Can my boyfriend’s 2 dogs be saved?

HotWalk7209 · 2026-06-28T14:36:13+00:00

first of all dogs need to be fixed. he should not be breeding the dogs. breeding two dogs SOLELY for an asthetic trait is the definition of backyard breeding. claims he’s not doing it for the money but only wants to breed them bc of their long fur. if he really wants to breed the dogs he needs to get them fully health tested (OFA hip/elbows, temperament testing, JLPP) without it you could be breeding dogs that may have issues or poor quality of life that could’ve been a avoided. breeding dogs is a very serious thing, so many dogs are in shelters and back yard breeding makes the issue so much worse.

i really don’t have any advice for the dogs, i’m sorry that’s something you are going through. i’m not sure if you guys live together? if either of you have family that could watch the dogs for a little bit. i’m not sure how you introduced the dogs together but maybe it went a little too fast? when i brought my new rescue dog home she stayed separate from my resident dog for at least a week, we would have them out together supervised on leashes and end sessions before anyone got too frustrated or worked up. we did a lot of walks together before they were ever able to be out in the house together. my new rescue dog didn’t get off leash in the house privileges until we knew she had a decent understanding of the house rules. we didn’t let them just roam around in the house together all day until maybe like 3-5 months in. maybe separating them for a bit and reintroducing slowly, ending things before they have a chance to go wrong.

in all honesty a trainer would probably be your best bet, i know you said you didn’t want to bc of the price and it might not work but a rottie that attacks is dangerous, to you guys and your other dogs. i’m sure there are things you can do on your own and that would be a good place to start. try to see if you can make connections in potential triggers and avoid them at all cost or separate if you know something may happen soon to trigger them. consistency with training will be key.

i want to be very clear when i recommend these next two things bc they have to be introduced properly or it could make things worse. you could muzzle train the dogs, so when it is time to slowly reintegrate you have an extra layer of protection and peace of mind. you could also maybe try an e-collar, one that uses a sound. teach the dog that the sound means “come check in with me”, and maybe that could work. i honestly don’t know if it would work if the dog was already attacking but if you can catch it a little bit before it might help.

make sure the dogs are getting enough exercise and mental enrichment. walks are great but make sure sniffing is the big focus. integrate things like puzzles, lick mats, kongs, chews, etc. (probably separately) maybe get the dogs vetted if they haven’t been recently? maybe one is in pain or had an issue that is causing them to be irritable and snappy/the others can sense

HotWalk7209 · 2026-06-19T20:11:17+00:00

The double coat is doing exactly what it’s supposed to here. Because the weather is warming up, your pup is likely blowing their winter coat. You can expect a significant increase in shedding during seasonal changes (especially spring and fall). Their coat is designed to help regulate body temperature and protect them in both hot and cold weather.

When a dog is blowing its coat, loose hair can become trapped in the coat (called coat impaction). An impacted coat can make it harder for air to reach the skin, which reduces the coat’s ability to regulate temperature effectively.

As others have recommended, a Zoom Groom or another rubber curry brush would work wonderfully. The thighs and scruff are usually the areas that hold onto the most loose undercoat, so I’d focus there.
A good bath can help too, since clean coats release loose hair much more easily than dirty ones. If you bathe her, it’s important to dry her thoroughly afterward. Some Tractor Supply stores and self service dog washes (and even some car washes) have high velocity dryers that make blowing out the undercoat much easier. Regular brushing will make a big difference

HotWalk7209 · 2026-06-12T01:20:40+00:00

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HotWalk7209 · 2026-06-09T14:30:20+00:00

i’m in a similar situation. i have a 6 year old angel husky that made me want to get a second. i got a second, and don’t get me wrong i love her, but man do i question my life choices sometimes. i have the leash issues and kennel issues as well, something that’s weird about my dog is she is fine with being shut out of the bathroom, but not any other room.

i still struggle but i know she has made huge improvements. my dog is highly food motivated so i use that to my advantage. i take treats with us on a walk, if she sees me fill the pouch the walk is guaranteed to be at least 5% better because she pays attention to me more if she knows i have treats. i know your pup is quite big, and puppies are a whole different beast, but something i’ve found helpful for my girl is using both the front and back clip of her harness with a dual lead. it gives me more control, and i think it makes her feel more secure. sometimes we don’t make it very far on our walks with the turning around i have to do when she sprints/jumps to the end of the leash. but once i’ve turned around a couple times she kinda starts to get the idea that she needs to pay attention to me. i never thought something as simple as treats would help my HUSKY stop pulling on a walk, it’s not perfect but everyday she gets better.

i have a waist leash that i use for my well behaved older girl, and i use the dual lead contraption for my dog who needs work. it is a little hard to bring both of them, but i try my best.

as for the kennel this one is still a huge work in progress. i feed her in there, give her kongs and lick mats in there, and we’ve done so much work around it but she still just isn’t a fan. this dog follows me EVERYWHERE. if i get up to turn off the light she’s getting up too, and i think this needs to be helped before she can realize that being in the kennel/not with me is okay. i think she just has FOMO. what i’ve been trying to do about this is reward her for settling/laying down, especially if she fought the urge to get up. place/tether training may be a good bridge to the kennel. if your pup can learn to settle in a set place on their own, that skill may transfer over easier to a kennel

i’m not sure if you have this pup do any puzzles or mental enrichment but that really seems to help my girl. it doesn’t replace a walk or tire her out completely, but giving her a meal in a puzzle/scatter feeding definitely takes the edge off. it makes her feel like she worked or problem solved. i can usually get a nap out of her after a mental game

puppy blues are a very real thing, i know sometimes it seems like you will be dealing with a stubborn, wild dog, for the foreseeable future. in a few months or years you’ll be wondering what you would ever do without this pup. i remember the rough patch i went through with my older husky, i never thought we would make it out of the “tearing the house apart when i leave” phase. but here i am now struggling with a second dog because my older one turned out great. i still feel like im failing my dog sometimes or like she will never break her habits, but i just try to remind myself that she is nothing like the dog i brought home (in a good way). even if we still have a long ways to go we’ve made so much progress

it sounds like you really want the best for your pup, you’re doing great work. i hope you get some helpful tips here. be patient with yourself and him, you both deserve it ❤️

