Adolescent Dog Survival Thread - welcome to the teenage wasteland

[Bupster]

Buckled (under instruction 😄)

Yes, I'm checking in too and hoping all is well.

Thank you all ❤️ the tiny baby is home and looking very snazzy with her fancy bandages! I said to the vet that she looked like a polo pony.

They found a piece of grass seed but not all of it, so it’s either dissolved on its own, she pulled it out right at the start of this saga when she was licking her foot which is the thing that made me aware of it to begin with, or it’s still in there. The vet is 90pc sure it’s all out as he couldn’t find anything else. But he’s properly explained the pathway for if it gets swollen again – CT scan and beyond.

She’s acting more or less entirely normally – the GA has pretty well worn off I’d say. She has picked at her food which is to be expected but crucially eaten the bit with her meds in. Lead walks until Monday when she’s back for a post-op check. That part isn’t a great hassle as it’s going to be hot over the weekend anyway and we can go next door to the deer park where she has to be on the lead anyway. And she can come to the garden centre and the farm shop and the pub too, which will be differently enriching to her usual programme.

I knew rationally that she’d be home again tonight but I’m just so relieved that she is. She had so many extra cuddles and kisses this morning from me because I was worried that I’d never get the chance again which is absolutely stupid but she is my only baby of any variety (so far) and I love her more than anything.

Glad she is home and recovered well from the GA. Hopefully the vet found all that was left of the seed and this will be an end to it all.
And it's perfectly natural to be worried. I have 7 babies (some furry, some not) and I worry about the furry ones more them all the same.

Glad she is safely back home and hope that there will be no further issues from the rogue grass seed.
As you've said, it looks as if another heatwave is imminent, which isn't great news for any of us (aside from possibly @SpanielsGalore who may fare better than the rest of us), but still, it provides a valid excuse for less exercise while Pupsy recovers.
I hope you both have a restful night.

I’m so glad it doesn’t seem to be anything more ominous @brushingboots!

Does anyone have a long line that doesn’t shred your fingers to bits if you try and grab it? I know you’re meant to stand on them but sometimes grabbing is necessary, and I’ve just managed to pull all the skin off the inside of my fingers with ours this evening 😖

We went down to the field to do some training but he was just being a menace and wouldn’t listen. But we decided to stick around a bit longer and after he had ran about in the bunny bushes for 5 minutes, he tired himself out and did some good sit/stay/whistle recall. He also did some excellent marked retrieves, where he actually brought me the dummy back and dropped it or hand delivered after ‘showboating’ the first one. So I am very pleased!! I only had the longline on him to stop the showboating so it doesn’t really matter that I ditched it in the end.

So anyway, I have learnt that he needs to let off some steam before I try and get any decent training out of him. So I am going to remember that for the future…

@YorkshireFelix DMum used the Toozey Dog Training Leads with Anti-Slip Rubbers and Reflective Stips (sorry it won't let me link...). You can get it on amazon! It's £15.19. I found it good on the few times I took Satan out before we had sorted her recall. The handle is quite padded. Also it's quite thick, so less risk of injury should the lead tangle around someone else or their dog!

@brushingboots so glad she's home safely (like you said, even though you knew she would be, you still worry). I always forget how pretty she is.😍

There are just too many pretty spaniels on this thread. Nice, small, pretty spaniels.

@LandSharksAnonymous Thank you <3

Do I sense that the definitely not small goldies are getting you down – and that you can't wait until the pups have gone (is it tomorrow?)...?

@LandSharksAnonymous I bet Little Miss Purple is already bigger than K. 😂

@YorkshireFelix Mine's a biothane long line, but it's been so long since I used it, I can't remember if it hurts your hand or not. Sorry. That was absolutely no help at all.

Day 12 - P has taken to humping my slanket over the last few days. It lives on the sofa all year round, and the dogs use it as a cosy bed or pillow.
I went through to check on her earlier and she'd torn a strip off it. She has never ever done anything 'naughty' in all her 4 years.

Only on mumsnet would a Staffordshire Bull Terrier ever be described as a giant dog breed🙄
It's bonkers out there tonight.

