Beyond Adolescence - a thread to chat about grown up dogs, cake and anything else, excluding coffee.

[SpanielsGalore]

Not going to tag everyone as I don't know who wants to join. Welcome everyone. 😁

I have had two roofers here this morning. After the initial barking at heads appearing over the ridge, the dogs have been so good. They've sat in the garden and watched them working. Greeted them every time they came into the garden and didn't once try to bolt out of the gate. I heard one of the men telling them to 'stay' as he struggled through the gate with a bucket full of water, and then telling them they were 'good dogs'.
They've just finished and as they were leaving one commented on how calm my dogs are and not like 'normal spaniels'. See. Not all working cockers are 'high on crack' and 'manic'. 😇😇😇

Beautiful weather here today. 🌞 I unexpectedly got my car back yesterday. 🥳
Off to the woods to walk the adolescent nutter until she collapses in a heap. 😂

@CoubousAndTourmaIet She clearly has very good taste! Cockers have the best energy, though I would say that. I'm sure you didn't look clueless at all and they were flattered by Brie's lust.

Just worried in case she looked scary - she genuinely only wants to say hi, but it isn't good when she pulls like that. Oh I know, cockers are very sweet, but it's just odd that no other dog elicits the same (or even similar) response. It's almost as if she thinks she is a cocker herself. Our other PMD used to react like that when they saw another Pyrie, but Brie hasn't seen one since she left her mum.

Message for @LandSharksAnonymous
Re books:
I've become conscious that I've recommended books that might not be suitable for your DD because of the "spiced up" bits.
Just finished the Godkiller trilogy this evening, and book 3 has a bit of LGBTQIA stuff towards the end.
Also for Throne of Glass you might want to check some reviews because some people think that while the first two or three books are early teen suitable, the later ones are more late teens in age. Still a great read for you or @VanGoSunflowers though.
I'll bear this in mind before recommending others. I think you said DD is only 12...?

@CoubousAndTourmaIet don’t worry about any ‘spicy bits’ - she’s 13 in a few weeks! The last of my worries is if she’s reading anything slightly spicy!!! 😂

Feel better soon @Bupster!!’ Hope Bill is being a good nurse?!

@SpanielsGalore how is P enjoying her life without the vest?!

I think we’ve said before @CoubousAndTourmaIet and @brushingboots that all dogs seems to love cockers! I think it’s their happy energy - if my bunch see a cocker, they’re straight there for a game.

It was 2 here the night before last and I woke up to a frosted windscreen. Winter is here!!!! 😍I am have my fingers crossed for snowy walks this year

Ah that's a relief @LandSharksAnonymous , if she's a level headed and mature 12/13 she'll be fine with it!

The cocker thing is just odd, but they're definitely Brie's favourite dog and I'm sure she'd love one as a companion, although she'd struggle to keep up with their energy levels and so would I.

We're thinking her season is imminent because the last few days she's been a bit unsettled somehow. Our last three walks have been a struggle because she's fighting me a lot 😟 I thought I saw blood on her fur when she was washing herself yesterday, but she's being awkward about letting us look.

Rain again here this morning so will wait and see if it brightens up later. I'd love snow too - much prefer a drier winter, just getting fed up with wet dog towels hanging everywhere at the moment.

Hope P's vet trip goes well @SpanielsGalore
Hope you have recovered from the tummy bug now @Bupster

@CoubousAndTourmaIet the one downside of a bigger dog is if they don't want you to do something...there is no just feasible way you can do it! I often look at DMum wrestling Satan into submission (she has to go to the vets every 4 weeks for anal gland draining 😳) and think she's quite lucky as I could certainly never do that with my rabble!

Will this be her second season? Or third?

