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.

@YorkshireFelix def a spaniel thing and I'm sure it must extend to other gundogs too! Pupsy greets me every morning/time I've come back from anywhere where I haven't seen her for more than 20 minutes with something in her mouth, be it soft, chewy, smelly. And she will often just pick up ducky or her squeaky chicken or froggy or whoever – or my slipper – and just walk around wiggling her bum, showing us. Earlier she brought me a trainer and just walked round and round with it for ages before lying down next to it and falling asleep. It's lovely – she just needs to hold something and I praise all gifts that she brings me and never try and take them off her.

Good Morning All,
Chilly start today, it was -5.5 this morning when we got up. I've got my big Seasalt robe on over my clothes.
Miss Breezy started the day off by scattering the kindling all over the living room, then drinking my mug of tea, which I had stupidly left within reach 🙄
Hope you're all doing okay x

Awww, what a lovely post @LemonpaIms . In agreement with Bupster; you are such a kind and thoughtful member of this little community!

My woolly bear dog is indeed well suited to this weather. We had a wood fire going last night so she got in a huff and went to sit outside 😆

I would say that I hope Lemon dog gets to experience some snow days soon... but I know only too well that slippery pavement walks with a strong puller can be terrifying, so perhaps not 😬

@Cavalierchaos
Hi, I hope you're doing okay.

I know I suggested a few weeks ago, when you mentioned your dog weeing on your boyfriends gym equipment, that the issue was likely territorial. I think you possibly need to speak to a behaviourist about this.

With regard to neutering, it is probably best to seek the advice of your vet.

I hope you can get to the bottom of the issues with your boy.

@brushingboots
Thank you. I hate not getting out but am under Doctor's orders to rest until Monday when I'll be weighed again. Fortunately my chap works from home, so Brie is still getting three walks; short walks before work and at lunchtime then a longer one after he clocks off.

We're long term snood/buff/handyband wearers too! Us two that is, not the dogs, they have their own insulation. Didn't have a clue what an Oodie is though, just had to look it up 😆

Glad your tree issues were sorted out quickly and safely.

@YorkshireFelix @brushingboots

I don't think it's just a gundog thing; mine don't retrieve, but they'd all walk about with possessions, be it a toy, a chew stick or just a piece of cardboard. Dogs in general just like picking up stuff and bringing it to share. Mostly with Brie it's her purple spiny ball but the other night she went wandering about with a big piece of coal then just sat with it in her mouth. It wasn't a chewing object, she made no attempt to eat it, just let me gently take it and return it to the hod.

I actually do take things from my dogs but generally either offer treat, substitute item or give it back. There are times, however, when I need to take without giving and they've all been accepting of that. Same with food. I can take it with no issues.

Sorry for making so many posts in a row this morning 😳

@YorkshireFelix @brushingboots @PyreneanAubrie Bill does this too and it's glorious. He wakes me up like this, his whole little body wiggling with a stuffed duck in his mouth (or my slipper). I let him out for a wee then he waits at the bottom of the stairs for me to chase him back up them. The other day I found that if I didn't leave the room after him, he'd come back and walk out over and over again until he just waggled round in circles, and the more I corpsed laughing, the more delighted he was with himself.

I have a much more nuanced understanding and appreciation of all of you managing health conditions - I have a beast of a lurgy which I suspect is Covid, though I'm testing negative, and Bill has been really stretching every nerve this morning. I had to get up and take him out anyway of course and he is also pulling like a train and the ground is really quite lethal.

@MooseBeTimeForSnow this is a judgement-free zone (unlike the rest of MN) so I'm not going to jump on you and I'm sure nobody else here will either, but I personally would never, ever use a prong collar or anything similar. They work because they hurt the dog. I couldn't bear the thought. I know it may be different for those who have big strong pups but even so, I couldn't stand damaging Bill's trust in me. Mind you I am a wuss and feel guilty for using a training lead because it turns him against his will when he pulls - though I was bloody glad of it this morning.

@Bupster
I've never met Bill, but through your wonderful posts about him, I have grown to love his funny little ways. What always comes across is your strong bond with him, and the fact you appreciate every tiny nuance of his character; even the irritating habits! That is really something to be treasured; some people never experience this sort of bond or that level of understanding of their own dog, and I think those of us who do are very lucky.

Sorry you've got a horrible lurgy and you're still having to get out 😬Be sure to wear a buff/snood that you can pull up to protect your lungs from the cold air. Please take care and try to keep wrapped up. Hot drink as soon as you get back in. I'm asthmatic so I know hat the cold can be like when you're feeling chesty. Don't push yourself too much if it could be Covid.

