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Adolescent Dog Survival Thread - Bark the Herald, furry angels sing!

999 replies

YorkshireFelix · 26/11/2024 23:01

New thread to get us through the festive season! Angelic and naughty teenage pups all welcome Halo

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CaptainBeanThief · 15/01/2025 17:42

@CaptainBeanThief
I've tagged myself but now I can't untag myself now 👀
Anyhoo @CoubousAndTourmalet in regards to resource guarding we've done exactly the same thing with Milo so on that front I 100% agree.
The reason so many people have issues with food guarding is because they have never taught their dog it's ok to let someone take their food. It's so frustrating on MN that if anyone has a different opinion or method to them, you get verbally attacked.
Well Milo has stopped humping me 😬.
Ooooh 2 days - that's good! I hope it keeps up, you aren't in pain yourself today are you? I hope you are ok x

CaptainBeanThief · 15/01/2025 17:46

@Nella68
How old is midge now ?
X

Nella68 · 15/01/2025 17:47

@CoubousAndTourmalet your mealtimes sound a bit like ours. We have a strict no interaction policy with the dog at mealtimes. No eye contact or anything. He used to be shut in his pen but now he’s older he’s allowed out. If he comes to the table we’ll push him away with an elbow. He tends to lie under the table or on his bed.

Nella68 · 15/01/2025 17:49

@CaptainBeanThief he’s almost a year old- well and truly in the adolescent ears turned off phase!

I’m glad the humping of you has stopped!

CaptainBeanThief · 15/01/2025 17:52

@Nella68
We are at 18 months and his ears are half way back on ( I think) 🫣🤣
Has his recall gone to pot? Milos recall has never been the best but he still goes off lead - it's better than ever but I deffo can't say aloud I will jynx myself lol

Nella68 · 15/01/2025 17:59

@CaptainBeanThief yes his recall is awful at the moment. Particularly around distractions. He’s got me into trouble a couple of times- 1st when he nearly knocked an old man over when he jumped up at him and the other was chasing a child’s football and running away with it. He’s exhibiting the kind of behaviour that, pre dog, I hated from the dogs at the park. I’m just embarrassed now that he’s just as unruly!

CaptainBeanThief · 15/01/2025 18:05

@Nella68
It is embarrassing - like when you used to see dogs running about and their owners screaming them and chasing them and bam ten months later you're doing the same thing 🤣🤣🫣
People are watching you doing the same like they never had to do it as well.

Please someone tell my ten tonne dog he is not a lap dog!!

Adolescent Dog Survival Thread - Bark the Herald, furry angels sing!
Nella68 · 15/01/2025 18:42

@tizwozliz how is your pup post spay? Hope she’s feeling better

tizwozliz · 15/01/2025 18:51

@Nella68 - she's absolutely fine, climbing the walls as she's not getting her normal walks (short on lead only at the moment). Can't wait to get the all clear from the vet.

CoubousAndTourmalet · 15/01/2025 18:54

Being able to handle their food is so important for me @CaptainBeanThief but then some folk say you should put the bowl down and not go near it. So then what happens? Kid wanders up to bowl and dog growls. We've never had a growler. I fished a twig out of Brie's mouth today and she let me, without a treat, that to me is important. I will mostly exchange for something, but sometimes you just can't and you need to remove an item. Mutual trust between dog and owner is everything.

Oh I'm glad Milo has stopped the humping now. That can be a pain; our Rosie was bad for it. I wonder what made him so frisky though...?

Last night was terrible terrible neck pain. Oh and you were right about Uric Acid on the bloods, it is out of kilter, so is ESR, vit D, vit B12...🙄 Today neck was okay though, even walking Brie.

CoubousAndTourmalet · 15/01/2025 18:55

Milo is so handsome @CaptainBeanThief

CaptainBeanThief · 15/01/2025 18:58

@CoubousAndTourmalet
I'm forever having to grab things out of Milos mouth, I just take it out, imagine if I never taught him it's ok to take things? Id be getting bitten left right and centre
He sometimes picks up potentially dangerous things and having a dog used to things is the best things and I can't fathom why people don't do things like this from the offset but we are just minority 🤣
Are they doing repeat bloods then? I suspect they would have to confirm a diagnosis and perhaps odd on bloods? I hope you are ok. X

CoubousAndTourmalet · 15/01/2025 19:21

Indeed @CaptainBeanThief It's quite ironic that they'll tell us we're doing it wrong but we can take stuff without a fight because of putting the effort in when our pups were young. It's so important to start building that trust from day one.

Yes, repeat bloods in 3 weeks and GP is speaking to haematology because low uric acid and high B12 is apparently unusual and the ESR is up again. I have to take vitamin D drops in the meantime. I'm okay, I just get tired easily and you know how that is...

Bupster · 15/01/2025 19:27

Agree with both of you @CaptainBeanThief and @CoubousAndTourmalet about it being about trust.

When Bill was tiny I followed all the rules that the newer trainers say - I didn't muck about with his food except to add things to his dish, and always taught a swap, but that was so I could be in the position to approach him and his food, and now I can take stuff from his mouth if I have to - because he trusts me. I regularly now towel him down or take his harness on or off when he has his nose in his bowl, because he's not bothered.

It's all about trust. I think things go wrong (especially if there's kids around) when people snatch things from their dogs and the dogs start thinking that nothing is safe and they have to protect themselves.

If you've built trust it sort of doesn't matter how you've done it. We can get a bit tied in knots about things must be done a certain way, but it's the outcome that's important, and that's about how the dog feels as much as how it behaves.

