u/butterbean8686

S5E15 is one of my favorites, not only because it gave us the classic “It’s Never Too Late for Now,” but because of the folk singing in the backyard at Canal Yards Project. I always love hearing the lyric “Let’s put the baby up for adoption” while Sue is going HAM in the club.

Hey all, I have two senior dogs and I’m seeking help with behavior issues in experiencing with my oldest dog (Dog A), a 14 or 15 yo 20 lb terrier mix. My husband and I rescued him in 2013, and the rescue told us he was either one or two years old at the time. They said he was surrendered due to a medical issue the family couldn’t afford to fix (cherry eye).

Dog A is a great dog, adapted pretty well to us, really enjoys his twice daily sniff walks, and is very playful and energetic. He is also a bit of a “cat dog” in that he loves to climb to the top of the couch cushions and nap in sunbeams. He’s not especially cuddly, but about twice or three times a week will curl up with one of us on the sofa for some pets. He has a high prey drive, and has (unfortunately) successfully hunted a dove, a squirrel, and has also chased a deer through my dad’s backyard. (A nerve-wracking adventure for us!)

We lived in an apartment complex the first year, and he had no issues until a 10 yo kid ran up and surprised him while on an on-leash walk in front of our steps. It happened really quickly, she was making squealing noises and got right in his face, and he gave her a warning “snap” back. It was scary for all involved. We paid for the kiddo to go to the doctor and get her abrasion checked out, and had to register him with the county.

At that point I thought, “oh, he was just scared of the sudden movements and noises.” We made sure to avoid kids on walks after that. When kids would ask to pet, we would say no.

A few years later, we were babysitting a friend’s toddler and Dog A snarled and growled at him (but did not bite). So we kept him in the bedroom with the door closed anytime kids were around, which wasn’t very often. Some dogs just aren’t kid friendly, and we figured ours wasn’t. (And also been to wonder if he was really surrendered because his previous family had a kid.)

We’ve noticed some dog aggression as well, especially toward larger dogs. We use a front clip harness and basic braided leash with a handle. He will lunge and bark at larger dogs on walks. We always stop, correct with leash, make him sit, and let the other dog pass by. He will sniff furiously after the dog passes like he’s trying to inhale their scent.

The issue we’re now having is that he’s started snapping at our other senior rescue dog (Dog B), a very submissive 10 yo male Lhasa Apso-Shih Tzu mix.

And unfortunately, Dog A now is partially blind in one eye, and is basically deaf. It’s really difficult to reprimand or give positive reinforcement when he can’t hear what we’re saying.

I’ve been worried that the deafness could also be contributing to some dementia. He seems to get confused with transitions (inside to outside, upstairs to downstairs, turning corners on walks) and when he’s confused he’s more likely to lash out at Dog B.

I’m home with him all day, so I’ve tried offering more enrichment, like puzzle toys and sniff mats. He loves to chew, so I’ll give him a big carrot or a bully chew to keep him occupied. He mostly sleeps all day, but he has a lot of energy on sniff walks and loves to run circles and gets the “zoomies” in the backyard. Overall despite his Old Man hearing and sight difficulties, his quality of life seems good. He doesn’t seem to be in pain or discomfort. He doesn’t have toilet accidents inside.

But I just can’t stand the snapping and snarling at Dog B, the dog aggression, and can’t trust him around kids. And we’re expecting our first kid (a late in life surprise!) in December, so I’m feeling anxious about how he’ll handle that transition.

The plan right now is to basically gate the house into kid zones and dog zones. But inevitably someone’s going to leave a gate open, or something’s going to happen. And if he snaps at my kid, I won’t be able to forgive myself.

I feel guilty for not trying harder to correct this behavior from the start. The first snap at the neighbor kid should have been the last straw, but I didn’t know him well enough at that point to know it wasn’t out of character for him.

What would you suggest we do in this case? It feels extreme to put him down, cruel and irresponsible to rehome him, and stressful to ride it out until he passes naturally. My husband is also in a bit of denial about how serious the issue is (he thinks Dog A will be fine when the baby comes, but I don’t trust Dog A at all). I’m not sure if behavior training is an option since he’s deaf and partially blind. We’ve been getting by ok with pointing and clapping loudly, but that won’t work with a sleeping infant in the house.

I’m thinking of getting him a muzzle?

Anyone else faced this type of dilemma?

Hi, I’m a 39F soon to be FTM in the U.S. I was laid off in March and got pregnant in April (unplanned). I’m excited but also at my wit’s end with my job hunt. I have applied for many positions that I’m qualified for in my field, had a few promising leads and discussions with recruiters, but nothing has panned out. As my December due date approaches, it seems more and more silly to take on full time office work only to go on unpaid, unprotected maternity leave. My husband has a stable full-time job and gets 12 weeks paid paternity leave - feeling very fortunate for that!

Recently I was talking to an acquaintance, and she offered me a job working for her pet-sitting/dog-walking business. It would be local jobs only so not a lot of driving. I’d work anywhere from 20-40 hours per week. We discussed the possibility of me bringing baby along on dog walks when the time comes. We also discussed the possibility of me doing some admin work, scheduling, SOPs, proofreading advertising materials, that sort of thing.

