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. 😂

@tizwozliz That's every day in Scotland! 😂
My garden faces the North Sea. It'll be cold in the garden, so I put a coat on. Step out the front door and it's 5° warmer.

@VanGoSunflowers honestly the school rules drive me mental! I'm just glad they haven't mandated 'hot' school meals yet...but give it time. Problem is my DDs sound a bit like your DS - incredibly fussy. I really pick my battles over what I try and force them to eat, but they're not really big fans of hot food. Sigh. Kids. 😐If only they were as easy as dogs...

I ended up just ignoring the poster in the end. Sigh. I'm really mellowing in my old age 😂

@SpanielsGalore none of your dogs look irritating 😍They all look like beauties who I would dognap in a heartbeat.

But I agree with you - we don't calorie count (dogs or humans). As long as I can feel the dogs ribs, and they have a decent body, and as long as DDs aren't eating as much cake as I am...I'm happy. I do really hate the focus on calories for kids (and dogs) as I think nutritional value (says the cake eater) is far more important.

My dogs are already lined up in the kitchen waiting for their lunch and then, in 90 minutes, it'll be another walk. But I agree with you @tizwozliz it's a bit misleading today! There's a vicious wind here, but it's actually about 17/18 which means it's not coat weather, but if you're not wearing one you'll shiver.

Bring on the rain

I don't blame you. I'm ignoring the one about the overstimulated giant @LandSharksAnonymous It's almost the same age as Brie, getting 2 hour walks ffs. No sleep because it's so "intelligent" that it needs games 24/7. No it effing doesn't, it needs rest. The mensa ones are the ones that need to learn to switch off and be calm, clever ones get overstimulated more easily. That was Rosie and is now Brie. But clearly I know nothing, because the dog trainer says it needs more fun and excitement at home, on top of its 2 hour walks 🙄

Sorry for the rant, folks 🤐

@SpanielsGalore I’m 41 so dunno if that’s the same age or not but I have fond memories of findus crispy pancakes for dinner and I’m relatively healthy so it obviously did me no harm 😂

@LandSharksAnonymous it used to drive me insane how fussy he is and how it can take him up to an hour to eat a meal 🤦‍♀️ but most people I know who were fussy eaters when young have grown up to be real foodies - including me - so there’s time yet!

@CoubousAndTourmaIet I think I read some of that thread, as you know I’m a total novice but that didn’t make any sense to me either! And no apologies necessary in my book, it’s cathartic to have a good rant sometimes 😂

@CoubousAndTourmaIet oh I know! And regardless of what it is crossed with...no way does it need that much exercise at that age - not with those joints and it's size. It's a recipe for disaster, I think. Imagine feeding an already overstimulated dog, by scatter feeding, right before you go out for a walk 😤

But, as always, it's just more evidence of just how little people understand their dogs breed(s) and how dodgy some trainers are. Even DD2 knows you don't feed a large dog right before a walk (and she's 11!). To be honest, I feel quite sorry for the dogs because at 18 months (even as a full grown adult) I cannot see any way something that is half St. Bernard needs 2 hours a day - that's going to end one way (joint issues).

@VanGoSunflowers I know what you mean! I was so fussy as a child. I went through a period of about two years where the only dinner I would eat was tuna pasta 😂DDs are much better than I was.

I'm such a rebel parent though. They had a Terry's Chocolate Orange bar (not the actual circle one) in the car (each) this morning on the way to school and I snuck a frube into both their lunch boxes. 😳AND, even worse...marmite sandwiches on white bread.

@LandSharksAnonymous my dd has just started secondary this year and we’ve gone from strict lunch box rules at primary to no one giving a shit and it’s glorious! So now she gets a jam sandwich on cheap white bread, crisps, biscuit bar and an apple. And she’s consistently eating all of her lunch every day for the first time in YEARS!!

