Puppy survival thread! All welcome!

[VanGoSunflowers]

Running on from our last one…

I won’t tag people because I will forget someone and then feel awful 😂

We've always had the Vax washers too @VanGoSunflowers , they're a good investment. We have cats that are really messy eaters, so yes, the water is gross.

I'm sure you'll find a way to have a tree up, even if it means fencing it off with a puppy playpen... We don't bother these days because we're old and boring, but a tree shouldn't be impossible, even with a pup, as long as you're careful.

@VanGoSunflowers M was 11 months old last Christmas. We had a a smaller tree on a small table and made sure we didn’t put any valuable decorations low down (or chocolate!). He ignored the tree, so this year we’ll go large again.

@Aubrielle I mean another thread wouldn’t hurt but neither would posting it here or the adolescent thread. We usually all end up on all of them anyway 😂 and I do like reading the chat.

Im still very glad I didn’t get a GSD. I mean, it could have worked - there’s nothing to say it would have been a disaster but before you get your first puppy, you can never know what you’re letting yourself in for until it actually happens and I think a Lab was the perfect choice for us in the end. So I am glad I listened to reason there. I’ve not revisited that thread since I posted it because I would probably cringe at myself now 😂
I think DS is a pretty laid back kid. On the odd occasion he is subjected to a landshark attack or Pablo forgetting himself and jumping up at him, he always deals with it pretty calmly and firmly so I have been lucky there too!

If I had to put money on what breed my next dog would be, I would be betting on another Lab 😂

@Aubrielle and @Nella68 You’re right, I’m sure I will be able to think of a way to make the place look festive without causing too much chaos 😂

@VanGoSunflowers we were asked not to discuss things not ‘adolescent’ related on the other thread as it made people uncomfortable (we were discussing a puppy farm that a poster linked and said was good that had 16 breeding bitches), so I guess @Aubrielle and I are both a bit paranoid we’ll be asked the same here if we even go slightly off ‘puppy’ script! Tbh the threads so often go off script to anything dog related including coats its hard not to talk other things! Shame as the other thread was quite interesting for me, but I can post my waffle here just as well 😁

Twatdog was a late October puppy and was 8 weeks old at Christmas, and I had the tree up 😀all went fine! But bless Pablo for still following you everywhere, you’ve got yourself a clinger!!

@Houndymumma 100% agree with everything you’ve said re. being breed specific! It is lovely they have those role models, but when one of those role models if Twatdog…less lovely!

Gratuitous puppy photo for you all

@LandSharksAnonymous oh, I didn’t realise! I must admit I haven’t read the adolescent thread properly for a while. Not for any particular reason, I think I have the attention span of a goldfish which is probably why 😂

I mean, I can’t speak for anyone else but it doesn’t bother me if we go off topic. We were discussing coffee and cake the other day 😂 nor does it bother me if the topic is controversial or opinion sharing or whatever 🤷‍♀️

Whatever the conversation, it’s always interesting to hear all of your opinions and learnings etc and let’s face it, it will never be as combative as the ‘other place’ 😂

It’s the little look on his face when he does follow me, it’s like he’s all excited and saying “what are you doing mom? Is it exciting? Can I come? Can I?”

@VanGoSunflowers I just saw you wrote this: If I had to put money on what breed my next dog would be, I would be betting on another Lab

I bet if Pablo knew you thought that he would be incredibly smug and happy knowing he's the dog that's converted you to Labs😁He really is so big now, isn't he? And from all you've said he's growing up pretty perfectly. I do love to hear stories about dogs living their best (and happiest lives).

I do sometimes think about the 'perfect' first dog for people and I don't really think people can do better than a Lab or a Poodle. Both have their 'quirks' but in terms of temperament and trainability they do seem to be some of the most reliable. 20 years ago I'd have included Cockers and Golden Retrievers but too many bad breeders/surge in popularity have done too much damage to the breeds. There was a thread the other day where someone was considering a Cocker or a Golden, and 2 other posts mentioned resource guarding in Goldens - I think it was the first time I'd seen so many posters on such a short thread agree there are issues with the breed.

The only 'problem' with Doghouse (and I include myself in this - if I am honest, I am probably the worst) is that we all love dogs so much we can't bear to consider people making mistakes that can be avoided or supporting people who profit from animal abuse. It means we get a bit passionate and mouthy! But it still makes us better than 'the other place.'

I haven’t caught up with all the comments but I see Christmas mentioned and I’m always up for Christmas talk!

Billy never bothered with the tree, except for the initial interest when it went up and the odd stolen bauble. We never put the presents out until late in Christmas Eve though as he loved unwrapping presents.

Funny story, last Christmas Eve, I wrapped all the presents and shut them in my pole dancing room so he couldn’t open them, except you have to give the door a hard pull to get it to click shut properly which I mustn’t have done.

I heard a squeaky toy upstairs and went to see what he was up to and he’d broken into the room and opened all of his presents. All of the others were untouched, clever lad except for one corner of one of DS’s that must have got caught in the unwrapping frenzy! And yes, I did rewrap them so he could have them on Christmas morning! God I miss that boy! Here’s a picture of the aftermath 😂

Just popping up to say hello. I am thoroughly fed up and depressed. Spent too much time in 'the other place' over the last few days. People are vile, and the world is going to hell in a handcart.