After having a professional career for 20 years and putting myself through college as an adult (recently earned my Bachelor’s degree in May), being a dog walker seems like a step down. But, it would offer me the chance to bring in extra income, get out of the house, and flexibility with my schedule. I’m comfortable with dogs (have 2 of my own), and have experience pet sitting for friends, coworkers, and neighbors.

Am I crazy for passing up this offer to being in income? Is it silly to assume I’ll be up for bringing baby along? Anyone have experience doing work like this as a FTM?

Baby’s not quite done cooking yet, but as I was putting my CPAP mask on tonight it occurred to me to wonder how that is going to work when Baby Girl arrives.

Any CPAP moms out there with advice for maintaining compliance with the insurance requirements while caring for a newborn?

Especially as it ramps up in seasons 3 and 4, I just love watching the two of them slyly dig at each other.

I’m expecting my first in January 2027. We don’t know the gender and aren’t planning to find out. We have a boy name picked out, but are struggling with a girl’s name. We have a lot of Likes but none that we Love. I tend to favor traditional English names but also gender-neutral names.

Musts:
- Barbara is the top contender for middle name, so the first name shouldn’t end in -a.
- Last name is similar to Logan, so first name shouldn’t end in -en or -an

Likes (in no particular order):
Charlotte
Paige
Eleanor (but we have a niece named Ellee, so don’t want to use something too similar)
Delaney
Sable
Rose (this is my favorite but I’m not sure I like Rose Barbara in that order)
Violet
Remy
Shelby
Abigail
Emily
Sarah
Daphne
Harriett
Louise (this is my second favorite but again, not sure about Louise Barbara in that order)
Sophie

Help, are there any names I’m overlooking?

This is my first pregnancy, and I was not prepared for the level of gas I’m experiencing. It feels like I’m sitting in a noxious cloud of sulfur. My mom keeps telling me I’m “glowing,” and I want to say it’s actually sweat from all the humidity from my downstairs. And from what I’m reading, it’s not temporary! How do people survive 9 months of this?

I’ve been curious about vending for a while, and just saw a vintage vending machine for sale on FB marketplace for $1K. The seller says the snacks inside are expired. It appears to take cash and change only but I’m assuming it could be equipped to accept card. Is this a good deal?

Not asking for advice, just needed to share the happy news with someone who’s not my husband.

We’ve been together 14 years, married 4. We haven’t really been TTC, but haven’t been doing anything to prevent pregnancy, either. This was my first time ever seeing a positive pregnancy test.

I had a feeling that something was different, and my period was 4 days late, and I remembered we had unprotected sex during my fertility window, so I decided to test, and it was positive! I was gobsmacked.

Some complicating factors are that I have PCOS, HCM, and am using Wegovy to manage my weight. Also (and I know I’m going to get some judgment for this), my husband and I are in an open relationship. I did have sex with one other partner last month, but it was just a few days after my period, and we used a condom. (Husband is fully aware.)

I’m feeling 99% positive this is our baby, but after discussing, we both want to do a DNA test to be sure. Everything I’m reading says we will need to wait until at least 7 weeks to do a DNA test. I’m at 5 weeks now I believe (first date of last period was April 5). So some nail-biting while we wait.

But overall, we’re both happy and excited. Already talking about names and plans. What a Mother’s Day!

My only symptoms so far have been some breast tenderness and bloating. Oh and intense cravings for coconut!

I was able to schedule a doctor’s appointment with my GP for early Monday morning, and I have a list of questions for her, and have been madly Googling the best OBGYNs in my area.

Thanks for letting me share here, since I can’t tell any family or friends yet. It’s such a mix of joy and anxiety that I’ve never experienced before!

Just needed to share the news with someone who’s not my husband.

We’ve been together 14 years, married 4. We haven’t really been TTC, but haven’t been doing anything to prevent pregnancy, either. This was my first time ever seeing a positive pregnancy test.

I had a feeling that something was different, and my period was 4 days late.

Some complicating factors are that I have PCOS, HCM, and am using Wegovy to manage my weight. Also (and I know I’m going to get some judgment for this), my husband and I are in an open relationship. I had sex with one other partner last month, but it was just a few days after my period, and we used a condom. Husband knew at the time and knows now. I had unprotected sex with my husband during my fertile window.

I’m feeling 99% positive this is our baby, but still we both want to do a DNA test to be sure. Everything I’m reading says we will need to wait until at least 7 weeks to do a DNA test. I’m at 5 weeks now I believe (first date of last period was April 5). So some nail-biting while we wait.

But overall, we’re both happy and excited. Already talking about names and plans. What a Mother’s Day!

My only symptoms so far have been some breast tenderness and bloating. Oh and intense cravings for coconut!

Thanks for letting me share here, since I can’t tell any family or friends yet.

I’m an SCPS student and I’m walking the lawn in May. Yay! I’m a middle-aged so I’m not super up on the trends as far as graduations go. Do UVA students decorate the tops of their mortars? Or is that lame/outdated?