Beyond Adolescence - part 2

[SpanielsGalore]

No point banning coffee, as it didn't work last time. 🙄
Haven't had any cake updates from a while. @VanGoSunflowers Have you stopped baking already? You still had 8 cakes to go to make it economical.

The day got better! I took him up to our local national trust afterwards, walked him around the busiest areas - full of people and dogs and he walked on a loose lead I’d say about 80% of the time! Sat and ignored other dogs when I asked him to and everything!
After spending a good half an hour doing that, I took him to the estate part of it to have an off lead run and he was equally as good. He was sat at one point watching three small yappy snarly dogs walk past him and he didn’t flinch. This is the dog that just a few months ago, would leap and kangaroo about to get to every person or animal in the vicinity! To say I am proud is an understatement 🥰

@SpanielsGalore I am going to go with she is feeling better because I am feeling positive today! How are you getting on with all the separate walking?

@Silverbirchleaf quick thinking on your part! Sometimes we have to outsmart them. Which you think would be easy but it isn’t always 😂

I confess I buy the XL @Silverbirchleaf , because I like it to wrap around without gapping when I sit down. I'm only a size 12. They do crop up in smaller sizes on the Seasalt Ebay Outlet; all new with tags attached and silly prices. That's where I got my £32 Plant Hunter coat from.

It's sounds as if you & Pablo are making a massive amount of progress lately @VanGoSunflowers !!! It's all really good to hear.

Finally plucked up the courage to let V off lead again for the first time since September, and as suspected he went fucking nuts and ran about like a lunatic for ages and I couldn’t catch him 🥲🥲🥲 DH managed to grab him eventually and he looked very pleased with himself!! Little bugger.

Hi @YorkshireFelix
Hope you had a good Christmas and that your parents are coping okay after the sad loss of their hound.
Sorry Vinny was a bit loopy off the lead but it sounds as if he thought it was fun, even if you didn't. He must have felt as if all his Christmases had come at once after all those weeks of lead walking.

@VanGoSunflowers Well my feet are aching more. 😫 😂

I took P and K out together for a quick half hour this morning and tested their recall. Zilch!
This afternoon I walked K on her own and she came running every time. So Great Aunty is definitely a bad influence on her young niece.
Then I walked P on lead round the village. While we were out, some loud bangs went off and frightened her. So she just wanted to be picked up and carried home. I made her walk, but her tail was tucked right under. Then she was too frightened to go into the garden when we got home.
N misse out on a walk, as I couldn't leave a frightened P at home with just K for company.

Glad you and Pablo have had a lovely day. 💖

@YorkshireFelix Glad Vinny is fit enough to have some off lead exercise again. If it makes you feel any better, P is being a little shit too and she's 4! The last couple of days, I've blown the whistle and she's run in massive circles around the fields, totally ignoring me. She's never been 'naughty' before, so it's come as a bit of a surprise.

And after @SpanielsGalore just mentioning loud bangs ; don't forget there'll be fireworks tomorrow night everyone. I'm already dosing Brie up on the Dorwest Herbs tablets and she'll get the liquid valerian in some yoghurt tomorrow evening.

We had a mental walk - met no less than 21 different dogs on an hour long walk and every single one was a small breed. The biggest one was a beagle, the rest were all toys and terriers. No idea where all the big dogs were today.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet yes he had the time of his life!! Before I unclipped him he kept looking up at me like he wanted to say ‘IS THIS REALLY HAPPENING?!’ 🤣 Aww we went down to see my parents on Boxing Day and my Dad really enjoyed playing with Vinny. I think it cheered him up a bit. He was on his best behaviour apart from managing to lick my Mum’s lasagne whilst she was walking to the dining table…

@SpanielsGalore ha yes it does make me feel better actually! I think 99% of spaniels are just shits full stop. I’ve just been watching some TikTok videos about engagement and replacing walks with ‘games’ so that’s going to be my focus in the new year. My job has ended now so I’ve got all the time in the world for V to drive me mad!!

@CoubousAndTourmaIet oh bugger I forgot about fireworks. I was going to buy some of that liquid valerian a few weeks ago and then totally forgot about it!!

@YorkshireFelix sounds like your DH got quite a bit of exercise from V's escapades. 😀Glad to hear your parents enjoyed having him around as well, although I am sure it was horribly tough for them. ❤

@SpanielsGalore so sorry P is still struggling. Bless her though for wanting to be picked up by you - she so clearly does trust you.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet hope Brie copes okay tonight.

