The Pod-cast

[HangingOver]

Hello PodSquad,

Thank you for being on this crazy ride with us.

Here's the OG thread if anyone wants to go back and laugh at how staggeringly naive I was adopting my first rescue pup: https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/the_doghouse/5177112-oh-my-giddy-god?page=1

Could someone please explain who this dog is in my house and what they've done with Pod? Because he's been absolutely angelic today. Truly a wonderful, wonderful dog and even coped with my DF and DPs pal coming over for Sunday dinner and sitting up getting merry on red wine.

Or perhaps the collective will on MN have given me a SERIOUSLY needed good day. What a star. 🥹

Had Baby Pod at the vets yesterday for a check up (adopted her a few months ago and she’s still really thin even for a Pod so wanted her checked). She’s fine btw. She charmed everyone and was sooo well behaved. Then came home and went mental again! It’s a Pod thing op, lol.

Aw he has so many nice traits @HangingOver that you are bringing out in him

He's also much more used to his BatDog coat now

Omg that’s fabulous with the Elvis collar and the ears! A huma huma..

Pod is most certainly a poser!

His tail is like a shepherd's crook!

OMG YOU HAVE A PODENCO!!!

I'm so sorry for shouting but I love podencos but have never met one in real life.

Do you follow Life like Charlie on TikTok. He has a couple of pods and they're beautiful. All of the money he makes from his TikTok account goes to Podenco charities. Apologies if this has already been spoken about.

That is a marvellous tail, full of expression. I especially like the white tip.

That really is a fabulous look! He's working the coat collar. 😁

In today's episode of Men's Opinions No One Fucking Asked For...

Some random treated me to a 5 minute lecture today about what I'm doing wrong with Pod. Apropos de fuck all btw, all Pod was doing was waiting quite nicely beside me while Mr. Right and Tiny Spaniel (off lead in the road, btw. Yes, I judged) came by. But he stopped to chat, as people do around here.

Him: How old is that one then?
Me: I don't know really, about a year.
Him: Ah... rescue is it?
Me: Yes.

[Pod is straining to greet Tiny Spaniel by this point, but quite nicely for him, with paws on the floor. They touched noses waggingly]

Him: Pulls a lot does he?
Me: Yes, a bit.
Him: [triumphantly] Get rid of this wiggles Pod's harness
Me: Well our trainer recommended this brand; he chokes himself on a collar
Him: That's how they learn. Trust me, go on the internet and look for "Greyhound collar". He won't learn otherwise. See you have no control of this lovely boy right now, no control at all. He's a proper Heinz 57 isn't he... some Doberman in there...
Me: He's a Podenco.
Him: [sceptically] What's that
Me: He's a Warren Hound. They're for hunting.
Him: Mark my words, get him out that harness [shaking head ruefully]

etc. etc.

Now I do a man dominated sport, which I have to adapt because of my medical condition, so I am quite used to men who don't know me RUNNING to give me advice I didn't ask for... but fuck me the tone is what is so annoying. He adopted the demeaner of some smug, ancient professor bestowing The Answer onto an undergraduate who has been weeping over a hard maths problem for weeks. And, it goes without saying, he's have NEVER done it to my 6ft1 DP who is covered in tattoos.

Anyway. As if to prove his point Pod, god rot him, saw a springer a bit later and went, even for him, completely fucking mad. He had all four paws off the floor at one point and was WAILING in frustration that he couldn't go and say hello. Thankfully the man was out of sight by then.

I'm putting this behaviour down to Pod's Exciting Day yesterday... He did four hundred laps of the paddock in the a.m and then had his first in-house meet with Friend's Dog yesterday for about an hour. We've walked them together a few times and because we all spend so much time together it would be really great if the dogs can be around one another comfortably. I wouldn't say it was a howling success but it could certainly have been a lot worse.

Bad Bits:

• she told him off a number of times when he was annoying her
• she took his bones
• she 'stole' my lap from him a few times

Good Bits:

• She and he did have a short moment of playing together (she doesn't play, ever so this is a big deal for her)
• He's now a bit more interested in his chewies again, since she was stealing them
• They did have some lovely long moments of laying both on the sofa or just mooching around ignoring one another

So we'll see how it goes. It will end up being good for both of them in the end I think.

Pod has signed up for a scent-work course with our trainer (in addition to our individual sessions). The other people from the last course are signed up too which is nice as we have a very supportive Whatsapp group.

I'm also arranging a Podenco walk at a local enclosed woodland that you can hire. 6 Pods signed up - looking forward to the chaos!

Thanks for reading. Me and Pod appreciate.

If every dog owner had to care for a 'difficult' rescue dog for a couple of weeks they'd change their tune.

Some mad tiny part of my brain wanted to hand him the lead and say "Off you go then, see how you get on". Obviously would never do that to Pod as he'd have eaten him.

Would greyhound collars fit him as a fashion statement, in addition to the harness for walkies? There are some snazzy collars for greyhounds, depending on his style preferences.
There are bossy boots everywhere, giving opinions on dogs and babies. Nod and ignore.