It's due to be dry here the next few days and I am definitely making the most of it before we end up relegated to less exciting walks once it starts raining. I do love Winter though. We never get any snow in the South, not really anyway, so I'm hoping for a proper one. I still remember the snow in 2012, when Hen was a puppy and DDs were toddlers, and smile. Everyone was so cheerful on the streets, as you couldn't really drive for about a week as no one had gritted the roars, and all the dogs loved the snow.😍

So true @LandSharksAnonymous , I know yours are significantly bigger than the average GR, so you know exactly how physical it is handling them compared to cockers etc. Most of the time she's fine but the last few days has been "no, I want to go this way", and she starts pulling like crazy. I think we've confused her by heading up towards the top fields to check if the cows are still in, then retracing our steps to take the other route. That seems to be when she's putting the brakes on and pulling off in the other direction 🙄 But, as I've said before, female PMD are more bolshie and Brie has girl attitude with boy size. I am getting stronger but yesterday her size and strength defeated me and I'm openly admitting it.

This will only be her second season. We thought it was starting a few weeks ago but it didn't materialise, so she seems to be on a longer cycle, as Sylvie was.

We can get quite a bit of snow here, I much prefer it to the usual mild wet winters. We seem to have loads of snow photos of Merlin from 1996 ish, then another big batch with Finn on circa 2011/12/13. Yeah, snow days are always a happy time, with kids on sledges etc and everyone all bundled up in wellies and woollies. It's not so easy walking a PMD when our hill is icy though 😬 We'll be relying on our winter trax again this year I imagine.

Interesting comment on the poodle thread from a Leo person @LandSharksAnonymous about crossbreed coat texture. Apparently crossing a heavily moulting undercoated breed with a curly non moulter (i.e.poodle) is resulting in dogs with hot spots and severe skin irritation due to having an undercoat that can't naturally moult out because of the tightly curled top coat. That cannot be healthy. It hadn't really occurred to me the potential severity of the problem, although I know a high proportion of doodles do have bad skin. It is yet another valid argument against the Pyredoodle, Bernedoodle and Goldendoodle, amongst many others.

We had an interesting vet visit.
Firstly there was someone at the check in desk with two cats on leads. One was sat on the desk and the other was perched on their shoulder. P is not cat friendly, so we hurried down to the waiting room.
Sat waiting for an eternity. A little Westie came and joined us and P said a polite hello. Then a few minutes later a woman came round the corner with a muzzled Cane Corso and P absolutely lost her shit! She did her very high pitched, scary bark that usually frightens no one, but this poor boy wet himself. I have never seen her react like that to another dog before. She's usually the one squirming on her back. Don't know if it was his size, the muzzle or the confined space. Maybe all three.
The good new is P's wound has now healed, so she's cleared for off lead walks. Bad news is her leg is still not right, so needs further investigation. The vet is going to speak to the specialist to decide a course of action.

That sounds quite a stressful vets visit @SpanielsGalore

It's good to hear that P is fully healed after her spay, but obviously that's disappointing about the leg, especially as it presumably means more travel for her if she needs to see the specialist.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet I'm glad Brie's on a bit of a longer cycle. Hen had very long cycles, but Pen's are horribly close together - something which I think twatdog hates as she gets a bit snippy with him (but he is irritating, so I can't say I blame her).

I find the same walking Goldies in the snow - even the smallest tug and I'm a gonner (literally). But the fresh, cold, air and the happiness of everyone who is out dog walking in the snow makes up for it. I'm hoping @SpanielsGalore will be sharing some nice Scottish-snowy photos of her trio soon (hint hint).

On the hotspots, I'm not surprised - although I can't say I'd ever considered it before - as Satan has her fur closely cropped and she gets hot-spots when she's due a groom (and she's a pedigree - albeit a funky looking one). Must be agony for the poor dogs though. Satan gets clipped every 4 weeks.

@SpanielsGalore Poor P at the vets! Possibly a combination of all three? I know mine, whilst fine, really don't like vets waiting rooms when they're busy. I'm so pleased P can have off-lead works, although her leg issues aren't great. Do you know how far away the specialist is? As C&T says, possibly a lot of travel and given her issue with cars, not ideal 😟

Well she was pulling all over the place again, but we survived our afternoon walk. At least it was dry.

