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.

@PyreneanAubrie Skinners definitely do a lamb and rice puppy – might be worth a try? They do 2.5kg bags and then 15kg and it's definitely cheaper than Millies and Canagan! In our local horse shop it's about £45-50 for 15kg, flavour depending. It's 24pc protein – not sure if that's enough for a giant?

We've had quite a few 1-1 gundog lessions and I can definitely recommend it but I appreciate that it's much easier to find someone with spaniel skills than LGD skills. Try not to lose heart.

@brushingboots Do you think that the lead pulling eases a bit naturally with maturity? Please, give me hope!

I hope you're right about the training session... you get points for trying if nowt else...

@BrodiePup I honestly do, yeah – and I don't even do much proper work on it, probably less than you're doing. We had to have a majority lead walk this morning and yes, she pulled towards sniffs and stopped and started but it was controllable and she mostly just walked ahead on a looseish lead. And frankly I'll take that.

As long as you're game for the training then he will be too! I bet he'll have a whale of a time – and it'll tired him out as a bonus. I used to find that she'd behave so much better for our trainer than for me because she knew how to handle dogs properly, and it taught me so much about what I should and shouldn't be doing. I always say that puppins' limiting factor is me and my cackhandedness.

Thanks @brushingboots I'll have another look at Skinners and also Simpsons as I think Algy was on that for a while and it seemed quite good.

@BrodiePup Some do grow out of pulling, some don't. However, both of our adult pullers were female so don't give up hope...although this does not bode well for me...😬

I still wonder if you should have another look at the Dogmatic head collars because they are very soft and gentle. We occasionally used one on Algy if we were pavement walking him at night during the winter and it was slippery underfoot. I will try it on Brie when she's a bit bigger. It's bright orange so she will look cute, not scary 😊

@BrodiePup - with our older one, somewhere between 2 & 3 lead walking clicked. I'm hoping younger one will be the same and it's just management until then.

We feed essentials, they have a lamb based food for adult dogs (estate living) but their large breed food for growing pups/dogs is chicken based. My older one was never keen on Millie's and really had to be persuaded to eat it

@tizwozliz I found the same with Bill - Millie's is brilliant for his poo, but he struggles to eat it sometimes. I wondered if it was the larger kibble pieces, and the fact that he's teething still? His poor gums must be so sore some days. He's doing better with a mix of Millies and new recipe Eukanuba (comparatively cheap as chips) plus a Forthglade wet topper. I might eventually move him completely on to the Forthglade as he likes it so much better - it's just super expensive compared to kibble.

We feed forthglade 90% alongside the kibble. Roughly half a tray a day each. Mine also love the forthglade cold pressed dry food, I got some in a sample pack once, but it's too expensive for two labs for me. Essentials isn't cheap but it's still cheaper than the forthglade.

@brushingboots Thanks, you give me a glimmer of hope 😊. The way you describe your walk is all I want, I'm not expecting or wanting a perfect heel. I want Brodie to enjoy a nice sniffy walk not a route march.

@PyreneanAubrie We were talking about head collars and think that's where we might end up, but are hoping not. I know haltis aren't recommended under 9 months, I'll have another look at dogmatic.
I hadn't even thought about icy pavements 😱 I'm like bambi on ice at the best of times!

Estate Living looks interesting, I will have a proper look later. We want to switch Brie over from chicken to lamb.

Algy was never keen on Millies Wolfheart. I have bought some samples for Brie but doubt we will go with it because I didn't feel the info they gave was correct for a giant breed puppy.

The girl up on the moors today.

thankyou for the recommendations, will check them out !! i've heard a few good things about pooch and mutt for spaniels but don't know much about the brand.
Just had the joy of disposing of a half eaten pigeon from the garden that the cat so kindly brought me 🤢

This was what we had on our walk today

@lookwhatyoumademedoo I love Pooch and Mutt! Their treats are fantastic - not least as you can cut them into little bits and they don't crumble. And their beef jerky is so good I've seen an entire agility class fall apart when someone took a packet out of their bag 😄My only issue with their wet puppy food is that it's chicken, and I suspect that Bill might be a little intolerant to chicken so I'm trying to keep it to a minimum just in case.

there's so much choice out there it's hard to know which is best. we had similar issues with the cat when she was little, although she was fussy and max will eat anything!

Gorgeous! Both girl and view.

