Adolescent Dog Survival...Sharing Tips & Tails

[BrodiePup]

Moving on from the puppy survival thread, this is for anyone with a hormonal teenager 🤪

Brodie is just over 7 months now, and is a fun loving pup who is (mostly) a pleasure to be around. My main issue is still walking him which can either be almost a pleasure, or like having a Tasmanian Devil doing breast stroke and bunny hopping down the road 😡. There seems to be no reason for which dog gets attached to the end of the lead, but at least it shows he can do it if he's in the mood!

We've also had our first proper tummy upset this week 🤢 no doubt due to some rubbish he picked up and swallowed before I spotted it. Thankfully it seems to have passed now.

@Bupster Sounds like he's just having one of those Fucking Pain in the Arse days that they all have. Hormonal mood swings. I can identify - we've had a whole series of food refusers and ending up with multiple bags/trays of food open. It is maddening! Cheese on toast was always the tempter when ours were being picky.

@tizwozliz This is a novelty; after a whole series of food refusers we now have a glutton that never misses a meal. It may change when she has the first season, time will tell.

Hi @PyreneanAubrie - I'm sure you've probably seen this, but just in case. This bloke is quite highly regarded I think: https://skeptvet.com/2010/01/nutrition-in-large-breed-puppies/

@PyreneanAubrie he doesn't do it for my dp either 🙄 i also use rawhide chews (which i know aren't good for him) because they are the only ones that last longer than 2 minutes plus all other natural ones we've tried give him the shits!
@brushingboots he's just gone 8 months. The barking is so annoying, it's mostly either when he wants a chew or if i'm stood up and not doing something (like washing the pots) he'll bark and bark to get me to sit down with him, which of course i end up doing just to shut him up which is obviously then a vicious circle 🙄🙄

I hadn't seen this, actually @Bupster . Thanks.

As you know, this is one of the issues I have with Millies Wolfheart; I don't feel the formulations suit a giant breed pup. I'd rather she was on a large breed food, at least for the first 18 months - 2 years.

We did have concerns that Brie was too heavy at 4 months but our vet reassured us that all was well with regard to her growth, in fact he said he could feel her ribs and he told me off for calling her fat 😆He suggested adding salmon oil to her food but we avoid other supplements. We also tend not to feed a lot of treats so we know that she's getting the right amount of nutrients from her kibble. I still feel she is carrying a little more weight than I would like but we are increasing the length of her walks now and her food intake will remain the same, so the puppy fat should start coming off.

There are always risks with heavy dogs, it's why she doesn't go upstairs and we lift her in and out of the car. It is easy to get paranoia every time they jump or do zoomies 😨but you can't wrap them in cotton wool. I never feel I'm getting any of it right really, especially now, when there is so much conflicting information on line. Do you trust the breeder, vet, food companies or your own instincts...? I'm never sure any more.

If you wanted to try the large breed essentials @PyreneanAubrie I can share a discount code

www.essentialfoodsgb.co.uk/working-dog-essential-the-beginning-large-breed-10kg.html

Oh, thanks, I'll have a look at that.

It does look good actually @tizwozliz. I might consider getting a bag after we finish the open bag of salmon; she wasn't crazy about that and I'm having to mix it with the Purina. Does the code have an expiry date?

We got her a bag of Junior Large Breed Lamb from Viovet. We think she now has ambitions to feature in their advertising campaign 😆(Dirty marks on her chest are from chewing rawhide cos I'm a very bad parent 😬)

I’m still struggling with sleeping, he’s still getting up at 5:30am. Anyone got any advice for coping? I’m working from home for the next few days but I still have to work. I mean other than me getting into his crate and locking him out…

how do people do this with kids too? 😳

Awww, sorry you're going through this but nope, no advice from me, I have a nocturnal breed. I'm frequently in the garden in my pyjamas at 4 or 5 am, listening to the owls and foxes.

It is frustrating having to function on 4 hours sleep while the pup snoozes all day though. Yup, same - honestly have no idea how people function with juggling dogs and kids and work and still seem to have a social life...🙄

@Bupster Ah nooo, sorry to hear this. Is it because he's upstairs with you, and you can't stop him from waking you? Is he waking for a wee and then going back to sleep or is he up and ready for the world? If the former can you just take him out and then put him straight back to bed, no interaction, no fuss, all business?

We are being woken at 7.30 ish now with a woof for a wee from downstairs and I can cope with that as she always used to get up at 8.30 and it's just the time change that's caused it, but she sleeps downstairs so easy to ignore.

ahh @PyreneanAubrie she is beautiful 😍
sorry @Bupster no advice here. Max is downstairs in his crate overnight and doesn't make a peep generally until he hears one of us up.
I can however confirm it's hard work with pup, two ds aged 9 and 4 and working 3 full days per week 😴

@PyreneanAubrie - I can generate a code at any point, just let me know if you need it. It gives you £15 off and I get a credit as well.

Oh that would be brilliant, thank you. I might give you a shout in a couple of weeks 😊

Good Morning, Folks.

I hope you & Bill had a better night last night @Bupster

Oh @PyreneanAubrie what a thoughtful post. Yes, still not enough sleep, but much better - I don't feel like kebabbing him and, while I'm not looking forward to working today, I'm not paralysed with exhaustion and dread so I'll take that as a massive win.

