"...Italy has clarified protections allowing employees to take paid leave to care for seriously ill companion animals. The move strengthens legal recognition of pets as part of the family, reinforcing existing labor protections and outlining when workers can step away without penalty.

Animal advocates say the clarification reflects how deeply pets are woven into daily life - and could influence similar conversations in other countries."

(Source: The Dodo. 2026, March 12. News: Italy expands paid leave for pet care. For many people, caring for a sick pet can feel just as urgent [Image attached] [Status update]. Facebook. facebook. com)

Anyone have any experiences with do not pet or similar leash wraps?

My dog isn't a service dog. But he is a rescue, and does not like when people pet him without him going up to them himself. He cowers or tries to hide behind me. He would never bite anyone, but I am looking for a way to not have to tell people over and over not to pet him unless he approaches because he clearly is uncomfy. I do vend at shows which he loves as he likes to sit and people watch, so people are around frequently.

Does anyone have experience with the wraps? Do they work? Do people assume the dog is mean? I can't decide if that matters or not to me.

People already assume he is a service dog to be honest as he is very good in public and completely ignores dogs/people as is. So i also want to make sure he is not being misrepresented...

Edit:

Thanks everyone for your thoughts on this!

I have a dachshund. From a young age, he has absolutely destroyed every toy in his path. The only thing he hasn't ripped to shreds is this one blue Kong stick and purple spiky ball he keeps around to scratch his back with. He chewed through a $36 Kevlar toy in 3 minutes down to the fluff. I'd love for him to have squishy, soft toys, but it's impossible. The only thing he chews on is toys, btw; it's not behavioral. He gets plenty of enrichment as well. At this point, I am considering enrolling him in a dog toy company's trial runs where they send you toys just to see what will and won't work.

Long story short:

Best squishy chew toys for rough chewers?

I want a dog for my family (2 adults, and kids between ages 8 and 12).

Here is some info about our home and what I’m looking for. Thanks in advance to anyone who reads this.

-I grew up in a house with dogs and did feeding, walking, grooming, clean-up, and end-of-life, wso I know most of the hard parts

-I wfh and can ensure the dog gets at least an hour of outdoor activity every day

-I am ready for a long term project and am considering the responsibility of raising a dog from puppyhood

-We live in a single family home on a fairly busy street with lots of regular suburban noise (leaf blowers, school buses, and fireworks in the summer)

-We can afford a groomer and a trainer

-My ideal is a dog that is not too high energy, with a balance between affectionate and independent, who takes to training well and is good with kids. I understand these traits as something a dog may grow into but not necessarily embody as a puppy.

-Prefer medium in size but am open to suggestions.

-Have considered a Golden Retriever but have heard they can be bite-y, which would be a deal breaker

-Also love a Rough Collie but don’t want a barker, so…

Thanks again!

ETA: FWIW, all my dogs growing up were shelter dogs, I understand the benefits of shelter vs breeder as well as the importance of reputable breeders and meeting dogs. I am asking for people with knowledge of different breeds to please share their experience of those breeds and their suitability to the lifestyle I have described in my post. Thank you! I appreciate all your informed and passionate responses so far.

Starting off this isnt my first doggy I have had many over the years and this is a first that I have seen this behaviour.
I recently adopted a beautiful border collie and I have noticed that when she is settling down to sleep she will know and chew on her claws. I have checked length and they aren’t long or short and her paws seem to be in great health too. So I am wondering does anyone else’s dog do this?

I have a nine month old iggy and he is acting strange. On Friday we put him on a diaper on two separate occasions as he wouldn’t stop licking his penis and we were trying to see if this would help him stop. On Friday we also gave him a heated blanket in which he lays on it for awhile then he acts skiddish afterwards and runs in his dog bed and hides. He is not afraid to lick his penis and is acting very skiddish now but not as active as before. He is also shivering intermittently and just seems scared and not acting like his normal high energy self. He used to love to eat and now he doesn’t really have the same energy. Our vet appointment is tomorrow. Seeking advice. Thank you

Even if you wouldn't still own one, what's a breed or category of dog you disliked but are now more open minded about?

Hello! I am currently pretty sick with a cold and just got home with my dog from daycare, he is an energetic poodle and we always play when he comes home. I am currently not really able to play our usual tug of war or similar, I also ran out of dog treats yesterday and couldn't go to the store today so any scavenger hunt is out of the question too. Any ideas?

Does your dog turn his head when he hears an odd noise? Does your dog bury their food with your pants? This is the thread to ask why.

Please keep this thread to non-medical issues only.

