Adolescent Dog Survival Thread - welcome to the teenage wasteland

[Bupster]

Buckled (under instruction 😄)

@CoubousAndTourmalet I hope your migraine improves soon. Can you ward off the migraine if alerted in time? You could employ Brie as your medical alert dog.

Ignore the big dog haters and all the other unhinged mumsnetters. They’re not worth your brain time

Thanks @YorkshireFelix and @Nella68

She's a good girl, she's getting to know when I have an off day.

I used to be able to ward off the headaches sometimes Nella, but sadly, these days nothing really helps.

I'm just getting really unsettled by the dog hate here, because I've so rarely come across it in my 48 years of dogs. I can understand people's reservations about out of control dogs, but taking issue with dogs that were on a lead seems a bit much...😒

@brushingbootsthanks for that excellent post. I’ve screenshot it all but dare I ask whether you can collate into one document that we could cut and paste?! Not sure whether that’s possible on here. Off out now with a 1yr old working lab who has dubious ‘play manners’. Body slamming has been a preferred method of introduction so it’s back on the lead we go to start from scratch and learning to introduce ourselves politely🙄

Just catching up. Your Goldies are definitely on the large side! Brie was only 9.2kg at 8 weeks and she was the second biggest of 8 pups. She and a boy were significantly bigger than the others. Average for PMD at 8 weeks is not much more than your Twatdog.

I just checked back on the old puppy threads (and reminisced). Older pup was 5.6kg when we took her to the vets at 8 weeks and 1 day. All 9 of her litter were between 4.95 and 5.05kg at 7.5 weeks when they had vaccinations.

25.5 kg as an adult.

@abracadabra1980 Pleasure!

I've just made a Google Doc with it all in – hopefully this should work?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1h2qkcuvD-JrHQa283RJ8CPqSeoj40Y2pZet_3f3Q49Y/edit?usp=sharing

@CoubousAndTourmalet i didn’t realise he advocated for prong collars tbh!

But yes, my Goldies are huge as puppies. And they grow really quickly as well. Height wise they’re fully grown by about 8 months. They then just bulk up. By 5 months he was knee height on me…

It's no wonder you get asked if he's a PMD!

With regard to WA - I thought he was pretty good to start with, but then there's a video with a Dogue de Bordeaux pulling on the lead and he put a prong on it. I think if you cherry pick he's okay, he does have a few decent videos, but recently he seems to have gone a bit more into being "pack leader". I think it's since he got a GSD he's doing more of the alpha talk, so maybe it's a more assertive dog than his previous Lab and Mastiff.

@CoubousAndTourmalet such a shame if so - his video with his lab in the field was an incredible example of training.

Yep! Sadly they are huge. Twatdog is just at the max breed height, but he’s been about that height since 8 months. This is him at 4.5 months. Giant animal 😂

@LandSharksAnonymous I was just about to say he looked small for a goldie. Then read that's a 4.5 months. 😂

@SpanielsGalore Oh I wish he’d stayed that size! Would make him easier to handle when he was being a nob!

Love his choice of tv programme @LandSharksAnonymous 😆

He does look a tall lad! Brie is also at the top end of the standard for her breed & sex. I'm not convinced that she's finished growing 😱

@LandSharksAnonymous How much does twat dog weigh now he’s grown? One of our neighbours has ‘Guide Dog Dad’ (stud), and he is huge, as in very tall and long. He makes Midge look quite petite!

Just wanted to say, I don’t know about Will Atherton’s training techniques as such but I do enjoy watching videos of Uncle Sully being a Good Boy ❤️

Ahem, sorry, as you were 😂

He does okay stuff with Uncle Sully.

(But I am mainly on YouTube for Pyreneans playing with bunnies etc.)

I do feel like you could turn his videos in to a drinking game by taking a swig every time he says ‘loving canine leader’ or ‘perfect canine companion’
😂

Anyway, off to search for videos of PMDs playing with bunnies because that sounds absolutely delightful 😍

@Nella68 right now he’s in excess of 45KG, but usually hovers around 36-38. Hot weather combined with puppies has meant slightly less stimulation than he’d usually get! I’ve attached a photo - he’s still not fat, but I’d probably describe him as having love handles 😁(and right now he’s not the only one…)

@CoubousAndTourmalet he loves TV! He’ll sit on the sofa with me (on me) and watch it all night if he can!

