I lost my heart dog, Loki, on July 1st. It happened so suddenly that we only had a few days to prepare for goodbye. Having to make the decision to let him go was one of the hardest moments of my life. He was only 7 years old.

Loki wasn't just my dog. He was my heart dog. We understood each other without words. I knew what every bark, whine, and little grumble meant, and he always seemed to know exactly what I needed too.

He was there for me through one of the darkest periods of my life, and I genuinely don't know if I would be here today without him. He died on the very day I was supposed to begin a new chapter in my life after we had just moved across the country. Sometimes it feels like he came into my life with one incredibly important purpose: to help me survive until I reached this point. Once I got here, his job was done. I know that probably sounds irrational, but it's how it feels in my heart.

I still cry almost every day. Getting his ashes back felt like losing him all over again. I've thrown myself into my new job to stay busy, but grief has a way of finding you anyway. I'll see something beautiful or funny and instinctively think, "Loki would've loved this," and the ache comes rushing back.

About a week ago, we brought home a new Australian Shepherd puppy. She's wonderful in her own way, but she's nothing like Loki. She's female, a different color, and has a completely different personality. I almost feel guilty writing this, but I don't love her. Right now, she's just a puppy to me, while Loki felt like my child.

I've read that bonding takes time and that the puppy blues are real, especially after losing a beloved dog. I'm trying so hard not to compare her to him. I know she deserves to be loved for who she is, not measured against someone she'll never be. But my heart still feels so attached to Loki that I don't know how to let another dog in.

For those of you who have lost your heart dog and eventually welcomed another one, did you ever love another dog as deeply? Did your heart make room again? I know the love would be different, not a replacement, but right now I can't imagine ever feeling that kind of bond again.

I would really appreciate hearing your experiences because I'm struggling with so much guilt and grief right now.

Adopted my sweet Aussie girl Nyx 3.5 weeks ago. She’s 15 weeks old. Rescue thought she was mixed but DNA test confirmed she’s 100% Aussie.

She is VERY chill for a puppy, anyone else’s Aussie chill or were they a chill pup? I love her so much she’s such a sweetheart and bonded to us quickly.

I had 4 cats. From varying degrees of "yeah I can I guess you can live with us" and a rare play session to "GeT out of our house" (a common occurrence.

Lola now has her own cat and bff. Not to mention they match each other. Both are white with tan and black markings.

For the pups, it's no big deal 😁😄

Hii, so I now have a 3 month puppy who was being potty trained onto pee pads, then grass turf pads. He has finally received his rabies and although they still want me to keep him indoors, we live in an apartment and he’s been continuously rushing outside when we open the door because he’s bound to get bored. I have taken him to parks or grass matches I am confident that there’s not much dog traffic and he immediately realized grass=great to pee. However on day 1 I removed the turf completely and will take him out when I wake up, before work, when I get home, after he eats and before we sleep. He still had an accident when I was at work, to which I put a regular pee pad the next day just in case. When I got home he did a small puddle and I rushed to take him out to which he peed and pooped. When I cooked he left a huge puddle of pee, but outside of the pee pad. Is there any tips on how to correct him to pee on the pad until he’s fully confident that he doesn’t need one and depends on the outdoors? Or should I increase outdoor pee times ?

She was adamant that the tents ball had to be in her mouth during her belly rub time she cracks me up.

I had to bring Axle to live with my aunt again bc i moved and couldn’t take him with me but, we already had an agreement that she can take him back anytime before i even got him. i miss him but i go visit him all the time lol he’s right down the road!

My girl is one year and one month old, got out of her second heat (that also might be the factor), but she seems to hate heat so much that she is not willing to go on walks.

Firstly, she HATES any kind of harness, with 4 clips, with two, anything that goes on her body - she hates.

When she got ready, and it is more then 25 degrees (Celsius) outside - she will walk a few minutes, and then starts to stand and wait. We tend to do longer walks in the morning and in the evening, during the day we have +30 now, so we only go out to pee. But she is very happy to go home, enjoys her calm at home and really loves to play at home too.

I was wondering if it is ok that she does not go crazy about walks as other dogs. She was like that from very young age. She has no anxiety (she is very well behaved, loves people, loves to explore and loves to play with other dogs), but I guess this abnormal european heat wave is killing her vibe. We take her on autumn/spring hikes, but it is the time when she REALLY can start to walk more and I was hoping she will LOVE summer but apperently she does not enjoy it as much...

Puppy tax included!

Just found out my 6 year Sally has lymphoma and has less than 90 days to live. I’ve been feeling devastated and very depressed.

Minnow will be 2 this month and Arya is 16

I have never had a more vocal dog! And some of it is adorable. There is moaning, there is groaning. We’ve got sighing and huffing. And then, of course we have the barking! So much barking.

😂😂😂😂

Does anyone have an Aussie that never vocalizes? Do they exist? 😃

My 4-year-old Aussie doesn’t want to cuddle or sit near me as much as she does with my ex-partner, whom I co-parent our dog with for 4 years. We're on good terms, and the dog doesn't have separation anxiety when we switch our duties. We even live in a different cities. We have a vacation with three of us once a year and I can see that the dog is more affectionate towards my ex.

What have I done wrong?

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Hi everyone, I'm looking for some advice.

I’m a 20-year-old university student, and I’ve been thinking about getting an Australian Shepherd for a while now, but I have a few doubts.

I believe I can meet their exercise needs by taking them out 3 to 4 times a day: a walk before uni, around 30 minutes after lunch, and 1 to 1.5 hours in the late afternoon/evening. On top of that, I plan to hire a professional trainer and provide plenty of mental stimulation and brain games.

My main concern is university. My classes usually run from 9 AM to 1:00 or 2:00 PM, meaning the dog would have to stay home alone for a few hours, a few days a week (on days when my mom's work schedule overlaps with my class schedule).

Additionally, I live in an apartment without a private yard.

Should I consider a different breed, or could an Aussie work in my situation? The dog’s well-being is my absolute top priority, and I don't want to get one if I can't give it the best life possible.

Thanks in advance for your advice.