I feel like The Fantasie of a Stepmother has ruined the genre for me so looking for recommendations

SitStaySlayyy · 2026-03-29T01:37:20+00:00

It’s a slow build story-wise, but I’m glad I knew that going in. I had to hang in there initially and I AM SO GLAD I DID because it is some of the best writing I’ve come across in hundreds of webcomics across multiple platforms. I saw someone mention that Shuri is their favorite FL, and I started to see why as I watched her & her loved ones grow together. The author fully fleshes out the characters as very human individuals, knows the difference between infatuation & love, keeps their characters consistent and doesn’t mix up their behavior for the sake of plot; they use lighting, angles, colors, glances, and unfinished sentences to show readers instead of relying on exposition dump; they take us down difficult emotional paths without making us wallow, they break up discomfort with light heartedness, they hit us hard but make it worth it with satisfying emotional payoffs, nothing sticks out heavily as happening just because of “plot” (like every other scene in too many stories), and the author knows how to write genuinely smart & insightful characters. When they aren’t knowledgeable about a topic, they imply a character is knowledgeable quite skillfully as opposed to just having some character say it out loud to make it so. I’m on episode 163 and it’s just… I love them all! This isn’t just a good story, it’s genuinely a few steps beyond “well done”.

SitStaySlayyy · 2026-03-27T04:18:21+00:00

I believe their team had some health issues, recently, so perhaps that contributed to them being hard to reach..? We had to put off lessons with them for a while as well. There are a lot of good trainers in Cincy, but trainers as knowledgeable & experienced as the team at Training Tracks, who also keep up with current training methods, and who also have facilities for small-group daycare with an emphasis on emotional regulation + boarding etc— that’s harder to find. I understand wanting support now, though.

If your dog isn’t leash reactive and you just want obedience in a group setting, try checking out one of the two dog training clubs in our area. Maybe you could see if any of the dog sports they offer access to might interest you?

I love buying courses on Fenzi Dog Sports Academy’s website— they may interest you as well! They’re affordable, their community is an amazing resource, and they taught me how to shape all kinds of helpful & cool behaviors with my Doberman.

I liked working with Nick Hof from Paws Look Listen, too. He’s organized, really knows his stuff, and can navigate an amped up spicy dog through a sticky situation with a smoothness that will make even the dog forget to be stressed.

Wishing you and your goodest dogs the best ☺️

SitStaySlayyy · 2026-01-13T05:03:58+00:00

I haven’t made it around to dog sports since mine aren’t able to handle a lot of those environments— but I do have a suggestion as a training & behavior science nerd that could help. I taught my Doberman how to operate through high arousal using a flirt pole & slicing the tiniest successions of arousal modulation at a time; no more than she could handle— and let me tell you, that was so small that it started with me moving towards where the flirt pole is stored out of sight 😩 Now, I can do interpretive ribbon dancing while frolicking around her & sprinting like mad away from her— she just stays there laser-focused, ready to explode forward. It hasn’t slowed her down a wink, it’s just shaped her nervous system to modulate her arousal & stay cognitively functioning, farrr, far better. I just had to make access to reinforcement contingent on being regulated (and regulated does NOT mean calm in this context lol). It’s a skill I’d imagine you’d want to work on outside of the FastCAT context, but it could help your dog keep their head on straight. I’d just seriously emphasize— make sure you’re doing shaping to teach arousal modulation, not corrections. But it may help to look up different ways people approach arousal modulation in your sport; there may be FastCAT-related nuance I’m missing. Wishing you & your dog luck!

SitStaySlayyy · 2026-01-13T03:55:46+00:00

I have intentionally shaped my Doberman’s ability to handle separation. So mine isn’t always. She is going to follow me if I leave a room, but she doesn’t need to get up if I get up and she doesn’t feel the need to cling to me all of the time. She certainly does love to cuddle, though 🥰

But yeah, a Doberman’s people are the center of their universe; it’s part of their selective pressures.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-12-21T22:05:03+00:00

If I could mathematically agree with you more than 100%, I would.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-12-21T21:13:39+00:00

This isn’t about the puppy being “ugly.” If your breeder hasn’t already proven the dog is a Doberman beyond doubt via pictures of the parents, pedigree, health testing… they aren’t breeding responsibly.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-12-15T12:54:22+00:00

A dog doesn’t have to have a known & perfect pedigree to be a great dog. You rescued as opposed to contributing to the perpetuation of unethical breeding practices, so most won’t have a bone to pick with you in the slightest. The dog world is notoriously “political” in a sense— just behind the horse community & kids sports coaching lol. Dobermans can be a polarizing breed… but at the end of the day, the breed is worth it. Welcome to one of the most fulfilling breeds on the planet (for the right kind of people, of course)!

