Our Cosmic Autumn Rebellion (Adolescent Support Group)

[MonCoubousMonTourmalet]

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

Sorry, should have explained that I meant a smack in the eye of a different type. The day after we got puppy Brie, Freija whacked her right in the eye 🙄

I understood what you meant @Aubrielle 😊

Hi. Just catching up, so I have made notes. 😁

@Flowerfusion How are things going? My dog with a sensitive stomach had to have Galliprant or Paracetamol for pain relief. Everything else upset him.

@Aubrielle Glad you had a good few days and saw progress with Brie's fears of traffic and cars. Hopefully you'll have many more good days to come.
You have far more experience with seasons than I have, but I think your behaviourist is talking shit. Does any bitch that has two seasons become reactive or is it just Brie? P sailed through her first two seasons with no affect at all. She's been grumpy during her third one. (Actually, that's unkind to her. She's just told K to piss off when she tried to take a toy from her instead of letting her get away with it. It's actually done K some good.) Pleased to say it's now day 26 and P is back to normal.

@IchLiebeDeutscheSchaferhunde Thank you. Maybe I'm used to messenger and WhatsApp where emojis are more acceptable. 🤷‍♀️ The dog's still being sick by the sound of it, but I have given up. She'll feed what she wants to feed. I d mj wish people would stop recommending chicken and rice though.
That photo is very atmospheric. ❤️ I hope his eyebrow is healing well. Poor thing.
It's annoying that people call him grumpy. Why should a dog have to let people fuss them? They're allowed to not want attention.

@LandSharksAnonymous Poor Twatdog feeling pushed out. He's a proper little Mummy's boy. 💖 Sounds like he is enjoying having a new partner in crime though.

@brushingboots Hope you and Pupsy are enjoying your freedom.

I've been walking the dogs along the seafront and in the fields whilst P has been in season. Yesterday was day 25, so we went to the woods in the evening. Bad idea.
To begin with they were both excited, they dashed off as soon as I removed their leads without waiting to be told they could go. P wasn't too bad, but K kept disappearing amongst the trees. She calmed down after the first half an hour or so and we had a lovely walk. Then just as we were headed back to the car, the deer came out to play. Cue lots of chasing and mad barking. I'm bloody amazed a dog who can't be much more than a foot tall could keep up with a deer, but she bloody did. P joined in for a while, but then found her own deer to run after. It was particularly nerve wracking as we were near to the edge of the woods and I was so worried the deer would jump the wall to escape and that the dogs would follow. It's a busy A road the other side, so it wouldn't have ended well.
Anyway. I managed to get P back on lead and then went in search of K. They'd run in opposite directions. Little sods. Found K so she went back on lead too. Walked back to the car and they went home in disgrace. Where they didn't move again all evening.
Needless to say, we won't be going to the woods at 7pm again.

@SpanielsGalore The reactive comment was unexpected. Her one LGD cross had been reactive when she got it at 18 months, so that is clearly her yardstick. I think it's pretty meaningless, but it did slightly annoy me. My chap is very cynical and thought she was trying to scare me into forking out for more training. But he knows me well enough to realise that it would have the opposite effect.
Brie is very sensitive and I do worry that a bad incident with a dog could be a massive setback at this age, so I'm cautious around certain dogs. But overall, I think she'll get calmer with age like the others did. As regards seasons, R & S definitely had their grumpy moments with each other - they cycled together occasionally, but R was 6 months, S was closer to 8. It was fun for the boys - they'd run and hide when hormonal girls kicked off with the squabbling.

We've still got work to do with Brie's traffic noise issue, but she walked calmly past an idling Unimog and a clattery Ocado delivery van yesterday, so there are small signs of improvement.
The lead biting is becoming a bit less manic. I'm using a double ended lead now we have the harness, and it seems to work well for us. On the road it's clipped to both harness and collar, on the meadow it's just on the collar.

Oh my gosh - your heart must have been in your mouth with the two girls chasing deer 😨Scary moment. We've never experienced two off the lead together, only ever one running free, and I'm filled with admiration for anyone brave enough to have multiple dogs run loose. It's wonderful for the dogs, I always wished we could have tried, but my god it must be heart stopping when they go off in different directions like that!

