Adolescent Dog Survival Thread - for teenage dirtbags

[Bupster]

I've buckled again, I can't take the pressure of being on page 40 😄

I wondered if that's what it was, as you mentioned grades in another post.
My 3 year old cocker was diagnosed with the same at around 2 years of age. Her right leg was grade 3/4 and needed surgery. You could see when it popped out of place, as she would do a hop, skipping move and stretch her leg out to pop it back in place. Her recovery took almost a year, as the tendons became inflamed and she had to have a second operation to remove the metalwork they'd put in. She does have mild arthritis in her knee now, but it doesn't bother her at the minute and she's back to running around the woods like a nutter. Hopefully her left knee will stay stable enough to not need surgery.
I'm sorry Milo can't do what spaniels do, but I am sure he has a fulfilling life regardless.

@Bupster Oh Jesus woman. Poor you. Definitely write today off and begin again tomorrow. My commiserations.

If it helps, I've only managed to write about 600 words today (including on this thread) and I haven't even had a drama, so maybe today is a universal write-off.

@Bupster on the plus side...Bill is happy?

Sounds like a rotten day though!

Thanks everyone! He has been absolutely wonderful. I accidentally dropped his lead waiting for the RAC man and he took off after a swallow and CAME BACK when I called him. And he coped with getting into a boiling hot car tipped at a 45° angle while the RAC roared and tugged us off the bank as if it was a thing that happened every day. I just took him out for a last (and, thank God, successful) poo trip and he was an absolute wonder, completely engaged with me, able to trot past barky male chihuahuas, at one stage literally trotting along at my side looking up at me as I tried to dodge a random dog that appeared from nowhere. I'm so tired I daren't even have a bath in case I can't lever myself out of it but he's delighted with the day, and being a superstar. I'm going to give him a big stinky pork spaghetti chew in a minute that will make him fart all night because he's earned it. Then I'm going to attempt to have a shower, wash everything I'm wearing, and collapse in front of the telly.

Update: the lying little git just claimed he was DESPERATE for another poo - he has a whole routine, he indicates for me to go upstairs to the loo, then noses his lead, then trots to the front door and back, all meant to mean we MUST leave the house RIGHT NOW. Actually, all he wanted to do was lie in the grass at the dog park and watch some teenagers play some mad version of cricket in the kids' park next door. He did accompany me home when I asked him politely though, so fair's fair. Dear God, I'm so tired I could have laid down with him.

So, it cooled off a bit last night and we ventured out at 8. I had her on the big harness for the first time since she was much smaller, and, my god, it was horrendous. She still did the arsey lead-biting routine on the field, but it was ten times harder. With the double ended lead attached to both collar and harness, she managed twice to get the lead around her leg and we had to unhook it. Perhaps this is my incompetence; for almost 50 years we've walked our PMD on collar only, it's what most giant breed people tend to do. The lack of control with a harness on a big dog is insane. I walked her home with the lead on the collar only, the harness just for back up/something to grab onto.

So, tonight I'll try the martingale collar again and see how I feel about that. Honestly, of all of them, Brie has been the most challenging because of the lead ragging. Walking her at the moment feels like going into combat, and this time of the year my asthma plays up, so it's physically draining. This morning I feel as if I've been beaten up.

Sorry for the moan. But honestly, I feel clueless walking this girl at the moment. She is so different from our others, like a kind of a boy girl combination (that is, girl attitude but boy size and strength) and it's confounding me...

@Bupster Tbf to Bill (you know me - Bill's biggest fan) it sounds like he's really trying his best to be a good dog...so there is definitely a plus side to all of the drama you had yesterday😁How are you feeling today?

@CoubousAndTourmalet ahh no! I have to confess I think harnesses on big dogs are impossible to work with. I have no advice but just to sympathise about how hard it is! You spend years getting used to your 'breed' and their quirks and then one comes along which totally throws you and makes you question everything about what you thought you knew about the breed. I have asthma as well but I've found Piriteze actually helps, even though I think the pollen count is quite low atm, perhaps worth a try?

Thanks, @LandSharksAnonymous She's really pushing me. At home she is a treasure, just no trouble at all. On the lead it's a different matter, and since she managed to get out of the collar, I have so much paranoia about it happening when we're road walking 😱It's her big fat neck that's the issue 😆

Ah, thanks, I'll have a look at Piriteze. My husband is on Loratadine for hayfever, but that gave me headaches. I'm sure Sylvie was given Piriton for a grass allergy on her legs, I remember us and our vet laughing at the name of it...

@CoubousAndTourmalet
My asthma is also playing up coupled with my collapsed lung it's making life terrible -
I take promethazine - it's a drowsy antihistamine - also used for agitation and sleep so you may not want to take it ( I was prescribed this long term by my psychiatrist but, you can buy it OCT) but I kill 2 birds with one stone. I'm currently taking certizine.

@CoubousAndTourmalet I can strongly recommend Allevia – it used to be a prescription antihistamine but it's OTC now. I'm not asthmatic but it was recommended to me by the pharmacist when I had that appalling chest thing the other month and it definitely helped.

@Deanthebean
Sorry. I can well imagine that this time of year will be very difficult for you, given your heart problems. The heat must be exhausting 😔

@brushingboots Thanks. I'll check that out. I hope you're fully recovered from your chest infection...

