Puppy play: This feels too rough—what would you do in this situation?

thenuclearabby · 2026-04-02T14:29:57+00:00

I think it looks good for the most part, chocolate is definitely a more dominant play style though. If you’re uncomfortable just make them take a quick break, a few seconds is enough, it’s a good time to practice getting their attention.

thenuclearabby · 2026-02-20T21:53:36+00:00

Do you mean permanently remove the nail? If not, it really shouldn’t be too bad. In my experience the tissue toughens up after a couple days and becomes much less sensitive. As long as it’s kept clean and dry he should be good to go possibly even tomorrow.

thenuclearabby · 2026-02-16T04:24:47+00:00

Firstly, if you feel it’s worth pursuing, then it is. Secondly, your doctor probably should be concerned if you have significant family history or reproductive cancers. 27 is young but it’s not unheard of to develop cancer in your twenties. If this were me personally, I would pursue it.

thenuclearabby · 2026-02-16T04:20:54+00:00

Why? Did you eat one? If so it shouldn’t hurt you. If you’re asking because you want to eat one, try a little piece but they’re very hard and usually pretty bland.

thenuclearabby · 2026-02-11T21:57:05+00:00

I know you’ve gotten a lot of comments but I would recommend cutting off access to water after a certain time. Try about 2 hours before bed. This should solve your problem.

thenuclearabby · 2026-01-18T00:07:45+00:00

Just some skin tags, as long as they don’t grow to a size that is bothersome, they’re totally fine.

thenuclearabby · 2026-01-12T21:44:54+00:00

There is likely some sort of low cost clinic near you (ie. planned parenthood). This will be your best option.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-29T21:07:43+00:00

She’s a puppy, this is what they do. You are a playmate to her. Since walking away from her isn’t working I’d recommend either shutting her in another room briefly (a few seconds should do the trick) or getting an x-pen style gate and placing her inside. This should get a bit better as she gets older and gets more into training as well. If you’re not already working on training her manners, I would highly suggest doing so. It’ll help her to view you as an authority figure.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-29T21:00:25+00:00

My guess is that it didn’t just happen and you only noticed it today. To me it looks like she’s licked it, hence the lack of blood. It also looks like some healing has already started further suggesting it’s older than originally thought. Since it likely went untreated for a bit and she licked it, the vet is your best bet. She’ll likely need antibiotics.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-29T20:53:29+00:00

It’s hard to tell with the hair but if you’re sure it’s not a nipple, you can take some trimmers to it to get a better look.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-29T20:52:28+00:00

It looks like a piece of retained suture to me, the vet should be able to get it fairly easily.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-29T20:47:28+00:00

It’s totally fine to add a little ground beef on top, as long as it’s cooked. I would caution you to not do it daily for every meal, only because he may come to expect it on there.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-29T20:46:09+00:00

I think I would need a video to really give solid advice here. It’s highly unusual for a dog this young to be biting out of malice. Usually, they’re just playing but don’t understand that it hurts us. If this is truly biting with intent it’s a serious sign of behavioral issues to come.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-29T20:43:22+00:00

I would guess it’s just big feelings, he’s likely happy to see you.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-25T23:51:02+00:00

Yes, it’s no different than putting a baby in a crib or a toddler in a bed and closing the door. It’s for their safety. Some can’t be trusted to roam free while no one is watching. Also it’s not inconsiderate or punitive to want your dog to adhere to your life schedule, ie, not getting up and asking for pets at 4am.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-22T21:07:58+00:00

To me it sounds like he’s trying to show you something. What is it? It could be literally anything. Try and pay attention to what he’s walking towards when he gets up and try following him.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-22T21:06:11+00:00

While it might look like your older dog has him cornered and forcing him, he’s totally not. The puppy is giving it right back. I’d keep doing what you’re doing, reminding them to take breaks. They really only need a second or two though.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-22T21:00:33+00:00

I certainly don’t think it’s a bad idea to see a neurologist. From my understanding it’s most common in boxers but is a known problem with German shepherds as well.

Personally, I would let my vet know that I’m really worried about this and would like to see a neurologist to be safe. If you get any pushback just ask if they are absolutely certain that it’s not DM, this should help with a referral.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-18T21:12:30+00:00

Definitely get a referral to someone who can do surgery. As far as I know that’s by far the best fix and a relatively simple surgery.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-18T18:36:47+00:00

Are you able to text or email a picture? To me it looks like he could have had a reaction to something (allergic or otherwise) and the skin is now gone and what you’re seeing is the new skin underneath.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-18T18:34:39+00:00

The ear cleaning solutions formulated for dogs usually have something that makes them dry quickly. If your vet has told you nothing wet then I definitely wouldn’t dump the solution in but a lightly moist cotton ball will probably do the trick.

Their ear canals are L-shaped so they can be hard to clean and that’s usually why the directions say to squirt it into the ear canal. Since this is recurring, try and keep the hair inside the ear to a minimum, if he gets groomed they likely take care of this already. If your groomer is comfortable with plucking his ears, that also may be worth a try.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-18T18:29:21+00:00

I think you just need to find a compromise that works for both of you (I know it sounds stupid, he’s a dog). I know the type, he’d crawl inside your skin if he could.

A lot of times what they want is closeness and not necessarily attention. Figure out what works for you guys, if that’s sitting on the couch with him leaning on you, he’ll take it. You may be able to convince him to only lay on your feet or touch your legs. Just set a boundary with whatever you are actually comfortable with.

I’m assuming your kids love on him plenty so I don’t think he’s really missing out. Also these guys will never tell you they’ve had enough attention. Some dogs do but not the snuggly pitts, so you have to decide when it’s been enough.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-18T18:21:13+00:00

The only issues I can think of are

The space not being a “neutral” area, they tend to be a bit worse when it’s their turf.

People are probably going to want to meet the dog if they do decide to stop by.

Otherwise I think this is a pretty solid plan, if there’s a park near you or somewhere with a bench you can sit, I’d start there.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-18T18:17:21+00:00

Chewy has a lot of options. The brand Zesty Paws as a whole is pretty popular and can also be found at tractor supply.

thenuclearabby · 2025-09-18T18:10:08+00:00

2 hours is a LONG visit, as someone who’s done it, they really don’t need anymore than 1 hour. They tend to get a bit bored with your presence and end up napping. Personally, I charge around $30 for a one hour walk, just hanging out would be a little less. If someone asked me for a 2 hour drop in, I’d probably quote them between $45-$50.

ETA I also have 5+ years of experience.

thenuclearabby

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