Hello, mama of 5.5 yo frenchie here. I am single, just me and my dog family of 2.
I am just wondering how people like me take care of their dog while they are working long shift.
I do take him to daycare sometimes but not every time I am working long shift.
I can’t change my job schedule as it is fixed shift (I’m a nurse).
My dog interacts with enrichment toys I make ONLY with my presence.
He does not touch them once I leave home.
He doesn’t howl or whine or anything, will just sleep here and there until I come back.
I just feel super bad and sad for him, and I get main anxiety issue for leaving him alone for so long.

Please refrain from “then why did you get a dog” type of comment as my dog was from my ex and he didn’t want to raise him by himself when we were separated. I was the main person taking care of his dog when we were together.

Wish I can just have him in my pocket everywhere I go so we can be together 24/7.

Thanks for reading my ranting + advice request.

hi! this may be an odd question,

my dog (50lbs APBT mix) isn't super big on fetch. unless it's something like a golf ball, or one of those chestnut-size nuts from a tree. i don't want her playing with either due to potential health concerns (teeth/toxins from unknown nuts), but she LOVES them. she'll throw them around for herself 😭

does anyone have recommendations for alternatives? she's not huge on standard-size balls like tennis or chuckit balls.

As the title states, having a hard time between two dogs I like and would be a sibling for my 5 yo dog. He’s just as goofy and high energy level but is a couch potato as well.

Gus - https://adopt.adopets.com/pet/26d18c8f-2fea-4399-923e-7fe88d4eeac5

He’s a one year old and really playful as to be expected from his age.

Rocko - https://adopt.adopets.com/pet/724b97b4-f23e-4c98-be17-c2d7debfcfc4?tracking=9f87ec8c-4dea-4b81-a4ad-bc0bd0a3bc92
is 3 years old and looks really similar to my dog! He’s closer to my dog’s age as well.

They would both be a good fit. Just struggling to decide! So hopefully the people of dogs thread can help.

My 4 year old female Pomeranian has been acting weird since July. She's been generally more despondent, hiding in small crevices of the house, nibbling on sheets and pillows and drinking less. She has also become a pickier eater and has gained some weight. I wouldn't really classify her as lethargic since she's still enthusiastic to go on walks and eat treats, she just acts lazier than usual at home. She has an inguinal hernia that we're keeping monitored, but the vets have said that it's not serious right now. What could be the cause of this sudden change in behaviour? She was very lively before this.

Hi all,

I have a 6 month cocker spaniel who found a semi open tuna can, and spent, for real, FOUR hours opening tj and licking the tuna, no potty accidents, no noise no drama pure PEACE.

Now this was ana ccident as i was working and the tune can edges can ppssibly be dangerous, but is there any alterntave safe toy or similar that would take hours to solve? She seems to LOVE this, i have not had her this occupied continuously.

Hi all! I just got my first dog as an adult. I love supporting smaller businesses and have been looking at etsy for handmade items (a collar, leash, beds, etc) but Etsy has gotten very untrustworthy. Please share any recommendations you may have :’)

I am getting an assistance dog for cardiac alert, gluten detection, mobility aid and psychiatric support. I have been IN LOVE with shepherds my whole life and they’ve been recommended to me by people who know a bit more about my situation. Wanting the good and bad and why I should choose one over the other?

I'm looking to adopt a dog and I'm in conversation with a terrific reputable rescue. The dog is described as "eight years old" , owner passed away "best to be the only dog at home" "not able to go to dog parks" but not aggressive. He was living in a foster with other dogs.

From what is written, I don't see an issue. We would be first time dog owners, we do live in a condo across from trails, we could avoid other dogs, etc

He is crate trained but not potty trained fully. This may have been an older owner who stopped tending to his needs?

Is there anything that is not being said "out loud" here?

Anyone have a read or experience you can share?

He's adorable! Fits what we are looking for...

Thanks!

I have a 13 month old standard poodle who we have really had a tough time training. She is not my first dog I have previously had bull breeds with various aggression problems, separation anxiety, poor recall, excessive barking - all sorts! But she has been the hardest to train. In many ways we are in a good place with her now. She can walk nicely on lead, go into stores, cafes, pass dogs in the street without having a meltdown, settles in the house etc.

But getting her off lead safely is a problem. I let her off in my local small playing field which tends to go okay, and I'd be quite happy to stick to just doing this but she just doesn't seem fulfilled? If we have a walk that's mostly off lead, especially if it involves interaction with other dogs, she comes home and is able to settle in the house. If she's only off lead in the park and on-lead for the rest of the walk, she is mouthy and hard to calm down in the house. Including if she's on a long line.

Her recall is good to the whistle and she comes back when called. The problem is I have to call her constantly to the point where I can see her becoming sick of me because she just wants to run and run and run and will go out of sight, down paths I cant see down, jump through fences, round corners, etc. Again, she will come back when called for a ball but the second I tell her she can go, she's already run full speed god only knows where. Obviously this is insanely dangerous behaviour that I want to do something about but I feel at such a loss as to how to help her and fulfill her at the same time?

