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. 😂

Vinny has been loads better with the fireworks tonight. The ones really close by made him bark a bit, but any ones a bit further away in the distance haven’t bothered him at all. The past week or so even ones really faint in the background have set him off massively. He has a ‘calming’ supplement powder in his dinner, which I am convinced doesn’t really do anything, but DH told me he double dosed it tonight (which I am a bit 😬 about but it’s all natural stuff so probably won’t have done any harm!!) so it could be that or maybe he’s gotten used to the noise?! I am glad about it though as I’ve been dreading it.

Couldn't remember what Thranduil looked like so just had a Google. I would!
I could also go for Legolas, but not Orlando Bloom.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet You know what I mean though, right? Some actors are just themselves, no matter what role they are playing.

Thankfully we only had the one loud bang, so the dogs all settled down after ten minutes or so.
@YorkshireFelix What are you giving V? Might be worth trying it for P on bin days.

i’ve been out - ds looking after dog but says no real problems. Must firework displays locally are on Saturday though. Dog has been upstairs with music on which helps. If he is downstairs, he barks at more things outside.

@SpanielsGalore it is called ‘Thriving.’ We got the personalised one where they do you a custom blend based on what you need (last one on the list if you scroll down) https://thriving.dog/supplements/

i took him out for a walk as he was desperate for the toilet and there were so many fireworks going off and he wasn’t bothered at all!! It is bizarre. They have just been letting loads off across the street just now and he hasn’t as much as flinched!

I will say I haven’t noticed a difference in him at all since he started on them 3 weeks ago though until tonight.

I know exactly what you mean about certain actors just being themselves @SpanielsGalore , we seem to say it a lot lately.

Thanks @YorkshireFelix , that's of interest to us also. I'm glad that Vinny seems to be unfazed by the fireworks this evening, it makes life so much easier.

Brie definitely needs something to calm her. Yesterday we met the friendly little cockerpoo puppy with nice owner, pup was off lead and wanting to play, but poor Brie was petrified of her.

@YorkshireFelix Thank you. Just tried to make a personal blend, but the questions are going round in circles. I'll try again tomorrow.
I've booked an appointment for next week with a nutritionist to see what supplements I can give P to help her. I'll let you know if anything would be useful for V too.

@SpanielsGalore@CoubousAndTourmaIet there’s another thing @brushingbootslinked me to also which I haven’t ordered to try yet, but has really good reviews https://www.dorwest.com/products/scullcap-valerian-tablets-for-dogs-and-cats

I <3 Dorwest! Just so good. Hashtag not sponsored but if they want to sponsor me and pupsy they'd be welcome as I am a committed customer.

Oh, how weird! @YorkshireFelix This arrived tonight at 9pm, on same day delivery from Amazon. I gave her the tincture in some goats milk yoghurt and it calmed her really quickly. I just wish it had arrived at 7 rather than 9.
We used to buy Dorwest stuff at dog shows 25 or 30 years ago @brushingboots Our lot have had the green powder, kelp and treebarks at various times.

Bit peeved that the thriving stuff doesn't have Pyrenean on their list of breeds...

Good Morning,
We survived it! There was nothing here after about 11pm.

I'd highly recommend the Dorwest Herbs Valerian Compound, which is in liquid form with a measured dropper. It smells very strong but it went down fine mixed into a big spoonful of yoghurt. Within a few minutes of having it, she was lying calmly. I just wish I'd ordered it the day before and not at 10am yesterday 🙄 But at least we have it now and I can give her a dose on Saturday just in case and then on New Years Eve. It'll also be useful for vet trips because it takes effect quite quickly.
Would definitely recommend.

Glad to hear you/Brie survived the night and it quietened down @CoubousAndTourmaIet

@YorkshireFelix your DH is double dosing the dog?!😁V was probably high as a kite! What a life 😀

I'm sorry everyone's dogs struggle with the fireworks. 😞I do genuinely think it's just one of those things you really can't train in or out of them - despite what trainers and behaviourists try and claim!

FYI All, I would avoid 'the other place' today. Lots of nutters going on about how all large dog breeds should be banned - and then when I mention Goldie are powerful and large it's 'oh, but they're soft.' Sigh. The failure to understand that yes, some dogs breeds are dodgy (and tbh you do need your head read to keep an XL Bully around a child), but actually much of the time it's children that are the problem not the dog really irks me. 😞

Oh that is funny!! What are the chances eh. I didn’t realise they did a liquid one too. I’ll definitely get some to try I think as it might help with car journeys.

@LandSharksAnonymous I agree, it’s dogs that are put in situations they are uncomfortable with, and it’s not the poor dogs fault. My dd is almost 12 and is very mature/responsible but I do still have to intervene and remind her to not do certain things or consider V’s mood and body language sometimes. I think the (very common) combination of young kids + any breed of dog + parents who are blasé about it all is a very dangerous combination.

I got a kicking the other day over terriers being on the dog fatality list @LandSharksAnonymous and was basically told I'm stupid and know nothing.
Today I'm defending the honour of giant breeds because neither a Bully XL nor a Rottweiler is a giant and it drives me mad when people say they are. Obviously the giants need careful handling because their size is enough to knock people over, and it goes without saying that they shouldn't be left with kids, but to lump them in with Bullies, Pitbulls and the like is unfair. None of the banned breeds fall into the giant category.

Anyway, yes that was very weird about the valerian @YorkshireFelix
The tincture smells very strong so I'd recommend mixing into some plain yoghurt rather than putting it on the food. But it definitely works quickly.

Sorry, what’s ’the other place?’

