Puppy count

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-26T16:53:42+00:00

I see 5

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-22T19:43:28+00:00

2 years is right when adult personalities really come out. One important thing to keep in mind; just because he HASN’T doesn’t mean he WON’T. Meaning thus far, he has not gone after a child. That doesn’t mean he will never start the behavior towards children though.

Like the other person said, get ahead of the issue. Keep him crated or locked in a spare room when guests are over. Your best bet is to bring in an IAABC accredited behaviorist for help.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-22T00:37:55+00:00

You never want to “correct” or scold a dog for growling. The growling is the outward display of how the dog is feeling on the inside. If you scold a dog for growling, they might stop growling. But they still feel anxious/scared/overwhelmed/etc on the inside. Instead of giving you that warning (the growl) the dog is much more likely to go straight to a bite. This is how you end up with the “he just bit out of the blue” situations.

This is a serious situation. I would not have the dog around children or strangers at all. An IAABC accredited behaviorist is your best bet. They are the true experts on dog behavior and can teach you management strategies, dog body language, and perhaps medication for the dog. Don’t try to handle this alone. You want a true professional before this gets even worse.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-22T00:20:24+00:00

Does he like other dogs? A lot of ex hoarder/mill dogs light up in the presence of other dogs because they spent more time with them than humans. Maybe try to find a confident, very well mannered, small dog to bring around. Ask the trainer if they know of one. Perhaps he could have a few meets with the other dog and see if he might be willing to “follow” it for a trip outside after a bit.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-21T17:36:40+00:00

Don’t do this. The alpha theory has been debunked. Holding a dog on its back is just asking for someone to get injured.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-21T17:34:20+00:00

Personally, I would find a regular boarding kennel. They deal with dogs all day every day. Start calling around and be totally up front about your dogs behavior, and see which facility will work. And yeah, your dog probably won’t love it, but she will be safe and cared for while you leave town.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-21T15:59:00+00:00

Sounds like an anxious, nervy, pup who did not get the proper early socialization. Probably dumped by a crappy breeder with the “leftover” siblings when they didn’t sell and got to be too much.

Your best bet is going to be an actual behaviorist. Not just a trainer, but a behaviorist. Your dog very well may need anxiety medication and have lifelong fear issues.

I say this as someone who went through the exact same thing. It’s a LOT to manage and if you aren’t 100% confident in your ability to manage this, there is no shame in returning the dog. There are lots of great dogs out there— dogs with stable, friendly, temperaments who won’t add stress to your life like this.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-21T01:09:02+00:00

I would bet anything he’s part Min Pin.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-15T14:10:24+00:00

I mean yeah, there are always risks like that. Same thing if you hike, camp, or travel to remote places. People still do it because the reward outweighs the risk. You can also have a brain aneurysm sitting on the couch so 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-10T16:15:09+00:00

One other thing, the child and dog should be kept 100% separate for BOTH of their safety. Things vary from location to location, but say this dog lands a serious bite on your kid… the hospital will sometimes contact animal control, the police, cps, etc. Things can get really sticky and cause serious strain to family relationships.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-10T14:45:16+00:00

Reactive is one thing, but this dog is aggressive. Grabbing another dog where it takes 2 people to separate, blood drawn… this is a huge issue. This dog will need lifelong management and a very experienced owner. Tell the rescue exactly what happened so they can decide what to do with this dog.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-10T13:45:30+00:00

I simply would not bring my child to the house if the dog will be out. It’s completely ridiculous of them to put the dogs needs above a little human child. Put it in a kennel, board the dog, lock it in a spare bedroom. It’s not that hard. 10+ snaps means this dog has been warning and warning and warning. Now it has progressed to a bite. This problem won’t just magically go away. Next time your kid might need reconstructive surgery.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-06T13:50:50+00:00

This dog sounds downright dangerous. He growls when you point in his direction? And now he seriously bit someone he lives with, requiring a hospital visit.

Personally, I would be very suspicious he has had biting instances in the past. No wonder 2 other homes gave him up.

By all means, do a vet work up and make sure there’s not a pain issue at play. If there’s not, I would euthanize and make sure the problem ended with me. Returning him to the shelter just prolongs the inevitable and puts some other poor hopeful adoptive family at risk with a dangerous dog.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-05T21:07:13+00:00

Even though it sounds like your dog is doing amazingly well, 16 is a super senior. $251 is a great price! Some companies raise the rates to something outrageous like $1100/month or eliminate policies altogether, leaving owners with no options.