That man sounds a twat.

The other dog telling yours off though… I think that’s normal with older dogs & younger dogs. My pup gets told off sometimes by older dogs, he is not bovvered 😀

That man sounds very annoying, and if it wasn't for the fact I think you're in a completely different part of the country to me, I would think you had met my FIL
Smile and nod is the way to go....

When you said about the dogs meeting up 'she told him off, took his bones' I was thinking 'how dare she???' It was only when you mentioned your lap I realised you were talking about the dog, not your friend

Hahahaha!!!

Tis the curse of womanhood everywhere that we have to endure Mr Know it All and Mr Mansplaining.

Anyone else remember Harry Enfield's "Mr You Don't Wanna Do It Like That"?

A pod of Podencos will be a sight to behold.

Oh, this is so annoying. It happens with me from time to time too. My dog is frightened of other dogs due to past trauma (he was abused as a puppy, I got him after he was rescued age 3). So many men (and it is always men) have told me they know just how to "fix him". One even came purposely towards me with his dog when I told him no, as he knew better while my dog was cowering behind me. My dog is now seven years old, he isn't too frightened to walk past any more and doesn't try to run away at the sight of another dog any more, but he is very clear that he doesn't not want to meet other dogs nose to nose. And that is okay with me. It is so annoying that other people think they can impose their views on us.

Urgh. Pod had broken me today. I took him for a second walk because he's been pacing and whining and destroying all day but it was HORRIBLE. I'm covered in mud and my hands are all bruised for the constant bolting on the lead. Sometimes he bolted so hard he took himself clean off his feet.

And something else Mr. Twatface said this morning popped into my head. He was petting Pod while lecturing me about the harness and Pod was loving it, the disloyal pig, and he says to Pod "It's supposed to be FUN having a pup isnt it boy!"... You know... Like I'm deliberately stopping him having fun. When in reality most of the time I'm just trying to stay upright and not get bitten without him getting so tangled in his lead that he breaks his legs or running into the road and killing himself. And every other dog he flung himself towards seemed to be well behaved and just mooching happily and their owner stared. Anyway I eventually got back to the car and just booked.

I haven't even showered or brushed my teeth today because he's been so clingy and shouty.

I'm sorry, HangingOver, you're having such a hard time.

If it's any consolation it was around two to three months after I got her that I would have given my girl away if someone I totally trusted like my dog-walker had wanted to adopt her.

I just walk her in quiet streets away from other dogs to avoid much of the stress. She's much much better now of course but I still walk her that way. Like sonjadog's pooch she doesn't like nose to nose with strange dogs or she might cope for some seconds then gets very worked up.

Tomorrow is another day. Fingers crossed for you.

Don't let anything that dickhead said make you doubt what a fantastic job you have been doing with Pod. We can all see he has come on in leaps and bounds (sometimes literally!) and it's only been a short time. My bestie has a lurcher who was a total psychopath for AGES, but now is a cuddle bum most of the time and very well behaved. She has the occasional crazy time but generally is good. Pod will settle too.

Also I wish I lived closer because I would love to hang out with a pod of Pods. That would be heaven! Manic crazy bonkers heaven.

Oh nooooooo you've met Twatman... they're sent by some evil demon to mansplain, talk over you and wobble your confidence, dismiss and belittle anything you say and just be utter twats.

He's a total Shit Weasel and you absolutely need to ignore him.

The harness keeps Pod safe from hurting himself - a Pod with a hurty neck from yeeting himself at anything he sees is going to be a billion times harder to live with.

Science has your back here, we know the damage that dogs do to themselves yanking their necks on collars.

YOu've done a brilliant job so far, Twatman would have given up or terrified the life out of a dog like Podface. Its telling he has a spaniel, a breed that for billions of generations has been bred to tolerate rough handling (look up some of the old fashioned gundog training methods, so much grabbing, scruffing, yanking :( ) and still be soft mouthed and eager to please.

I also bet Twatman doesn't understand how some dogs need cuddles and lap-naps to feel secure and process things. Feel sorry for Twatmans dogs, I doubt they have happy lives!

I actually think the interaction with friends dog very positive - he's had some tellings off that he did not over-react to, he's been able to relax and chill with a friend even if that friend is a bit full on and treading on some of his boundaries in some ways... thats excellent. At least one of mine would not have handled that nearly so well (the saluki. she'd have been outraged!).

I might have missed the point but when I had my dog on a lead and collar I didn't feel as in control of her. If she pulled I felt she was hurting her neck so I didn't like it. She has had a harness for years now so it is only a couple of times this year that I've used lead and collar. To be fair, she's eight now so less pully but I would say a harness all day long.

Oh thanks Pod Squad, I truly needed that today.

He's been a total shit tonight but I knew that was coming. He'll probably be horrible tomorrow too but at least my expectations are in place. Hopefully with lots of naps and calming fun he'll be back to being nice by the weekend!

Nope that was exactly the point... He basically said you need to let him choke himself then he'll learn. Which, apart from being horrible, isn't even true. My friends dog is 5 and still pulls to choking point ALL the time.