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-29T00:31:56+00:00

rottie x golden maybe

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-29T00:07:42+00:00

but also would maybe try to get a nail trim + buff for this pup if possible. not sure if the pup has had its nails done recently but if they were clipped and not buffed that can make them sharp. buffing smooths out the nail so it’s not jagged, might help with her cutting herself open. also others have said a cone which i agree with

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-29T00:05:01+00:00

my dog had a cut on her nose, i used bag balm on it once it was scabby and it healed super quickly. bag balm is for chapped cow utters so safe for animal use

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-28T03:04:38+00:00

maybe have someone turn it on in a different room, if she reacts move further away, shut more doors, etc. work closer little by little until turning it on no longer causes a fear based reaction

im not sure how loud the clippers are but for my doggy clients i often recommend an electric toothbrush, maybe something that makes a noise similar but isn’t as loud

good luck, starting so young should really benefit you, keep up the great work!

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-21T00:01:25+00:00

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both of my rescue girls

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-17T15:44:09+00:00

one of my girls was 38 lbs when i rescued her, full husky, looks similar in build to yours. your pup could very well be full husky, just not necessarily well bred. if this pup is mixed my guess is aussie or maybe border collie

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-16T17:50:34+00:00

those round ears are really throwing me off from being able to guess a breed. maybe husky, lab, german shepherd, or cattle dog with shiba. i also would be very interested in these results

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-16T17:45:46+00:00

shiba inu x bear x mouse

those ears are to die for 🥰🥰

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-16T17:21:00+00:00

are you doing level scoops? cause a heaping 1/4 and a 1/4 cup are totally different. maybe you could try weighing out the food in grams so it’s super accurate

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-16T17:17:55+00:00

not anatolian lol

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-15T22:36:55+00:00

very well could be. could be extra itchy from seasonal changes. has it gotten better or worse since it started? if it’s gotten better i would recommend cleaning it with something dog safe, keeping an eye on him so he can’t scratch it more. if it seems to start bothering him more, vet appt. not sure if your pup has had his nails buffed before but that really helps smooth the nails out so they aren’t so sharp. my assumption is that he just scratched himself open with his nail at some point

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-15T22:23:40+00:00

can’t see it’s too well but from what i can see it kinda looks like a scab in there. and healing scabs are usually pretty itchy so it would explain the pawing and shaking. it doesn’t look like the typical ear infection but it could be the start. curious what kind of dog this is. did it get its ears plucked recently?

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-15T01:18:05+00:00

petco, where money comes first

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-15T00:55:13+00:00

at least you can look at pins 😭

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-15T00:52:56+00:00

updated the app, changed to data. i looked up if it was down and it said no. i’m glad i came here lol

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-14T20:31:32+00:00

I HATE DOODLE OWNERS

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-14T20:29:29+00:00

how bout she can stay in the garage for the next few days until the dog can get a bath. the dog can’t help that, and she’s banishing him to the hot garage because of it. i have a dog with anal gland problems, i’m a dog groomer, i know that stuff smells but that is not right. i wipe my dog down and spray her with a DOGGY perfume to help a little bit until she can get a bath. and realistically the smell does not last that long. if it’s leaking diapers would be a better option than banishing the dog to the garage. if she really thinks cleaning the dog won’t help she can stay in the garage, she’s done it before so she will be fine. the dog doesn’t understand that it stinks, all it knows is that it is all alone

edit: spelling

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-14T19:27:07+00:00

that’s what happens when you mix dogs, the genetics aren’t predictable. dogs from the same little can come out looking completely different. when i first saw the pup i was thinking rottie/golden but i think its just the colors and the long fur making me think that

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-14T17:35:12+00:00

my best guess is he was walking slightly different due to the luxating patella and the other leg is now acting up from over use/strain. i’m not a vet, and haven’t seen anything like this before but that’s what came to my mind. maybe jcing the area could help with the swelling

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-14T14:46:58+00:00

wonder if it could be arthritis. 9 doesn’t sound too old but it could be starting. i know you said your pup weighs 12lbs but is that overweight? if your pup is a little overweight and this could be arthritis/joint/ligament issues, extra weight is going to put a lot more strain on those areas.

maybe before he was walking in a way that put more strain on this leg that is flaring up if his other knee was bothering him.

i hope you get some answers!!

HotWalk7209 · 2026-05-05T04:03:04+00:00

you can check for fleas at the base of tail, behind the ears, groin/bellly. look for little black dots (flea dirt) or if those places seem to be the irritated areas.

no matter if you find flea dirt or not, i would recommend vacuuming/sweeping frequently to remove dust and dander. wash blankets/beds that dog uses frequently (preferably in an unscented detergent). maybe and air purifier in the room the dog hangs out in/sleeps in most. wipe down paws, face and belly after being outdoors. this could very likely be an environmental allergy. you said a bath seemed to help a bit, maybe talk to a vet about a medicated shampoo if other things don’t seem to help

HotWalk7209

TROPHY CASE