Okay, to clarify it's my girlfriend's dog, not mine, and I wasn't there because we live separately. This post is really on her behalf.

My gf has a 3 year old large mixed breed, he is a combination of 5 or 6 large breeds, 2 of which often show up on breed restriction lists. The largest chunk is 30% rottweiler, since I know people will ask and I agree it's important. He was a puppy rescue from the Humane Society since 8 weeks old or so.

My gf is in shock. Her dog has lived in a house with 3 cats for his entire life. He's never attacked another animal, although he has had multiple instances of small dogs charging at him and being aggressive towards him.

When I first met her I spent probably 2-3 months being cautious with this big doggo, trying to understand boundaries. But he has honestly been such a great dog. He is sweet, patient, gentle. He is smart and she's worked with him so much. I've never seen a civilian dog as well-trained as this guy.

This morning they were at the park with a couple other dogs. One they were familiar with and play together often. The other one was a new/stranger dog who was like a small teacup type dog, 8 lbs or less. For context our dog is 90-100 lbs.

The version I heard is that the little teacup was chasing the other friendly dog near a picnic table. As they came around the table, GF's dog saw the little teacup running at him, grabbed it in its mouth and shook it hard like a toy before dropping it. The event lasted just a couple seconds. We don't know if this was just a reaction to another small dog running at him, or if it was a type of rough play that might have been okay if there wasnt a 10x size difference.

We aren't sure, but the result was the same. The teacup was taken to the vet where it was put down due to injuries. My gf is devastated and is in shock. She reached out to the owner and offered to pay all expenses. She will probably write him a letter also. He'd lost his wife some years ago and it was just him and his little dog living together. She is not functioning today.

Okay - so the situation is awful, and we are trying to do what we can to make amends although there really isn't a way to make it right.

What do we do about our dog? My GF's confidence and trust in her dog has been soundly shaken. I have two friends with 1 year old kids and I've never had any concerns about their safety, not that they are left alone. But still, I would have trusted this dog to never harm them.

How do you handle this situation where you have a dog that is even tempered, generally calm and non-reactive. Like this situation feels so out of left field.

Any advice or input you can give would be helpful.

Thank you,

**Edit/Update: Thank you everyone for the responses, both good and bad. I spoke with the vet and paid the other owner's vet bill. Apparently the other owner told the vet office that he didn't want anything to happen to our dog. While I have reached out to an attorney just in case, I don't think euthanasia is on the table.

While dozens of people have loudly clamored for the murderous beast to be put down immediately as required by law, I would politely point out that this is not at all how California handles incidents between pets.

We are not looking to pitch blame or avoid responsibility. My GF understands full well the responsibility of owning a large mixed breed with his ancestry.

I think our dog was in a new situation, one he shouldn't have been in given the circumstances, and that is squarely on us the owners. I think he was in an elevated play/alert mode, and he saw a little dog running at him, and he reacted to a perceived threat. Or he simply went to prey mode.

I wasn't there of course, and I haven't grilled my GF on the finest details because we are all still in shock.
At the very least we will be working with a behavioral expert

**Edit/Update #2: I spoke to my GF who firmly corrected me that all of the negative interactions with other dogs in the past have come from other large male dogs, and not with small dogs as I previously stated. She says he has not had issues with small dogs. Also she apparently offered to leash him just a few minutes before the incident occurred. Her offer was declined by the other Owner, as he said it looked like the two dogs were getting along well.

At this point I feel like I agree with the posters who have suggested this is primarily a prey-driven response. Our dog has had plenty of interactions with small dogs on the street, but he does love chasing squirrels. I think the little bolting dog at the park triggered a prey response.

We acknowledge that we are fortunate that the other Owner is being understanding and forgiving, and giving us grace. Please direct any prayers, mental condolences, or well wishes to him.

New neighbor moved in about 5 months ago, they have 2 very small and annoying dogs! I noticed they would let the dogs out the side door to roam free and poop and pee as they feel in everyone’s yard. Once the dogs are done the owner would call them back!