Honestly @LandSharksAnonymous , the more I see of trainers and behaviourists, the more sceptical I become. And that thread we were on the other day about feeding, someone recommending a specific excellent nutritionist; I looked at his stuff on YouTube. He advocates feeding once a day - someone asked if it even applied to a Dane or a Saint and he said yes, all dogs. It's like GDV doesn't exist in his perfect little Instagram world.
People are gullible enough to believe any old shite and it can be detrimental to the wellbeing of their dogs. Or their children.

I've gone down the food and nutrition rabbit hole again today after realising that Millies Wolfheart is too high in Calcium...

@YorkshireFelix how!? What school is this!? All the ones near me are bonkers - it's like the lunchbox police. It must be so satisfying being given an empty lunchbox at the end of the day though 😀

@CoubousAndTourmaIet I know what you mean. It's like common sense goes out the window whenever someone declares they have a qualification 'oh they have a qualification, therefore they must know what they are talking about.' As you say, people are gullible. I've often found the people that yell loudest about their qualifications tend to be the ones who know surprisingly little.

I've given up on the nutrition thing. I gave Twatdog some of Pen's raw this morning and he ate it happily (after refusing it when I tried before) so I am going to wean him slowly onto that and get rid of Butternut Box. Handy for me as it means less deliveries.

@VanGoSunflowers My eldest is 37, so around the same era.

@LandSharksAnonymous It's funny. 'Empty vessels make the loudest noise' is a phrase I have been thinking quite a lot reading some posters' comments.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet Must admit, I have never looked at calcium levels in food. But I can't afford to join you down that rabbit hole. I've only got a month to find a suitable food for after the Green Pantry runs out.

I wouldn't worry @SpanielsGalore , I think excess calcium is more of a problem for the large and giant breeds.
But, I have a potential replacement for Millies Wolfheart on the way, so we'll see what Brie thinks of it.

I do hope the Green Pantry food will suit P and that you'll see some improvement.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet to answer your question on the other thread, yes BB is considered a 'complete' food. Which is why I was so shocked they offered the exact same recipe for Eris and for Twatdog 😤

Sometimes, having a puppy is very helpful (even if said puppy did a protest piddle on the utility floor at lunch). 😫

Thanks @LandSharksAnonymous
I can't envisage feeding Brie on that alone, so I might steer clear of BB and stick with roughly what I'm doing (i.e. junk food), but swap out the Millies Wolfheart for a different kibble.

Oh dear! Typical female protest piddle. Boys are so much easier 😉

@LandSharksAnonymous I thought BB had a reputation for being crap, to be honest. There's no way they can live up to their marketing hype of making personalised food for each individual dog. It would be very time consuming and not profitable.

Next topic for discussion: 😁

When changing your dog's food, do it very gradually or it can cause an upset stomach.

I'm beginning to think this is one of those things people repeat as fact when it isn't actually true.
I have straight switched several dogs from one kibble to another, from raw to dry, from dry to raw, and recently to tinned. I even straight switched my dog with IBD from one kibble to another when there were supply issues. None of them ever had any issues.
Brie has several kibbles throughout the day and is perfectly fit and healthy.
So has anyone's dog ever actually had an upset stomach from swapping foods?

@SpanielsGalore I have to confess I only fed it as it was the only thing his royal wankyness would eat! As you say, good marketing hype but they can't live up to it. The idea that Eris, a puppy who gets 2 35min walks a day, needs the amount of protein/fats that Twatdog, who gets 3 x 1hour walks a day needs, is bonkers. But it was there in black and white (literally in the case of the suggestions for Eris) - the exact same content in both foods. Sigh.

I switch Twatdog slowly - but that's because he's a sensitive soul. But the others...nah, they can tough it out!

@CoubousAndTourmaIet you are not joking! Twatdog is like a light in my life compared to the girls. Her latest protest piddle today was over not going out at lunch with the rest of them. I do think girls are that bit more intelligent and conniving...a protest piddle would never have even crossed Twatdog's mind! But then again, not much goes through his mind.

I often look at him and think it must be so delightful to be so brainless. He just wafts through life, completely without purpose or point, just being happy and handsome.

