Our Cosmic Autumn Rebellion (Adolescent Support Group)

[MonCoubousMonTourmalet]

Okay folks, let's head into late summer/autumn.

@YorkshireFelix I know what you mean about neighbours! We have a neighbour who is perfect in every way, and it was guaranteed that we’d bump into her every time Brodie was at his absolute worst.
A bad walk was categorised as a ‘Wendy Walk’ 🤣.
It’s odd that he didn’t go back to pulling on a normal collar and lead. We use a harness to fasten him in the car and if I attach the lead to that he still pulls like a train.
Hello @brushingboots and @MonCoubousMonTourmalet
to think I thought no one would move over from the puppy thread when I started an adolescent one almost a year ago…it’s nice to see it continue 😊.

@SpanielsGalore that’s interesting it was a sign!

She has two weeks of meloxaid and omepraxole.

I’ve been thinking back and I’ve always thought of her as being snuggly but sassy. And I think what I was describing as ‘sass’ was probably nervousness and I’ve just not been picking up on the body language as well as I should have done. I remember my partner going to football when we’d maybe had her two weeks and feeling worried about being left alone as she’d been growling and snapping…

But it could be that something has always underlying and we just don’t know what it is yet.

She had the same sort of stomach touching twice in July with no growling. Buuuut my gut says she was scared and nervous this time around…and she wasn’t before.

Food was initially raw, she went off it, tried kibble and wet, and now she’s on fresh food which she eats (unlike the others which was a hunger strike) but no change in the snapping/growling behaviour alongside this but the barking at all things is new.

I’ve been to pets at home and bought various calming things to try and bring her stress levels down whilst we wait for some professional help!

@Flowerfusion Poor thing. She doesn't sound very happy, whether it's a medical or behavioural issue. It can't be very pleasant for you either. You don't expect this behaviour when you bring a cute little puppy into your home.
You do really need someone to see her in the home, so they can properly see what's going on. We'd all be guessing, and I wouldn't want to risk you getting bitten if she's snapping at you now. Hopefully the behaviourist you found can help you. Good luck.

Plotting world domination.

Very beautiful photo @SpanielsGalore Such a serious expression ❤

So sorry for what you are going through with your little girl @Flowerfusion . I really hope you can get to the bottom of whatever is causing her problems. She does sound very anxious and that can't be easy for you.

@SpanielsGalore Just a baby! I hope I always have a black cocker bitch in my life, they are just too pretty.

Going back to the slip leads debate, we did try a figure of 8 on Brie last year, on the recommendation of the first trainer. It has clearly worked well for Brodie but it just goes to show that all dogs are different, because it wasn't a success for us at all. Brie didn't like it and was continually pawing to pull it off her nose. It was tightening uncomfortably around her muzzle and twisting her head to one side so I actually binned the thing after one use.
I would absolutely consider it aversive (sorry). I really strongly disliked it.
But a lot of people do recommend them, including some trainers, so I think it's one of those things where you need to make your own decision.

She's 1 year old next month. But she's only 8 kg and has a tiny head, so I think she'll be mistaken for a puppy for many years to come.
My reactive dog was black and I said I didn't want another one. Don't tell K, but I was really after her liver brother. Love her to bits though. 💖

@MonCoubousMonTourmalet Totally agree. It's an aversive slip lead, ramped up by wrapping it round the dog's face. So rubs and irritates their face as well as choking when they pull. Not for me or mine.

@SpanielsGalore - I shall be quiet! Although this sort of heat does mean I am sweating whilst sitting still! She is absolutely stunning. If you still want Twatdog...more than happy to make the exchange (will even throw in Eris for free - not that she has done anything wrong, but I feel it sweetens the deal).

@MonCoubousMonTourmalet 'ecstatic' is a good and polite way to describe it!

@YorkshireFelix How big is the cushion? Is it one of those huge showy or an itty-bitty one? 😃

I have to confess I've only ever used a regular lead - just clip to the collar and fine. But then I have very food motivated dogs and after about a week or two of bending over feeding them food they learn very quickly not to pull. Hard to say what I would do if it didn't work (prays to self Eris is as good at loose leash walking as her relatives are). My only real issue is with extendable leads as I've seen to many injuries from dogs running to the end of them and being snapped back...