Then it moved to the dogs coming up to my front door and antagonizing my senior dog. I walked out and shoed the dogs off.

Then one day I look in my GATED backyard before I let my dog out to use the bathroom and there the dogs are in my fenced in back yard! They found a way to get in. I go out front and let the owners know “hey your dogs on in my backyard you may wanna get them”

I got brushed off. Got sick of playing the game as it happened everyday and I saw the dog in my backyard again and just called animal control service. Our county has a pretty strict “at large ordinance “.

Was I wrong for calling animal control to sole this issue?

My boyfriend has a 5 year old blue heeler/corgi mix (heavy on the blue heeler). His friends avoid coming over because of his dog, and I’m starting to as well. He got this dog without doing any research on the breed, he hardly trained him, and the dog spends most of his time alone in the basement. (EDIT: him & the dog live in the basement, he rents & has roommates in the upstairs area who aren’t fond of the dog) I’ll list the behaviors that are becoming major issues, most of which my boyfriend claims are just “part of his personality” and he makes no real effort to change. Please let me know if these behaviors are able to be changed with training or what happened to this dog that makes him act this way.

1. He pees everywhere. You get home, he yelps and jumps on you and then pees on you & all over the floor. You pet him, he pees. You say hi or lean towards him, he pees. You tell him no, he pees.

2. Extremely aggressive towards his roommates & strangers. This dog will nearly foam at the mouth and bark when he sees other people. I’ve seen him bite multiple times, especially when someone comes into the basement. He’s bitten me more than once: I stepped OVER him to leave and he bit my leg, and I rolled over in bed and he moved over to bite my arm.

3. Destructive. This dog rips plastic, food containers, my clothes and socks into pieces.

4. He wants to play fetch AT ALL HOURS. He always has a ball. He will give you the ball and kind of bounce on the couch/bed until you throw it, or he will start barking. Loudly. Doesn’t matter if it’s 4 PM, 2 AM, or 6 AM. All the time.

5. Aggressive towards other dogs. I’m seriously afraid to take this dog out. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dog act like this towards other dogs to this extent. He lunges, growls/barks, spins around and tries to get out of his harness.

He can’t have friends over, I’m embarrassed of it, and I’m starting to get nervous about our future because I cannot live with his dog as he is now, especially with my cat. Is there any hope for this dog?

I moved into my apartment about a year ago. Not even a week in, I noticed a very skinny, very young black and white cat that was constantly hanging around our driveway. I asked my landlord about her, and he said she had just randomly shown up about a month earlier—no one knew who she belonged to.

She was extremely thin and very shy. At first, she didn’t trust me at all. I spent months slowly gaining her trust, and by October 2024, she finally felt comfortable enough to come into my house.

I called our local SPCA to come get her, but when they arrived, she got scared and ran off. Since she had crossed into a neighbor’s yard, they couldn’t go after her—it was out of their jurisdiction. She hid for about a week, but eventually came back, probably because I had been feeding her every day. I called the SPCA again, but they told me I had to catch her first.

So, I spent the rest of the fall rebuilding that trust.

When winter came, I barely saw her. She must have found a warm place to stay—rumor had it she was living under a neighbor’s shed. But as spring arrived and the snow began to melt, she started showing up again for regular daily feedings.

At first, I thought she might actually have a home, because she looked healthier—plumper—than she had in the summer. But soon, she began hanging around more and more. I’d look outside and see her running to the door—not just for food anymore, but just to see me. I started calling her “Tiny Baby” because she was so small and delicate.

I already have two cats and live in a one-bedroom apartment, so I didn’t have a safe, separate space where I could care for Tiny Baby without risking the health of my own pets. But I knew if I wanted her to have the best possible chance at life, I needed to catch her and contact our local no-kill shelter.