Firstly, @LandSharksAnonymous can bugger off, wishing snow on me. 😭

P thoroughly enjoyed her first off lead walk in 6 weeks. And as K is on day 23 of her season (does that mean it's finished?) and there was no one around, she was off lead too. It felt very strange.

There are specialists in both Aberdeen and Inverness which are 75 - 90 minutes away. Last September I wanted to avoid the Inverness surgeon, so we went down to Edinburgh vet school, which is nearly 4 hours away. The vet today said they could possibly give P something for the journey.
The vet did a thorough examination of P's legs. She said P's right knee is thicker and she didn't like it being manipulated. The vet also thought it might be affecting her hips, as she said they were twisting. I suppose that's going to happen when you have stood off kilter for nearly two months.

Random photo from a few years ago to satisfy people's need for snow. 😁

No snow please! I hate it, or to be more accurate, the icy roads. If the pavements and roads are slippery, then dog walking gets delegated to the other members of the household.

Good evening all <doffs cap> (it’s possible I’ve been spending too long in fantasy worlds with all this reading) hope all are well!

@CoubousAndTourmaIet thanks for the book recommendations! I’m nearly finished crooked kingdom, will go on to Alchemised after that and then Throne of Glass. Reading is soothing me greatly at the moment! Won’t go in to details but my life is a little chaotic at the moment hence the sporadic posting.

I got my dry robe dupe though and I absolutely love it. It’s the closest thing you can get to wearing an actual bed.

I don’t know how those of you with heavier dogs than mine (who as you all know isn’t fully grown yet) manage! Pablo goes wild for ALL dogs but he especially loves Spaniels. I might have to get him his own spaniel when he is a grown up boy.
Having said that, although we can’t seem to walk past a dog without him nearly pulling me over, I can get him to sit and wait for them to pass so I feel that’s some progress and my left elbow isn’t hurting as much.

@SpanielsGalore love the pink! And that snow pic is beautiful! Good news on the off lead walking but not good news on the leg of course. I hope you can get to the bottom of it soon. And that vet visit sounds very stressful!

@LandSharksAnonymous what cake news this week? I’ve just ordered some more coffee beans. They’ve new blends out. Yay! I am also wishing for snow this year but we don’t tend to get much of it in the Midlands. I might take a leaf out of @SpanielsGalore and also move to Scotland.

@LandSharksAnonymous I was hoping you would post on the puppy blues thread! I always want to try and help new puppy owners out if I can but I’m always worried about giving the wrong advice 😊

@SpanielsGalore you moved to Scotland....but you're not a fan of snow? 😀

Poor P. I I really hope it's good news and it's all fixed soon. Did P and K have a nice walk together? How is N doing?

Such beautiful scenery 😍

@Silverbirchleaf Oh we don't walk here once it turns icy - at least not if there's snow as well. The worst is when the snow melts and then freezes and then another layer of snow settles. We had that a bit a few years ago. Never deep but enough it was an issue.

@VanGoSunflowers hope all is okay! I know what you mean about the dryrobe. I tried on DMums yesterday and nearly ripped off the tag to keep it for myself 😁I'm having to keep it hidden and not buy myself one yet as I know i'd wear it and then she'd go and buy herself one when she realised how nice it is...

It is so interesting that all our dogs seem to love Spaniels. It really must be something in their genes that makes all the other dogs love them. All my lot really do love Satan - they follow her around like little lambs.

Cake this week was Amarato and Chocolate. Absolutely delicious. The only downside of aging is I am beginning to notice that the cake is definitely lingering on the hips. But hey, you only live once (a very short once if I keep eating so much cake). Are you going to try the new blends?

I wasn't sure whether to Post, but in the end I thought it would probably be helpful - if only because I worry OP is going to get bad advice or think that the dog will grow out of it, when really most of those things are training issues that a few days of 1-2-1 focus on the dog without a DC around will easily fix.