Just popping back to reiterate that at the time I had no choice but to use a figure of 8 or something similar.
I researched how to use it correctly and bought a very soft lead…if properly fitted it neither chokes the dog or pulls their head to one side, in fact it allows the head a freer range of movement. It doesn’t stop them panting or force their mouth to close.
I no longer use it because I don’t have to, but I wouldn’t hesitate to do so again if necessary. If it had caused my dog any distress or discomfort it would have been removed immediately.

Evening all, a very balmy official temp of 29, and a high of 35 according to my garden thermometer - currently 21. Wanted to go swimming in the sea but suture site still not healed enough.

Love seeing the pictures and catching up.

@BrodiePup don't feel that you have to justify your decisions, I hope that on here we can all discuss without judgement. Different dogs in different families need different approaches, I believe all on this thread are doing the best for their dogs.

On a similar theme, I don't offer lots of praise, I personally find it has the opposite effect in that it over excites rather than encourages the behaviour. I know other people have opinions on this, and I have actually been challenged on it, but for some dogs the praise is doing what is asked- my current dog just wants to be with me, so anything where my attention is fully on him is worth the world.

We are still not free of the tedious lead walking confinement and we are back on anti-biotics again. I'm not totally convinced there is any further reason for either but as I'm not a vet I'm going to comply. Poor pupsy.

@brushingboots sorry to hear that! Did the vet give any clue on when you may get back to normal walking? Must be frustrating for you both x

Oh that's very frustrating @brushingboots. Presumably the vets think the wound is infected? Bloody grass seeds!

@IchLiebeDeutscheSchaferhunde I don't offer lots of praise, I don't think. I'll say "Good girl" when they have done something I have asked them to do. But it's a calm good girl, so they don't get excited by it.
I will occasionally do an over the top 'Good girl' accompanied by lots of fuss as a reward for recall instead of a treat. But that's rare because the greedy devils' prefer food rewards. 😂

@VanGoSunflowers We have yet another appointment on Monday which will be ten days since the stitch went in (despite the fact it has already come out) so in theory she should be signed off then, but at this point I'm not very hopeful and feel like this will never end. The vet said the wound has healed but that there seems to be a bit of fluid in there still, hence the ABs. I'm just bored of walking round in tiny loops doing nothing so I'm sure pupsy must be too. I can't even do any training with her because everything we're working on is an offlead thing and she is not a trick training kind of dog. Full credit to her, she doesn't seem too badly affected but I feel sorry for her regardless. The look she gives me when I approach her with the inflatable collar for bedtime/if I go out is very sad-making.

@SpanielsGalore Yes, exactly. We finished the original course of ABs a couple of days ago and I wonder if the course wasn't long enough to start with. Never thought I'd be wishing on winter and filthy spaniel mud everywhere instead but here we are!

I had scoped out a new walk for her this morning and I'm gutted that we haven't been able to do it. But it's not going anywhere and I know it's better that she is fully better before I run her anywhere. I'm just frustrated and sad.

edited to add: AND £18 down for more ABs! On the plus side, amazing PetPlan have paid up already for the op, which is fantastic.

@brushingboots that sounds very frustrating! I will keep everything crossed that you get the all clear on Monday. I think I would be very frustrated too if I couldn’t let Pablo off the lead - and he’s a young pup still! I’m sure your house and clothes and everything you own will be covered in mud soon enough 😊

@SpanielsGalore same here with the praise - even a quiet and calm ‘good boy’ when he’s settled and chilling in the house is immediately met by a look that I can only describe as “yeah yeah put your money where your mouth is and show me the treats woman”

@VanGoSunflowers Haha yes, I probably shouldn’t wish mud on us all! You have it all to look forward to, your first Labrador winter!

@brushingboots I know! It should be interesting 😂 any tips on the sort of things I should be buying now to make life easier?!
I’ve considered trying to replace my garden gate with one that I can lock from both sides so that I can get in to the house through the garden and kitchen - my hall is tiny so it’ll be hard to clean him off in there!
And silly as it sounds, coats for your dog?? Does a Lab need one or is it personal preference? A friend of mine said certain coats might stop his belly getting too muddy but I haven’t even began to think about it in great detail yet. Silly questions but I’m totally clueless 😂🤦‍♀️
I guess loads of towels is a must!

I'm the opposite @IchLiebeDeutscheSchaferhunde and @SpanielsGalore
I do a lot of praise because I so rarely use food as a reward. Reward here is praise, cuddles or interactive play. I only use food if I've taken something off her, when I take first then reward. But praise here is always calm and low key. Baby talk and silly voices are banned from day one and I make sure my visitors know this. Furbaby nonsense is a no-no with a dog this size.