I have to be doubly careful about medications because I have such a history of reacting to things. Couple that with a genetic liver issue and low blood pressure, and it gets complicated. I'm on a steroid inhaler, and my asthma is well controlled overall. I usually only get symptoms in June/July and I'm worse for humidity and pollution. We live in a moorside village, and last night when we were on the fields, there was a horrible, dingy layer of pollution visible hanging over the motorways in the Manchester direction. Apparently, there were fires over at Rivington yesterday too, which probably doesn't help. I can smell smoke again this morning. Idiots with barbecues again, always is 😡

Bless his heart, he's been wonderful today as well - playing well with others, did marked retrieves (of a no-longer-squeaky banana, but still), and walking to heel, albeit only on a big lawn and absolutely not when walking there, and just generally being lovely and engaged and a sweetheart. So yesterday did him absolutely no harm. I checked my fitbit - 25,000 steps - and fell into a deep sleep at 9:30pm. He then woke me up at intervals because I'd left the windows open and every time the blinds brushed something in another room he felt the need to bark in my ear just in case it was a burglar, but still, I'm feeling loads better, thank you!

I use promethazine @Deanthebean but as a sleeping aid! it's what used to be Sominex. So can recommend it if you want a good night's sleep but can't speak to whether it'll stop you sneezing while awake...

Coming up to the anniversary of getting Brie, we've just had the insurance renewal. I was dreading it, expecting it to have rocketed, but it's gone up from £54 monthly to £65, which is not too bad for a giant breed. The kibble has gone up more than that.

Allevia is what I take too, it’s very good!

Sorry you are having so much trouble with lead walking @CoubousAndTourmalet. I would feel the same and be nervous about walking her since the backing out of collar incident too. Sorry to hear the harness didn’t work out any better either!

@Bupster not to jinx it, but maybe this is the turning point and Bill is become a respectable member of society? 😃

I've been in 'training' all day today and have been reading the old threads (because I take work related training very seriously) whilst I prepare for a new litter ...lots of things I hadn't really considered before came up on the older threads so they've been added to the puppy pack. But, more interestingly (and importantly) it's actually really lovely to see how much peoples dogs have grown and changed (both physically and in terms of behaviour) over the last few months.

It's just so lovely when they become adults (she says to herself, realising that in c. 3 months she'll have five Goldies in her house that she is 100% responsible for... and she's desperately trying to find light at the end of the tunnel)

@LandSharksAnonymous

It's lovely when they become adults

My eldest is 4 and I'm still waiting 😂

@LandSharksAnonymous My respectable member of society this afternoon. Then he ate my reading glasses. Luckily only the emergency ones, pre-chewed.

Finally, a non-loafing around photo of Brie! Out on the field tonight. See what I mean about the crazy big neck and chest?

@CoubousAndTourmalet What a princess! So majestic! Did you have a better time this evening?

Re your harness trouble – does she not like it because it restricts her movement/does it restrict her movement? I always wonder about harnesses with a chest piece like that, rather than those that go between their legs like a bib, if you know what I mean? (Just a thought, as you'd mentioned that she doesn't like it, not a criticism!)

It was a difficult walk again. I do know what you mean about the movement, and it's why we stopped using the other harness after she had the shoulder strain. This harness is very loose and there is at least a couple of inches between the strap and her front legs. It doesn't appear to restrict her, but the lack of control is bothersome for me. I haven't tried a chest plate harness because I haven't been able to find one big enough for her body length.
She looks small and chunky on the photo but she's huge; I don't want to post a photo with me on, but when she walks alongside me, her head is almost at waist level on me.
I don't know what the solution is with the collar/thick neck issue. Historically, in France, they wore iron collars with massive spikes on the outside, so a webbing collar isn't going to hurt her. She's not really a great puller anyway, more of a moocher, but I have this awful paranoia about it coming off again when she starts playing up with lead ragging and zoomies.

@CoubousAndTourmalet I imagine it’s not even height but also her muscle mass. I’ve seen cockers drag their owners along before when they’ve suddenly lunged, so with Brie it must be incredibly hard.

I guess she probably wouldn’t like a figure8 one either? Or a combination of figure8 and a hardness type one?

Agree she is stunning though! How anyone can confuse my rabble of nitwits with your beautiful girl (in terms of breed) is incredible! Bet she gives the best hugs as well😍

She's incredibly strong. Our other three girls were quite feminine - obviously still large, but not massive. Even my husband has moments of being pulled off-balance by Brie. I know I keep saying it, but she is built more like the males were, and that's unexpected.

I'll have to do my research on the harnesses, but, with most of them, it seems to be her body length that's an issue. Perfect fit might be an option, because that's modular in construction, but then we need to assess whether that equates to weak points...🤔

She is gorgeous, but, sadly, she's not really a cuddler 😞Our boys have been more gentle-natured and cuddly than our girls. I suspect that's pretty general with LGD from what I've seen. It's why I think she needs a male companion asap... No plans to breed though, absolutely not - I 'd never cope with 12 of the buggers 😱

@CoubousAndTourmalet that’s if your litter is average! But god, imagine the fur alone from 12 of them…

I do hope you find a fix for the harness issue soon 😞I guess there’s always the option to try and make something yourself - if you’re handy (I could never) - but that probably isn’t ideal!

My God she's fabulous. Though I'm surprised you can FIND her neck and chest under all that 😍. What an absolutely beautiful dog, no wonder you're a one breed woman.

Perfect Fit are pretty wonderful - because we couldn't drive to any stockists, I emailed them, and still do, any time I need to change his harness up. In a year only one clip has ever been damaged and it still worked, and I'm not on the harness type they do for strong pullers. Definitely worth talking to them about Brie and see what they suggest.

(and yes, Bill can drag me along when he lunges for something and he weighs 23kg, so totally understand why it's a different fish kettle for Brie or one of @LandSharksAnonymous 's goldies. Incidentally Bill met a seven month old female working goldie on Tuesday during our ridiculous day of wonky car wedging, and they very much had the same energy - not suitable for the portakabin we were in, I can tell you that 😄)

@Bupster - I’ve often thought that Goldies are just larger, slightly more brainless, spaniels (particularly cockers). They definitely have aligned Chakras…