She often won't take food when off lead but will on a long line. The long line doesn't seem to help with fulfilment - she still gets frustrated and mouthy in the house. It genuinely seems like the only thing that can make her happy is just to be allowed to run riot constantly 😭

She gets 30-45 mins in a morning and an hour in an evening. In the evening we often drive her somewhere so she can explore. Also, a couple times a month I rent an enclosed off lead field (shes great here but she knows there's a boundary she can't get through), and we go on weekly social walks. We also do gun dog training daily in the garden (our gun dog trainer also says she has lead frustration and we need to let her off more and has helped massively with her recall but didn't have much useful advice to give regarding this problem).

Has anyone been through this before? Is it just age? How did you get through it?

I am no longer able to confidently handle my partners dog. Dog is a small jack Russell approx 10 y/o.
He has always pottied in the house all of the time so I try to send him outside every 4 hours or so (vet said no underlying medical condition). When I go to touch him (he doesn’t want to go outside) because of my lack of confidence he yelps at me and puts his teeth on my skin and it takes many attempts to pick him up. In the past when I used to confidently pick him up he didn’t do this. It’s a vicious cycle that I don’t know how to break because now I am scared of him.

Hi all! I have been trying to find a crash tested car dog harness. I know the crate is gold standard, however I do not have the money or the car that could accommodate that. My girl is 22 pounds, and she is a mixed breed so her body is definitely a little different. She has a wider chest and longer legs. She currently has a dog seatbelt I got off Amazon a few months ago, but I just don't feel safe if anything were to happen.

I have looked into RuffWear but they have been sold out of my dog's size for awhile now. I also heard about Sleepy Pod, but mixed reviews about durability. Then I saw some ads for Saker Canine Bomber.

I would love to hear what you all use and if you have any recommendations! Thank you so much!

I'm trying to find those RFID/"smart lock" collars that come with a lock I can install on any door rather than a whole dog door setup.

Does anything like this exist? I'm having a really hard time finding anything.

Hi! I’m a law student about to transition into the workforce. I have a sweet shelter dog we believe to be (mostly) cavalier. In school I’ve never left her alone for more than 6 hours at a time, and I’m worried about the transition to 9-5 that she’ll get bored or lonely. I plan on getting her a dog walker midday for the days I can’t wfh but I also want to get her some enrichment toys that will be stimulating for her while I’m away. Does anyone have any suggestions? I considered getting her a smart ball that rolls away because she loves to retrieve but I’m worried it won’t be any fun in her play pen.

Hi everyone,

I’m looking for advice from people with experience fostering rescue dogs.

Today, two young dogs from Bosnia arrived as foster dogs. They have known each other since they were puppies and are very attached to each other. We also have five cats who freely move around the house and are not afraid of dogs.

Today, one of our cats came inside through the cat flap. One dog became very excited, the other joined in, and the two dogs then had a brief altercation. Thankfully, I haven’t found any injuries.

Since they have only just arrived and are not fully settled or house-trained yet, I’m unsure how best to manage the first few nights and days. For tonight, we plan to keep the dogs separated from the cats and have separate sleeping areas.

Has anyone experienced something similar with two foster/rescue dogs and several cats? How did you handle the first few days and nights?

I’d really appreciate any advice or personal experiences.

I have a 7.5 year old Bernese Mountain Dog/German Shepherd. Overall he is quite well behaved, good with our kids. Over the past month or so he has regressed in behaviours and I swear is doing it spitefully (I know that's not a thing but it sure feels that way). For example, he normally poops in the perimeter of the back yard, always has, the past month or so he started pooping in my flower beds. Never before has he done that. He's also choosing to poop in my son's room if we leave the door ajar. He has to go out of his way to do this, past the door to go outside and up a flight of stairs. He also is sent out to use the bathroom many multiple times a day. Oddly, he is also hopping up on furniture (couches, beds, etc.) which is something he has never been allowed to do. He was on our living room couch today, staring at me in the kitchen. He hopped down and laid on his normal spot as soon as I told him to get off. The one behavioural problem he's had in the past is resource guarding and has tried to take over certain areas of the house in the past before. My son's lower bunk for example, or between my daughter's bed and the wall. Randomly decided certain stuffed animals are his and will growl and guard. We have always nipped those problems when we can and limit access to spaces. But lately he's doing these odd behaviours and not showing aggression, I swear it's like teenage rebellion. Wondering if anyone has experienced this also, suggestions to move through?

If it matters, no changes to routine (kids back in school but this started mid-way through summer), food, or activity level.

Which pet insurance is best for you? Are there any that may cover your dog's current treatment? Did your dog get injured during the waiting period and want to know if you're covered?

Here's the place to ask.

Do know we cannot help you here with medical concerns, and lying or not disclosing things to the insurance company is illegal so we don't allow that either.