Hi All,

Hope it's okay to post here. My 9 month old mixed breed rescue (i hope) is hitting a teenage delinquent phase.

His recall is great. We will go out and he will come back every time I call him back. I still use high value treats as a reward as we live rural and there's always distractions.

Dog walker messaged me last week to say that he'd not come back and wouldn't let her get the lead on him so shed had to walk him home with no lead. Apparently he stuck with her but if she tried to put the lead on him he ran off.

A couple of times the following week he did the same to me. End of the walk, decided he would run off and not let me catch him. He was playing quite clearly. I disengaged. Ignored. He would come back but if i moved he would run. Ignoring treats he'd usually do anything for.

After about 15 mins and feeling pretty embarrassed I just walked in the opposite direction and eventually got him on the lead when he was feeling like the walk wasn't over.

From then on I was careful to put him back on before we got close to home and his recall was fine. We vary are routes and rarely do the same walk but there's only two ways of getting onto our road so once the walk is 'almost over' he recognises the way home.

Next time even earlier he decided to run off and ignore me and this time went all the way down to the road and was wandering about. I was furious but he wouldn't let me near him.

In the end I stood out of eyesight and called and I think he panicked and came back.

Its not a busy road but I was worried as hes so small he could easily not be seen.

Hes been fine walking for the last couple of days but again ive been random about when the lead goes back on to avoid any shenanigans.

I dont understand why all of a sudden this is a thing. He is perfect until then and always come back.
Is this teenage behaviour or have I gone wrong somewhere?

Thanks

Hello and welcome to the support group.

Yes, it's normal teenage behaviour. No, you haven't done nothing wrong.
I remember my sprocker doing this to me on the beach. He recalled perfectly to just out of reach and kept bouncing around so I couldn't grab him. I had to get a total stranger to recall him for me in the end. He went straight to her, the little git.
You could try calling him several times throughout the walk, putting his lead on for a minute or two and then letting him back off again. Then he doesn't associate the lead with the end of the walk.
However, it sounds like he is too clever for his own good and knows when the walk is ending, so that might not work. How about using a long line? You can let it trail during the walk and tred on the end to reel him in at the end if he won't recall.
I have also found sitting down and being really interested in the ground usually brings my dogs over to see what I am up to.

As an aside, I would be absolutely fuming with a dog walker who walked my dog alongside a road without a lead on, regardless of how quiet the road is.

@SpanielsGalore Sadly our freedom was short-lived. On Wednesday evening I took pupsy for a nice run locally on some super gamey ground so she would have a chance to put her nose down properly and when we got back in the car her cut had opened up again. I think it probably happened near the end of the walk when we bumped into a very nice dog we’ve met before whose play style is quite boisterous. It’s nothing pupsy can’t take but I think she might have caught her leg on the other dog somehow, as it was bleeding when we got back in the car.

Went to the vets yesterday and she’s back on ABs and lead walks. The vet didn’t say they had to be ten minutes but they do have to be on lead so this morning we did half an hour on lead and will be continuing that and maybe extending a bit. I get bored after half an hour on the lead to be honest. Still very depressing but better than the insanity of ten minutes twice a day.

My feeling is that the cut opened up because it got caught on something sooner than it was strong enough to. The vet is slightly worried that there’s a reason it isn’t healing – ie there’s something still in there not making it heal. For now I’m sticking with my instinct as it had been healing just fine and looked perfectly OK before so I’m hoping it’ll sort itself out in a week with restricted walks and continued ABs.

Next week presents a few difficulties with one thing and another now she can’t be walked (or, by that logic, go to nursery either, which might be a big problem), and the week after is my book launch week. I really need her to be well for that. To be honest literally none of this is what I need right now. She’s behaving beautifully and she’s perfectly well in herself but I just need a dog with four normal, functioning legs that I can walk normally and occasionally take to nursery and allow play with other dogs with any worries for the next month or two while I get through a very busy diary.

