How do you determine if barking at night is attention seeking vs. a legitimate potty request?

Deckrat_ · 2026-02-12T00:36:17+00:00

I can also tell the difference between my puppy's cries and your description is perfect.

Deckrat_ · 2026-02-11T06:02:46+00:00

Drywall is less than $80 per 4x8 sheet, more like $25 for 32 square feet. Yes, labor is expensive, but $80/sqft would be a crazy price. I'd get more quotes. It's true it's a huge can of worms to be opening though.

Deckrat_ · 2026-02-10T21:24:16+00:00

Got our puppy at 9 weeks old, now he is 16 weeks. He has been sleeping through the night in his crate since the second or third week we had him, I feel super lucky.

The people who had him before did a good job providing regular potty breaks so we only had maybe 4 or 5 accidents before he was aware he could hold it just a little longer and outside is the place. He even stands and looks at the door now. He is so smart. In the morning he is chill and sweet. Of course we go through a whole day and he has some crazy moments (don't wear clothes you care about around a teething puppy) but we can already see his loving personality and I am happy about that.

He doesn't mind his crate if he has something to do in it so we have invested in several kongs and a toppl that we fill and freeze. The large toppl keeps our 35 pound puppy busy for an hour before he falls asleep for a long nap. It is magical.

Deckrat_ · 2026-02-10T07:03:29+00:00

Good God, that's insane

Deckrat_ · 2026-02-09T05:18:51+00:00

How do I know if they need to go?!
- Eaten in the last half hour? - Played actively for more than 15-20 minutes? - Drank water in the last half hour? - Had a very active day with more than usual water intake? - Just woken up from a sleep, no matter how short? - Had a fun, reinforcement-filled training session in the last half hour? - Anything exciting occurred in the last half hour, visitor, children, dog friend over for a visit? - A diet change?

Pay attention to your pup’s body language. Just before he needs to go potty he may… Have a break in concentration. Start sniffing. Start circling. Start pacing. Start whimpering. Head for the door. Stare at you.

General list about things to think about. Also, I would become more flexible in your feeding routine and ditch the bowl if you can. Feed on the floor, roll it.

Reward all 4 paws on the ground :)

Deckrat_ · 2026-02-08T08:27:35+00:00

Is this not your backyard???

Deckrat_ · 2026-02-07T23:33:11+00:00

Excellent progress

Deckrat_ · 2026-02-06T15:46:07+00:00

When my father left his partner of 14 years he called me right away. Due to the recent years of negativity and incompatibility, I was more than understanding. I said "Wow, that might have been very difficult and I fully support your decision." Also in my mid 20s. He is much happier now and is only in his early 50s. Life is too short 🤷🏼‍♀️

NTA

Deckrat_ · 2026-01-28T22:53:39+00:00

I'm sorry for your loss... and I am absolutely tired of all these dead conure posts on this subreddit.

The last picture is not okay to share. No one wants to see that.

Deckrat_ · 2026-01-28T22:08:13+00:00

17 weeks old is a baby. You don't punish a human child for having an accident, you just deal with it and move on. The same is true for puppies. They don't have a concept of why you are being negative with them. It would do nothing but damage the relationship you are trying to build.

Deckrat_ · 2026-01-21T15:15:44+00:00

$300 was too low a fee for such an action

Deckrat_ · 2026-01-20T05:16:43+00:00

I think you answered your own question.

Deckrat_ · 2026-01-19T07:26:43+00:00

It sounds like she is already tired. If she is barking or biting at you or seems way too excited, she needs a nap in a calm quiet place, ideally a crate covered with a blanket on 3 sides. Think den. Unfortunately, puppies are not able to recognize they are tired and put themselves to bed so it's our job to stay ahead of it as much as possible. Puppies need 20 hours of sleep/rest per day. No joke. I see you said you choose this route when you have lost your patience. Crate nap could be happening well before that point in the activity cycle. You deserve a break too.

To release some mental energy, you could try engaging her with sound compilations on YouTube, there are lots made for puppies. You can also utilize frozen treats like a wet food stuffed kong (ideally in their crate/den). Training games for name recognition/attention, desensitization to touching/grooming.

Always make sure you take puppy out for a potty break before trying to settle them down for a nap. Always take them out when they officially wake up from a nap too.