I know that I'm very lucky indeed that my chap is my (unofficial, unpaid) carer and can take over dog walking duties when I have a flare-up with the neuro stuff. I know some of you have to just get on with the walking even when you're feeling crappy. I hope both you and @YorkshireFelix start to feel better soon.

My dog is 40kg at 7 months. Yes, that's 40kg not 40 lbs. And she pulls like a whole team of huskies, but I'm still in agreement with @Bupster on the use of prong collars @MooseBeTimeForSnow . Personally, I wouldn't trust a trainer who advocates the use of these collars.

Hmmm. Yes. On reflection, that came across as very school playground "my Dad is older than your Dad" 😳Sorry, guys.

Yes, my dog is ridiculously big, but I was kind of, in my clumsy childlike manner, trying to point out that the weight or strength of a dog doesn't really justify aversive training....😬

Now I'll put Chatty Cathy back in the toybox 🤐

@PyreneanAubrie I can strongly recommend meeting Bill! He is a total credit to @Bupster x

Pupsy or arctic fox? We went to Narnia this morning, aka one of our local woods, and she had a superb time, though she refused to pose for any proper photos again

And the weather, presumably, has buggered my internet so that has come out really fuzzy. 10/10 all round for tech skill here.

hi all,

checking back in, had a visitor for 10 days, which was lovely, company on the dog walk - she is a dogless dog lover (though she looks after a family members dog one day a week) so the dogs were VERY happy to see her and get cuddles on the sofa.

No snow here, just freezing cold and mud - Libi has promoted herself well up the "post walk, warm shower" hierarchy and jumped in first this morning before I'd even put the leads away.

we only had one accidental wee and one poo the whole time my friend was here - so looks like she's got the housetraining finally and is generally managing to hold it in until let out (7 months). I knew she'd get there eventually, but it does seem relentless at times.

giving her a ball to hold on leaving the house is really helping with calming her down and not jumping on the other dogs - though she has discovered that she can hold two balls in her mouth at once once we are on the field and I throw one for River. 😆

lovely to see everyones snow pictures, I'd rather have nice frozen ground than mud ATM!

Ahh it's nice to hear the stories of holding their valuables and showing them off! It's my favourite thing that he does at the minute.

I am feeling much better now @PyreneanAubrie thank you. I managed to meet my DM in Sheffield to do some Christmas shopping today which was nice. I haven't left the house without a dog or child with me for a long time so it felt weird to just grab my handbag and leave!

@LibisMum it sounds like she is doing fab! How nice to have a dog loving visitor to fuss over her too 🥰

Glad you're feeling better @YorkshireFelix and that you had a nice day out with your Mum. I bet you got a good welcome and lots of cuddles from Vinny when you arrived home 🤗
I hope all his presents will be well hidden so he can't sniff them out 😉Brie has already sussed that there are two packs of big rawhide rings in the understairs cupboard 🙄but she hasn't found the Millies Wolfheart treats yet...

Just booked a one-to-one lead training session for Brie for Saturday afternoon 😨Trainer uses non-aversive, reward based training. Slightly terrified now though 😬

@PyreneanAubrie ooh you'll have to let us know how it goes!!

Yes, do!

I'll let you know by Saturday evening if she's up for rehoming 😉

If anyone's up for a part-exchange drop me a PM...😁I'll throw in three bags of kibble, a spare lead (and, okay...a couple of lint rollers...🙄)

I know I shouldn’t be subscribed to emails about spaniels needing rehoming but I am and I guess it’s out of some kind of morbid curiosity of something, but this one has made me feel sad this morning. Imagine getting a cocker (or any other) pup and being surprised that at 20 weeks it is ‘hyper’. I wish I could take her and all the other wrongly homed spaniels in and rescue them but it’s not practical. Sigh.

@brushingboots
It's very sad. Poor little thing.

It all comes back to what we've said before about people not doing any research before getting a dog, and just buying from free ads because the kids think a puppy looks cute 🙄

With luck, this pup may benefit - if it gets a more knowledgeable home...but that's a big if and the chances are that it could just end up in the same situation 6 months down the line...😞

There was a heartbreaking thread on here last week about a 3 year old male Golden Retriever needing rehoming. It turned out to have serious issues due to being crated for most of its life, in a house with young children. That one really upset me 😔

@brushingboots that poor pup. I cannot fathom just getting a dog without doing any research at all. I know plenty of people do it but how bloody stupid can you get!

@PyreneanAubrie you are right about them likely to be passed from home to home. I followed some spaniel rescues (and spent a long time trying to adopt!) before we got Vinny and it's the same story over and over again. It's very sad.

Finally got some decent snow! I was very surprised when I woke up this morning. It's melting already since the temperature is creeping up to a balmy 13 degrees this afternoon 🥴