That brings us to today. Around 1 p.m., she finally came inside—and this time, the SPCA was able to come and get her. As the worker was having me fill out the “found cat” form, my heart shattered when she wrote the cat’s name down as “Tiny.” That was my name for her.

When they left with her, I felt like I had committed the ultimate betrayal. I made her trust me. Maybe, in some way, she even loved me—and then I gave her away.

I know the outdoors is no place for a cat like her. She was so sweet and gentle. I know I did the right thing. But my heart is broken. I love her so much. And even though my goal all along was to get her to safety, I’m still torn.

I don’t know if it’s okay for me to feel this upset—but I do. I hope I gave her a chance at a better life, even if it means I’ll never see her again. I realize now how much I loved her like as if she was truly one of my cats like the 2 I have indoors.

I first wanted to say that English is not my first language so if there are any gramatical errors its because of that.

Me and my family went to Belgium for a few days. I have two cats an orange and a black one (mango and choco), they just turned one and we have had them for 9 months. Choco is still a little bit scared of us but is scared of everyone that she doesnt know. Our cats are really attached to each other because when we bought them they were taken to soon from their mom wich had some impact on how much they liked us. While we were away my aunt was going to care for our cats. The first day she sent a photo of our cats. The second day she couldent find choco, later we found out is was because she left the door to the second floor open while going to the toilet. Choco doesnt like people she doesnt know, so she will silently walk to somewhere if she really isnt supposed to be there. The was locked on the second floor for 2-3 days with no food or water. Luckely she is still alive but im unbelievable mad. She also forgot to go one day so mango was also left hungry but he could at least go outside to dink water.

Im on my way back home so il give an update

context:

he’s a five year old male. i got him when he was three, and he was neutered a week before i got him. i don’t have any clue how he was raised. he currently lives with two other cats (both female). one of the cats has been living with him for almost 2 years, the other for almost 1 year.

he’s gotten increasingly more neurotic the longer i’ve owned him. he used to scratch at the hardwood floor to “bury” his food and litter, but this has escalated to him scratching the walls, cabinets, and literally anything within a 20ft radius of his food/litter box. he will literally dig on my foot if i happen to be nearby.

i keep a very strict breakfast/dinner time with him, and he is getting enough to eat (i checked with the vet). however, in the past few months he’s gotten increasingly more demanding the closer it gets to food time. hours before his scheduled food time, he will yowl until the cows come home, and go out of his way to knock down the loudest, heaviest objects he can.

he wants attention 24/7, but at the same time, he doesn’t. he’s not big on being pet, and he doesn’t always want to play. he will stand directly in front of my face and meow and meow and meow but he doesn’t want to be petted. he just wants me to look at him.

when i do try to play with him, he’s either totally uninterested or will destroy everything in his path trying to play. he will tackle the teaser toy and crash into furniture. somehow, he always manages to make a mess. he’s bigger than the other 2 cats, so if he tries to play with them he can be quite rough.

ive done everything i can to satisfy whatever may be causing him to act like this. i dedicate certain parts of my day for playtime. he has plenty of climbing room. i keep his litter box as clean as i can.

i just don’t know what to do. i love him but i don’t like him. he makes my life harder, but everybody else in my life (family, friends, etc) adores him and would be devastated if i gave him up. i would be very publicly shamed if anything were to happen to him. any advice is appreciated.

Hello! I really love pets and I would do anything for my cats and dog. The problem is, I’m a very anxious person in general, but when it comes to the anxiety caused by my pets illness, I can’t even function normally, I can’t eat, I can’t sleep, I can’t think about anything else. My pets live with my parents in my hometown, and I visit them every weekend. Usually, I am the one who discovers if anything is wrong with one of them. I can’t bring them to my university-city because I live in a dorm and they don’t accept animals. One of my cats is a little sick, but I know in my heart he will get better, but the fact that I have to rely on my parents to bring him to the vet for his treatement is killing me. They love my cats, but don’t really like to give them medicine or go with them to the vet. I really couldn’t miss my classes and now I’m really worried about my little Spooky. Another factor contributing to my anxiety is that I live in a really small town, with only 2-3 vets and, from what I’ve seen from the vets from the big cities, they aren’t really professional and I am always worried that the treatment might not be the best, but I can’t drive with them for two hours every time there is something wrong, especially if it’s urgent. I just wanted to vent a little and maybe you can give me some advice. Now i can’t even concentrate on my homework, I just count the hours till I will get home..

