Dogs
All about dogs - dog breeds, dog training and behavior, news affecting dog owners or handlers, puppy pics, etc.
Rules (Will be refined later on).
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Don't be a dick. This should cover most things, just keep in mind that everyone started somewhere and try to be helpful rather than rude or judgmental.
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No personal attacks based on training style or tools.
Discussion of balanced training including proper use of aversives is allowed here. -
All breeds and mixes are welcome. You can criticize backyard breeding practices but don't pile on people because they own a specific breed or prefer purebreds or mixed breeds.
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Do not support backyard breeders or puppy mills. Please do not link to or suggest buying from high volume breeders or those with an obvious lack of standards and testing.
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Do not help or support fake service animals. Please do not encourage people to buy fake service dog vest or ESA letters to get around rental or other restrictions & do not give advice on how to misrepresent a dog as a service or support animal.
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4-5 times a day is very normal. And it also sounds like he needs longer walks. Not sure what breed you have but dogs should ideally have around 30-50 minute walks 4-5 times a day. As for the smelling areas, they're looking for territory marking spots. Walks are like the news for dogs. They'll smell around finding what other dogs have been there and leave marks of their own.
Your dog's behavior is very typical, and it doesn't sound like the dog needs to change, but rather that it does need more walks. If you are a very busy person, I'd suggest occasionally hiring a dogwalker. The winter cold is unfortunately just something that comes with having dogs.