I do not envy your deer experience! One dog chasing a deer is one thing, but not two! Sounds like they were suitably chastened by their experience. There is nothing I love more than walking in the woods but there are a few places here where I am on constant deer watch and it doesn’t make it particularly relaxing. The muntjac are the worst – pupsy isn’t super fussed by roe/red/fallow as she’s grown up in the deer park here but the muntjac are an absolute menace.

There's definitely something about muntjac, mine just lose their minds if there are muntjac around but sometimes they don't even spot other deer when I do.

That sounds really difficult @brushingboots - is the leg bothering her at all?

Sorry to hear that @brushingboots - it sounds as if the timing couldn't be worse for you. Good luck with the book launch, I hope it's a great success.

@brushingboots I am so sorry to hear about Pupsy's leg. It seems never ending. It is strange the wound hasn't healed properly yet. It must be so depressing for both of you. Perhaps you should cover it for a while when she's allowed off lead again to be on the safe side. N has rock tape on her front legs which is similar to vet wrap.

We have roe deer up here. I quite often see them in the distance when the dogs don't. It just seemed like they all came out of hiding at 7 o' clock. So we won't be going there that late again.

We only seem to have roe deer here, they are very plentiful and come right into the village. I'd love to see a muntjac.

@SpanielsGalore he is a definite mummy’s boy in part because he wasn’t meant to be mine, so I went above and beyond to try and build a bond after not expecting to have him. I don’t mean I ignored him, but I never separated him and gave him 1-2-1 time like I would usually do. So, I probably did him a bit of disservice in that respect as I over-compensated. But he’s such a good dog. Clearly jealous, but just showed it by sticking close - no aggression, no grumbling, just lots of looking sad and crying.

That must have been terrifying re.the deer!! Do you think they coordinated to go in different directions? ‘You go this way, I go that way - let’s make this as hard as possible’ type thing - I’m sure that’s what mine do sometimes…

@brushingboots so sorry to hear about pupsy and you! It must be incredibly stressful. When do you think she might be able to be off the lead again?

@stillchasingdereksheppard sadly not unusual! Young dogs are arseholes.

@Aubrielle You can have all of our muntjac – please, take them! They’re an absolute pain in the arse and they breed constantly so there are fawns everywhere. Perhaps Brie would like one as a pet.

Earlier in the summer before the grass got too long to walk in safely we used to walk in a couple of fields where without fail I’d see a roe family every time, always at about the same time, nestled in the grass. They were always such a pleasure to be around – so peaceful. I’d see them but pupsy often didn’t and I’d just say hello to mummy roe and tell her it was OK, not to move and that we’d be on our way.

@tizwozliz No, it doesn’t – she seems totally fine in herself and even when she got back in the car on Wednesday with it bleeding she wasn’t fussing with it. She only seems to lick it when I touch it so I don’t think it’s hurting or sore.

@SpanielsGalore Covering it when it’s healed is a very good idea – I hadn’t thought of that. After all if she was a horse she’d have bandages or boots on so why not have them on a spaniel too!

It really does seem never-ending. At least she had a few decent walks earlier this week so there has been a brief bit of respite. And my heroic mum is on emergency pupsy duty next week if my various contingency plans don’t work out for the day I’m away.

@LandSharksAnonymous I’m hoping that the vet’s prediction that a week on the lead and ABs might sort it is right, so hopefully by next Friday. Ironically it doesn’t hugely matter about the week after that as we’re in London for three days so she’d be lead walked then anyway. I just need her not to be adding stress and extra commitments at a time when my brain is 99pc full!

@SpanielsGalore

She hasn't let him off since which I totally understand but it's a shame as his ultimate joy is to run & fetch a ball!

This is what he did exactly! Came back, but jumped around dodging me so I couldn't get him.

I will definitely try to just let the lead on and off for short periods not to do with where we are in the walk. This does happen as if we walk along a bridal way I tend to lead him as children ride horses a lot down them so just In case but I will try it away from those usual spots.

I never thought of using a long line like that but its a fab idea thanks. We never used one as we trained in a secure field but im going to order one.

When does this end? Should I expect a short phase of a couple weeks until he forgets about this 'game' or am I expecting months?

