Adolescent Dog Survival Thread - welcome to the teenage wasteland

[Bupster]

Buckled (under instruction 😄)

Can't remember who said what, so replying to everyone.

K and N are the only ones who have ever snuggled up together. K was only 14 weeks old when N joined us, so she was still very much a little puppy who wanted Mummy cuddles.
N was a stressed foster dog, whose whole world had been turned upside down. She spent the first week telling K to go away, but then accepted her fate. I think (hope) they have been good for each other.
P doesn't do snuggling. The closest she gets is when both her and K are draped across my lap and she'll allow a tiny part of K to be in contact with her.
My first pairing tolerated each other and only used each other for company when all the humans were out.
Second pairing was very much a love hate relationship, but health issues came into play in that one.

P was an only dog for 10 months. I couldn't decide whether or not to get a second dog. Initially I planned on sticking with one and touring the Scottish Islands with P. She was a fantastic little dog that travelled well and could go anywhere. But then too many vet visits caused her to become frightened of the car. The vets was 75 minutes away and she was catatonic by the time we got there. It's taken me months to build up to driving 15 minutes to the woods without her becoming extremely stressed. If I want to do a long journey with her in the future, she will need to be sedated.
Since I couldn't travel, I began thinking about getting a second dog. P sometimes seemed bored and I thought she might like a playmate. Although she likes to greet other dogs on walks, she had only ever played with her brother.

To help me decide, I volunteered to foster. Then like buses, two dogs came along at once. 😂 P's breeder had a puppy available and six weeks later I was asked to foster.
So one became three. 💖
I know I have been extremely lucky for it to have worked out. (Last time I added a puppy to an existing dog, I had to keep them separated for three months.) K is definitely going to rule the roost though. The other two let her get away with murder. 🙄

Weather wise - it is 23° here at the minute. Doubt it will last. Yesterday started at 24°. By the time I had a shower and put my shorts on, it had dropped to 19°. Then it rained on my washing. 🙄

It was 23 here at 09:00 at our local station, so I'm expecting 26/27 today.

@SpanielsGalore there is something lovely about having more than one dog though, isn't there (at least when it all goes right)!

@CoubousAndTourmalet I absolutely agree with you that Bill @Bupster has the most expressive face I've ever seen. His eyes are absolutely stunning - real windows to the soul.

Tbh every doggy photo on this thread just had stunning dogs in it. 😍At what point does one have too many dogs? I always thought four was enough, but now i'm looking at five in a few weeks...I'm wondering if I could stretch to six or seven...or even fifty. 😀

@LandSharksAnonymous I love watching these three together. They really do keep me entertained. I think K and N have been good for each other. And I say K has no social graces, but she does adapt her play style to suit the others. With P, it's full on body slams, wrestling and racing around the garden. With N, it's lying on the floor, bitey face games.
How old are your five? Are they evenly spread out?

@SpanielsGalore I've got 13, 10, 5 and 2.5 😁Then whichever puppy I keep from the current litter will make up number five. So in a month or so I'll have 13, 10, 5, 2.5 and 8 weeks 😫Which when written down sounds faintly terrifying.

I usually keep a puppy from the second litter but Hen (my eldest) only had one litter as it was when DDs were toddlers and being frank having a litter with two toddlers running about was awful. I also never meant to keep twat-dog who is my youngest. His buyer had to pull out unexpectedly very last minute (through absolutely no fault of their own) and I just couldn't face the idea of trying to find another buyer for him and I wanted a dog to show again, so it worked out quite well (despite his lack of brain cells).

I know what you mean about watching them! It's the subtle interactions that they have with each other that amuse me - there's this look that Hen gives the others, and it's literally just a glance, and they will all instantly stop whatever they are doing and settle down.

K sounds quite switched on despite her lack of social graces😁That or she just knows not to push it with P and N!

Clothing question. Does anyone here have a wax cotton gilet? If so, it is a mans one?

I'm struggling to find a woman's version that's long enough, but slightly unsure whether a man's one will fit my fat arse without swamping me on bust and waist... Any thoughts, suggestions, recommendations please?

Afternoon all! Hope you’re all keeping cool, as well as your gorgeous dogs!

If, say, one was to get a puppy when their existing puppy hits maybe 2 years old-ish, would having an existing adult dog make puppy rearing easier or harder? Asking for a friend 😉

Our older one was 2 and 1 months when we brought home our second. I think it really depends on the dog, our second was much easier than our first but I think that was mostly down to personality as much as being second.

Some things are definitely easier when they've got an older one to follow but other bits are more difficult when you've got two dogs to handle

Good question @VanGoSunflowers
For us, introducing a 7 week old bitch to our 4 year old dog made things easier. Pup had a substitute parent and learned by example. No disturbed nights, no separation anxiety. He was incredibly patient and gentle with her (see photos). This was a huge, intact male.

Second time around, introducing an 8 week old boy to our two adult girls did not go so well. R wanted to mother him but S hated him on sight and we ended up having to keep them in separate rooms for months.
So it can go either way, depends on the dog.

