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.

@CaptainBeanThief Haha I will take him off your hands any day! He would be very welcome here. Alas pupsy is spayed so no pups for her, though I've no doubt that they would have made very handsome babies.

Bless, you that sounds sore! Honestly I still have biting too but it's more 'feeling with the teeth' if you know what I mean? I can always see when it's time to finish an activity, or when she's overtired/over-stimulated as the teeth come out. She gets a firm 'ah-ah' if she ankle bites. So my only advice is to just stop whatever is causing it immediately. I do allow her to mouth me gently for comfort when she's sleepy so I have possibly caused it. She doesn't bite me for attention generally, but she does boop me with her nose if I'm at the table and she wants to go out or whatever.

For now I have tackled the suppertime barking with frozen filled hooves for now as we do have a gate between the kitchen and the next rooms and if I put her on the other side she just shouts from there. She is so good the other 23 1/2 hours a day, just seems to be triggered by me eating and oddly never does it anywhere else, at my parents' or whatever. I think in the evenings it's a cry for help, a 'I'm so tired help me mother' as she rarely seems to want or need anything specific except for me to sit down with her.

I live in a shit hole too @CaptainBeanThief 😁

Milo looks so very serious... bless him ❤

Brie has been really stressed by the fireworks too. It's been awful here. I'm terrified to take her out for a wee because I know as soon as we set foot outside, some sodding moron around the back will let off a banger 😠

People on my street are having bonfires in their front gardens, either ways so we can't walk with him down the road in either directions as we/ he could get injured.
Honestly people are serious into the minus where brain cells are concerned!!!!
We are going to go in the car and take him for a quick wee and poo, we can't even let him in the garden as a stray firework may fly here!!
He's not overly bothered overall it's just the outrageously loud ones.
I don't mind bonfire night as such people take it too far tho

Arghhh!
Im sick to death of dog bashing threads and on these threads there's are 100s of posters slagging off spaniels and their owners off to death!!!
"People don't exercise their spaniels enough" their prone to this and that" "recourse guarding" blah blah blah and many many of these people have never owned a dog in their lives never mind a fucking.SPANIEL!!
I'm fed up of seeing horrible little cross breeds snapping at Milo from a 50 ft radius off lead bounding up to him snapping at home but there you go
Hey rant over 👋

I agree @CaptainBeanThief So much dog hate 😬 I don't see so much against spaniels but mostly against large breeds... so I guess we probably notice the ones that apply to our own dog......

So I see "Nobody needs a dog bigger than a Labrador" and "any dog over 25kg should be permanently muzzled" and "a guarding breed should never be a pet that lives in the house" blah blah blah 😩

Now that Brie is big, it seems like almost every small dog has an attitude problem with her. And why do people with tiny snappy dogs always walk them on extending leads so the dog comes around the corner 10 minutes before the owner does 😡

@PyreneanAubrie
" I don't know why people get cocker spaniels as pets they are all neurotic and their owners are SOoOOOoOOooooO irresponsible that they should all be shot dead on the spot"
Yea, Milo can come across as abit "neurotic" at times but he's a young DOG.

What also winds me up with small Vs large dogs is that you see them little shitty arse ankle biters off lead terrorising large breeds like brie and when they get told off eventually it's always the bigger breeds fault.
Some women had her 2 dogs off lead, barking, snarling at Milo - Milo was on lead just sniffing and they came to Milo from behind and startled him so he jumped ( no aggression, he just jumped) and she did that annoying "oh, hehe" laugh and has the audacity to say " oh that could have been nasty, couldn't it?
yeah when I boot your ugly little mutt across the park

@CaptainBeanThief Ahhh, I suppose some of these are the "all dogs need two hours of free running exercise at least twelve times a day, otherwise you clearly lack commitment and should think about re-homing..." advocates, most of whom claim to be a vet/trainer/professional dog walker and have an encyclopaedic knowledge of every single breed of dog that has ever existed, because they have personal experience of fostering one ....🙄

(profound apologies to our Writer in Residence for the run on sentence)

Awww, poor Milo being set upon by littlies; the owners do say weird stuff don't they...🤔and it is indeed always the bigger dogs fault, even when it hasn't uttered a sound. I've started crossing the road to avoid certain dogs; mostly terriers I must admit. Brie is learning her own form of dog etiquette - the local pug has, for want of a better term, "gone ballistic" at her so many times that he has now attained full invisibility status. A nearby Shih-Tzu seems to be heading the same way. When we have the thread Christmas Party on a big field somewhere east of the Pennines (as that's where most of you are) I'll get Brie to give Milo lessons in Disdain. The rules are; nose in the air, turn your head away, trot past (just think Keira Knightley in a corseted period drama, doing a mega flounce out of the room at words uttered by a mere man, and you'll get the gist of it).

(profound apologies again to our Writer-in-Residence) (my excuse is I'm an uneducated peasant who left school at 13) (sad but true).