Very clever! Still wriggling or un-alived?

I think it had been dead a while, it was fished out of a bramble and water filled ditch.

Hello, can I join please?
I have a 12 month old Labrador who I've had since he was 2 months old. I'd wanted this dog for decades, had read widely about dogs, had loved and loved walking family dogs and thought I was thoroughly prepared. In reality, I could not have been less prepared. Life with my dog is nothing like I expected. I expected him to be big and strong, but I did not expect him to be so strong (and so strong willed) that he'd pull me over - literally, I fell - to say hello to a stranger. I expected him to need lots of exercise off lead. I imagined sharing lovely long relaxing strolls through the park in all seasons together, me getting fit, him running delightedly around me. I didn't not expect he'd 'forcefully befriend' (and be a risk of jumping up on) any person or dog who came within 100 metre radius of us. So I can currently only let him off lead if I can see it's clear for 100 metres in every direction and keep scanning every horizon constantly to ensure he's back on lead the moment anyone appears on horizon (to protect unsuspecting strangers from a 6 stone flying labrador who wants to say 'Hi, it's meeeeee!!!, your best friend, can I come home with you please?!!! Finally, you're here, I've been waiting for you my whole life!!!' Don't mind her 100m behind me, were not together"). So he doesn't get enough off lead time which makes him even more difficult to walk on lead. I knew he'd need training. I imagined that meant cosy time indoors with me lovingly teaching words like sit, stay, come, down to a wagging tailed puppy who once he knew the words would adoringly obey them anywhere anytime for a pat on the head and a 'good boy!' I never in my wildest dreams imagined that I'd instead have to train him not to climb on dining tables (with 4 paws!) while I'm on work calls, not to jump up on counters, not to scavage constantly, not to rip up books, destroy my most sentimental irreplaceable items, steal my shoes for the joy of the chase. I never imagined I'd struggle to empty a bin lest he forcefully rip the bag to steal the most disgusting contents. I could go on and on but my first post is getting long! Suffice to say I am so grateful for this thread. To be fair my big hooligan does have his good points too and a lot of potential. He's so quiet (says a single 'woof' maybe twice a week and barks a few times only if someones at door), sleeps well, loves every person and dog, is confident, independent, good natured, understands all his commands even if he doesn't always follow them, has such a lovely galloping recall when we're alone. But he's such unbelievably hard work when close to people, dogs, things. I am trying to train him but I find it unbelievably hard to believe he'll ever calm down like everyone says adult dogs do. I must admit I'm out of my depth, sometimes dont know how to train him to behave like a normal dog (not a cross between a mountain goat and Tigger!) Other people make it look so easy.
So that's me, and my 1 year old Labrador, who i thought would be impecably trained by now, but in reality makes Marley (from the film Marley & Me) look better behaved than Lassie :-)

@PyreneanAubrie I've been reading the puppy threads and now this dog adolescent one for a while. When you mention Brie I always imagine her like the dog on a youtube video I saw years ago which you may like called 'What It's Like Owning a Great Pyrenees" by TmarTn2.
Not sure if it's anything like the reality of your experience of the breed over the years, and it sounds like yours have all been very different. But it's memorable. You're a dog expert compared to me. They seem like lovely dogs and I can definately see the appeal.
Lovely photo of Brie dreaming of the hills. She does look in her element. My LemonDog would love it there too. In places like that he does his 'happy walk'. I liked your post on your walk. I had one of the nicest walks I've had with LemonDog this morning in a misty park at 8am before work with very few people around. Beautiful autumn leaves sprinkled fresh on ground. He got good off lead run and I could relax for a very rare moment and just "be".

Oh dear. @LemonPalm I can identify. We thought we had cracked puppyhood. Then our lab turned into a little sod between 11-20 months. Running away, being dominant, stealing balls and refusing to drop for 2 hours, pulling like a carthorse, being boisterous, not listening. We were tearing our hair out. Yet he was still so cuddly and loving. Then one day he just got it. He just matured and while he has his moments (all labs do) he became our lovely gently big boy. 🐾
Solidarity. I know what you mean