@VanGoSunflowers i know!!! I watch the videos with Sully and dream of my rabble being that good!

@brushingboots thank you so much - very kind of you. My hobby has always been canine behaviour and I've been on several courses/worked in a welfare capacity - but you wouldn't know that if you were watching my young Lab and her 'play manners'. It's not helped by the fact I have a 5yr old Newfoundland who is obviously extremely robust as a playmate. One thing I have never tried is gundog training, so I'll read through your instructions with interest. We are starting 1:1 training soon with a local behaviourist/trainer whom I really rate, as I now have a pack problem, in that the little Lab pisses off another dog; that dog will snap at her, Newf then joins in to protect her and I get screamed at. It's awful. As much as I try to keep her on a lead when other dogs are around, I live in a highly populated doggy area by a large beach, so even when you think you are alone, someone can appear out of nowhere. One thing I have discovered - I never stop learning! (and I wish more online trainers/behaviourists' would cover multi dog households-most of them don't).

He's as hefty as Brie then @LandSharksAnonymous !

@Nella68 Funny you should mention long tall dogs - I looked at Brie in the kitchen last night, and commented to my husband "isn't she long now?". Tall and long. And our previous two girls were tiny for PMD.

Ah, I thought I recognised you in relation to Newfies @abracadabra1980 We've talked giant breeds before - I'm Pyrenean woman.
Totally agree, always more to learn. It's why I'm here.

@abracadabra1980 pleasure! Gundog training can get quite addictive if your dog is into it as it gives them so much.

I'm in awe of your Newf!

@abracadabra1980 - have you posted on the Labrador forums about your girl? I think I may have replied there to you

@brushingboots we've done man trailing - she blew my mind - still does, but I'd like to try gundog training @CoubousAndTourmalet yes your Pyrenean rings a bell now-been out of the loop for a while as I'm moving house. @tizwoz I sure have posted on one of the UK Labrador forums - great advice on there as I often find the breed related training tips to be more helpful. It's not until you've owned a few different breeds that you recognise certain breed traits.
I loved working in Pug welfare as I had solid breed experience of my own, and fostering really opened my eyes - each dog is an individual on top of those traits. Cross them out, into Puggles and Jugs (not my cup of tea but I helped them all), and you get additional issues when they have another breed's DNA. Pugs x Jack Russell terriers are my least favourite hybrid!
With my Newfie, (I'm not a massive Newfoundland experienced owner), she was a tick box dream for me as I just loved them and so wanted to swim with my very own New one day. I waited a long time to get her (4 years) and it was a dream come true.The stubbornness of my Newf has been massively highlighted, by the biddableness of the working Labrador. Huge, huge difference. My Newf is EXACTLY how the breed is described. Call her when she has a scent, and it's' like she's sticking two fingers (paws) up at me. May aswell own a Beagle. Little Liquorice Legs (Lab) returns on command nearly EVERY, SINGLE, TIME for one so young.
I'm getting too old for big dogs now, but I love being protected by them. I've always loved Brussels Griffons, so maybe I'll have a rescue BG one day. I'm semi retired now and 3/4 retiring soon, so doggy world is my oyster!!

Worst nightmare just happened.
Her collar came off again on our way home from a walk.
She ran into a busy road.
She could have been killed.
I will never forgive myself.

I need to look for a decent harness.
Or rehome her because clearly I'm an unfit owner.

Can't stop shaking.
Can't stop crying.

@CoubousAndTourmalet
That’s terrifying but you are not an unfit owner. You have had a horrible scare, but Brie is ok.

Have you investigated perfect fit harnesses? I’ve just had a look at their website and they do ones for giant breeds. I walk M with a double ended lead with one end on the harness and the other on the collar. It still gives him the feeling of being walked with a collar but I have the reassurance that I have another anchor point.

I hope the stress doesn’t make your migraine worse. Give Brie a cuddle

Thanks, @Nella68

It was terrifying. Right at the crossroads in the village 😱school time so it was busy.

I'll have a look at Perfect Fit now. Thank you. I think Bupster has mentioned those before...
We have two EzyDog harnesses but Brie is now too long in the body, so they restrict her shoulder movement. I do have a couple of double ended leads already, but I'll hopefully order a harness this evening.

I've just sat on the floor with her and cried. She licked my face, which I never normally let her do. I love her so very much. That was just an awful experience.

Thank you for your kind words x