We’ve never bothered with a groomer @YorkshireFelix, just do the grinch toes and a bit around her bum ourselves but we do like a slightly longer coat, and comb ears every day/after every walk without fail to prevent matting. She’s 15 months now and only had her claws clipped last week for the first time since we got her, at the vets as she’s black and it’s a bit harder – plus we pay for nail clips with our monthly plan anyway. The nurse said she didn’t really need them doing.
Re toilet training, I don’t think she was reliably dry in the house every time without fail or worry until 4/5 months. We didn’t crate train so that may have had an impact but the dry in three days thing is barmy and really unrealistic! He’s just a baby still – he’ll get it and then you’ll wonder why you worried!
Sorry to hear you’re having a hard time @BrodiePup, it does get better! I spent the first six months trying to give ours away to anyone that I saw so I really do sympathise but she has more than made up for it now. Please don’t admit defeat! And for what it’s worth we got our girlie at 12 weeks, the day after her second vax and it didn’t affect socialisation at all. @IrishCoffeeEvening is right that he might be overstimulated. For all the (enormous amount) of steadiness training I’ve done, if she is over threshold on a walk and it’s all too much there’s just no point in trying to do anything useful, so we just try and have a nice time with what we can do/go home as appropriate.
Having not met him I’m just spitballing here but if what he wants is to sniff, have you taught him to sniff, as it were? Can you play some games with him – cut up some pate or other treats into cubes and (on a long line perhaps easiest?) throw them into the grass on the field/in the garden and ask him to find them? Then he’s getting his fix of sniffing but it’s on your terms, so you get some control, and he gets a win because there are snacks involved. I ask to ‘find find find’ or ‘hunt’ if it’s long grass. We do loads of this though it’s for a different purpose as I’m actively asking her to put her nose down and hunt, but she seems to find it calming too, as sniffing chills them out.
My gundog trainer taught me a great game for engagement and sniffs and recall all in one. Stand with him at your feet in a sit opposite you and throw out pate/treats left and then right – first left and ask him to find and then when he comes back to the centre (ie you) throw the other way, so he’s going side to side. The idea is that the fun comes from you so he should always return to you, and that way you control the fun! You can increase the difficulty by throwing it further but you can start just by throwing it just beyond your feet.
Would love to be able to help more because I really want you to succeed and get the dog you dreamed of, but without seeing him (and I’m not a trainer, just self-taught) it’s hard!