After doing this for awhile, we could add a verbal ("jump" or "over") to designate the behavior, and then over time add height to the jumps - a small height like 4" that your dog couldn't get under if they tried.

In general, depending on the height, the average miniature schnauzer should be jumping only 10"-12" (maybe 14" if they are tall) at final height, and that's for dogs that are doing competition and are conditioned with proper jump form, so also be careful that the obstacles at the park aren't too tall.

For the paw, sometimes dogs have an issue with it. I couldn't teach my dog shake or paw for a long time until she learned how to sort of do it on her own! She is super food motivated as well, so what I ended up doing was teaching her how to use a ball food toy (we used this one but there are others). Some dogs will use their nose to learn how to do it, but many also use their paws on it. My dog learned how to use her paws on it, and subsequently learned how to paw at things (at my leg, at her water bowl) for rewards and after benching learning paw for awhile, we picked it back up after she showed some ability to use her paw on the toy, and were able to teach it within minutes.

It seems you've tried most toys.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I didn't find distracted dog, but reactive dog is similar and available at the two places I provided links to above. By the way, what you need for your dog is behavior modification or behavior adjustment as opposed to just standard training, which is a little tougher because he has been practicing this behavior for a while, and it is self rewarding like when we eat a quart of ice cream when we feel bad or chew our finger nails, etc. There's a book that might be helpful buy Grisha Stewert https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1617811742/ref=pd_sbs_14_t_0?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=VYE75PHA6VYZ8QQVAEFW and you could also try a pheromone collar or diffuser to help calm your dog....

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

Perfect Puppy in 7 days- Sophia Yin

Good luck!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

1. Stuffed moose
   
   
2. IQ Treat Ball (she gets kibble in it)
   
   
3. Kong Wobbler (more kibble)
   
   
4. Treat & Train (still more kibble)
   
   
5. Snuffle mat (have I mentioned kibble?)
   
   So yeah, the only toy that has held her interest despite its inability to dispense food is the stuffed moose. I've actually put all the rest of her toys away in hopes of someday reintroducing them and having them seem novel again.

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

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

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

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

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

You should definitely try the videoing and catching him

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

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

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

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

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

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

Agreeing with this agreement!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Oh dear. I agree that a puppy class is definitely in order, but as far as books, I really like Patricia McConnell - The Puppy Primer probably makes the most sense. She could also probably use a book on the breed, like Barron's Dog Bible: Siberian Huskies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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