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. 😂

Thank you for all the advice. I will look back at the October dates mentioned.

I would describe it as panic. I can have him with me in the car, feeding treats. As soon as you close the door, the panic sets in and he tries to escape.

Apart from a dog we sometimes looked after, he’s my first ever dog, and I guess I’m a pfm at times.

@LandSharksAnonymous On the contrary, it was the busiest I have ever seen it today. (Which equates to about 10 people. 😂) A deceased basking shark has washed up on the beach, so everyone is coming to have a look. And take photographs. 😳

@tizwozliz Your photos are always very atmospheric. 💖

@Silverbirchleaf What's a pfm?

• precious first time mother (is that the right initials). Actually, could be PFB - b= baby.

Usually seen on baby board when the mother is a bit OTT regard the care of her child.

Bloody hell. I hid those photos in case people didn't want to see a dead shark, but it only obscured one. Sorry.

@Silverbirchleaf Ah. I have seen PFB I think. But my PFB is 37, so I don't tend to visit those boards. They'd all be horrified to know he started on solids at 8 weeks old.

Wow to the dead shark @SpanielsGalore - amazing!

It's Precious First Born I believe @Silverbirchleaf Not sure why I'd know, with no kids.

(FWIW current pup is my 9th, current cat is my 14th because I'm an ancient crone with a multi pet household).

@CoubousAndTourmaIet Tbh now you've said that I'm wondering if she does know. On the plus side, she'll never guess her other 'main' gift. So at least she'll still have one surprise on Christmas Day...

@tizwozliz your photography skills amaze me! I know you say you have lots of 'bad' photos, but I don't think I've ever taken a single photo that's half as good as any of the ones you've posted.

@SpanielsGalore that dead shark is huge!? Jeepers. Did you see any dogs go near it?

@Silverbirchleaf let us know if the earlier comments on it are any help! Tbh I get PFB about all my dogs and I've had so many now it's a bit ridiculous. It is a bit like being a mother again, only with dogs your babies never grow up...and then smell. Forever.

@SpanielsGalore do you think they'd be more horrified that your PFB started on solids at eight weeks...or mine who routinely has Mars Bars for breakfast and white bread sandwiches for lunch? Possibly an event split of anger? 😁

@LandSharksAnonymous Probably yours. I was (almost) following the rules of my time. You're a total rebel. 😂
Weaning was at 12 weeks back in the day and white bread, ham sandwiches, crisps and a Rocky was an acceptable lunch. My PLastB went through a phase of having cream crackers and ketchup for his lunch. 😂

The shark is 4.38 metres long, so still a youngster. I put my dogs in the car when I went to look, but I'm sure other dogs have been up to it. It's just being left there to decompose or get washed away by a high tide. So I think I'll avoid the area for a bit. Can you imagine the smell after they have all rolled on it!

@Silverbirchleaf I'm on puppy number 4. (I say puppy, but she's 13 months old.) I've also got a 4 year old and a 10 year old foster dog. They're all my precious babies. 💖

I also have a car hater too. He sits bolt upright with his face up against the grill and pants/shakes the whole time. He wasn’t happy about our drive up to Scotland last week (5 and a half hours but we did take lots of breaks). We bought the boot divider and tailgate from Travall which I would very highly recommend - it is excellent and was so easy to fit. But it didn’t really make any difference for him being in a slightly more enclosed space. I don’t know how to tackle it really so just get on with it!

Here he is being held hostage and absolutely hating life before we set off.

@YorkshireFelix Aww bless him. He doesn't look happy. 💔
V must be P's brother from another mother. They are so similar. We've got physio on Saturday, which is 50 - 60 minutes away. She's going to be so stressed by the time we get there, but what can you do? 🤷‍♀️ I'm going to sedate if I take her back down to England again.
Hope you all had a lovelyholidayy and the Scottish weather was kind to you.

Do you think the Travell divider and tailgate is worth the money? I might give it another go if so.

Haha I was literally telling DH in the car on the way up about how they are so similar!! It’s weird!

Yes I definitely think it’s worth the money. We fit it so easily and the quality is great, and it fits the space like a glove. I’m glad we got the tailgate as it stops him immediately jumping out the car, which is something I was struggling to train him to do.

We did have a nice time but wish it was longer than 4 nights. V surprised me completely and was amazing in the lodge. He settled straight away and didn’t chew or steal anything he shouldn’t have at all!! I was so worried that he would wreck the place. Here he is loving life at Loch Eck.

I’ve been lurking here and reading but not posted for a while as I’ve just been feeling a bit bleughhh. He’s having issues with his back legs again so we’re stuck on lead walks only, and the constant fireworks are stressing us so much. I feel like I’ve not done any actual training for weeks because I was ill for ages, then the leg issues, and it’s all just a bit rubbish at the minute.

@YorkshireFelix Absolutely stunning scenery made all the better by a perfectly placed V. ❤️
I can totally empathise. I've been feeling the same about P. Wondering about what quality of life she'll have in the future.
She went off her leg on 13th September and it's been one thing after another ever since. We're still no further forward, so I've started taking her out again. Rest hasn't helped at all, so she may as well have some bloody fun in life.

Beautiful photo @YorkshireFelix , I'm glad that V settled well up there and you had a nice time, even if the travelling was a struggle.

Sorry that you're feeling down and that V is having leg issues again. I think a lot of us will be glad when this week is over and the fireworks are finished for a while.

