Desexing *can* cause behavior changes, but I’d be willing to bet he’s bored.  Is he crate trained?

I mean does he have a crate for his own personal space? This is the easiest, safest way to keep a dog in your home. It ensures your dog is safe from chewing and it ensures your house is safe from his chewing.

Crate him when you can’t supervise him. Work on training. Reinforce obedience until he’s 100% reliable, then work on fun training like nosework.

Yes, I would worry – give your vet a call, explain your concerns and see if they can get you in to see the doctor for a few moments.

It is good that you had the conversation – you are right about safe/sorry!

You need to go back to square one.  Put Jaz in a room where Taco can not see Jaz.  This could be a guest bathroom, or mud room, etc.  You want a closed door between the 2 dogs for the next 3-4 days.  Give each dog their own time with you – but separately.  This allows each dog to become familiar with the smell of the other dog.  They get to know each other this way – but without any confrontation.

Ok I’m really not sure I understand exactly wha happened.  However, I think what happened is she was normal before grooming and not after.  This makes me think she got hurt at groomer.  So, she may have arthritis but it was an injury that made it more painful.

So, likely the pain will be lessened in time and if it hasn’t gotten better in 7 days I would return to the vet.

Good Luck

Dr D

I would worry that your pooch took a fall from a grooming table, or twisted something while being groomed. I would ask the vet if this is likely – and would have a conversation with the groomer. Ask the groomer if they noticed any thing wrong, or if something happened while your dog was there. Accidents can happen – don’t assign blame, but explain that knowing if something happened will help your vet diagnose the problem.

Unfortunately, we can’t diagnose lumps and bumps online.  A vet needs to examine them in person.  Please get your dog to the vet this week.

I would call YOUR vet about this, as they may want you to bring him/them in.

It will probably take a little while to potty train him because he is so young. To socialize him you can take him on walks and play with him and get him toys to play with. Puppies are resiliant so even though he has had a rough start just give him a loving home and play with him and make sure he is happy and he will be fine into adolescence. I hope you and your new puppy the best!

Thanks for the encouragement! I had a torturous few day where I didn’t know if I should keep him or take him to the shelter. Many people on the internet acted like it was inhumane to have a dog if you couldn’t keep him indoors 24/7 and be with him most of the time; however, the lady at the shelter showed me all the cute pups there and told me that many don’t make it out. I refuse to give up on him! I’m not rich and I don’t have the resources to put him in a daycare every day but I do have a very comfortable and large home with a privacy fence. I have lots of love in my heart and no children, as well.

I plan to use the next 6 weeks to get him into the routine of our household. My mother won’t be able to help out because she takes care of my grandmother but my man is gonna arrange to drive 40 minutes here and 40 minutes back on his lunch to check on little man.

We are looking at collar activated doggie doors currently but he will be too young for that at first. I found a really cool solar paneled fan that can attach to a doghouse and “heated flooring” options for winter. I can’t believe this stuff exists! Who knew a dog could have a climate controlled doghouse?!?

Again, I really appreciate the supportive comments while I was panicking about what to do. 🙂

He does kind of have a bully-type head.  But I am really not good at guessing breeds.

For $70 you may be able to get a better answer than we can provide looking at a photo.  Mars Wisdom Panel is a DNA test that I have found to give very good information on my own dogs, and dogs I have fostered.  But, the more mix your dog is, the less satisfying the results of the test.  I get mine from Amazon – look for the 2.5 or 3.0 version, they are the newest and give more info than earlier versions.

I have tested 5 dogs so far, and have been delighted with the results. 

This is prey drive, and likely will not affect your son in the least.

HOWEVER.

If you haven’t yet, I would invest in a crate.  Train the dog to accept the crate, and crate the dog when you cannot supervise.  Had the dog been tested around cats prior to moving him to your home?  

So if the dog really doesn’t know any better, you cannot expect her to know how to behave.

YOU have to teach her. As I said, this means crating when you can’t supervise. When she isn’t crated, she should either be leashed to you or dragging a leash attached to her collar so you can INSTANTLY correct and redirect her, and don’t let her roam to another room unless she’s supervised by an adult. EVERYONE in the household has to be on board with this.

How is her general obedience? Does she respond instantly when you give her a command? If not, get in a class with a good, balanced trainer (ask your vet for a referral). This will help build a relationship between you and the dog, and the trainer may have more ideas for you.

Do the cats have a cat-safe room WITH a solid gate on the door? If not, set that up NOW. Make sure everything they need is in that room so you can shut the door if need be. I would also keep the kittens (and the queen, for now) in a dog crate when you can’t supervise them.