We've had the usual pushing boundaries in the house so I think teenage days are here. Trying to steal food from us / kids. Climbing on the dining table and not getting down from furniture when we ask. His latest thing is to take the kids toys and chew them up / run off and not give it back etc.

@stillchasingdereksheppard depending on the breed, it could last a year or more. It’s a really tricky age as you can’t over exercise them either as their joints are still growing-developing so if you push too hard to soon you could do damage, but they’re incredibly intelligent and often over-stimulated so it makes tiring them out and training them hard. Sadly you need to go back to basics - treats and encouragement, rather than asking.

A separate point, and I know I’ll sound naggy…but excessive ball throwing can be really bad for joints (particularly in growing dogs) so please be careful.

@brushingboots fingers crossed!! Poor you and pupsy though, it’s so exhausting when there’s an ongoing issue that always feels like one step forward two steps back (or similar). But it is good that pupsy is happy in herself. Can you re-link your book? (And a photo of pupsy as she is beautiful and this thread is running low on dog photos other than Twatdog and Brie). And good luck with your launch!!!

Book here @LandSharksAnonymous! I keep checking the prices on all the websites and the best for the hardback seems to be at Hive, the same as Amazon but in support of your local bookshop rather than Mr Bezos. But I'm not picky – an order is an order and I appreciate every single one!

https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/453305/heirs-and-graces-by-doughty-eleanor/9781529153040

And my tiny baby here during her brief freedom – not the walk where she split it open again, but the halcyon day before!

I buy all my books from Hive now, have done for the last couple of years, so if anyone is unsure I can vouch for them being quick and reliable.
Book looks wonderful, definitely one for the Christmas lists.

@brushingboots Thank you! 😊Whenever I see pupsy, my heart does melt (as it does with pretty much every dog on this thread).

There is something truly lovely about a happy, loved, cocker spaniel. I’ll always love my Goldies, but between Satan and the cockers (+Bill) on this thread (mostly the cockers on this thread, given Satan is Satan for a reason) it’s hard not to smile when I see photos of them! I just go all soft and fuzzy.

@stillchasingdereksheppard How long have you had your pup? Just wondering if the pushing the boundaries in the house is down to him having now settled in now since he's a rescue. They say it can take at least three months for their true nature to come out.

@SpanielsGaloreHes been with us just coming up 4 months now so it could well also be him coming out of his shell more now he is fully into normal routine and life.

Outwardly he settled pretty quickly. He literally walked in, had a wee in the garden jumped up on the sofa and made himself at home!

He was quite nervous about the outside world and we started from scratch with walking on a lead etc but other than that he didn't seem to have any major issues. Honestly within about 6 weeks id say he was pretty chilled in most situations as long as I was with him.

Guess it's always hard to know what's going on internally for them but hes become a really confident and sociable happy dog. We have worked really hard on the basics and hes done so well. I just dont want him to fall into bad habits now.

Although ive just done a walk with him and put him on and off the lead randomly throughout and we had absolutely no mischief whatsoever so thank you for that suggestion as its nice to have had a relaxing walk again.

@stillchasingdereksheppard Could be a bit of both then. Normal teenager plus being relaxed enough to show it. Sounds like he's found the right home now.
Glad you've had a good walk. It keeps you going through the stressful ones.

@LandSharksAnonymous Does this photo make you go all soft and fuzzy?

@SpanielsGalore It does! And then it makes me smile thinking about the poor bugger who has to hose the muddy dog down 😃

@stillchasingdereksheppard 4 months is prime rescue dog- I feel safe I'm going to be a complete twat- territory.
We have often got to three to six months and then tell each other (and the dog) that we know why their previous owner abandoned them.

This happens with all rescues in my experience, and is worse when it coincides with adolescence.

As recommended already a long line - those biothane long lines are the best imo, although be careful if using on wet sand as find they become razor like.

Glad to hear that the on off lead is working, it is just perseverance, training is a lifetime job and like humans they will have good and bad days. Being able to look at what went wrong on a bad day, but still start the next is a positive mindset is really difficult sometimes important .

There's actually only two pics of Brie on the thread @LandSharksAnonymous , compared to two of Vinny, two of Bill, and two of SpanielsGalore's K