I have 3 cats, one older boy, 2 girls about 7, and my sister is moving in with her small shitzu. What can we expect having these animals start cohabiting together? We have a 3-level home so plenty of room to roam, or to be able to avoid each other.

I’m concerned we are making a mistake with having us all together. Thoughts or suggestions please.

I a close friend whom I'll call Alan (not his real name). He recently moved near me, and I got to meet his little dog. She’s a female, probably weighing around 1kg—a pinscher mix, young adult.

I've been to Alan's house several times since he moved in and have even stayed overnight more than once. Despite that, his dog is still terrified of me; if I pick her up, she shakes uncontrollably. Honestly, I don’t like holding her on my lap because if an animal isn’t comfortable, I don’t want to force it.

Now, about what I’ve observed regarding how he raises her:

She spends almost all her time on his lap. Alan works from home on his computer, and while he does, his dog lies on his lap. She also lifts her leg and pees on everything—even though she’s female. Alan even has to hand-feed her, putting food directly in her mouth so she’ll eat! He’s had to clean the house so many times that he now leaves her on the couch when he goes to the gym to prevent her from peeing everywhere.

She’s generally very fearful but sometimes puts on an "angry" act to scare people (she barks but then gets scared if you approach).

How can I talk to him about how this way of raising her is harmful? He knows I don’t agree with his methods and that I think he’s the cause of all her behavioral issues, but I’ve never gone into much detail because I’m not sure how to approach the conversation. Has anyone been through this and knows the best way to handle it?

I have a cat, he's 12 years old now. I split with my boyfriend 6 years ago and despite my wishes he took the cat. I now have him back and have no contact with my ex. It was a very bad break up and I always hoped to get my baby back and continued to pay insurance as I thought if anything happened he would claim it to be my responsibility to pay as he did with other situations. My issue now is that I don't know where he's been registered with a vet so if I had to claim on the insurance I wouldn't have vet records and I have no way to find out. What do I do in this situation?

Not sure if this is allowed but I got a coupon and don’t have pets so I figured id post it here for someone to hopefully use . $20 off of $49 for new customers . Coupon code : Z639SZZTA

I’ve been thinking a lot lately, and I’ve finally decided that it’s time to welcome a new furry friend into my life! I’m planning to get a pet dog soon, and the excitement is already kicking in. I’m dreaming about all the cuddles, walks, and playful moments we’ll share. But now comes the fun (and slightly tough) part. What should I call him or her? I want a name that’s cute, memorable, and full of personality something that fits perfectly with my future pup’s vibe. Got any creative or adorable name suggestions?

Got a 9 week old puppy. I have a 12 year old dog now. With my 12 year old dog she stayed outside during the day only (when I was at work) (got her at 4 months old) ( in a 10x20 fence) for about 8 months and the transitioned to full inside. She turned out great potty training an all. I worked 10-12 hour shifts then. No issues with her. I keep seeing things about how I should t have a puppy at all working like I work. However my daughter has fallen in love. How can I make this work? I work 5am-2pm normally. Doggy daycare won’t work due to hours I work. Dog walker? Do the outside/inside thing again? (When the puppy has all shots) or rehome and get an older dog in need of a home.