I am stating this from the lofty position of Bill actually being asleep at my feet for once, looking angelic. However, the little sod got through the dog park fence THREE TIMES today, including jumping over the bit I fixed yesterday 🙄

CoubousAndTourmalet · 15/01/2025 19:52

@Bupster
I wasn't aware of the newer training or really any training, I just do what I do and apparently most of it is wrong. Ah well, I was never any good at rules. I mess with their food and the bowl, add bits, take bits out (oh yeah, I got a real roasting for suggesting someone did that), I even touch their face. All those bad things you should never ever do. But I've got photos of our PMD letting the cats eat from their (the dogs) bowl and standing back. I've been very lucky to have that. So, like you said, it's the end result that counts, not how you get it but what matters is having that mutual trust.

Ah you see - I told you that about fences - once they find a hole or a gap they never forget. Ask me how I know this.... yup, I learned it the hard way with a Houdini dog.

YorkshireFelix · 15/01/2025 22:00

Thanks everyone for the advice re barking. Sorry I went out and my phone decided to stop working so I couldn't reply!

The barking at a noise is more of a concerned thing and the barking when we're upstairs is an attention thing definitely. I got annoyed this morning and kept coming downstairs to tell him to shut up so I'll just ignore him next time.

Last night he just wouldn't settle which was unusual for him, so not sure why it happened.

I do definitely agree it's an annoying adolescence thing and hopefully he will grow out of it. I'll keep reassuring on the concerned barking and ignoring the attention seeking barking!!

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Nella68 · 16/01/2025 10:37

Midge and I have had a bad morning. He was properly attacked by an off lead boxer dog. Midge was on lead as we were on the way home and this dog came running over from the other side of the field stopped stiff legged about a metre away and then launched for M’s throat. I was trying to kick the dog off and the owner finally got there but it took him ages to get his dog off. I was screaming, Midge was screaming. It was horrible. I was so angry with the man. I’m still shaking now. No apparent damage- thank goodness for lots of fur. To top it all off I’ve just dropped the poor dog at the groomers.

The man did come over after he had secured his dog to check we were ok. He was very apologetic and said his dog had a history of attacking other dogs but he thought it would ‘be ok’ to let him off today 🤷🏻‍♀️. He says lesson learned. I hope it is and that M isn’t affected by it.

brushingboots · 16/01/2025 10:46

Oh my gosh, @Nella68, poor you and Midge! I think that is the scenario we all dread and I'm so sorry it happened to you this morning. What a bloody irresponsible man, in so many ways. Hopefully he has learned his lesson. Lots of love to you both and I hope Midge is in for lots of cuddles when he comes home from the groomers xx

CoubousAndTourmalet · 16/01/2025 11:28

Oh @Nella68 I'm sorry to hear this and I hope you're both okay. It honestly makes me furious. If a dog has a history of attacking other dogs it should only be allowed off the lead on a secure dog field. That is irresponsible ownership, especially with a big strong dog like a boxer.

As @brushingboots says, it is what we all dread, and it did happen to us also when our previous pup was viciously attacked at 16 weeks old by a black Labrador. It can be traumatising. Midge is older so he is hopefully more resilient and will bounce back from the encounter quickly. It will, understandably make you quite wary of off-lead dogs for a while though.

Nella68 · 16/01/2025 11:45

Thank you for your messages.

@CoubousAndTourmalet (without wanting to stir up the on/ off lead stuff) yes, you are right it’s made me very nervous. I have encountered most of the dogs and so know which to avoid. This particular dog has lunged at Midge before (I assumed it was an on lead aggression) but I was rather worried when it approached.
It’s brought home how much I do really love the dog. I just felt completely helpless that I had nowhere to go and couldn’t protect Midge and I didn’t know what to do except try and kick the dog and scream (that I couldn’t help).

YorkshireFelix · 16/01/2025 11:58

@Nella68 I am so sorry, that is awful and very frightening. What an absolutely irresponsible idiot that man is. I can't believe he thought it was ok for him to let that dog off lead. I really hope you are both ok.

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CoubousAndTourmalet · 16/01/2025 12:27

It must have been terrifying for you @Nella68

Fortunately when it happened to us, my husband had our pup on the lead so I was able to grab the attacking dog by the collar and pull it away. I can see it's potentially much more frightening when you're walking alone, as you were.

It's a horrible experience and I really do feel for you. I hope Midge is okay on your next walk and the dog encounters are all friendly ones.

CaptainBeanThief · 16/01/2025 14:57

@Nella68
I hope you and midge are ok!
I know you won't be but that's absolutely awful!
There are some irresponsible owners and this one topped the leaderboard!!
I hope this doesn't affect midge long term
We are all here for you 💓

Nella68 · 16/01/2025 15:13

Thank you. He’s back from the groomers. They gave him a good check over and no physical damage done thank goodness.

He’s out checking our boundary for any scary dogs (in reality he’s looking for cat poo 🤢)

YorkshireFelix · 16/01/2025 15:32

Nella68 · 16/01/2025 15:13

Thank you. He’s back from the groomers. They gave him a good check over and no physical damage done thank goodness.

He’s out checking our boundary for any scary dogs (in reality he’s looking for cat poo 🤢)

Oh that's good to hear. As someone else said, hopefully he will bounce back from it without much issue since he's a bit older.

Vinny discovered cat poo the other day and now he drags me to the spot in the garden where he found it every time we go out. Grim 🤢

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