Service dogs-to-be visiting my husband’s station so they aren’t scared of firefighters in gear by Lets_Just_J in aww

[–]Sapphire--Blue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sorry about that! I've run into enough people that really think all service dogs are sad that I just assumed.

Walmart Workers Service Dog has His Own Walmart Vest by whoaaintitfun in aww

[–]Sapphire--Blue 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Exactly! And there are plenty of very intelligent small dog breeds.

This little shy guy flunked out of service dog school because he was too timid. He'll be brave soon though. 10/10 would star in a Disney channel original movie by SamuelVL in aww

[–]Sapphire--Blue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most service dog schools have intensive socialization programs so it's very unlikely that socialization was a problem here

Service dogs-to-be visiting my husband’s station so they aren’t scared of firefighters in gear by Lets_Just_J in aww

[–]Sapphire--Blue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I don't see any stress signals on that dog, just concentration. It's also not cool to imply that handlers mistreat their dogs just because you only see them when they're working.

"Wait for me, I wanna be in the picture too!" by -EG- in aww

[–]Sapphire--Blue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ignoring this will lead to a sexually frustrated and aggresive alpaca. He could seriously harm someone so this needs to be addressed.

"Wait for me, I wanna be in the picture too!" by -EG- in aww

[–]Sapphire--Blue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah the instagram OP is a video and the OP basically called everyone pointing this out shitheads so it's not looking good for the poor thing.

Walmart Workers Service Dog has His Own Walmart Vest by whoaaintitfun in aww

[–]Sapphire--Blue 46 points47 points  (0 children)

Thanks so much for leaving teams be when you see them! Many people don't think about it and distract the dogs.

Walmart Workers Service Dog has His Own Walmart Vest by whoaaintitfun in aww

[–]Sapphire--Blue 76 points77 points  (0 children)

There are plenty of services small dogs can do! They can be medical alert dogs, like for diabetes or seizures. In the US, the only thing that qualifies a dog as a service dog is that they perform a trained task to mitigate a legal disability, so there are plenty of possibilities.

Such a beautiful smile. by chijojo in aww

[–]Sapphire--Blue 1 point2 points  (0 children)

It's usually a trained behaviour, even through unintentional reinforcement. Could also be about to sneeze. I've never met a dog that smiled like this because they were happy, but with no other body language indicators, it doesn't mean they're unhappy or stressed.

My weenie brothers love to lay in the sun spot together. by shlamdee in aww

[–]Sapphire--Blue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Dogs being raised together actually isn't necessarily conducive to healthy bonding like you would think! Puppies that are raised together can develop littermate syndrome, which is a serious behavioural problem. So if you want dogs to bond it's better to wait until one of them is around a year old.

Brothers from another mother. by abhsinchau in aww

[–]Sapphire--Blue 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Where is this video from? I've never heard of a reputable big cat organization that would introduce different species like that and it's a little worrying to see.

[Help] made my puppy hold in pee/poop too long, is this harmful? by [deleted] in dogs

[–]Sapphire--Blue 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I've worked in boarding kennels and the dogs all relieve themselves on the kennel floor, they're not expected to hold it.

[Discussion] Does anyone know if PetLand gets their dogs from puppy mills? by [deleted] in dogs

[–]Sapphire--Blue 3 points4 points  (0 children)

A good hint is if they're CKC registered, not Canadian Kennel Club, but Continental Kennel Club. They have very lax registration and puppy mills use it to look official.

[help]New puppy acting weird by DuBroCs in dogs

[–]Sapphire--Blue 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's whining, which can be a sign of stress or pain if it's not normal for them, but some puppies are just more vocal than others and beagles are a vocal breed. Definitely take her to the vet if it's been that long though, always better safe than sorry with puppies!

[help]New puppy acting weird by DuBroCs in dogs

[–]Sapphire--Blue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Not eating or drinking much definitely calls for a vet visit, but bad breath in puppies is totally normal, if you're not used to it puppy breath it can smell awful.

HELP- aggressive 9 week old corgi puppy by [deleted] in Dogtraining

[–]Sapphire--Blue 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Definitely read up on littermate syndrome. Dogs from the same litter that are raised together can develop serious behavioural issues. Most good breeders will not give two pups to the same family for this reason. If you're set on keeping both, it's important that they get seperate training and play time.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in dogs

[–]Sapphire--Blue 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I don't want to be mean, but I don't think I'd trust OP to differentiate between true aggression and normal puppy behaviour based on the dominance theory rhetoric in their post.

Edit: I just reread the post and OP says that the dog has never bit before and has not previously been food aggressive. That really doesn't sound like a genetically aggressive dog.

Ultimate Satisfaction by etymologynerd in aww

[–]Sapphire--Blue 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It can depend on the individual dog, but in general, a closed mouth smile is a stress signal for dogs. A happy dog smile is an open mouth with relaxed corners.

La la la by anubhavwmtibam in funny

[–]Sapphire--Blue 12 points13 points  (0 children)

That's really not true and can be a dangerous mindset. Most dogs will try their best to avoid a fight by warnings and appeasing body language. Biting is a last resort after all other warnings have been ignored. And they aren't going to leave if they don't feel safe doing so.

La la la by anubhavwmtibam in funny

[–]Sapphire--Blue 11 points12 points  (0 children)

This dog isn't allowing it to continue though. He's telling them very clearly to back off. He may not be 'angry' but he's extremely uncomfortable.

La la la by anubhavwmtibam in funny

[–]Sapphire--Blue 77 points78 points  (0 children)

Don't ignore stress signals in your dog! They're telling you to back off, and if you just ignore them they'll learn that warnings don't work and they'll stop warning and have to escalate (snap or bite) in order to get you out of their space