Edit for typo, thus proving my illiteracy 😁

It's okay @PyreneanAubrie I don't live in the posher parts I'm nearer to Stockport so I'm a "chav" 🤣🤣
The most funniest thing I've ever heard was when I moved into my new home this year ( April) which is primarily an oversight 55s ( I was expempt because of my disabilities) my nemesis neighbors kept telling me how to do this cause they "used to breed dogs" (dashaunds 🙄) but the amount of bullshit that comes out of their mouths in unreal. We all share a communal garden and they hate me using it they have told me I'm not "allowed a dog" ( I am it's written in my tenancy) hes not allowed to use the garden ( he is) and this is the best one ... " youre only ALLOWED to have small dogs here "
Oh bore off 🥴

Hmmm @CaptainBeanThief It's all relative. If you think Stockport is chavvy... you clearly haven't seen Bolton 😱It's terrifying.

Given that you have talked about a second dog.... don't you think Milo would get along with an Irish Wolfhound? I think he really would...and if you do a side by side comparison, a Wolfhound face is remarkably similar to a wire-haired Dachshund, is it not? A very famous Kennel called Drakesleat used to breed both and there are photos of the two breeds together all ovver t'internet...

So your "small dogs only" neighbours may not even notice the difference at first so you could get a IW puppy and tell them it's a MWHD...😆Worth a try at least 😉

I was thinking about this on my walk this morning. Has there been a new thread that’s particularly wound you up, @CaptainBeanThief?

I think the trouble is that some people do get cockers and don’t walk them enough, or train them at all, or do more with them than they’d do with a companion dog. That is no good for the dog, and it is no good for the family – it doesn’t mean you need to take it out for 5 hours a day, you just need to research what kind of dog you’ve got and treat it accordingly. And some people’s cockers do resource guard, which can be dangerous.

I always feel defensive about spaniels too, but I recognise that, frankly, not every spaniel owner puts as much work in as I (and you) do. You see it on the spaniel groups on Facebook: a lot of people fall for their cuteness having done no research and then end up with a dog they can’t handle, and that’s what causes all the ‘spaniels are horrors’ chat – it’s the minority of uneducated, unbothered owners that ruin it for people like you and me who give their dogs what they need. This morning on our walk I didn’t look at my phone until right at the end of the 80-odd minutes because I was engaging with pupsy, sending her into cover, sitting her up, stopping her, changing direction, hiding behind trees, getting her to watch the deer next to me, etc etc because our walks are a joint effort. It must look bonkers from far, and it isn’t necessarily a relaxing experience but I love it because she’s marvellous and that’s what I signed up for. And I do that twice a day because that's what she deserves. Do all owners do that? Definitely not! Most of the spaniel owners I know do because they have working dogs or at least, like pupsy, future (very) part-time workers.

Re small dogs, this morning when I got to the woods for our walk, there were two Yorkies on flexi leads screaming really aggressively at a GSP walking nicely on a head collar lead across the carpark. Needless to say, the Yorkie owner did nothing, and the pointer owner reassured her dog, treated him for being neutral, and walked on. I would be so embarrassed if pupsy ever screamed at another dog like that. The pointer would never be allowed to get away with that, given his size – and rightly so.

PS, @PyreneanAubrie I am up for a Christmas party x

Totally agree @brushingboots that the owners who get the least out of their dogs/have problem dogs are, largely, the ones who fall for cute puppy/macho puppy and don't do any research about their chosen breed/breeds.

You're trying to get into the spaniel mind and getting a lot more out of your dog, both from a training perspective, and from the sheer enjoyment of just being out, interacting with your dog. As you rightly say, some people never have that. Many people do get the wrong dog for their lifestyle and you see that time and time again on these threads. There's so many people now who get crossbreeds without having any idea what the prey drive or energy levels will be like, because they haven't researched the two (or three) breeds that make up their puppy. But it's just as bad with purebred dogs. I know of people who've had a Pyrenean and think it's a herding dog but, conversely, others choose a droving dog and describe it as a guarding breed... This is fundamental, if you don't understand your dog's instincts and use them to your advantage in the way that you train, you will, almost inevitably, run into problems.

I know I bang on ad nauseam about trying to get inside the LGD mind, but I had never thought about in such depth until I came here and started to see other perspectives. I suppose this type of rearing that you talk about here is, in a way, ethology. But I wasn't conscious that I was doing it, other than that I've always said I think like a LGD. In all honesty, you'd probably be horrified at how little training I do in relation to what those of you with gundogs have to do. But I know what I need to work on to avoid the common problems with my breed, which are excessive barking and separation anxiety/confinement anxiety.

Re small dogs, I agree, I would be ashamed if my dog reacted that way. Toy breed owners quite often seem to think it's hilarious if their tiny pug or chihuahua reacts to a gigantic dog the size of a pony, but a big dog actually has no concept of its size and does find these encounters stressful. We've had two incidents of owners allowing a tiny dog to wrap its flexi lead around our dog's legs and think its funny when our 60kg dog had to be untangled.

I used to be tolerant of other dog owners but now I'm not, largely because attitudes towards big dogs have changed so much. Now I cross the road or walk in the opposite direction to avoid encounters, because if any of my guys did react to being harassed, I know what the outcome could be. Brie is very sociable and friendly but she will never be off the lead in public because I'm not willing to take that chance.