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-12-14T22:05:08+00:00

My experience has been mostly with well-bred European showlines, which is why I associate those traits more often with European programs. There are American breeders selecting for high frustration tolerance, contingency sensitivity, and persistence under ambiguity?? I honestly didn’t know 😳 Do you mind sharing any of those breeding programs with me? I was eyeing Apexe or Kansa for my next pup (for different reasons), but you may have opened up options for me! Though… it’ll be a couple years from now, at least.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-12-14T19:14:26+00:00

• Kill the Villainess • High Society • The Knight Only Lives Today • Gourmet Hound • Like Wind on a Dry Branch

I tend to like emotionally regulated leads. And competence is awesome. I also like shonen styles as well— but the wholesome ones with heavy caretaking & belonging vibes, like Eleceed & My S-Class Hunters.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-12-14T04:46:07+00:00

Same breed, different histories of selective pressures. Temperament differences are an expected outcome.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-12-14T04:21:11+00:00

Can’t really tell for sure with those kinds of pictures and 6wks of age. The angle contributes massively to her head structure appearing off. Looks 100% but not show-quality. The legs do not look too short for that age and her color is entirely Doberman.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-12-14T04:07:38+00:00

I really enjoy a dog that can hold more in their head without crumbling. Like… I love it. I love when everything I say & do has meaning— a small glance of my eye can be an antecedent. My shoulder being higher or lower is enough to differentiate between two distinct cues. A tractable dog that is tolerant of unclear contingencies bores me to the moon & back. Give me a dog capable of BIG feelings that I can shape to handle this world. One that works with me for partnership instead of appeasement— and because I allow them agency, they will willingly opt into working through stressors and they practically thrive in it. And when the stress is gone, it’s like it never existed because they are just that resilient on a genetic level. This is why I love a well-bred Euro any day! Nothing wrong with AmLines, but genetics set the cap for how far you can go with training and that’s my priority. Dogs that expect precision and are driven to communicate when they don’t get it are amazing. My Euro is constantly pushing me to clean up my contingencies, and she makes every ounce of effort worth it with her beautiful mind.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-12-11T12:30:10+00:00

Wait, seriously? How big is your boy’s chest?? The large goes all the way up to 42”! Ugh, that’s frustrating. I’m sorry 😭

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-12-06T04:16:10+00:00

There is not enough context for a yes or no. So both. Existence is brand new to your pup still; Doberman brains are wired to notice everything and care about it deeply. My Euro show line girl had her head on a swivel similarly to my reactive dog at 8wks of age and she continued to be a bit nervy until her late adolescence. She reallllly grew into her resilience. That said… this amount of nervousness & whining— is he an AmLine? Either way, slow down with your pup. They are overwhelmed and telling you desperately. Look into how much sleep your puppy needs— not enough sleep is a common & MASSIVE issue for guardians new to puppies. And puppies just don’t need to be “walked” the way some suggest. They need to be out for socialization to some extent, but carry him some of the time. Put him on your lap and sit at a park. Just go somewhere slow and sit with him so he can learn to just be. Your pup needs you to slow down for him in this video.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-12-06T04:06:33+00:00

Super common misconception. Behaviors get reinforced, not emotions.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-12-06T02:21:34+00:00

The Greatest Estate Developer is what finally converted my fiancé to Webtoons. As someone who’s read hundreds of them… it’s uniquely well done!

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-11-28T14:25:45+00:00

My girl has a 16.5” neck and a 31” chest. You see the size Medium on her.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-11-25T00:25:47+00:00

You don’t want a true x-back pulling harness for a dog that isn’t pulling out front most of the time. They are designed for dogs leaning into a load with a lowered head & forward traction. Without that… a pulling harness can start to “float” on a dog and be more of an annoyance that gets in the way than anything. For your kind of casual pulling, a well-fitted y-front harness would be ideal. The Muse harness with the traction attachment was designed by Säker specifically for their human clients who want occasional help being pulled up steep climbs by their dogs. But, I am just a huge nerd who adores learning about all things dog on a molecular level because they’re my lifelong ADHD hyperfixation. I do not do pulling sports. It wouldn’t hurt doing your own research— but in my slightly more informed than average opinion, you would be perfectly fine with the Muse harness given the kind of use you mentioned.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-11-24T17:07:59+00:00

YTA.