@VanGoSunflowers Pablo is looking so grown up. Bet he's bigger than my P now. My behaviourist friend once blogged about her puppy sleeping in the kitchen when everyone else was in the living room. She said because she had never been left to cry it out, she had secure bonds and relationships, so is now confident enough to sleep alone. So it sounds like you have done a good job with P.

@LandSharksAnonymous To be fair, you were only asked not to slag off doodles by the doodle owner, as it made them feel bad about their breed choice. We need an adult thread for adult dogs and conversation. Hope E's gums aren't too troublesome and your mum has a better day with them all. At least the weather is too bad for gardening.

Apologies if I have missed anything else. As I said, fed up. Been to the vets with P this morning, but she's 4 years old so not relevant here.

@SpanielsGalore fair enough, but I think the point was it was doodle owners recommending puppy farmers on a separate thread (i've always said if someone can find a lovely doodle from a good breeder, that's great) which was frustrating!

What's wrong with P!? Hope it's not serious? Was it about her slight bonkersness on walks?

What have I been missing in 'the other place' that has both you and @VanGoSunflowers so down!? I try to avoid it but I do pop up on the Christmas Bargains thread on occasion. Someone mentioned 'Wood Wired Designs' (who do dog outlines on driftwood with metal etc) the other day and I've just ordered DMums present from them so fingers crossed...

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding I LOVE that you give your dogs Christmas presents! 😍But what a clever dog Billy was, just unwrapping his own presents and no one elses. What will you get Rory this year?

@LandSharksAnonymous I agree I think he would be smug if he knew, and he would deserve to feel that way 😂

I guess there is so much nuance to picking the right dog for a first time owner. As you say, breeds can change over the years also. When you add in to that the owner’s lifestyle and the type of dog they’re looking for it can be difficult. I think I said this before but after our first initial chat about GSDs, I went back to the drawing board and literally made a spreadsheet about all things breed related - gave arbitrary scores to things that were important to me and ended up going Labrador! I nearly always end up suggesting ex racing greyhounds to people who want to rescue and can’t be doing with raising a pup. But I only have experience of one (my friend’s) but she is so beautiful and has such a lovely temperament.
The problem is, choosing a dog, especially as a first time owner, is a minefield. There is so much to consider and if you make the wrong choice, not only can it be so unfair on the dog (and a well meaning person could end up supporting the wrong type of ‘breeder’) but it could have such a detrimental impact on the owner’s life, too. To live in harmony with a dog is a beautiful thing to experience. So I personally think that sharing opinions on this aspect of dog ownership is invaluable.

But yes, compared to the other place the discussions on the doghouse are incredibly civilised 😂
I don’t necessarily regret spending time on the other board, I think it has helped me to grow a thicker skin and also to respect that, while we all love our dogs, we will (from time to time) have differing opinions on certain aspects of dog ownership. I know some posters will have disagreed with some things I have chosen to do with Pablo but I am not offended by that. I think it’s important to focus on what we all have in common - and that’s a passion for our dogs and other dogs in general. Regardless of the nuance or our levels of experience 😊 and I do really feel like we all want each other to succeed and get the most out of dog ownership ❤️

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding oh wow, what a clever boy he was ❤️ but that is absolutely hilarious!
TOTALLY off the topic of dogs but pole dancing? How fabulous!! I have never tried it myself but I always think it looks like loads of fun and so graceful!

I'm really low too. I agree that all the overly political arguing threads is becoming too much, although it has offered respite from the dog hating ones.

I'm a bit displaced. The adolescent thread was a better fit for me overall, partly by virtue of the fact that Brie is so close in age to Bill & Vinny, so they were all young together, but partly because @LandSharksAnonymous and @SpanielsGalore are also long term multi dog people, so we shared common ground in that regard. And with both of them being involved in rescue, plus BB being a writer who covers a lot of dog topics, it seemed a good thread to discuss wider canine matters beyond just "what my puppy did today".

I think the conversation naturally flows on both the threads and I don't for one moment think it would have been 17 pages of ethical breeding; 4 or 5 posts at most. Then it would have gone back to training or food, coats, coffee and cake. Just as it does here. I don't agree that it was anything to do with slagging off doodles, because we never were - it was about puppy farming and could equally have applied to Goldens, Labs or Cockers.

There are subjects that all of us find difficult, for me it's talk about dogs killing birds etc, I'm veggie and anti blood sports, so I just wait until the conversation changes, as it always does. I'm not going to tell the gundog folk they mustn't mention hunting or shoot training, just because I find it uncomfortable. It's not my thing, but that's okay. It always comes full circle back to cute and fluffy in the end. Like any forum, it's give and take.

Thank you @VanGoSunflowers I'll just continue to hang out here with my overly gigantic adolescent puppy and try not to ramble on too much or overdo the photos 🙄

I hope P is okay @SpanielsGalore x

How incredible @Idstillratherbepaddleboarding , it sounds as if Billy was a real character and it must have been a very tough year for you 😢
Your gifts were beautifully wrapped btw.
So, what is on Rory's Christmas list, I wonder...