Mine really don't care about fireworks but Satan gets incredibly distressed, so I imagine my parents will do as they did last year and have her under the covers with them (and I do mean under the covers - snuggled up as deeply as she can) and have a very early night.

Twatdog and I had an argument this morning. 😞He was a massive bellend and kept jumping out the way and barking at me when I tried to put his lead on to take him back to the car after the walk. I ended up snapping and shouting at him and I have never seen a dog's bum hit the ground so fast. He's completely forgotten all about it, but I am still feeling very guilty - he's the only one of the bunch that winds me up that much, and I think it's because he genuinely doesn't know he's being naughty and he thinks its all one big game so even when the other dogs clearly realise I am getting annoyed...he just doesn't.

Slightly premature happy new year to you all! I am hoping to go to bed early after a very busy week but will probably stay up until 12.30 on fireworks watch though pupsy usually doesn’t give a stuff and just sleeps.

Earlier this week we were staying with friends and on Monday night there were 30 odd people in the house and after greeting a few of them she just slept on the sofa all night. I think she’s exhausted after Christmas and to be honest, so I am.

I really want to go to the beach tomorrow but I imagine everyone in the county will have had the same idea so might hold off until next week, seeing as I set my own work schedule anyway.

She'll be fine @TheHungryHungryLandsharks , she is a lot less anxious these days, so the valerian is only a precaution in case anyone nearby is partying. We'll stick to her normal routine of supper and toilet at 9.30 ish then just settle down with a dvd or some music as background noise. Hopefully it'll be quiet after about 1am. I hope Satan copes okay. Same goes for @SpanielsGalore 's P and @YorkshireFelix 's V.

Sorry you had a disagreement with TD. It's funny how some of them rub you up the wrong way more than others do. It's even the same with cats.

We met a female Goldie on our walk, we've seen her a few times and she's a nice friendly girl, so they were okay to say hello (both on lead). Also an off lead cocker, which was far more interested in sniffing around in the bushes than it was in Brie. Otherwise a quiet walk today.

Forgot about fireworks. Usually though, Dog is okay with them. He may lift his head up at the particularly loud bangs but he’s not really scared by them (touch wood).

We’re having our usual New Year’s Eve Chinese, which I’m telling myself is my last big meal. Eaten much too much this holidays.

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks P is a total conundrum. She doesn't allow anyone else to hold her lead, and leaps in the air and twists around if someone else does. She'll come to me to be picked up if she's frightened or anxious. And yet it's me who frightens her with food or by coughing or sneezing etc. She'll stare at DS whilst he's eating and lie next to him when he coughs.
Sometimes I see slight improvements. She'll lick the plates in the dish washer now, which she was frightened of doing for a long time. But she'll still run and hide under a bush in the garden if she sees me reaching for the Cornflakes.
If I had £500 to waste spare, I'd get a behaviourist in to see her, but it's such a weird one I'm not convinced anyone could get to the bottom of it.

Poor TD. 😂 I don't think it does them any harm to be shouted at once in a while when they are being nobs. There's only so many times you can ask them nicely to sit before losing your patience and telling them to 'fucking sit', using your best teacher's voice. Be water off a duck's back to him.

@brushingboots You could go for a NY's day dook and legitimately wear your changing robe. 😁

@CoubousAndTourmaIet What do you give Brie? Fireworks are too random round here to be able to dose P up, I think. But it might help with her travel anxiety for long journeys. I could do with visiting relatives back in England in the new year.

Time got away with me again today, so I walked P and K together. And I am very glad I did.

1. I made the mistake of wearing my old short coat and it was absolutely perishing cold. So I wouldn't have wanted to go out again.
2. Both girls were really well behaved and recalled to every whistle. 😇😇

https://www.dorwest.com/search?q=valerian&type=product&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&sort_by=relevance&filter.p.m.theme.label=Bestseller

We got both of these for bonfire night @SpanielsGalore . The compound is a liquid with a measured dropper. For Brie I mixed a dose into a big spoonful of Greek yoghurt. It does have a strong smell, but she didn't seem bothered. It worked very quickly; within a few minutes she had stopped panting and settled quietly.

The tablets take longer to get into their system, so with P you might need to give them for a few days before you travel, then a dose of the liquid before you set off. But it is excellent stuff, check the reviews.

Glad your girls were good on their walk today.

@CoubousAndTourmaIet Thank you. The vets have offered to sedate her for long journeys, but I'd rather dose her up with natural products if I can.