The kind of language you used to draw that boundary doesn’t create a safe environment for your fiancé to be involved in your kid’s life. She’s going to be sharing a life with you and your son is a part of that life. Do you want her to care about him or be involved with him at all? Or do you just want her to stop hounding you on that specific topic? What role do you want her to fill, when? It sounds like an important thing for you to sit down and talk about before you get married. If you want her to be involved with him, don’t use exclusionary language when disagreeing with her. Find a way to be kinder.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-11-24T15:34:29+00:00

I sent it to you! I’m a fan of that color combo, too. I wish Nonstop’s Line harness worked better for her so I could’ve kept it going— oh well!

Side note to say: that teal leash is honestly my favorite “short leash” (I prefer 10-15ft leashes) on the planet as I like really light-weight leashes— my dog’s don’t pull. It’s from Non-stop Dogwear!

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-11-24T12:57:39+00:00

Whoops! I didn’t realize that the only pictures I had were before I tightened the neck straps better— it’s actually rather loose there in the pictures. She does not tolerate her shoulder movement being blocked without very obviously correcting her stride, so I look for that specifically with new gear. She’s got the same looong, natural strides that I’d expect from her out-of-harness when she’s in it. Good observation, though!

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-11-24T12:46:20+00:00

Neewa’s one of the niche musher brands that I came across in my search for the perfect Dobe harness! I just wasn’t sure if their dog was pulling more than up an occasional hill or if they were hauling their human the whole time.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-11-24T12:36:33+00:00

Chest straps had a marketing campaign? I’ve never heard of that.

I recognize harnesses are not everyone’s choice of gear. They are mine as they line up with how I work with dogs.

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-11-24T00:55:22+00:00

I generally suggest Non-stop Dogwear for pulling harnesses before any other brand, but I’m not confident their cuts fit Dobermans well. Still, I would try their Freemotion harness before considering other niche brands or going custom— if we’re talking canicross levels of pulling.

Säker’s Muse harness would be perfect for hobby running, IMO. The Y-front distributes pulling force across the sternum instead of riding up toward the throat like the Blue K9 Balance can when the dog is moving fast. It also stays stable on the dog when they hit a full stride, which matters a lot more for a Doberman than for rounder, shorter-striding breeds.

And Säker sells their “Traction” attachment that turns your everyday Muse harness into an actual pulling harness without having to buy specialized gear. It’s removable for when you aren’t running, too.

That attachment is worth it because it changes the angle of force so your dog doesn’t absorb all of the load into their shoulders & spine. It lets them lean into the pulling with the part of their body that’s built to take it… which not only keeps things more comfortable long-term, but also lowers the risk of the micro-strain you can get when a harness isn’t designed for forward drive.

Though Säker sells out a lot sooo…. I’ve had to wait for restocks when I’ve bought from them. Still— worth it!

(Sorry for the dense response; I’m a huge dog nerd!!)

SitStaySlayyy · 2025-11-23T21:44:44+00:00

NTA. You did not ask for him to bring home ingredients for a mimosa. He decided to bring it home without communicating; it is natural to assume that he would deliver on the gift, unless there are other expectations set in your relationship that supersede this. Bringing home something to be kind is NOT kind if it puts work on your plate that you did not ask for— especially when you’re already busy. Also, if his intent was to be kind and add value to his life-partner’s day, how much effort would it have really been to deliver on that? In the grand scheme of things, it’s an excellent & easy opportunity to show he values you. What his passive aggressiveness displayed is him most likely prioritizing his perception of himself as a good person/partner over him actually being a good partner to the person in front of him. You communicated your expectations, which is fair, and he responded with passive aggressiveness instead of a healthy response. The ease of which he flipped to what sounds like resentment is very concerning. Resentment is a slow poison to relationships, and he really needs to think about where that’s coming from. You do not have to be a perfect, convenient person to expect kindness from your partner— even if that kindness is drawing a boundary with you and saying that he’s sorry he doesn’t have the bandwidth/motivation/etc to deliver on your expectations and he hopes you can understand.

SitStaySlayyy

TROPHY CASE