General Dog Chat Part III

[BiteyShark]

A new shiny thread for general chat.

Old or new, big or small, everyone is welcome to pop in and chat

Oh crazycatgal your poor dog. Mine has had so many procedures at one of the branches of our vets he is terrified when he goes there but fortunately when we take him to our local one he doesn't have the same association and is much calmer. It's heartbreaking to see them so scared.

Let's hope the next time it goes more smoothly.

BiteyDog is back from the groomers and smells lovely. Much better smell than the stagnant pond perfume he was wearing yesterday

Well the dog park was lovely. Unfortunately BastardPup spewed in the car on the way there and then again as soon as we pulled up at home. Just spent twenty minutes trying to get the back seat clean - thank god it is leather.

No idea why he did that today - he has been fine on all other journeys. It was only half an hour as well.

BunchOfBastards could he have eaten something and the car journey was the final straw? I have a hammock like cover on the back seat which can be hosed down

Glad you enjoyed the dog park though.

Could have been that - he doesn't much like the car but spewing is new.

Not sure whether to take him out in the car tomorrow now for our usual wander round the park so that he gets used to it again

I think I would take him out for a short journey just so he doesn't start to associate it with anything negative.

We have just been out for an early meal. Trying to get BiteyDog used to being left at night as he isn't used to be on his own at this time of day.

My nans dog used to be terrible in the car. Drooling and vomiting like mad. My nan had to get sedatives if it was going to be a long drive.

Anyways, we went on holiday to Cornwall with her dog and with my old jrt Nero.

Try both had a seat each in the back and were plugged in with a seat belt harness. We was constantly pulling over to sort out Alfie (my nans dog).

On the way home, we had no room in the boot, so each dog had their bed on the back seat and they were sat in it, as well as being strapped in.

Alfie wasn't sick once!! In fact, whenever my nan took Alfie anywhere, she made sure his bed was there too and he was fine.

The smell helped him maybe? Worth a try for bastardpup maybe?

Amazing how a 40 minute dog walk can take two hours once you add a puppy. Combination of people wanting to stop and coo at the pup (not that I can blame them ) and puppy walking so slow. Good job madam is so patient.

I can't say PestDog much enjoys car journeys. He's started to refuse to go within a metre radius of the rear left passenger door to my car. He's fine once he's in there, but as most car journeys are three hours long, they're intensely boring. Sadly it's a company car, so the option of lots of short journeys with fun things at the end doesn't really exist (and I don't think my environmental moral heart would allow me to drive a diesel a mile to the park anyway). Supplying toys results in him dropping them off the rear passenger seat into the foot well, being unable to retrieve them as he's wearing a harness, and whining until I'm able to pull into a motorway service station and retrieve them. Sigh.

On a separate note, I've found a new flat to move into. This will mean leaving my awful, awful flatmate behind. He completely misrepresented himself, and seems to have confused "this isn't a show home" with "I'd love to live with a neat freak with a controlling streak". He also seems to have confused "I'm looking for someone who is friendly and chatty" with "you should hide in your room at all times and communicate exclusively by email". Not forgetting "there's a dog in the flat" apparently translating as "perfect for someone whose girlfriend believes keeping animals is a form of slavery".

Currently thinking up ways to irritate him over the next 6 weeks. High up my list is finding a raw sheep's head at the local halal butcher, leaving it in the fridge for a day or two and then feeding it to PestDog in the kitchen at a time I know he'll be eating.

Avocados, please make sure the girlfriend is invited for supper. Glad you have new flat, is it still in London cos it sounded like you wanted to move out? Or is that a plan for the future.
Cocodog was not good in the car as a pup and it took a lot of treats stationary, engine running and then off to somewhere exciting for her to accept car travel. The only setback we had was back in February hen our usual dog sitter couldn’t have her and she went to kennels for the first and only time ever! My DH is pretty gung-ho but even he said never again. She shook for three solid hours after we picked her up and was nervy of the car and where it might take her for a good while after. Realised that she hates dogs barking at her and it was pretty constant at the kennels, if she is on lead she is calm and follows my lead but if she is offlead and a strange dog rushes up to her barking she always reacts. We are working on let’s go. When she meets calm off lead dogs she is fine and also nervous dogs she will stick close to me but barking sad or angry dogs make her very worried.

Good news on the flat Avocados. Your flat mate sounds ummm irritating. Many years ago I had to rent a room out in my house for spare cash and I had a number of very odd lodgers.

For toys in the foot well I have a cover for the back seat that is like a hammock so it also hangs over the head rests of the front seats so nothing including the dog can fall into the foot wells.

thegirl that must have been heartbreaking picking her up so upset from the kennels

Hi Bitey, how did early evening meal go? Cocodog is used to us going out at 6pm to take my elderly parents out for an occasional meal, she often comes out to the pub with us on a Saturday and we have left her from 7 till 1am occasionally for a party. As long as she gets 2 walks, bit of brain training and a good football game, she is happy to chill out big time in the evening. Always happy to see us, always knows we will be back and always happy to go out for a pee and then back in for a biscuit and bedtime whatever time we get home. I think it is all about consistency isn’t it and them always knowing we will be back. We still never leave her for more than 3 hours in the day though!