@SpanielsGalore its worse than ever over there isn’t it! I have to keep talking myself out of going on there but I am my own worst enemy 🤦‍♀️ I don’t use this username over there as this one is my most ‘outing’ (I won’t go in to detail but someone IRL found some personal posts I put up a long time ago and it didn’t go well for me, hence different usernames) but I have been posting over there recently, mainly to try and hold respectful debates but it never goes to plan 😂

And thank you for that kind observation about P, that feels good to know! He does seem like a confident little thing. Could be just his nature but I also do feel we have a good bond a few months in and hope it continues to get stronger!

What is up with P?? I hope all is ok?? (Please don’t feel like you can’t talk about it here, a 4 year old dog is far more relevant to the conversation than me asking @Idstillratherbepaddleboarding about pole dancing 😂) And I’m sorry to hear you’re fed up. I think we all need cheering up don’t we?!

@LandSharksAnonymous of course 😂😂 Billy didn’t really care what was inside, he just loved opening presents, he’d take them off behind the sofa so they were just for him 🥰. It has been a horrific few months but Rory helps so much, I just wish I could have them both together! Is it wrong that he also had an advent calendar and Christmas dinner?!

@Aubrielle I’ve already got him a Tails Teddy from Sonic as he’s orange and his tail goes a hundred mile an hour 😂😂. He’ll also get balls of course and treats and probably some more teddies.

@VanGoSunflowers I love pole dancing so much and it is so much fun! It keeps me sane 😂.

@SpanielsGalore sorry you’re not so good 🙁 but yes, please do talk about it if you feel you can 😊.

@Aubrielle oh no! Not you as well! Sending hugs to all of you (which I hardly ever say, by the way!)
@LandSharksAnonymous the political debates are worse than ever, I am trying to remind myself that the online world is not reflective of real life. In reality, I don’t think it is. For me, it’s more that people can’t discuss differing opinions without tearing chunks off each other. It’s like a pub brawl over there!
I am going to try and make myself stay on the dog house for a while at least! And to be fair, I’m usually pretty thick skinned with most stuff!

Also @Aubrielle there is NO such thing as too many dog pictures 😎

@Aubrielle I had never heard of CK until he was assassinated. That in itself was awful enough. But people celebrating his death and saying he deserved it because he held different opinions to them truly sickens me. Is that what society has become?

To be honest, I wasn't aware anyone had said anything directly negative about doodles. But if it is your breed, then I guess you become more sensitive to it. As @Aubrielle is with giant breeds and I am with cocker spaniels.

I'm going to offend @LandSharksAnonymous by saying nuts ruin a good cake. 😂 Why would anyone do such thing? Still slightly jealous though as I have polished off my red velvet one.
And I can't stand coffee. Has to be tea or hot chocolate.

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding What a good boy, only opening his own presents. 😇

P is not alright. She's only partial weight bearing on her bad leg. Been prescribed stronger pain killers. Total rest for a week and if no better we investigate again. Think that will be her 14th sedation/GA. 😭
(K is he nutter @LandSharksAnonymous )

I had never heard of CK until he was assassinated. That in itself was awful enough. But people celebrating his death and saying he deserved it because he held different opinions to them truly sickens me. Is that what society has become? @SpanielsGalore - I couldn’t agree more.

I am so sorry to hear about P. I will keep everything crossed that all is improved in a week and that no more sedation is needed. Poor thing, and poor you!

I hadn't heard of him either @SpanielsGalore but for people to admit to repeatedly watching the assassination video is just abhorrent, whichever side of the political/moral/religious spectrum any of us are on.

Yes, we're all overly sensitive about certain things. And you and I have had our differences of opinion a few times over size, on-lead/off-lead, and seasons, but I still very much value your contributions to the threads. I should go back over and make my peace.

I'm not a coffee person either; makes me jittery. And I'm allergic to cocoa 😭I'm a little teapot though.

Oh poor P. That sounds really rough for her. I hope the rest will improve things x

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding

Mine not only get an Advent calendar each and Christmas dinner but they get to sit at the table for it!

Sorry you’re fed up, @SpanielsGalore. Love to you and the girls. Me too for about 100 reasons though professionally I am now back in the 20th century planning my new book so dealing with 1930s politics more than 2025’s. Still, I could do with a good Scottish beach to scream on right now.

The teenage thread goes on as ever, it just ebbs and flows when people are busy. As the late queen might have put it, recollections may vary but I don’t see why it can’t be what it has always been: a supportive place for people to chat and where it’s so nice to see our dogs grow up ‘with’ each other (or in pupsy, Bill and V’s case, actually grow up together!)

And I agree that nuts ruin a cake, and indeed any food. Bite me!

I love this!
There’s something adorable about getting your dogs involved in human traditions!

DS’ teeth are also falling out at present and he was most insistent that I put Pablo’s teeth under his pillow for the tooth fairy 😂