Sorry about your slanket @SpanielsGalore Hormonal bitches are such a pain. We have that joy to come in late September-ish.

Good luck for tomorrow @LandSharksAnonymous , I hope all pups will travel well and settle nicely into their new homes.

Hope pupsy is doing okay this evening @brushingboots

@MonCoubousMonTourmalet I read that earlier. 😂 I decided to walk away from that one.
This is P's third season. She was absolutely fine during the previous two. But it's been two years, so I may be misremembering.

I walked away too @SpanielsGalore and from the dogs in cafes one. I regret being drawn into the aversive one this morning and I'm wandering off from the cockapoo one now. I need to 🤐

I'm slightly dreading Brie coming into season, because there's an adolescent male GSD nearby who is likely to go bonkers, because we can't get out of our street without passing his house.

@brushingboots tomorrow and Sunday! They could have good a week ago given how developed they are. But yes this last week has been awful - they’re evil little piranhas. And then when you tell them no they all gaze up at you with their wide, beautiful, eyes and act all innocent. Then you turn around and they’re attacking you again. Even DDs now have to be bribed into spending time with them.

@SpanielsGalore she’s off to the vets on Monday so I’ll get her weighed again but I think she’s probably nearly 8kg now.

Poor P! She must be going a bit nutty, bless her. How is she on her walks? I always find mine become particularly disobedient…

@CoubousAndTourmalet thank you! First family due in an hour 😫by the end of today only four puppies will be left. Four feels more manageable!

@LandSharksAnonymous Oh. One will be gone already! How sad. Or not. 😂

P's the opposite on walks. I've hired a freedom field a couple of times so she can have a good run. And she's practically stuck to me like glue, plodding along whilst I've chuntered away about it being a waste of money.

@brushingboots Im glad she is doing well and wishing for a full, speedy recovery! She really is an absolute stunner and I keep having to tell myself I shall not be getting a spaniel pup at any point 😂

@LandSharksAnonymous hope this weekend goes well! Your house will feel so quiet afterwards I’ll bet!

Got to share a sweet (proud) training moment, if I may.

Brie & Freija ate supper, side by side, in the kitchen 😊 For us this is a very big thing. To be fair, Brie was ready for this quite a while ago, but Freija is old and set in her ways, so it needed patience.

Obviously it shows that there is no resource guarding from Brie, but she's also being respectful of puss having her food nearby (literally inches from pup's own bowl) and is not trying to grab it. Feeding is the area I focus most on when they're little, because of us being a multi dog, multi cat household in the past. I cannot risk resource guarding from a giant around tiny puppies, cats or kittens.

This is another reason why I won't do the type of feeding that the trainer recommended, scattering and making her work for it. For Brie (as with our previous PMD), food is in the bowl only, four times a day, and she has good manners. She sits and waits and she eats slowly. This was achieved gently with no correction, just channelling her in the direction I want. Now it's paying off.

That's lovely @MonCoubousMonTourmalet . It's good when all your hard work and training pays off.

My three are all fed in different areas, separated by doors and gates, because K will wolf hers down and barge the other two out of the way to eat theirs too.

@MonCoubousMonTourmalet ahhh that’s amazing! Well done to all of you. Must have felt great to see that ❤️

@SpanielsGalore A bit sad, but mostly just happy - a combination of not having so many sharp little piranha teeth nipping at me and also seeing how happy holding the little landsharks makes their new families! First two puppies are now gone and I think Pen is about to whip out the bunting and throw a party.

Oh bless P! I'm sure she appreciates you hiring the effort you've gone to in hiring the field...even if she doesn't show it 😃It's so interesting that dogs are so different in situations like that though - my girls just tend to wander off, pretend they've never had any training, and then act indignant when they're told off.

@VanGoSunflowers thank you! It'll be lovely, but I will miss all their faces peering up at me over the whelping pen first thing in the morning and the little squeals of joy when they finally see I'm awake. There's nothing quite like a puppies love.

@MonCoubousMonTourmalet oh that's brilliant news❤ And an excellent demonstration of what time, effort, and appropriate training can result in. Also a massive testament to the trust Brie and Freija have in each other and also in you.