Was heartbreaking picking her up upset from kennels...so never again...we have dog sitter plus a friend who will have her overnight plus family for emergencies and we have chosen to holiday in the UK now for several years so off she goes with us to Suffolk in September😁

thegirl I watched him on my phone whilst we ate. He jumped up on the sofa when we left and slept for about 30 minutes but then was awake and listening for us coming back. He wasn't upset or anxious but everytime he heard a noise outside, even though the radio was on, he thought we had come back and would go to the door for a look before getting back on the sofa.

He sleeps for much longer when we leave him in the morning but he just isn't used to us going out in the evening. I am hoping we can get him used to it so we can have a leisurely meal out or go to a party for a couple of hours without worrying about him.

I think some dogs just don't take to kennels. BiteyDog is quite sensitive and easily upset so I would only kennel him in an emergency. My mums old dog wouldn't eat in kennels and would chew up his bedding and blankets with stress but in those days homeboarding didn't really exist like it does now.

Either spaniels are more sensitive or we are more aware. Certainly never bothered too much about previous dogs diet, exercise and enrichment as I do now! I think if we had introduced a Cocodog to kennels earlier we wouldn’t have a problem but I am happy with dog sitter plus family help plus us not going away that much.
Given B iteydog wasn’t upset with you being out of an evening although restless, I would build on this and go out regularly for short periods in the evening over the next few months. We have managed to tweak cocos expectations over the last few months and she seems quite happy with her routine, excepting that she considers her bedtime to be 10pm sharp, sits with her nose against the patio doors and whines quietly. However if we ignore her she settles back on the sofa for another 15 mins and then tries again. Luckily we get up early and are usually ready for bed by 10.30pm.

Well I think Bella is definitely feeling at home now as she is getting more sparky and confident by the day. She definitely recognises the routines now and the early mornings have settled into a 6.20 wake up and she doesn't always scratch at the door now so obviously is feeling more confident that I'm going to appear. Eric is learning that there is a line he shouldn't cross with her and he is being a lot more respectful after a couple of snaps from Bella (nothing nasty just a snarl to tell him to pack it in) and they can spend time happily together here playing and ignoring each other when one of them (usually Bella) has had enough. I can hardly believe how easy it has been tbh, three weeks in with Eric and I was so depressed as it felt relentless. Just the spey now to get out the way which I'm anxious about.

Hi :) I wondered if I could join? Have a9 year old mongrel currently at the vet for diagnosis of being extremely reluctant to get up after lying down and limping.

I hadn't realised until today that dogs won't self regulate exercise, and he's been having looking off lead walks with a dog walker 4 x a week 🤦‍♀️ I feel fucking awful! I was trying to do it to get his weight down but i think I've made it worse 😭

Anyway, does anyone feed Millie's Wolfheart? I need to get his weight down ASAP. To about 17kg currently sitting at about 21kg. Do I feed for 17kg? Or even less?

Can I join?? LostDog joined the household a couple of months ago; she's now 18 weeks and we are loving having her... Pulls us all over the place while we get to grips with lead walking and loves the beach. Or. chasing the edge of the water at any rate. It's winter here in case the slightly ridiculous coat is raising eyebrows. Our last dog went to meet her maker a couple of years ago and it is so good having a dog in the house again

thegirl we are going to try and go out a bit more in the evening but the problem is we are so tired and just want to rest so it's a case of forcing ourselves to go so BiteyDog gets used to it.

flesh so glad it's been easy especially as you had been warned to expect issues with other dogs.

JackReacherReader welcome of course you can join. This thread is for all of us furry owners .

I feed half of millieswolfheart and used to feed 100% before my dog got a bit bored of the flavours. If it was me I would feed a bit less than he needs and slowly cut down as he loses weight. If you find he is starving you could feed wet instead if you are feeding kibble as it's much more volume for the same amount of calories so they feel fuller.

My dog would run him self to heat exhaustion if I let him so we have to regulate his exercise but as he's still a youngster it isn't so much of a worry. However remember this could have happened no matter what exercise he got and it's just as important to keep fit. It's a hard balance I think to get right.

LostInTheColonies welcome as well. She looks lovely in her coat. Houses are so quiet when there isn't a dog around. Where are you that it's winter at home?

NZ! Orig from the UK though. It's not very cold & spring blossom is out. DD had dressed LostDog up to take her to school.

JackReacherReader, If you need to get his weight down quickly I would feed for the 17kg he needs to be and then add some veg on top if he seems hungry.
Cocodog slowed right down out walking in the recent hot weather but still would play ball in the garden until exhausted if we let her🙄

Lostdog looks very smart. Cocodog has an equafleece for very cold weather but it is a very snug fit, I am looking for something lighter and easier to get on and off for when it belts with rain...I got so fed up with the mud last winter and she is a mud magnet. Any suggestions?