Last night I did the opposite of what I wanted to do and, instead of trying to watch telly and vegetate, and then get irritated by him demanding my attention all the time, I dropped to the floor and played with him whenever he wanted me to. It cheered me up no end and he was much happier too - so I'm going to work in more 'farting about with the puppy' interspersed with very intense working when he's asleep or content to mooch, even in the evenings. It means my work will spill over into the evening but sod it. This phase will pass, and I'll miss him being a puppy and wanting to play with me.

I'm glad it was a bit better @Bupster

Our evenings seem to be 100% puppy focused at present too. I suppose it's a seasonal adjustment to darker nights. Brie mostly prefers to live at the back of the house - we have a big west facing room that opens onto the garden and has a tiled floor so that's where she's been all summer. The fireplace, however, is in the front room so on winter evenings we're usually in there with a log fire. When Brie goes in there she faffs endlessly 🙄She wants the cat to play, tries to chew the firewood or the edge of the hearthrug, leaps on the sofa and grabs cushions etc. Obviously there's just generally more stuff in there to tempt her, so she won't switch off and sleep in case she misses something!
It's eleven years since our last puppy and I must admit we had forgotten that it is so full-on for the first 18 months...

Morning all!
Nothing much to report at the mo.
Brodie is really tuned into old time, so is up at just turned 6 and demanding his meals an hour early...I'm moving everything on by 10 minutes a day.

So far so good with fireworks, he doesn't even twitch a whisker.

One thing I am wondering is he is getting too thin IMO. He's also hungry which is quite a new thing.
He's on MW, and was recommended the ones that we have all been, I've been in touch with them and they've now recommended endurance as it's higher fat.
In the booklet that comes with the puppy pack it suggests a completely different range for a medium dog...
He does love it and his coat is really glossy.
How is everyone else doing on it? He is growing like a weed at the moment.

I think that sounds very sensible, @Bupster, dedicating actual playtime to him rather than feeling that he’s getting on your nerves just for existing when you’re trying to work. I know that conundrum well and I think when I realised that playing with her, or being available to her, was also a key part of the day that needed properly allocating in, it took some of the weight off in a weird way.

If it’s any consolation to anyone I was woken up at 6.15 this morning – at least 90 minutes earlier than normal – by plaintive woofs from downstairs, so clearly someone hasn’t got the memo about sleeping in after the clocks have changed. It’s the first time she’s ever been up that early in her life by choice, so not sure what’s going on. Presume/hope it’s the clocks and she will re-regulate.

Hello @BrodiePup . Lovely to see you.

Yes, the time adjustment has thrown Brie and Freija (cat) out of routine too. Freija is treating us all to early morning yowling 🙄

Sorry to hear of your feeding dilemma.
Millies Wolfheart do seem to have suggested the same options for three of us here, regardless of the dog's size or energy levels, which is slightly confusing . I too noticed a difference between what I was told and what the puppy pack guide suggested. The food is excellent quality though so it may be worth you trying Brodie with one of their other formulations in a sample size. I'd be inclined to say go with your own instincts as to what will suit him better though, rather than relying on what MW tell you.

I wasn't happy with what MW suggested for Brie so we've decided to stick with large breed specific formulations, for now at least. When she reaches adult weight we may reconsider Millies - probably the Countryside mix but fed alongside a large breed kibble.

We had thought Brie was past the fast growing period but she has surprised us with a massive growth spurt over the last couple of weeks.

@BrodiePup - how much is he eating compared to the recommended amount? Both our girls have always needed a bit more than indicated on all food not just Millie's. They normally have the recommended amount of kibble but some wet food and treats on top of that allowance.

@PyreneanAubrie Thanks for your sensible advice as always 😊. I've ordered some of the higher fat endurance that was recommended. Fortunately he seems to enjoy most of the flavours. I'm probably being paranoid, he's always been on the lean side and was never a chubby puppy.
We're taking him to the vets at the weekend to be weighed before we order his next wormer, so I'll find out if he's gained this month.

@tizwozliz He weighed 12.5kg last month and he's 8 months, so the bracket he is in is 6-8 months 10-15kg...the range is 185-260g.
We're feeding him 260g at the moment, plus his training treats, yogurt, bits of chicken and fish.
They advise gauging it by poos, as if you over feed they just poo it straight out. His poos are humongous, and the last bit can be a bit loose, so that points to over feeding.
Do you use Millie's?

Our older dog ate Millie's from 6 months to a yearish but it was always an ordeal to get her to eat the stuff so we ended up moving onto something else.

That is interesting about food intake / poo output. Clearly it is largely about energy levels. Our PMD always eat less than what is recommended for their size and weight, but I still felt Brie was carrying too much weight up until this recent growth spurt when she seemed to gain height and length. I should be increasing her food to 700g over the next month but I feel that is way too much so I'm keeping her at around 600 although we gauge it by handfuls rather than weighing it anyway. She has two larger meals - lunch and dinner, plus two smaller for breakfast and supper. She gets two good walks but is calm and quiet at home, which is very much the nature of the beast with guarding breeds. So fairly low energy levels, and I prefer them leaner as adults, but that'll come once we increase the length of her walks.

I posted about our dogs loose poos (eight months) around once per day. Several people and the lady at the pet shop said the same and that he was getting too much food / protein. I’m transitioning to an adult dog food and he seems to be doing a bit better already. However he’s not overweight at all and having no tasty treats whilst trying to sort poo issues so I don’t really feel like he’s being over fed 🤷‍♀️