Thanks @AgainandagainandagainSS that makes me feel better. Pulling like a cart horse is so accurately descriptive! Logically I know you're right. I've only known one Labrador (before mine) all the way through from puppyhood to adulthood and she was such a live wire until around age 2 and then calmed down. She became like a completely different dog. Now as an older adult dog, she's perfectly behaved, a truly gentle loving soul. LemonDog isn't cuddly or gentle at the moment, I wish he was. He's been known to run full speed into people's legs when he mis-times his glee-filled last second body swerve.
I tripped in house recently while carrying food and fell hard, hurting both my knees. It had been a bad day up to then anyway and that was the last straw. I sobbed on the floor where I'd landed, knees stinging. Did LemonDog look on with empathy and concern? Nope. He had bigger fish to fry. He stole the food I'd been carrying, ran off to eat it, only returned when that was gone. Then he pawed my face roughly with his big nails (nearly giving me a black eye). As I attempted to stand to get away from him, he attempted to mount my escaping back, nearly knocking me down again.
I do hope in a year or so he'll become loving and gentle. In the mean time, he's lying snoring, and for all the chaos he brings to my life, I'm kind of glad he's here :-)
Thanks for the solidarity. You've reminded me there's hope for him yet!

Oh dear…..
all I can say is YES do hang in there. 12 months is peak naughty age. He will get there. Labs never really grow up but it does get better.
We got him a harness that goes round his chest and it really helped the pulling. Never a head collar - hate them. See the pic.
Our lad still does snatch at food and jump occasionally. But he is a lot better.
Ps the pic isn’t him. Ours is a big 5 stone black lump haha

@LemonPalm Hello! Of course you can join, it sounds like you'll fit right in 😊

You sound so much like me, I always have a fantasy idea of how things are going to be... then reality comes crashing in.

It seems to me that you've been doing an excellent job and have formed a lovely bond...if there's nothing more interesting obviously 🤣

We're all waiting for the day that as @AgainandagainandagainSS says, it just clicks and we're left with lovely dogs.
We will get there!

• this is positive me who hasn't been for a walk yet... check back later for hysteria 🤣

You absolutely will get there. I honestly thought I jad the naughtiest dog on the planet. But he was just very immature (the vet even said he was too immature to have his balls off until 18 months - he sure was proud of that one), and needed nurture and time to grow up. Once he got a bit older he just got it.

Hello 😊

Welcome! As Brodiepup has already said, I think you'll fit in well here.

Thank you for the kind words about my sweet girl but gosh, no, am not an expert in anything at all, every pup brings new challenges. I am a one-breed woman though (well, more or less, though we did have an Anatolian after the first PMD). It was actually my Dad that chose this breed for us when I was 13 and we got addicted.

Brie is a total hooligan on the lead and I'm sure everyone who sees me thinks "oh bless her, it must be her first big dog...". I'm 60 and quite slender so I probably give the appearance that I should be walking a toy breed 😆
But then, you have a large breed dog too and clearly know exactly how often a 5 or 6 stone hooligan makes their owner look like an idiot/novice/pathetic weakling 🙄

Lemon dog sounds like a real handful and I can empathise! Brie also does the "look at meeee" thing when we're out and tows me towards people for a cuddle. She seems to think she's about the size of a Westie... I keep hoping she might grow out of the attention seeking; Algy did but Rosie didn't so we'll wait and see. They're all unique and that's part of the joy of owning dogs. But yes, big dog behaviour in public during adolescence can be an embarrassment. I shall gloss over yesterday morning's walk, suffice to say that Missy chose the precise moment when we were walking past a large group of workmen, to do her jumping, pirouetting, lead-grabbing routine 😳 She is a complete tart though (another reason why I favour boy dogs).

But then, on saying that, I've just read about your boy knocking you over and stealing the dinner...OMG, that can't have been a nice experience for you at all. Maybe we were lucky that our boys were quiet and calm natured. Brie is our third hooligan/delinquent girl outside on the lead, but I have to say, at home she is very good. She was a free range pup (not crated) and learned the house routine early on, so she has good manners; no reactive guarding, not much chewing aside from an occasional crafty nibble on the kitchen mats. She doesn't bark much yet - some PMD are big barkers, others not.

Yes, I've seen that Great Pyrenees video and it's the one where she introduces the dog by saying it's a herding dog... 😡Aaaargh! It's not a herding dog, that's the tiny Pyrenean sheepdog - PMD/GP is a guarding breed! There are some excellent videos on YouTube of working PMD in Europe, if anyone is interested...

I hope your walk with Lemon Dog today is/was as good as the walk you had yesterday; that sounded just about perfect!