@SpanielsGalore

Sorry. Wasn't meaning to be boastful 😳

I know one of your girls is a rescue so it's understandable that you don't feed together. To be honest, I suspect the LGD factor is helpful in keeping our life harmonious because I know you've said spaniels have a very high prey drive, and I'm sure that must also make a difference to how they behave around food.

I didn't take it as you being boastful. You are justifiably proud of the time and effort you have put into training to get to this position.
I'm a lazy git and rely on stair gates to do the job for me. 🙈 😂

@MonCoubousMonTourmalet I know that comment about being boastful was to @SpanielsGalore so forgive me for putting my two penneth in but what I love about this thread (and the puppy thread) is that you celebrate each other’s wins as well as console each other’s downs and guide and advise and support where you can. I’m always worried I am boasting about Pablo, I never mean it to come across like that - it’s more that I am excited to have turned a corner or see something click. I was even showing off on the puppy thread this morning that Pabs has now switched to rolling in shit rather than simply eating it 😂
@SpanielsGalore Im soooo glad I got a baby gate, I know I should probably train Pablo out of bugging me when I’m eating but tbh, I can’t be arsed most days. I just want to sit and enjoy my food so he gets put in the other room so I don’t have worry about it!

@LandSharksAnonymous I bet that’s been a huge part of what makes it so rewarding? All the hard work and effort you put in - and to see they bonded with you and are confident little pups with waggy tales 😍
I’m also looking forward to hearing all about Eris as she grows ❤️

@VanGoSunflowers Totally agree. No one should ever be afraid to share their highs and lows on this thread. Surely that's the point of it? And people don't even mind us talking about our none adolescents. 😁
Pablo is beating K. She still only eats shit. P rolls in it, so I guess I have the best of both worlds. 😂 Has P found fox poo yet? That's a whole new level of joy. 🤢

Stair gates are great. Sometimes it is about managing the environment. K will lie under my chair while I eat. But if I tried to sit with a tray on my lap in front of the TV, I'd be constantly fighting her off. So I don't do it. Mine all sit behind the stair gate when I open the front door, as it's straight out onto the pavement. I could train them all to sit, stay, but why risk it?

I started feeding my dogs in different areas, because I had a dog with IBD and multiple allergies. He had to have hypoallergenic food and would have been really ill if he had managed to steal P's food. And I have carried it on from there. K will definitely steal the others' food if she gets a chance. The other two probably wouldn't.
They have quick treats like gravy bones or pieces of ham next to each other and will wait for their turn. I say "P's treat" etc so they know whose turn it is and don't try to snatch someone else's. For longer lasting chews, they go to their designated feeding places. It prevents stealing and ensures they can relax and enjoy their chew without having to fend off potential thieves.

We're all justifiably proud of our pups @VanGoSunflowers and every little milestone and tiny victory is to be celebrated. Despite Landsharks, SpanielsGalore and myself all being old hands at this, we still have those special moments where we feel a warm glow about a new puppy taking a big step. It's also lovely being able to share all your milestones as first time owners.

Gates are a lifesaver for us too @SpanielsGalore Suffice to say we have 5 in our little semi - it's not a big house, but has a weird layout downstairs with three doors on the kitchen. They're all gated (although two are mostly left open) a fourth gate is on the understairs cupboard and the fifth is a triple panel one on the French door to the garden.

@LandSharksAnonymous
Awww, saying goodbye to your (well, Pen's) beautiful babies 😢 It must be quite magical to share the excitement of puppy day with the pups new families though.

@MonCoubousMonTourmalet I have three gates and a barrier across the bottom of the stairs. My house is a typical child's drawing - four windows and front door in the middle. The door opens into the hallway. Both reception rooms have gates, which are only closed when I open the door so the dogs can't run out onto the road. Then I have one at the top the stairs. That one's only closed on wet days to prevent P getting my bedding muddy. The barrier across the bottom of the stairs is only about 18 inches high. I put it there when I first got K to prevent her from going up and down the stairs all day and so P could take herself off upstairs for some peace. K could jump it now if she wanted to, but doesn't.