Adolescent Dog Survival Thread - get teenage licks right through the night!

[Bupster]

I've buckled and started the new thread - welcome to the horror of adolescence!

I'm glad we're not the only ones always on neighbourhood watch!

Thank you, @Nella68 - he is a gorgeous and very well-loved little yob, which is the only reason he's still not a kebab. I'm so tired I can't tell you 😄

@Bupster - that sounds exactly like how classes went with my older one but she turned out pretty ok in the end. She spent half the class watching a helicopter one time, then a tractor, then someone on horseback, another time she stole someone else's furry rabbit dummy and ran rings round the rather large field.

Remember, some dogs are genuinely harder work than others. If younger pup was my first I'd be taking full credit for how excellent she is when the reality is she's been very easy from day 1. I remember looking at other dogs in those first classes who just sat staring up at their owner's whilst the trainer was talking whilst I was attempting to control my kangaroo on the end of the lead and wonder where I was going wrong. Then we got Grace and now I get to be the owner whose dog just sits and stares at them :-)

@tizwozliz that’s reassuring about your older dog.
I’m trying to find an adolescent class so he can have practice around other dogs (I’m sure he would be like Bill!) I’ve contacted a few people but no one has replied which is frustrating.

A dog agility lady has replied so I’m planning to book some 1-1 sessions. It’s really hard to find daytime training/ classes

It’s really hard to find daytime training/ classes

Interesting you say that, I found the opposite, I ended up taking time out of work to go gundog training and hoopers in the day midweek.

@tizwozliz I’ll keep on looking, I might need to go further afield

@tizwozliz thank you! He is the love of my life but he is such hard work. I want to say since adolescence, but his first puppy classes were like this too - the other puppies were either under the chairs shivering or gazing adoringly at their owners while Bill tried to clamber over the dividers to steal their treatos.

When did it start getting easier with your older one?

I think it was around 9-10 months that she improved on day to day walks. I think I remember posting here at the time that walks could start to be somewhat enjoyable again rather than constant management and hypervigilance.

Group classes were much more hit and miss to a much older age. We gave up on gundog classes age 2 after a last ditch one to one where she acted like she'd never had a days training in her life. Even at 3.5, she stole my hat and ran round the field with it before her hoopers run. She did win though once I got her mind on what she was doing 😀

Mantrailing was great for us because she loved it and there's much less opportunity for delinquency.

He Will Not Go The Fuck To Sleep.

Bill has napped for precisely 22 minutes since 6:30am. He lies down, I think yes, thank God, I can send an email, then two seconds later he's licking my face.

He's not crate trained, and I'm not expecting any useful advice, don't worry, just needed somewhere to say AAAARG HE'S DRIVING ME INSANE (we have about 26 verses of a song on exactly this subject, but I daren't sing it in case he's drifting off 🙄).

Can't edit for some reason so update: I am attempting to turn my whole bedroom into a covered crate so he goes the f to sleep. He has managed to somehow find a really loud crunchy empty plastic bottle IN THE BED. I'm going to go downstairs to his actual crate in a second and lock myself in.

Oh my god @Bupster. Is ignoring him completely – literally absolutely no acknowledgement of him at all – not working? Is he just very overtired?

Oh Bill please go the fuck to sleep. I hope he has by now!! I bet he's over-tired and wound up. But I don't know the solution as I'd just close Vinny in his crate in this situation.

He slept for another 20 minutes or so and is now INSANE. I actually dressed in my waterproofs and took him up the allotment for an hour in the pouring rain, but he's still bonkers. Going to try him again in my bedroom soon with brown noise on, as he's got to be knackered. Thank you both for the solidarity! Honestly, I can't remember him being this bad, ever.

What's he doing – just anything but settling?

He's asleep! Hallelujah. Except now I have to wake him up in a minute to take him to the park as my sitter's coming at four so I can go to the gym 😂

I don't know how to describe him today except hyper-aroused. He quite often moves around in his naps or asleep as most dogs do; he'll have 20 minutes on the sofa then 20 minutes at my feet, but today he's been moving around every five minutes, and then once he's up he's UP.

He's not eating much and had way too much rich food yesterday so I'm wondering if he has a bit of an upset stomach and that's not helping. It was chemical warfare last night, I can tell you.

I expect he'll spend the whole time at the park trying to dive through the hedge, then will conk out at 5pm and be awake at 5am. I really should have got a budgie.

@Bupster Budgies are boring. I hope the Bill monster gives you some peace today!

@brushingbootssorry I don't know why it's tagged you but I can't get rid of it.

Ive been away from this thread for a while as I felt a bit of an outsider and sometimes I felt abit like anything I said was contradicted when I was only trying to say.

Anyway. We've had a massive blow with Milo.
We've had him in the vets because he's had trouble with his right leg - a dog came running up to him the other day in the park he suddenly went lame and whelped. We did a wait and watch approach as he was fine in himself and it seemed better, however yesterday happened again. He has stage 2 possibly 3 luxating patellas in BOTH knees. She said it was hediatary but I'm absolutely devastated, he's not even 2 and knowing this is going to limit is life significantly has made me really really sad.
She said, surgery for this stage is recommended however with his breed she was saying she would not even touch Milo, we agreed as there is no way he would rest 6-8 weeks in a crate.
We have decided on anti inflammatory medication for the interim.
He seems to be a more able to stand up straight on his back legs but I'm still so sad, limiting his physical activity as a spaniel seems inhumane.
We have a check-up in 2 weeks to discuss other things to help him.
Sorry I just needed somewhere to vent/ maybe some support.