@YorkshireFelix that school sounds fabulous! I remember a good ole Nutella sarn in my lunch box. Or one with a sole cheese slice on it. I used to put my crisps on my sandwich too. Actually, at high school I used to spend all my lunch money every day at the tuck shop. It’s a wonder I have any teeth left 😂

@LandSharksAnonymous you are a proper rebel girl, love it. Sneaking Frubes in to school like it’s contraband 😀

@SpanielsGalore How is P doing? I hope the food helps!

@CoubousAndTourmaIet the only thing is, in all my experience of one male dog, while he has never protest weed, he does do it out of excitement occasionally sometimes 😂 and of course it’s always endearing to be greeted with an erection 😂

I couldn't agree more, about girls being more intelligent and conniving @LandSharksAnonymous They're so crafty and clever where boys are all wide eyed innocence and cuteness. I think it's why I proclaimed on here early on that boys are easier, but I was shouted down. I just find girls a lot more work because their brains never stop creating new and inventive ways to be a challenge. And girls fight sleep when boys just crash!

It is ridiculous doing 5 kibbles @SpanielsGalore and all our previous dogs had one food with an occasional change of flavour.
With Brie, I didn't set out planning to do multi kibble at all. For the first few months she was on the food the breeder started her on - Purina Large Robust Puppy, and she actually did really well on it, but we wanted to switch to something "better". That turned out to be a struggle, because she kept getting an upset tummy, even when I followed the advice to switch slowly. I tried her on Vitalin, Wainwrights superfoods, HPR salmon puppy. All of them made her loose. So she ended up staying on Purina until about 7 or 8 months old, when we found Calibra Junior and that has suited her fine. So she was having that alongside Purina for a while. Then I tried Essential (that @tizwozliz introduced me to) and that was really good, so that replaced the Purina. After that I tried Millies samples then my chap came home with a bag of the Jollyes lamb one day so she's ended up on 5.

But, in answer to your question, I found that if something was going to upset her, introducing it slowly made no difference whatsoever, it still upset her. Conversely, if it agreed with her it didn't seem to need a gradual start, it was fine.

So yes, I call bullshit on the doing it gradually theory. And I apologise for the very long winded reply 😁

@CoubousAndTourmaIet what other food have you decided to try?

Ah, Pablo's only a babe though @VanGoSunflowers , so hopefully he'll grow out of the excitable wees, it's very often a puppy trait.

Another thing I love about having very hairy dogs is that the boy bits aren't quite so obvious 😏

I've ordered a bag of this in the lamb version
https://www.allaboutdogfood.co.uk/dog-food-reviews/1806/canine-choice-adult-large

@VanGoSunflowers
But now I'm worried it might not be great...
So I'm toying with ordering a different one from Zooplus...

I think overall she is better with Essential Estate though.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet You can be as long winded as you like since you're agreeing with me. 😂
My girls have been easier than my boys, but I think that is down to being better bred rather than gender. Of course the only way to test that theory is to go back to my breeder for a little liver boy. Which is what I wanted, in the first place but ended up with K.

Now I'm looking at this
https://www.zooplus.co.uk/shop/dogs/dry_dog_food/wolf_of_wilderness/wow_elements_dry_dog_food/759984?activeVariant=759984.2

Any thoughts? Is it all junk? I just don't know any more.

I agree @SpanielsGalore - you definitely need a little liver boy to fully test that theory 😁 I have to say that in a strange way I agree, but in reverse - that is to say that our three better (more typey) Pyries were, coincidentally all male...🤔Food for thought there.
All that said, I do like Brie. She has the best coat of any of them; so plush, and she's not even in full adult coat yet.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet That Wolf food has 1.8% calcium. Is that too high? You said below 1.8% before, but could have meant 1.8% and below.

I have no idea about foods and fat contents anymore. P's food only has 11% fat and she now needs 6% maximum. Loads of other brands have much higher fat levels. 🤷‍♀️

Honestly. I just eat what I like and don't give a shit about fats, proteins, calories etc. I certainly don't stress and have headaches over what to have for dinner. Perhaps that's why the dogs are all in better shape than I am. 😂