Hope things get easier for you x

@YorkshireFelix Stunning photograph. It almost looks like a (Downton Abbey) painting.

@SpanielsGalore I'm going to sound a bit loopy, but for some reason I find dead sharks and whales really sad. Particularly when they're young. Any other animal I'm broadly okay with, but for some reason sharks/whales just get me!

Oh god. The smell if a dog rolled in it. Bleugh.

@YorkshireFelix so sorry you're feeling a bit down! FWIW, and I know it's only one photo, V does look incredibly happy and pleased with his life. I know Spaniels need a good run (as do retrievers), but honestly there are worse things for him - and he has humans who love him which counts for a lot ❤He is such a handsome little man.

Travell do car specific ones, don't they? As in they're designed for each car/brand/design. I vaguely remember DMum looking at them once (and aren't I now so glad she didn't...).

@LandSharksAnonymous Yes it is sad and I felt a bit ghoulish going to see it and taking photographs. But I'd never seen one before. I've seen dolphins swimming past, but have always missed the orcas.

Travell are car specific. I bought one for my car, but it was the wrong model. I might invest in the correct one now. (It was their fault, not mine. I entered my car reg and the website told me which one to buy.)

@SpanielsGalore oh poor girl, I would be the same and just get out and about. It would be miserable for her to be on rest forever!!

@Silverbirchleaf thank you! He is a weirdo spaniel who doesn’t like water but was brave and went ankle deep after this 🤣

@LandSharksAnonymous thank you, he is generally happy but I feel soooooo bad that I’m not giving him what he needs at the minute. Dd has been having some issues and has been off school a lot recently so that’s been taking up all of my head space, but she’s back in today so fingers crossed I can get back into a better routine with V. My contract at work ends at Christmas and I’m struggling to find anything else to apply for so I might unexpectedly have an extra 40 hours a week for him in the new year 🤪

Yes the Travall ones are car specific. I think they are fab for the price. I was unsure about it as our car is leased but we have another 2 years left on it so I thought it was worth it, then I will probably try and sell it on. We will get good use out of it regardless.

@CoubousAndTourmaIethow is Brie with the fireworks? It sounds awful but I’d be able to cope much better if he was a shaking and hiding under a blanket type of scared, but he just barks his head off repeatedly and I can’t snap him out of it. We had loads on Saturday night but thankfully barely any last night. I’m dreading Wednesday and next weekend as I think that will be the main time for it. Lots of it around here is just pure anti-social rather than displays or family gatherings. Someone was setting off huge bangers constantly for about 20 minutes straight at 1.30am Sunday morning!! I don’t know how people even afford to do it 🙃

I’m sorry she’s struggling so much with her season. Hopefully she’s feeling a bit better again today!

Thanks @YorkshireFelix , I felt bad for her, she was really off colour last week but had an okay weekend. It's hard to know if they get pain or headaches during their season, like we do with our periods. She felt hot and definitely hasn't been keen on the harness being around her tummy, so I've had to loosen the rear straps as far as they'll go. She is very nearly outgrowing it because of her winter coat coming in.

Algy was a barker like Vinny, but Brie is a trembling, panting wreck, trying to shove her way behind the sofa. I just worry so much more about her fear, because I've heard of dogs just keeling over with heart attack or stroke from stress. With Bolshie Boy I just let him go outside and mouth off for a bit then he'd settle after "scaring them away".
Last night she wasn't too bad, we just played it down and ignored the few bangs, but we are dreading Wednesday. I'll have my vet girls on email/whatsapp for support if needed. They hate fireworks themselves and would like a ban on private use.
I know what you mean about there being an antisocial element to it with the bangers being let off at all hours. I doubt that will ever change.

I hope your daughter will happily settle back in at school, I know from experience that it's not always easy to start back after a period of absence ❤

@SpanielsGalore I am so jealous you've seen so many sea-creatures. I do absolutely love them. Although, all that being said, we're having mussels for dinner tonight and I am really looking forward to it - sent DMum off to Hastings this morning to the fishmongers and in return I have taken Satan for the day. I love fish, but it has to be totally fresh - the fish counter fish just makes ms queezy.

@YorkshireFelix I hope your DD is okay ❤ And I hope that you find a new job soon...although other than finances would it really be sooo bad to spend all day every day at V's mercy? I can certainly think of worse things and I am sure V would be very happy with that development.

I failed to win big on PB this month (and so did DH - the failure). So it's yet another month of dreaming of early retirement. All I want is to retire young and spend my days reading books and playing with my Goldies and possibly making DDs healthier lunches because I have more time (although is there really anything wrong with frubes and white bread?).

We failed on a big PB win also @LandSharksAnonymous , so it doesn't look as if I'll be buying the house that @SpanielsGalore so kindly found for me 😢

Has anyone seen David Beckham and his cocker spaniels in County Life magazine? I saw a post from them on Facebook. His dogs are so fat! I was surprised!!

Here it is

Poor dogs. The liver one especially is in bad shape. It has the pain filled, knackered stress lines in its face that N had when she joined me.

Jeepers, they are obese. That's nothing short of animal cruelty...surely!? How can anyone let their dog get into that state!?

@CoubousAndTourmaIet I didn't even with £50 sodding pound. 😫I've been on a massive losing streak recently. Starting to think I might as well pull it out and give it to Twatdog to chew for all the good its doing...

I dutifully read all the comments on the Facebook post and no one mentioned it!! It was the first thing I noticed. Poor things.