I forgot to mention earlier, I had an email from PetPlan this morning saying they'll pay for all of P's physio sessions, minus £1.77 for the rest of this year's excess. So instead of the £48 I was expecting to be refunded, I'll be getting £196.
(The physio said some insurance companies charge a separate excess for physio, so I was expecting to have to pay £150 myself as we crossed two insurance years.)

I'm sure it's worth a try with the Dorwest Herbs, @SpanielsGalore , they've been around a long time and do have a good reputation. They sell at dog shows and some of the country fairs. I know @brushingboots has mentioned them on here a few times.

That's great news about your PetPlan claim!

We have the fire lit in the living room tonight and Brie hates it, so she's just flounced off to lie in the kitchen 😆

I love a good Dorwest supplement! Pupsy has two different ones in her food every day so I buy the giant tubs.

I had naively (?) hoped that the fireworks would be at midnight and then for ten minutes or so afterwards, but lo they have started already. Have I missed something? I thought the whole point of NYE was that you could guarantee that they would only be in that small window when we're actually celebrating the new year. Pupsy is dead to the world so it's not an issue but it feels a bit strange.

Needless to say, I am working because I haven't worked for nine days and I'm itching to do something useful.

We're not expecting fireworks before about 11 @brushingboots , hopefully just at midnight, although there's often a few at 1am as well. I think you've been unlucky to have them earlier.

Our trio used to have one of the Dorwest supplements sprinkled on their food, might possibly have been the green one but I'm not sure. We used to buy it at shows.

Fireworks already going off here 🥴

Well I spoke too soon yesterday because Pabs was a bit of a prick on his walk today 😂 oh well, roll with the punches!

Wishing you all a happy new year and hope your pups are ok with the fireworks!

Happy New Year 🙂

She was completely unbothered, she just took herself off to bed, as if she disapproved of our late night 😆

Happy new year one and all.

Dog not bothered by fireworks outside or on tv.

Happy New Year everyone. 🥳🥳

We had a quiet night here. We heard one firework, which made P come running through from the other room and join me on the sofa. She sat on high alert, listening out for more, but wasn't trembling. And after a few minutes of hearing nothing, she curled up and went to sleep.

I don't think we'll be venturing out today. It's awful weather. Gale force winds and raining hailstones. So I will finally finish decorating my kitchen instead.

Hope everyone else had good NYEs and no dogs were stressed.

Feeling down after today’s walk.

It actually went quite well for most of the walk. Through a wood, along a footpath by some orchards and a nice view. Nice crispy, frosty morning. Came across a boisterous lab, and they had a nice interaction.

However, towards end, came across two pugs. It was a narrow path and Dog and other dogs started barking. I think Dog felt trapped, he would normally back off if unsure. Other owner made a comment and I got Dog away. Other owner wasn’t happy when I asked him to retrace his steps a few metres so I could take a slightly different path. Seemed reasonable request to me rather than the dogs passing. One of those nice walks which was then spoilt.

Hope everyone's dogs were okay last night! ❤DH and I were in bed by 8pm so I missed it all. And apparently Satan didn't bark (possibly because she was already fast asleep like the rest of us).

@SpanielsGalore I was watching Satan earlier, and DMum started coughing and she went into absolute hysterics and it made me think about P. Perhaps it's concern for you and worry something might happen? I have choked on things before in front of Satan and she doesn't bat an eyelid, but this morning she went bonkers over DMum.

I hope to see photos of your kitchen soon!!!

TD is back in my good books as he was very good on his PM walk and this morning. As you and @CoubousAndTourmaIet it doesn't really do them any harm, and in his case it really is once around the goldfish bowl and he's forgotten anything happened.

@Silverbirchleaf it's interesting that they were pugs. Brachycephalic breeds (specifically Pugs/Frenchies and Bulldogs) are the only dogs mine have ever taken a dislike to. Hen hates them and I think it's the breathing. I'msorry it spoilt what was otherwise a lovely walk - every dog has it's moment and it's always a bit embarrassing/disconcerting when it happens ❤

We met a lovely little black cocker spaniel puppy on our walk this morning. She was so feisty and so tiny! I am not exaggerating when I say her entire body was smaller than Twatdogs head. She played happily with all my dogs (particularly Twatdog who is a sucker for LBCs @CoubousAndTourmaIet we've said before that most dogs seem to love LBCs, haven't we?) but did stay clear of Satan...smart puppy 😀