Young dog + baby on the way

[Anonymous]

OP, if your dog holds it when you are not home but is constantly pestering you to go out when you are around, this is something you might talk to a trainer about since you mentioned doing some additional obedience classes. It sounds like the dog is trying to train you to go out whenever it is bored. I dogsat a dog like this for a weekend once and it was definitely a challenge! You might start trying to change the intervals slightly and gradually walk them back so she's going out less often, or does it ever work to try to redirect her energy to a favorite toy inside the house? A good trainer will definitely have some suggestions for this, and her bladder control should also improve with time.

[Anonymous]

We have the Omega Ball that a PP mentioned, but the more energetic of our two dogs has basically just chewed it apart. So, if your dog is still quite the chewer, I would recommend one of the following, which we have had for a while and our chewer hasn't yet destroyed:

http://www.amazon.com/Ethical-Seek-A-Treat-Shuffle-Bone-Puzzle/dp/B0038WP1YC/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1377264159&sr=1-1&keywords=treat+puzzle

http://www.amazon.com/Kyjen-Dog-Games-Spinner-Treat/dp/B00440D8GU/ref=sr_1_12?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1377264159&sr=1-12&keywords=treat+puzzle

http://www.amazon.com/PetSafe-Kibble-Nibble-Dispensing-Medium/dp/B001F0RRUA/ref=sr_1_18?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1377264159&sr=1-18&keywords=treat+puzzle

[Anonymous]

Honestly, I thought it was a blessing to have a dog while I was on maternity leave. He was always a great excuse to put the baby in a carrier/Moby and go for a walk. (The dog was 50 pounds and a little over a year at the time.) I recommend working on pulling if that is an issue. Using a harness rather than just a collar helped me a lot.

We also generally send our dog to doggie daycare once a week for socialization and to get some energy out.