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

Worried. Have I upset you?😧Are you & Milo okay?

I would understand if you've changed you minds about the Pyrecock and I can try to find you better accommodation if that's the deal breaker. We do have a brick built garage...😁

Seriously, I've got to stop talking about pyrecock it sounds a bit dodgy 😨

I would, in any case, get too attached to the puppies and end up keeping the whole litter, which is not exactly practical in a 3 bed terrace and a low income household...

Sorry guys, the deal is off 😉Brie has decided she would prefer to be a companion dog and will not be bred at all, not even with her own kind.

@PyreneanAubrie At least people will look at you and think it's a big dog, she's bound to struggle. A 12.5kg spaniel puppy looks a nice size to manage 🤣
I went with H on his local walk this morning and it was much better than yesterday...still bad, but better. I don't know if I'll take him this afternoon, I chickened out yesterday.

@AgainandagainandagainSS Thanks for your positive message, it gives me hope!
Can I ask about getting your boy 'done', I'm guessing you have? We're on the fence about B and can't get a definite answer from anyone. My main concern is him getting beaten up by other intact males, but I've read so much stuff about him getting fat, it ruining his coat etc.
How have you found it?

@BrodiePup Was going to say that I hoped you had a better walk today! This morning puppins decided to race off into not just a muddy bog, but into an algae-filled bog, so she came home covered in green gunk. Delish.

Definitely get it done. It didn’t change his lovely daft personality but it just took the edge off his dominance, peeing on everything (outside) and running away. Plus we don’t have to worry about him being off lead. He also goes to a dog walker once a week (to get him used to walking with others and he loves it) and this was a requirement. His coat is shiny and he only ever gets trouble from smaller yappy dogs (of both genders).

@BrodiePup here is my big silly boy

@brushingboots Watch this space for the next walk report 🤣
Ew! I bet that was an interesting cleanup job! They are a joy at times 🙄.

@AgainandagainandagainSS
He's a handsome chap, looks like butter wouldn't melt 😊
Thanks for that, it's a hard decision to make if there isn't a reason for it, but he has been bounced and snapped at a couple of times for no reason. He isn't particularly interested in other dogs and I don't want him to become frightened. My brother has had his cockerpoo done, but that was because he was humping everything that moved, B isn't doing that yet thank goodness!
We won't do it until he's fully mature, so we've got a while to decide.

Ours wasn't much of a humper (he did it to cushions as part of dominant play). Vet said wait for him to be absolutely fully grown, which he wasn't until 15-16 months. The op was so straightforward and he didn't need a cone or sleeve, he was back to himself in 2 days on a small painkiller.
Oh he sure knows he is handsome. He gets told far too often. hahaha

@AgainandagainandagainSS
That's reassuring, it's nice to hear it from someone who has been through it.
Better tell him he's a strange looking mutt on occasion so he doesn't get an inflated ego 🤣

HALLELUJAH!
Walk wasn't too bad!

Awww, that's so good to hear 😃

I hope you enjoy the training session tomorrow and that it will be helpful.

@PyreneanAubrie
Thank you 🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻🤞🏻
I do think it's just going to be time and persistence though.
Saw Brie's photo on the other thread... she really is a beauty.

Thank you @BrodiePup 😊

PMD usually go through quite a gangly, gawky stage at around 5 or 6 months but Brie didn't for some reason - she went straight from cute pup to pretty young adult.
She is a sweetheart, despite the pulling and lead-biting 🙄

Hey... @PyreneanAubrie some people have multiple issues... we're lucky really.

Thanks for the kind warm welcome 🙂@BrodiePup Thanks for you lovely welcoming post. Great to hear you had a positive walk today and I also hope the trainer helps tomorrow.
@AgainandagainandagainSS Your positive messages have helped remind me that age will be a big factor in LemonDog"s behaviour and that will pass. Your dog looks beautiful from photo, what a kindly looking face.
My lab has black fur too. I'm going to order a no pull harness for him as soon as I find my measuring tape!

@PyreneanAubrie Thanks for your kind and welcoming words too. Brie sounds lovely by nature. She looks like she'd be the best to snuggle up to on cold days. Noted they're a guarding breed (not herding). I've learned more about the breed from your posts. I don"t believe I've ever seen one IRL. The seem like a fantastic breed.

Absolutely!

He is so young still. Think of him as an irritating toddler (how many of us have thought what the heck with those) which with time, nurture and discipline turn out to be lovely primary school children.

@LemonPalm
I know I bang on a bit about the guarding thing and it is always something of a dilemma for people within the breed in the UK. PMD have a reputation for being Gentle Giants, which, largely, they are and so far it is (fortunately) not a breed that the hard men have been attracted to. But all the long term PMD folk fear this so the guarding angle is never, ever pushed. However, it's also important that people who are going to take on a cute teddy bear puppy are fully aware of the breed characteristics and adult strength. They need force free handling and a relationship based on mutual respect and trust - if you think you can push them around, you will get problems because that dog will be stronger than you. It all has to be very calm and gentle.