@VanGoSunflowers Loads and loads of towels! I have a load of microfibre ones which are excellent but we do use old human towels too. I’ve got cupboards full of dog towels now and I’ve only got one dog.

You def don’t need a coat for P. He’s got a coat and that’s his lovely fur. If he was an old greyhound that you just walked round the block then yes, you’d want a coat, but a young happy furry Lab doesn’t need a coat. You just have to reconcile yourself with him getting dirty and then you getting him clean again. We do bath pupsy if she’s filthy but I know a lot of Lab owners don’t because their hair is that much shorter that often the muck just brushes out. Pupsy has long wispy hair on her tummy and feathered legs and it all attracts gunk but you won’t have that problem.

But I would definitely recommend a drying coat or two! Two ideally as then you can have one to put on him in the car on the way home from somewhere, and then a ‘clean’ one for if you wash him and he’s drying off in the house. We waited until pupsy was fully grown to buy her a ££ one (because she’s very spoilt) but I still use the one I got from Amazon which was about £9 two years ago. One of the fancier brands is Ruff & Tumble but loads of places do them now.

My parents have got an amazing dog washing set up which I am super jealous of and hope to recreate at some point – an outdoor Belfast sink with hot and cold tap with shower head next to the back kitchen door where the dogs go in to dry off. If you can find a way to contain the mess it’s worth doing for your own sake.

@brushingboots Are you still restricted to 10 minutes too? I suppose the vets are airing on the side of caution, but it must be incredibly frustrating for you both. Hopefully you get the all clear on Monday. 🤞 And stick the £18 on the insurance claim. That's when the vets dealing direct with PetPlan comes in handy. I used to swan out of the vets without paying, telling them to claim it.
I bought a babygro and a toddler's dress from the charity shop for P to wear when I needed her to stop licking her front legs.

@VanGoSunflowers I agree with brushingboots about coats. Mine don't wear them on a walk, but they do have drying coats for afterwards. They usually go in some form of water every day and K in particular shivers on cold days when we get back to the car or house. I got mine from Freckles-Designs Dog Coats, as seen on FB.
At the minute, if they are really filthy they get hosed down in the garden on our return. But I am seriously considering buying a Mud Daddy or Mummy to wash most of the mud off before they get in the car.

And my top tip is never get a white dog. You can't see the dirt on a black one so can pretend they are clean. 😂

White dogs are Teflon coated @SpanielsGalore , it's fine.

Pic is Algernon beside a muddy puddle, just to show that we do walk in wet and mucky places 😉

Oh @brushingboots that must be driving you round the bend. I do hope this is the last of it. I know how much you both value those walks.

@VanGoSunflowers I wouldn't bother with a walking coat either. Bill has short, velvety soft fur (with a coarse stripe of Labrador fur down his back in the winter) and is miraculously self-cleaning - I think you need to see how mucky P gets before investing. I got a couple of noodle towels from Henry Wag which seem to dry off most of the muck, and a drying coat for when he gets proper wet (he's not very waterproof in the summer so can get a bit cold and bedraggled if the weather's rubbish - doesn't stop him jumping in every bloody pond, stream and drain in the county though). I have a back seat cover so don't mind him getting that dirty, not that I get him mucky in the car much.

On which note I think I'm close to cracking it with him in the car. So long as we're on a familiar drive, and he can rest his front half on the centre console and get the air con blowing on his belly, and lean on my arm if needed, he's absolutely fine. He only loses his mind when we start driving somewhere new, or where he knows we're going somewhere exciting. And, God love him, now he's started pressing his whole body into mine and burying his head in my arm trying to self-regulate because he knows he's struggling to cope. So I think I can try slight detours from familiar drives, and sometimes just going round in a circle to desensitise him - first bit of hope I've had on this for a while.

He did so well today at 1-1 training too (it's a very low bar, mind). We tethered him after he'd had a run round after the swallows, and he started offering all sorts of learned behaviours - sits, downs, touches - and learned new stuff like duration on the hand touch - despite there still being swoopy birds and rabbit holes and agility kit all over the place. Little superstar. Now completely conked out. I'm so very proud of him today, and very relieved - our morning walk was grim so I needed some optimism.