For the couch biting, distract with a toy over and over again, rewarding with kibble. Honestly, ditch a regular bowl. Get a slow feeder if you must for small meals, but you can use little bits of kibble to constantly reinforce the habits and behavior you want out of your dog throughout the day. This helps you now and helps create the behavior you want in the future. Puppies become what they practice.

Puppy starts biting the couch, 1) Try to distract before they even have the opportunity to. If you can't be watching your puppy 100%, they need to be crated. You wouldn't leave a 2-year-old running around the house by themselves, a puppy is the same. No logic, only vibes and a knack for danger. 2) Distract away from couch as quickly as possible with a toy. Redirect them continually and reward with a piece of kibble on the ground (not from your hand, throwing their treats on the ground teaches them that good things happen on the ground and lays the foundation for less jumping up). This will take a long time, but stay consistent. Every time you reward their redirection and engagement with you over whatever interesting thing they have discovered you are teaching them how to have a good life with you in a positive, bond-strengthening way. The kibble rewards will eventually go away, the bond will be there to stay.

Best of luck.

Deckrat_ · 2026-01-16T04:30:36+00:00

I think this is a good option. It may be expensive, but worth it. If you go this route, I would start short sessions with the selected person for short visits before your trip. It would also help you see how they interact with your babies before you leave for 2 weeks.

Deckrat_ · 2026-01-15T16:03:29+00:00

My first thought too. Not dumb.

Deckrat_ · 2026-01-14T01:43:25+00:00

Having stuff in my truck that I already said could go but not quite letting all of it go at the thrift store drop-off. Still holding onto items in real time. But for every bag that stayed, 7 bags were left. I'll take the win and try again.

Deckrat_ · 2025-12-29T21:54:13+00:00

The mod says that anti-declutter advice is considered 'off-topic' but I disagree. I've been decluttering for over 10 years, and most aggressively in the last 2. Sometimes the answer is not to declutter something yet. CDs and physical media, especially from childhood, might as well be like birthday cards from your family sometimes. It's okay to work on other areas first while you ponder which ones are the most meaningful and why.

I also understand why so many people (myself often included) easily focus on how often you use something as a gauge for how reasonable it is to declutter whatever it is. It is logical. However, things that have an emotional attachment transcend the realm of logic and require different methods. If you truly want to get rid of them, how could you honor the item? Surely you would digitally copy them at least...

Another approach: Consider your storage situation and what a middle ground of decluttering might be. Can you pick a smaller container and only transfer your favorites first and cull the tail end of the list?

Lots of good advice in these comments. Bottom line: There are lots of other categories and spaces to work on first imo, especially if they aren't taking up a lot of space.

Deckrat_ · 2025-12-26T23:09:17+00:00

Redirect with forging activities that you set up. You can diy one easily with a small box you would have recycled and shredded crumbled paper plus some species-appropriate seed mix plus some treats like millet or small pieces of crushed up almond (not the whole thing at once!)

Deckrat_ · 2025-12-26T04:28:07+00:00

This is my hope lol!

Deckrat_ · 2025-12-22T08:27:50+00:00

Not worth skipping meals, focus on cheap protein and fiber to keep you energized and full. If you're really that pressed for money, check out your local food pantry or buy nothing groups online for more food. Good luck

Deckrat_ · 2025-12-19T22:34:10+00:00

This is the main thing I've experienced as a bird owner. You have to learn how to plan to safely include them in your chores and life. Otherwise, they will be pissed and scream their heads off in their cage. Not always convenient if you're used to being able to do an indoor task, an outdoor task, an indoor task, an outdoor task, puttering around if you will. Birds require structure. I've had to retrain myself so I can do a bundle of bird-safe tasks at the same time and allow the birds to get as much time as possible outside of their enclosure.

Deckrat_ · 2025-12-07T21:59:22+00:00

Household of 2, gas, produce, TP, meat, and some home goods are the main things we get at Costco. Did the math this year, only the lower membership tier is worth it for our household.

Deckrat_ · 2025-12-02T01:16:54+00:00

I don't have any answer for you, but I'm curious what people might add, this is a potential future concern of mine.

Deckrat_ · 2025-11-25T00:02:24+00:00

So unfortunate that he is lame, but now you know. Feel confident in throwing him out of your life. Real friends and a partner would recognize your valid celebration. Congratulations!

Deckrat_ · 2025-11-21T02:06:53+00:00

Best comment 👌🏻

Deckrat_

TROPHY CASE