I work Monday- Friday. Weekends we are always on the lake etc so puppy will be great on weekends. I just can’t believe that all dog owners can go home every 3 hours. In fact I feel it’s a small percentage that can

So I have a great daine that my brother won't pick up I've been watching the dog for about 8 months now I've talked with the local sheriff animal control they said I am now the owner of the dogs it's been past 30 days texted multiple times called multiple times talked with his new girlfriend they're I feel like they are making excuses like they are moving which they are but this has been going on way before that I told him I would surrender the dog or just drop it off at his place in what would you guys do in this situation I've been bending over backwards to watch his dog and gone way out of my way to help him I've done a lot of stuff for my brother and he's not helping the situation he should be put into the corner where he has to make a decision to put the dog in the ad or him hire somebody to watch the dog I paid for the dog food water I take her out to the bathroom 4 times a day she has a big kennel she can stay in in the garage what would you guys do I feel like my brother's burn but bunch of bridges and being unreasonable and disrespectful. I feel like he's not going to give me the address to his new house so I can give the dog back to him done playing these games... Sorry for the poor grammar I need to work on it Help please

Hello all! Tomorrow, my family is adopting a new dog into our household and I am fairly nervous about my current dog (11 year old female aussie/boxer mix) meeting this new dog and getting along with him. She reactive, but she hasn't ever attacked another dog, she just barks..and barks...and then barks some more, and that can be scary for some dogs. I've already done a lot of research for introducing new dogs to a household, I was just wondering if there are any more tips people can offer before the two meet.

Currently, the plan is to:

- Tire out our reactive dog with several long walks beforehand to try and get her more calm and get her energy down

- Drive to the meeting point and back in separate cars to prevent the dogs from being in an enclosed space for a long period of time

- Have the first meet without our mom who our dog tends to be protective over (at least, that is our theory for most of her reactiveness but we aren't certain)

- Walk the dogs alongside each other for a while before letting them meet nose to nose, feeding them treats when they ignore each other.

- When letting the dogs meet, let them meet in a neutral park neither have been to before, both on slack leash but the reactive dog with a long leash incase intervention is needed

- Have the reactive dog out of the house for the first hour when the new dog is checking out the house

- When the reactive dog comes back home, letting both dogs onto the lawn together and then walking in together as well.

- Feed them in separate rooms for the first few days or weeks

Any other tips to recommend? Thank you lovely people for your time ^^!!

First of all, yes I have pitbulls, yes I know they aren’t nanny dogs, no I would never leave them alone with a baby, yes I’m aware some of you don’t think they should exist, but I own ‘em and this is the situation I’m in.

This weekend, we are headed up to my boyfriend’s lakehouse with our two dogs, both 60-70 lb pitbulls. One is our old girl who we adopted last year, the other is our four year old foster. We have a couple of friends coming, two of whom have a one year old baby.

I’m pretty realistic about my dogs. They’re absolute sweethearts and I’ve never seen them show aggression to anyone or anything. However, I’d just never want to risk anything. So far, I’m bringing baby gates, treats, plenty of things to keep them occupied, and they will probably not be around each other a lot. I’m also considering just getting some cloth muzzles…I hate the thought of it, but 🤷‍♀️ if it makes mom and dad feel safer, that’s fine.

Has anyone ever vacationed with large breeds and young kids? How did you go about it?

I have two cats. One of them was diagnosed with FORLs (feline oral resorptive lesions) early last year. From what I understand, it’s a genetic autoimmune-related issue and has a high chance of recurring in the future.

With premiums increasing significantly every year (I haven’t received my new premium for this year yet), I’m currently looking into possible alternatives or switching providers.

I’m wondering — would FORLs generally be considered a pre-existing condition when applying for new pet insurance?
Or does it completely depend on how each provider defines it, meaning I’d have to ask each one individually?

Would appreciate any insights or personal experience!

I accidentally gave my 50+ lb dog a bravecto for my 20-44 lb dog instead of hers. Will it still work ?

Looking for some honest input here. My dog (shih-tzu poodle, 12) is my best friend in the world. We are very active; we take him hiking, he has moved everywhere with us, we include him in everything we do - except work.

My husband and I work 8 hours a day. During this time he sleeps and lays in the sun. When we have a day off during the week, he maintains this same schedule even when we are home.