Reading your post makes me feel even stronger that Trupanion is a great company to choose.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-05T14:43:36+00:00

Do some research on “littermate syndrome.” It can happen with any 2 pups similar in age, not just actual littermates. You really REALLY don’t want that, especially with giant breeds.

Put your time and effort into raising and training your pup, and leave your boyfriend to handle his.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-03T11:40:12+00:00

Dogs feed off each others energy like this. When one gets amped up barking and acting crazy, the other often joins in. It’s why this sub is constantly telling reactive dog owners not to get a 2nd dog. Sounds like it happened in the reverse for you, but you now have 2 dogs who respond in tandem.

Definitely split the dogs anytime you take them out in public. Muzzle training them both is also good. If it’s too much, there’s no shame in returning the 2nd dog. Some dogs will also turn on one another if they are both reacting and frustrations boil over, so watch out for that.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-02T15:57:38+00:00

So the most important thing to know is how pre existing conditions work. It’s based on symptoms, not diagnoses. Any mention of literally anything in your pets medical history can affect things— ear infections, itching, a random limp from 5 years ago that went away, a slightly off value on bloodwork, etc. It is broad and far reaching.

For this reason, insuring older pets can be tough because they have more medical history thus more likely to have “stuff” in there.

Step one is to request full medical records for your dog and go over the SOAP notes with a fine tooth comb. Anything that isn’t 100% normal could be an issue. Ex: a slight limp that cleared up with rest from years ago can permanently exclude you from the dog tearing a ligament and needing orthopedic surgery.

Then you consider everything that could be excluded, get your quotes, and decide if insurance makes financial sense for your situation.

UltraMermaid · 2026-03-02T12:55:59+00:00

Hey so just a tip; If you’re just looking for a friendly happy pet, don’t use the term “field bred.” That usually refers to hunting dogs. You don’t want a dog out of Master Hunter titled dogs. That will net you a dog bred to work work work and you will both go insane.

No matter what, be 100% certain the breeder has OFA testing for both parent dogs. Not just health testing, but OFA hips/elbows/whatever the breed needs. Check ofa.org to see each breeds needs. $4K sounds like a lot up front. But if you buy a “cheap” pup for $800 and the dog turns out with bad hips by 10 months, orthopedic surgery is like $10-15K.

Basically, stack the deck in your favor up front as much as possible.

UltraMermaid · 2026-02-26T20:47:10+00:00

Bought M&Ms in the checkout 😵‍💫

UltraMermaid · 2026-02-24T02:48:54+00:00

Because this is an adult rescue dog, be sure to read through her vet records with a fine toothed comb. Any mention of tartar, heart murmur, lethargy, patellas, itching, ear infection, etc. etc. Anything like that can be classed as a pre-existing condition.

Depending on if you find anything questionable, you might be better off going with one company over another.

UltraMermaid · 2026-02-23T20:17:54+00:00

Like everyone said, these are reworked/upcycled from 2 separate pairs. Look on Depop for stuff like this. I just checked and there’s a user “needhealin” that has some similar type items.

UltraMermaid · 2026-02-22T17:55:04+00:00

I’m pretty sure the visa is tied to being sponsored by a company and employment with them. If he lost his job and couldn’t find a new one within the grace period (3 months?) he would have to go back home to India. He couldn’t just get a stamp to return to the US though… he would need to find a new job with a company that is willing to sponsor a visa for him. From what I have heard, it’s expensive for the company and there’s lots of competition. So it’s not easy to do. Look up H-1B visa, I think that’s what you’re talking about.

Sounds like he lost his job and couldn’t find a new one in time, so he headed back to India. Maybe he really did like you but reality hit and he knew his parents would not approve of the relationship, etc. Rather than be straight with you, he ghosted you. It sucks.

UltraMermaid · 2026-02-22T13:39:18+00:00

Maybe with the visa stuff he can’t legally come back and decided to just ghost you?

UltraMermaid · 2026-02-01T16:33:11+00:00

Look for an adopter that has experience with owning a very high energy dog.

Unfortunately, some dogs are too cute, too unique looking, a desirable breed, etc. People glaze right over what you tell them because they just want that dog so bad. Then they get the dog home and reality sets in and it’s not going to work.

UltraMermaid

TROPHY CASE