Well said @brushingboots

PS Don't forget my invite 😀

@PyreneanAubrie
I'm not coming if you live in Bolton
I've worked hard to stay off drugs I'll be a crack head soon as I come off the M60 😂😂😂

Yes, you surely would!!!

Thankfully, no, I don't live in Bolton 😁 but it's not a million miles away 😬

@PyreneanAubrie
Phewwww!!! Can I bring my husband to the Christmas party?
He can look after all our doggies 😂😂 in fact we can send out all of our husbands out with the dogs and we can all RELAX runaway

Good plan! Just don't forget to bring the relevant treats for the DH. My husband tends towards narcolepsy if he doesn't get caffeine at regular intervals so I'm thinking flasks of intense Millicano will be essential otherwise he'll be snoozing in the corner with a white fluffy pillow 😴

Actually, come to think of it, that's not unlike the scene last night when we all fell asleep in the living room after 4 hours of fireworks, JS Bach and a panicking pup.... 😆

I've got you on the list - not that I'm in charge or anything....I'm not the worlds best party planner by any means.... In fact, I think my last party was my own 21st in 1985 🤔
I'm not sure if that counts though, because I actually wasn't there... I took the dog for a walk instead....🙄

Thanks @PyreneanAubrie and @BrodiePup, v kind.

I must admit that my heart sinks a bit whenever I see a cockerpoo puppy, or read about them on here because often they seem to be acquired by people who just want a cute dog and aren’t necessarily prepared to accept that their dog is (possibly, depending on the specific cross) a combination of two drivey working dogs. It honestly baffles me that they are then baffled when their dog is a terror and they can’t cope – or they ignore its problems and it becomes known as 'that dog' locally. It upsets me the most when I see working cockers in rescues or, worse still, on P4H being privately rehomed aged eight, nine, ten months needing a home ‘because we can’t give him what he needs’. Well why on earth did you get him then? Poor dog.

I doubt I’d be horrified @PyreneanAubrie – I’d be impressed (as I am already) at how well you understand your breed, and what you need to do with and for them to get the best out of them. And that’s what it comes down to: giving them what they actually need and what enriches them. It doesn’t matter what that is as long as they get it, and that’s why the threads about how you must walk you dog for five hours a day are silly because different breeds have different requirements.

It’s absolutely outrageous for people to find it funny when their tiny dog behaves appallingly. Pupsy is only small, as dogs go, but I make a considerable effort to avoid toy dogs in particular as I don’t want them to react to her and put everyone in a horrible situation. I can’t imagine how stressful it must be when every dog you encounter is smaller than your own! The burden is then on you constantly and aside from anything else it's so unfair on Princess Brie who is, as I say a million times a day about pupsy, 'just a baaaaaby'!

Re Christmas, I think menfolk are allowed provided they are on their best behaviour and don’t whine under the table – oh no, sorry, that’s the dogs. I have a dreadful fear of organising parties that no one then turns up to. I’m happy to organise provided you all promise to come. Have got two big parties in my honour (lol) next year and I’m already terrified at the prospect of literally no one coming to either of them.

Fuck sake looks like I'm "captain" of the party planning
Don't expect much 😭😭😭

When you see cockerpoos being advised as " no shedding " oh dear

I'm afraid I might be hiding in a cupboard during the party...I'm an introvert and parties are actually my idea of hell. I'm sure ours will be fab though if it's being organised by @CaptainBeanThief 😀

In defence of cockerpoos, my brother has a 9 year old called Wilf (photo). He's an F1 and a complete sloth, he's adorable. They did check out the breeder and parents very carefully though.

I actually wanted a cockerpoo (don't shoot me) Brodie was the husbands choice...he wanted a proper dog.

@BrodiePup he is so cute. I don't think I've ever seen a white cockerpoo before! To be fair, every one I have met has been lovely and they have such soft fur that I could stroke all day long.

@BrodiePup
I suspect you and I are similar. I was not joking when I said my last party was in 1985; it actually was. I'm a socially anxious introvert, despite being Chatty Cathy on here at times.

Wilf looks rather cute but he's not as handsome as Brodie.
Completely irrelevant fact, but we had a Wilf for 17 years, he was a British Black cat.

@BrodiePup Oh he’s lovely! I didn’t mean conscientious owners like you, as I know how much work you’ve done with B and am sure you would have done the same with any other pup.

@PyreneanAubrie I didn’t know there was such a thing as a British Black cat – just googled! How lovely. I wish we could have a cat too but I don’t think I could cope with the constant ‘but where are they???’ anxiety. At least with dogs you know where they are at all times – ie sitting on your face.

I met a goldendoodle this morning but he was so hairy that he almost looked like an Old English Sheepdog and I actually had to ask what the breed was.

😆😂😄

Guess what I met on my walk with Brie just now? A grumpy Cockerpoo that came rushing up to her, growling, and it was off the lead, in a residential street 😠

We also encountered a Labradoodle and a black Lab, both of which were fine.

Brie was a swine today. She did zoomies on a 5 foot lead (on the big field, not in the street) so I was flung about like a rag doll on a spin cycle again 😧It slightly terrifies me.