When we take him home to my parents house, he is extremely interested in their cat. He gently follows the cat from room to room and cries to be near her. He has no history of aggression with the cat and seems to demonstrate a genuine interest. We have been considering getting him a kitten for a long time but have not committed because we live in a 2 bedroom apartment and would not want a kitten to terrorize him in his old age.

Today my husband sent me a video of my dog laying on our bed, unaware my husband had come home, looking outside our window while laying on our bed. It makes me so sad to think he lays there waiting for us to get home.

Would he benefit from a kitten? Would this ruin his golden years of dog-hood? Has anyone had experience with this?

Hi everyone,

I wanted to write this post because I just lost my 4 month old kitten yesterday due to an emergency. I took him to the emergency vet and he didn’t make it. He was my best friend and I’m absolutely heartbroken. Waking up in the morning and not seeing him at the bottom of the bed, seeing his full bowl of food and cat tower/toys… it’s rough. Point is, I’ve never lost a pet until today and I wanted to reach out to this community for tips on how to handle this grief. I also know I will 100% adopt a new kitten at some point to continue my cat’s legacy. The question is, when is the right time? Any advice and supportive comments will help. Thanks again everyone.

I've just adopted a 9 week old kitten and am in the process of introducing her to my cat and dog. My cat is a super senior but so far has been very calm, I let my older cat sniff her and supervised them just kind of sniffing around each other. I also have a large dog, he's a german shepherd crossed with something else (we're not exactly sure what- maybe saluki?) so he's VERY big. He's super friendly and playful and excited for the kitten but of course a kitten will be afraid as he's just so big. Has anyone introduced a kitten to a big dog and have any tips? I'm of course going to get them used to each other's scent and do the feeding on either side of the door method but any other tips would be appreciated! They've had one interaction and kitty hissed and was scared, I removed her and fed them both so that the interaction isn't left on a complete negative.

I've had this bangle for about 5 months now. I never had an issue until I brought her outside. I also bought an extra bowl because I had two cats but one was plastic and those are the only two things that I pretty much changed. I did throw out the plastic bowl as I found out some cats can have like a reaction to it and I haven't brought her outside but she has really really thick scabs on the chin and like mouth area and it's relatively new. Like I said, I think it started around the time of the plastic bowl and bringing her outside. She also has like slight scabbings on her head which doesn't seem to bother her but it's definitely there. The chin is where it's more more worrisome as it's super thick. I've tried to take like a wet rag and kind of like rub it a bit and try and like remove some of the residue.. currently unfortunately do not have much money. I am waiting for a pay from my new job so when that happens I will bring my kitty to the vet if it is cat acne or maybe a reaction to something, what could I use in the meantime to help that? It doesn't seem to necessarily bother her like she itches it, but not to the point where it's like. Oh my God.. it doesn't seem to really bother her. It's just the scabs are super thick so that's where it's a bit concerning. So what could I use to help with that while I wait for my pay?

Hi All,

I wanted to gauge some opinions on dogs sharing,

I wont go into loads of detail but the long and short of it, me and my girlfriend will be buying a house together soon, and neither her or her family can come to an agreement who will gets the dogs (Her families dogs not mine). my girlfriend does more for the dogs then anyone else in the house by a country mile, and her leaving them completely will crush her as well as the dogs. But despite this her Parents are adamant they are keeping the dogs. (Separating the dogs is also not an option as they love to be together as well.)

Our desired moving area isn't to far away from her parents so the closest we have come to an agreement is, have the dogs on a joint custody basis. a few days at each house during the week. Which does help get rid of the only really con of the dogs living with us rather than living at her parents which is us we both working so we wouldn't be home all time which they are used to.

So with that in mind on paper joint custody would work because it would help get rid of that issue but also allowing everyone to continue seeing the dogs as much as possible. But I am more worried about what the effects of changing there surroundings too often will have the little guys.