Anywhere in MN that isn't The Doghouse.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet It really does drive me batty. I've made the point on that thread that I've seen more Goldie bites (as I would do) proportionally than any other breed. But by the logic people are displaying in that thread, a Goldie is fine but a GSD or a 'giant' breed isn't or in the OPs case, she doesn't like 'large powerful' dogs but she'd be fine with something small. As @YorkshireFelix has said, 'I think the (very common) combination of young kids + any breed of dog + parents who are blasé about it all is a very dangerous combination'. It's the people 99.9% of the time, not the dog and yes a bigger dog could cause more damage...but to say 'big dogs are a problem little ones are fine' is just silly.

XL Bullies are horrible dogs (IMO). But to lump all 'large' dogs together is just so ridiculous.

@YorkshireFelix it's funny you say that! I had to have a chat with DD1 the other day about not just throwing herself down onto the sofa when Hen is asleep. Not because I necessarily think Hen would do anything, but because it's just basic common sense and sometimes I think kids forget

@Silverbirchleaf as @SpanielsGalore it's anywhere that isn't Doghouse where any dog that isn't about 2kg is deemed vicious. And if you try and explain any dog can snap you get your head torn off. 😳Sometimes I go there just because the lunacy compels me to be a snarky git, but most of the time I steer clear. Doghouse is the only (mostly) sane part of mumsnet.

Unbelievable. Just unbelievable.

😡😡😡

These people are so stupid they're actually dangerous with their sensationalist drivel.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet They really are! But at least we weren't alone in thinking their nonsense was nonsense.

In happier news, Twatdog has spent all day on my lap whilst I mooch on the sofa. DDs appear to have given me their cold, and whilst I made them go to school with it because I thought they were being dramatic, it turns out it really is rotten and I had to take the day off. Day's off work aren't complete without Star Wars and doggies.

Hello all! Hope you’re all good! Sorry for not posting for ages. Things still a bit hectic here and when I get spare time I sink in to my book. So at least my screen time is way down. Ha.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet I am really enjoying Alchemised! Took a decent amount of pages to get in to it but really enjoying it now! How is/was Brie wit her latest season?

@SpanielsGalore How is P doing? Hope all is well with you guys!

@LandSharksAnonymous The ‘Doberman as a first dog’ thread was, er, interesting! I haven’t been to the other place in quite some time now and I think I’m all the happier for it 😂

And to everyone else - hope you’re all doing well!!

@LandSharksAnonymous Hope you feel better soon. I have never seen any of the Star Wars films.

@VanGoSunflowers The jury is still out on P. She's not back to normal, but whether or not it's all down to her leg now, who knows!

N is proper poorly. She was up once in the night with diarrhoea and vomited twice. She's off her food and barely moved all day. I took her to the vets, where she had two injections and has been prescribed three meds. They said if she's still the same tomorrow, they'll admit her and put her on a drip.

So annoyed that I missed half of that @LandSharksAnonymous now it's gone. Dammit. Just as one of them was telling me I didn't know what I was talking about. Poop! Didn't even get chance to respond.

For a poorly person you really held your own there. I'm glad Twatdog has been looking after you so well and I hope you feel better soon.

Ah, I'm glad you're enjoying Alchemised @VanGoSunflowers The reviews are incredibly mixed so it seems to be a bit of a marmite one. I whizzed through The Foxglove King in about 4 days but my god it's dark. Necromancy and drug dealing (sort of), at this point not sure if I'd recommend it or not. I'll see how I get along with The Hemlock Queen, which I started last night.

Saw your post on the other thread and the lovely photo of Pablo. He's looking so grown up now! Brie is in full season but doing okay. We had a very quiet walk earlier, almost had the whole big field to ourselves.

I can't really pass moral judgement on Doberman as a first dog, since we did Pyrenean as a first dog 😂

Sorry to hear that N is so ill @SpanielsGalore , that doesn't sound good. Fingers crossed that the medication works and she improves through the night. You must be getting sick of the sight of your vets surgery lately...

@CoubousAndTourmaIet I said earlier sometimes I go to the other place as my lunacy compels me to be a snarky git...I felt very compelled today. I am getting increasingly annoyed by the idiocy around dogs and the generalisation that particular breeds are evil, or good. People quoting nonsense and conspiracy theories are my next bug bear. That thread managed all of it. I saw it was deleted though (probably for the best - quite a lot of posters ended up piling in about how the thread was in bad taste). I also find the sicker I am, the angrier I get (hence not working...)

Alchemised is the Harry Potter fanfiction that was taken offline! Showing myself as a real nerd here (and yes, I have dabbled in fanfiction because some of them are bloody good) but it used to be 'Manacled' before the author took it down to publish (and yes, I read it when it was a fanfiction). Thankfully it's better written than 50 shades of grey (the most infamous of all fanfiction) 😄

@SpanielsGalore so sorry to hear about N!!! Do they have any idea what's wrong with her? How are you copying?

@SpanielsGalore Wishing N a speedy recovery, and hoping the meds work.

@LandSharksAnonymous Im sorry I missed the part where you said you were ill! I hope you feel better soon!

Yep, alchemised is indeed a reworked version of the Harry Potter fan fic. But if you didn’t know that, you wouldn’t be able to tell from the book. It’s very far removed from that world. It’s very dark, a bit like the one you read @CoubousAndTourmaIet containing Necromancy and other dark themes. I don’t mind dark themes in a book. But I think I will move back to YA fiction after this one and read TOG.

@SpanielsGalore oh no!! I’m sorry N is now poorly! Poor thing and poor you, you must be tired. I hope she feels better soon!

@CoubousAndTourmaIet I’m no expert but I’d imagine a PMD is a very different wheelhouse to a Doberman? It’s not so much about size as it is temperament. I don’t know that much about Doberman’s though 😊