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These attitudes are exactly the problem. Everyone is so angry these days.

If you Google something like the journal PloS you'll probably find the evidence you need, but just to add that it is now generally accepted that early neutering has a negative effect on not just growth plates but factors such as the dimension of the urethra, which can lead to urinary problems...

I don't ride a bike, but there are loads in my city, as well as all sorts of other self-propelled transport such as unicycles and scooters! Cycling is very popular here, and generally I regard that as a good thing, because if they weren't on a bike, that would be another car on the road, some of...

What an interesting 'problem' to have, and also some very good suggestions of how to manage it. A couple of things to mull over might be how you view someone walking without a dog. I know a few people who feel a little frisson of fear if a solitary person is walking in a beauty spot or park...

That's a really tricky problem. The white noise is a good suggestion - I use white noise for bonfire night, and my two dogs actively seek it out. I recommend a good-quality, reliable white noise machine (for your own sake), but there's free versions on YouTube to try out first. We have a lot of...

I'm curious to know what you based your decision to sell her on. Was it just your assumption that she didn't like being left for so long, or did she show signs of distress, such as being destructive while you were away, toileting in the house, barking or howling when left alone? I think it's a...

I haven't sold a dog, but I did have to return Floss, a beautiful Border Collie I had spent months working with at the shelter she was in. When I got home with her, it was abundantly clear that she was going to kill my cats if she ever got hold of them. I worked on that for 6 stressful weeks...

I'm quoting this message (below) because the advice is so sound. If you put yourself in your dog's shoes, so to speak, you'll see that the new circumstances are putting a huge strain on her. Having to defend her space and her food in her own home must be really stressful for her, and the male...

Very sorry to hear that. You are the client, however, and within your rights to remain with your dog throughout his treatment. Very few vets have the nerve to refuse such a request. Could you also ask to see one specific vet when you book an appointment? I know these big practices can be quite...

Yes, agreed - there are certainly difficulties in finding the right home for mastiffs of any type.

Ok, that's interesting. The thing that stands out to me is: At daycare, she has the option to come and go between indoors and outdoors whenever she chooses. It's possible that she doesn't particularly distinguish between these two, and hence at home, where she doesn't have that choice, she...

Without wishing to be judgemental, this is no life for a dog, even before your work hours changed. As others have suggested, you could consider a dog walker or sitter, though I always feel that it's a bit pointless living with a dog if you end up paying someone else to have all the fun of...

I see a lot of Staffies with their hind legs in 'frog' position, though none of my lurchers have ever done that.

The sedatives really do vary a lot, so it might be worth mentioning it to the vet for any future visits. My vet and I have the same protocol for my Carpathian Shepherd as he is a super sensitive, super vigilant dog: the first time we used tramadol and he went down like a sack of spuds as the...

It's a very puzzling case, and hard to know what is going on without seeing her. I gather from what you say that your vet has not found anything specific to her health that would explain her behaviour. The only suggestion I can make is that she is definitely trying to tell you something...

I'm so glad to hear she's improving, and I entirely agree with those attributing attunement and sensitivity to Folly - and am feeling somewhat dismayed that this wasn't my first thought! Live and learn I guess. Just their superior sense of smell is enough to explain dogs' uncanny ability to...

All the above may be true, but I don't believe there's a particular advantage in getting a purebred or pedigree dog. There are many unscrupulous breeders out there who can present an entirely misleading front. With a dog from a good shelter, you'll be given plenty of information based on real...

Sounds as if you have two new friends! That will be so good for their confidence. They seem to have had very limited life experience, which is a bit sad, and you have opened a couple of doors for them.

Just adding my agreement to the 'no baths' view - and I trained as a dog groomer! I never bath the dogs that live with me - currently both have thick double coats - though I do groom them 3 or even 4 times a week at the moment to keep an eye out for grass seeds, ticks etc. If they get muddy, I...

Agree with all those suggestions, and just wondering what time she is fed? Has she had any changes in her diet? Sometime, simple indigestion can unsettle dogs after they have eaten, and I'm wondering if she's affected by that, especially as she is refusing food. It might be worth changing her...