@CoubousAndTourmalet I have a wax Barbour gilet – an old men's Westmorland one. It’s absolutely excellent and I wear it all the time (though not this week!) Got it off eBay as the new men’s ones are a weird shape but this is one is a pre-2000 one I think and the shape is perfect.

Lincolnshire ppl @brushingboots & @Bupster ?

I'm driving to Lincoln this evening, is Whisby the best place to give the dogs a swim and a little run around? If so, is there a particular part I should head to? Probably be around 8pm so hoping cool enough for a short outing if they're wet.

@VanGoSunflowers Haven't done it but I always thought that we'd get a second when pupsy turned two, which she did in May. But now I've more or less changed my mind, as much as I'd like one, because her life is genuinely perfect as it is – she is so spoilt and I can devote all my spare time to her. Another dog would make such a difference to our lives and I'm not sure it would be good all round.

@tizwozliz I was just at Whisby this morning! It's the perfect place for a swim – if it's still open, park in the main car park and the off lead bit should be signposted – it's back away from the main building and curves round. Keep going along the path and soon enough you'll come upon the beach for swimming. I'd check the opening times as it says online that it closes at 8pm but I'm not sure if that means the actual car park is closed or whether it's just the building.

If you do get there, enjoy! It's lovely. I went along the drains this morning too by the golf course/Pyewipe and pupsy had a nice swim there too so if Whisby is shut you could try that – park at the golf course/old race stands and walk up and along. It's only about ten minutes further depending on which way you're coming.

Thanks @brushingboots
I'll likely go for a man's gilet then. They seem to have better pockets than the women's options too. I'll look around.

The Pyewipe was the first pub my older one went into 😀

@LandSharksAnonymous That's a nice spread of ages. P has just turned 4 and K is 9 months. If I was to get another puppy, I'd look to get one when K is 3.
N has just turned 10. She wasn't meant to be staying, but it soon became apparent her health issues meant she couldn't be rehomed. Fortunately she has fitted in really well.
K is the opposite - she totally pushes it with P and N, because neither of them tell her off. 🙄 She'll wolf her food down and then barge them out of the way to eat theirs, given half the chance. She'll take toys off them and she has banned P from picking apples off the tree.
She does listen when other dogs give her a bollocking for being rude. It's just not going to happen with her sisters.

@VanGoSunflowers I think it depends on personalities more than age.
I had a 14 month old dog who loved every dog he met. He was the annoying 'he just wants to play' dog. So I got a puppy and he absolutely hated her. I had to keep them separated for the first three months.
P is a very submissive/appeasing dog. She likes to say hello to dogs on walks, but has only ever played with dogs she has lived with and knows well. I got K when P was 3 years and 5 months old. They have always got on well.
Some things are easier. Puppy has a playmate to bite instead of you for a start. 😂 They can occupy each other. P and K both learnt whistle recall really quickly, because they copied the older dog. But equally they can pick up bad habits from each other too. K now leaps to head height to be picked up, because P does. Which is alright at times, but not so good when it's at someone you have stopped to chat to in the woods.
I love having more than one dog. But I am on my own, children all grown and left home and I don't work. I think I might have enough time left for one more puppy (although I did say K would be my last when I was standing outside in the snow, waiting for her to wee) but if not, I shall foster for as long as I am able.

@tizwozliz Ahh, it's such a great place!

Hmm, Whisby leaflet says no swimming in the lakes

@tizwozliz That's news to me – our family dogs have swum there for years and I've never seen any signs up to say no swimming! It just says no swimming for people.

It's a bit confusing as I see plenty of mention of a dog beach and it seems to come up a lot if you google places for dogs to swim.

We might just go sit in the air con at Costa 😂

@SpanielsGalore a three year gap is about perfect, I think! Three is old enough that the adult is still young enough to play energetically with the puppy but old enough not to be a bit of a liability or cause issues with the puppies training. And not so old that their nose might be put out of joint or they find the puppies energy too irritating (usually)! 😃

@VanGoSunflowers agree with others re it's hard to know. What I would say is labs are like Goldies - they stay young for a long, long time. Even at 2 years old, most aren't fully mature. You're better off waiting until they're 3-5 because at least least that way they have another year of mature 'growth' behind them.

I know it's unseasonal to say it...but god I miss winter.

Thanks for the advice! I’m not 100% sure that I will get another, was just something I was pondering and will probably know better when I’ve got a few years of dog ownership under my belt!

@LandSharksAnonymous me too - this weather is dragging me down. Looking forward to Autumn, actually!

@VanGoSunflowers - I would say i think the logistics are more difficult with a single adult. There'll be a period when pup is too young to be left easily but your adult dog needs walking. You could be looking at 4 walks a day for a period depending on temperament and behavior.

@tizwozliz of course, that’s a good point! Their exercise needs won’t match for a good while either will they. I suppose you could use a sling but if I got another lab as heavy as Pablo I would need to spend some time in the gym first 😂

Although having said that, it I wait a few years then my son would be old enough to either walk Pablo or look after a puppy. I mean I could try and find a man I suppose but I’m not a fan of them these days 😂