Adolescent Dog Survival Thread - welcome to the teenage wasteland

[Bupster]

Buckled (under instruction 😄)

In hindsight I should have done a screenshot @LandSharksAnonymous but I didn't think. I just wanted it taken off. I did threaten that we would seek legal advice. I also told her she was highly unprofessional.
Not much else I can do now, providing the thing actually has been removed...

Thanks @SpanielsGalore I'm not happy that she linked it to the village. If anybody mentions it I'll tell them it was posted without our knowledge or consent.

Aaah, you're keeping the golden girl, @LandSharksAnonymous , how lovely. She's going to be beautiful! Oh poor Twatdog, not being the big babykins any more 💗He does sound adorable.

@CoubousAndTourmalet that’s really bad of the trainer. Unfortunately it’s an unregulated business so anyone can set themselves up as a trainer. I have a few different training things on the go (agility, KC awards etc) and for each of these I have had to complete paperwork and there’s always an option to say if I want M’s picture to be on social media, and if yes do I want to use a different name.

I suppose I should add that aside from the annoyance and panic over the social media posts, the "training" was a complete waste of time. It was exactly the same stuff that the male trainer suggested in November, except that four sessions with him was cheaper than one with this one. So not good value.

Just the usual shoving treats down her gob every 3 seconds, suggesting licki mats for therapy, don't feed from a bowl just fling it on the floor and say "find it". No thank you. We don't eat our food off the floor so our dogs don't eat that way either. Food goes in a bowl.

So absolutely nothing was geared towards LGD's, it was just exactly the same old stuff done by the blokes on YouTube that she was so critical of....

My cousin thinks I should ask for a refund (aside from the petrol costs) but I don't have the nerve. Slightly tempted to leave a negative review, but might sit on it for a week or two until the rage abates.

Even with ticking the option to allow on social media, I wouldn't expect that level of detail to be posted.

That's it exactly @Nella68
If she had asked I would have said okay to an Insta photo but no name or location, but a flat no to Facebook. But to post all the details about Brie's anxiety was really bad.

I'm actually considering changing her name and sex for walks now. I've also changed my Insta settings to private.

Not the details about her anxiety issues, no @tizwozliz That's nobody's business. A vet or a psychiatrist wouldn't be allowed to do that.
I'm very stressed about it.

I wish I'd trusted my instincts. I was a whisker away from cancelling yesterday morning.

@CoubousAndTourmalet - Does she have a page you can leave a review on or anything? Either way, I hope you're feeling a bit better now❤I'd be very upset if someone did that! But I am sure nothing will happen - even with Brie being an unusual breed, I can't see many people wanting to do anything!

As you say, poor Twatdog! He's used to being coddled and fussed - he was born just before DH went on his last posting, so he bore the brunt of my 'I miss DH' period. It's probably why he's such a mummy's boy and such a horror tbh. I did him no favours by being so pathetic 😄

You're probably right @LandSharksAnonymous , I'm just over protective because of losing our previous two prematurely (epilepsy at 4 and vaccine at 7)... I love her so much. She's my world.

I really need to switch off from computer and phone for a few days after this.

@CoubousAndTourmalet I don’t think you are being over protective. Many people are fine about having name, location etc on social media. For me it’s about privacy and I don’t want people to know my business. I got annoyed a few weeks ago- M took part in a community dog show and his photo was included on a local photographer’s facebook page. If it had just been a photo of him then I wouldn’t be too bothered, but the photographer had included a close up of my daughter. That’s what really made me cross. I’ve asked him to remove the photo but it’s still there. There’s not much I can do as it’s a public event, but in your situation I would think it would be different as personal identifying information was included.
Wise thing to make your settings private.

That's a bit mean not to remove a photo of your daughter @Nella68 , even if it was a public event. As you rightly say, a lot of people don't mind having their photo all over social media, but some of us do like our privacy and want to protect our family and even our pets.

Well, that was interesting - the real Brie is back today. Lead ragging, completely ignoring the offered treats, just a crazy loon.

I'm almost annoyed that she appeared so subdued yesterday, but on the other hand it's making me realise that there is a proper LGD finally starting to emerge. It's a pity the (alleged) LGD experienced trainer couldn't recognise the natural wariness around a stranger in her home, and instead decided she was stressed 🙄

When my cousins walked in on Saturday, Breezy was bouncing around with a big grin and wagging so much that her whole body wiggled. So yeah, a proper little Pyrie, finally. She knows her own people. Her flock.

I love my funny girl 🤗

Oh and the new harness is amazing. Surprisingly the trainer said a Perfect Fit (which she is a stockist of) would be useless for Brie, so the Haqihana has been a good choice.

Hi all, sorry I’ve not popped in on this thread for a while - it’s been manic here. I posted a couple of times on the puppy thread about illness in my poor Pablo and will update over there in a few mins but he is much better today thank goodness!

I just wanted to say @CoubousAndTourmalet Im absolutely raging on your behalf, that’s probably not helpful but that’s extremely unprofessional and I would be livid in your shoes. I would absolutely ask for a refund, she can only refuse I guess.

The one thing our breeder was really firm on (despite all the bad advice she gave) was social media posting - she asked us not to post any details of where she lives etc and even gave a specific note in our puppy pack on being careful about what we post so our dogs aren’t targeted by thieves. I don’t actually have instagram or facebook or any of that myself so no issue here, but I can completely understand why she said it.