@CaptainBeanThief Hello chum! You shouldn’t ever feel like an outsider – you were a founding member of this thread!! Hope things are well with you (apart from this)?

I am so, so sorry to hear this about Milo. Poor boy, and poor you – I am obsessed with tracking pupsy’s movement and I really feel for you. Sending huge love from us. Bless him. How awful that the vet said it was hereditary. It won’t help you now I suppose but are you still in touch with the breeder? I think I’d be letting mine know, or at least broaching the subject.

Would physio help him at this stage – or some hydrotherapy? There are two fab canine hydro centres near us and when pupsy hurt her shoulder last year we went to one of them a few times when she needed to do some low-impact exercise and energy release. A friend of mine has been doing infrared light therapy with her spaniel following recent major surgery on her elbow joint. If you want more info I’ll ask her for you. Her dog is younger than Milo but post-surgery she has really sprung back.

Oh my love, I am sorry. The most important thing is that he has you and that you will do everything you can to make sure he still has a wonderful life, even if you need to make some adjustments. You will always have support here from us and you can always message me if you need xxx

@brushingboots
I will literally try anything to help him Milo at this stage,
We will travel so yes, if you could do that, yes please. We pretty much made our mind up there and then, with the vet we would like to try the anti inflammatory meds before any surgery but I'm not daft, it's severe and I'm feeling so guilty how could we not notice that it was this bad? However apparently it doesn't show until this age. I'm absolutely fuming with the breeder and also myself. I haven't stopped crying because I cannot stand the thought of him suffering and I'm typing this with tears in my eyes. It might sound a bit OTT to some but a spaniel is a different, special breed, they are crazy, neurotic and they take over your whole life and heart and I feel sad for him. :-(

@CaptainBeanThief I’ve just messaged her for you – will update when she comes back to me. She’s also got one of these for her dog, to do strengthening exercises and general physio. Not sure if that’s what he needs right now but it might be in the future – just another thought/thing to try.

https://zoomadog.co.uk/products/fitpaws?srsltid=AfmBOoqk2eJMzA1au8dBS2uF9Uhi-JXCFZXu5TQwXPT4IG1xS_rz3_So

It’s not OTT at all, they are just the very best dogs and they give us so much. You’re allowed to feel exactly how you’re feeling and I’d feel the same. Don’t feel guilty – dogs mask their pain REALLY well, especially our bouncy spaniels. They want to please us, they don’t want to limp and so they push through. It’s not on you at all. Please try not to feel guilty. It’s OK to feel sad for him but don’t be cross with yourself. I’ll ask around a few spanielly friends too to see if anyone has any thoughts on what else you can do. Will update with more ideas.

Thanks for the link @brushingboots
I've just had a quick look but ill do some more looking and research and that and have a speak with my husband. We do want to avoid the surgery route for as long as possible mainly because he can't sit still for an hour let alone 8 weeks - the vet really did stress he would have to be on strict crate rest and she knows Milo would struggle with this. She also did say she could refer to an orthopaedic surgeon, which could definitely be an option. We are going to add some supplement support, may not be much good however does have some evidence of having some benefits.
Even my husband is going through things like things we have done wrong or what we could have done better or differently.
The good news the vet was very very complimentary on his temperament, body condition and overall health. She said his weight is perfect and his shape is perfect and we must not let him go over 14.5 KG.

@CaptainBeanThief Here’s a link to the red light therapy tool –
https://healedpets.co.uk/

Supplements are definitely worth looking at. We use flax oil from Pure Flax for joint support and that’s gone down really well with pupsy, though it’s in support of her general health rather than to heal anything specifically, but might be worth a look while you’re researching.

That is good news indeed – take the positives from it! I wouldn’t be able to contain pupsy for eight weeks in a crate either so I completely understand your reluctance to go for surgery. It was hard enough after she was spayed.

@CaptainBeanThief Just looking at it, that first link I sent has some really good info on luxating patellas on it with some suggestions of supplements too.

The whole reason we didn't get Milo neutered also, before 2 anyway was to protect his bones the best we could. It's just a mess.
He's still happy in himself and wild.
Mainly over his knobhead adolescence dickhead-ness ( sorry @Bupster )
He can stand up straighter today anyway.
How is pupsy ? Not been around for a loooong time 🫨

@CaptainBeanThief I was just thinking about you and Milo this morning! It's so good to hear from you, but I am so sorry to hear what you've been going through with him. This is the exact thing we thought Vinny had, which is why we had a full check with the physio. I would highly recommend seeing a good physio too as they can work absolute wonders.

Our physio has a sprocker with this same issue and she still lives an amazing lifestyle but said she has to be really careful and give her plenty of rest.

V is having the red laser light therapy on his cruciate ligament damage at the moment and it's supposed to be very good. I am sure there's some fab physio's near you - I know you are not a million miles way from me so here's a link to the lady we see who is amazing - bodyrestore.co.uk/

Sorry I wish I had more advice but I am sure we would all feel the same way you do too. Don't beat yourself up about it, there's absolutely no way you could have known before now.