Speaking of puppies...Eris has resorted to her nasty habits again. Only this time she's doing it to strange dogs in the park. The Dalmatian she did it on this afternoon looked quite perplexed 😳

@CoubousAndTourmaIet great minds on that other thread!😁

@LandSharksAnonymous Not sure my lab would cope without a walk, although he does love racing around the fresh snow.,

Snow is bad, you’re all bonkers. Snow is only for skiing and I won’t be convinced of anything else.

Very glad to hear that I have now been responsible for the purchase of another dry robe dupe and that you are enjoying it, @VanGoSunflowers. Hope all’s well with you and that things aren’t too silly.

Spaniels are just the best. Pupsy’s nursery lady describes her as a ‘confidence-giving dog’ which is lovely, and I think there’s a lot of that about it. She’s just very nice to spend time with. So funny and I think other dogs must think so too. @LandSharksAnonymous I keep trying to catch her lying upside down for you – the attempts go on. Have been writing up an interview with someone from your world today.

What am I not enjoying is having to stop work at 4.30 or earlier to go out so it’s not pitch black. Very unimpressed at the clocks changing. Pre-dog I didn’t care but now it’s torturous.

Indeed. I think we've set him a bit of a challenge there 🤔
I swear if someone said they wanted a giraffe he'd suggest his breed as a perfect alternative.

Your post on the GR puppy blues thread was excellent btw! You covered everything, as I knew you would.

@Silverbirchleaf ah, I hadn't thought about that. I just let mine into the fields/garden to have at it. No need to risk my neck 😁

@brushingboots You should be getting a commission for the number of dry-robes you've managed to sell!

That's a good way to describe Spaniels though - they just exude confidence, and happiness. It does genuinely seem to be infectious for other dogs. I'll take a normal Pupsy photo if you're offering! Perhaps it's not just dogs that spaniels make happy...

I do agree though, the getting dark early is rotten from a dog walking perspective. If only because it means more people are out at the same time, so you're less likely to get a peaceful walk. That being said, more people out at the same time gives me more opportunities to train the spawn of Satan (Eris) and her accomplice (Twatdog).

@LandSharksAnonymous thank you. All will be ok, I’ve become more resilient as I’ve gotten older fortunately 😂

I’m glad to think of everyone being warm and cosy in the cold weather!
Maybe Spaniels have some enigmatic charisma about them! I have been following a lady on social media who is training her new spaniel pup and she is a gorgeous little thing. I will NOT get another puppy, I will NOT get another puppy 😂 not yet anyway

I love amaretto, and yes I have ordered one of the new blends to try! They’re crafty blighters as you ‘only’ need to spend a few quid more to save a few quid on shipping so I ended up with gingerbread syrup in my order too 😎

I agree that many well meaning people can give bad advice. It’s why I’m always so mindful to say what I am suggesting worked for me and P but might not work for everyone. In reality, I think I just landed on my feet and ended up with an angel dog 🥰

So Eris is now showing the same ‘affection’ to strange dogs? What a little flirt! Was it a little
mortifying?? Does she need a pimp?

Sorry. New to the thread. What are these blends everyone are talking about, and please send some of the cake down south. I’m sure I can help protect your hips @LandSharksAnonymous . Public duty and all that.

@brushingboots thank you! For the well wishes and also for generating warmth on a cold walk in the form of essentially a waterproof dressing gown.

I know what you mean about the dark. I am grumpy about it. I have ordered a head torch for days when I have no choice but do a dark walk and I am looking at illuminating items for Pupper, too. WFH does usually mean I can do walks in between meetings though when it’s not too crazy thankfully!

Also agree with @LandSharksAnonymous - almost all dogs put a smile on my face but the smile is that little bit wider when it’s a Spaniel, I can’t lie.

@Silverbirchleaf you are very kind in your public duty offer. The blends are coffee beans - freshly roasted. I get them from Rave. I have an obsession with good coffee but we shall not speak of it 😂