@LandSharksAnonymous good luck with the puppy matching! Seems you have your work cut out for you but hope it’s not too stressful.

@LandSharksAnonymous Do you have a kennel affix? (Obviously not asking you to share it.) How do you choose your puppies' names? Do you pick a theme?
K and P litters were all called a human name starting with the same letter - so Affix Paul, Affix Paula etc
I know some breeders have themes - like all Harry Potter related or Queen song titles.
Feel free to tell me to mind my own business if that is sharing too much personal information. 😁
I'd incorporate names from Prince songs into all of my (fictional) puppies' names.

@CoubousAndTourmalet I sent another message earlier to the photographer guy and and am pleased to say he has removed M’s photo.

From what you’ve said about LGDs Brie’s reaction does sound like natural wariness. Most unlike M who would be anyone’s friend. I’m working hard on him not greeting everyone. Actually I’m working harder on myself to say no to all the random people who want to pet him. We were in a cafe today and the serving lady wanted to give him a treat and make a fuss. I said no thank you as I don’t wanting him to think he can mug cafe staff for treats!

Thank you @VanGoSunflowers ❤
Having our location posted is a worry, but obviously would have been far more concerning if Brie had been younger and smaller. I did tell the trainer that it was highly unprofessional. Hopefully it might give a much needed kick up the arse and make her think, because I'd hate for someone with a really young pup to go through it. Given the way she bigs herself up on her website, you'd think she would have had more sense. I'm still pretty furious tbh.

Sorry to hear about Pablo being poorly. I haven't checked in on the puppy thread for a couple of days, but I'm glad he's now improving.

I'm glad he's removed the photo for you @Nella68

The guarding/wariness is a strange one. Some LGD start being guardy very early, around 4 months. Some are obvious about it (Rose & Algy) and very vocal, where others are quieter. With Brie it's been difficult to tell because she is so quiet, she hardly barks at all. She was very friendly with everybody but it's definitely changing, and she pretty much ignores strangers now, but still enthusiastically greets people she recognises - neighbours etc.

I hope we're at a point where she will start feeling more confident, but she's still a work in progress. In some ways the dogs with a big attitude are easier, because they have no self doubt and nothing fazes them. With Brie I slightly live in fear of aggressive dogs at the moment because she's so sensitive.

@VanGoSunflowers very glad Pablo is much better❤I managed to decide one puppy today (I think). Give me five minutes and I'll have changed my mind again.

@SpanielsGalore I do and I tend to pick along a theme names, so Pen's littermates were all named after Disney characters (Pen being named after Penny from the Rescuers - which was DDs favourite film at the time). My first litter was a bit on the nose and I named each dog after either famous Romans, in the boys case, or female saints. DH was leaving his job in Rome at the time😃

Sorry I have missed loads of stuff here, work has been manic. I hope Pablo is feeling better @VanGoSunflowers

Vinny’s real name is KennelName Bodhi which definitely does not suit him!

We’ve just had another group gundog class and he did WAY better this time. He was still a maniac and wouldn’t engage at all at first, but then we did a steadiness exercise which he did brilliant at and also marked retrieves for the first time which he also aced. He still runs about with the dummy in his mouth instead of giving it back (trainer said it’s called showboating 😂) but we can work on that part. Also I spoke to the lady who has the other spaniel there and she was very nice and said I was doing a good job! So great all round.

@YorkshireFelix I read that as 'KennethName Bodhi' 😁I was going to say 'Kenneth is a very odd kennel name.'

Sounds like V is really coming on leaps and bounds 😊I don't blame him for not returning things though...why should he? He found it. Finders, Keepers!

Also gundog people - what release word do you use for retrieves? Our trainer uses ‘back’ which I have heard before but no idea why it’s a thing. I need to decide on one 😄 We use ‘free’ for a general release cue but obviously need something different. I say his name too much to release him by name!

@LandSharksAnonymous Kenneth would be a great name for a dog. There’s another black spaniel who lives close by who is called Colin and it cracks me up 😄

@YorkshireFelix ‘Back’ can be either a specific thing – a direction, just like ‘out’ is for left or right, depending on which you do – or it can be the general word for ‘fetch it’. I use it to send her actually back – ie behind her when she’s sitting facing me. I say ‘back’ or ‘go back’ interchangeably as I taught both.

For marked retrieves when she’s next to me, at my heel, I use ‘fetch it’ or her name. She will mark a retrieve nicely next to me and then release on her name, but I actually reckon if I released her with the word ‘banana’ or some such she’d do the same. It’s not the word but the tone of voice – I can be chatting away to her idly before sending her and she won’t move because I haven’t said it in such a way that suggests it means ‘fetch it’.

Using their name as a release is useful if you ever want to work him (for fun) with another dog as then you can release independently. I would like to be able to do that at some point so I taught her to go off her name – as again it’s not what you say but how you say it, in my experience.

Interesting, maybe I will do his name then. I am conscious of saying it too much anyway but Sylvie is always ‘Vinny this and Vinny that,’ but I guess she is very unlikely to be present when he’s doing it anyway. NOT that I am saying I will ever have another dog because I’d probably have a nervous breakdown, but it might be useful further down the line.

I did think about your go back command when she said about using it as a release word. I saved your explanation on how to train it months ago and never got round to it!

Also I knew ‘gundog people’ would summon you 😂😂😂

@YorkshireFelix Hahah I have been lurking vaguely while ploughing through a massive spreadsheet of Church of England parishes 🤓