Brie was running around the garden with a purple bouncy ball this morning, just like any other pup; she'll only bark a warning when she feels the need. They get to know the normal stuff around them; they can understand the difference between hearing your neighbours voices and strangers voices; they ignore a local dog passing their boundary but will bark at an unfamiliar one. They're a guard dog but they don't make it obvious. They are free spirits, incredibly stubborn and independent minded but highly intelligent and very cheeky. So yeah, we're always kind of showing it as a really great dog, which it is, but we're also conscious that it's not a breed for everyone... If you want a well-trained dog with good recall, do not get a Pyrie 😆

Sorry about another essay, guys 🙄😫😴

@PyreneanAubrie those are all great points very well made. I think your knowledge and experience of the breed really shines through. I can truly understand from your description why it's so important to long term PMD folk for distinction to be made that they're a guarding breed. Sounds like it affects their whole psychology. I'm glad they have a small club who truly love them for who they are. If I knew a good one I know I'd love them too. The sound like complex characters who're not for everyone as you say. Sounds like you understand the breed very well, albeit each one different. Did you say Brie was your 8th or 9th?
I'm a one breed gal too. When I was a teenager my best friend's lab stole my heart. I'd wanted my own every day since. I finally got mine last year. I choose a 2 month old lab pup who it quickly became apparent was a confident independent bullish soul with a sensitive heart and an the most irrepressible joy de vivre. He's the most fun loving soul I've ever known. He's the yang to my yin. Wee thug though he can be :-)

It's brilliant finding a dog that completely suits you and I'm so glad you've got your longed for Labrador even if he is hard work at times 🙄 That said, I know some people prefer to have different breeds rather than sticking with one. We did consider a few other (smaller) options before getting Brie, but decided better the devil you know 😜and at least our 12 year old cat was used to living with PMD.

I should point out that we have had the PMD in twos and threes so it hasn't been a succession of very short lived dogs 😆but yes, Brie is my 8th PMD. I only lived with the second dog for about three years because he stayed with my parents when I moved here with my boyfriend and we got PMD #3. Brie is my 9th pup in total because we also had an Anatolian Shepherd Dog. He was lovely but a bit less "refined" to live with than the PMD - he was more like an outside dog in some ways, less domesticated somehow... That is a very ancient breed though.

@PyreneanAubrie I've found learning about Brie and her breed fascinating, as I actually knew nothing about them, apart from how gorgeous they look 🥰

Training session went well, I liked the guy, he clearly knew his stuff, didn't go around any corners. He hit the right balance of not being overly forceful, but not being too 'sunshine and unicorns' in style of training.
He was impressed (blowing own trumpet) with the level B was at, and the work that we've obviously put in already.
He has also told us a few things to stop doing or do differently...so we're not totally perfect 🤣.
He did also say, as we already knew, that B is at full on t**t age, and is going to be a handful for another year or so, but has all the potential to make a lovely dog.
So I've ordered a couple of vats of wine and I'm going to strap myself in and try to enjoy the ride!!

I do need to shut up about PMD now though @BrodiePup 🤐

I was wondering how you were getting on so this is welcome news. I'm so glad you got along with the trainer and that he wasn't from the school of arrogant macho twerps 😆

So you see - you are doing well and Spaniel people here keep telling you that but it's good that you've heard it from someone who has now had hands-on experience of Brodie. Even better that the chap was able to give some ideas as to how you can improve your day to day training and leadwork.
All the hard work will pay off in the coming months.

Will you have any more training sessions, do you think?

@BrodiePup
That's fantastic. So positive that you've found a good trainer who you like and like his approach and that he thinks you've been doing a great job with Brodie already. Reassuring to know trainer is also saying when Brodie gets bit older he'll be so well behaved great dog. Sounds like hes doing great for his age! I'm off to order a couple of vats of wine too then, or maybe a couple of dozen vats with LemonDog :-)

@PyreneanAubrie thanks for your kind words. Like you, I'd considered smaller breeds too. I love all dogs and must admit part of me regularly envies people the countless benefits that come from their small to medium dogs. But "the heart wants what the heart wants or else it does not care" My heart has just always wanted a lab from first time I knew one (right up until a few days after I brought mine home and the I learned puppies can be such tw@*s and the temporary puppy blues hit but that's a different story! :-)

@BrodiePup so glad it went well – and amazing that he was able to big you up, that's fab! What kind of stuff did he get you doing?

You most definately do not need to shut up about PMDs!!! It's been fascinating to hear. I really like your posts. I find them funny, real and insightful :-)

@PyreneanAubrie You don't need to shut up at all! I enjoy hearing about Brie.
I would also like to thank you for your constant support to myself and everyone else who pops up on this thread... it's much appreciated x

We may book another session in a while, but he said there was nothing to gain from it at the moment as we're not doing full on gun dog. We'll contact him if we run into any issues, and reassess when Brodie is a year old and potentially do a park walk with him.

Our plan is that H does 2 training walks a day as we've been shown. I'm going to do an environmental walk in an afternoon with a longer lead and harness, and let B be a spaniel. Apparently it's better if one person does the training so it's more consistent, and B will know the difference due to the point of contact of his lead. We can give it a try for nothing...my worry is that if he pulls like he can on his harness I might not be able to manage him. We'll also take him to parks etc so we can do retrieves and scent work which he loves.

All we can do is keep on keeping on 😊