Beyond Adolescence and General Chit Chat - part 3

[SpanielsGalore]

Not tagging anyone. I'm sure you'll all find your way here if you want to join in. 😁

@YorkshireFelix he doesn't pee in the garden at all!? How do you cope!?!

@Silverbirchleaf I think we must live near each other! I did have to resist the urge when I got in from work to go outside and water something just because I could (even though it's been raining all day). I think we've been under a hose-pipe ban for about a year now, or at least that's what it feels like.

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks I honestly hate it!! I have to get out and walk him first thing in the morning and just before we go to bed instead of just letting him outside and it’s a pain in the backside. He used to go in the garden when he was younger then decided not to any more. I’ve tried waiting him out but he has a bladder of steel, and then goes all awful and bitey when he’s desperate so I have to relent. It’s awful when you’re feeling really ill or the weather is horrendous, and it was a pain when we had really hot weather last summer as I didn’t want to take him out in the heat.

@YorkshireFelix for months I've been eyeing up Vinny thinking 'I would quite like a little black cocker spaniel and Vinny is ever so handsome...' but now I know that's he's fussy about where he tiddles, you can keep him! No Vinny stealing for me😩

Why did he stop wanting to do it? Did he just turn around one day and refuse?!

Last night mine held their bladders from about 4pm to I took them out at 5am this morning. I honestly can't imagine not cooking dinner in my pyjamas because I need to take the dogs out 5 hours later. It must be a nightmare for relaxing in the evening as you know he'll need to go out!?

This is going to give me nightmares tonight. 😐

Bill is the same. He has astonishing bladder control, really, given he conks out every night by half six and won't go out in the morning till it's getting light.

Weirdly my friend who lives a couple of streets away has a black cocker of a similar age who also refuses to go in the garden, and she told me her cousin’s cocker won’t either!! I can’t remember how long it’s been but he just stopped going and would go mental at us to take him out on a walk instead and it’s just carried on that way. I am very much an early pyjamas and chill kind of person too and it drives me mad knowing I’ll have to go out and walk him. I honestly have no idea how to fix it.

I was going to say I am sure Bill is the same. I always end up taking him out just before I go to bed as I am so paranoid he will wake me up in the night. I have been known to walk him in my pyjamas at 3am 😬

My first black cocker spaniel refused to toilet in the garden, because he hated treading on the grass. We moved slabs for him to walk on. Tried luring him onto the grass with treats. Threw treats onto the grass for him to get. He'd manage a couple of steps on and then walked backwards off it. He didn't hold onto it though. He weed in the house. We had to throw one sofa away as it stank.
In the end, I put his lead on and made him go onto the grass. And I kept him there until he weed. As soon as he performed, I unclipped his lead and he ran back inside. The first time took 15 minutes. The second time took about 10 seconds.

11 years he lived in that house and he never did like the garden. He'd only go outside to lie on the trampoline. We had to make a ramp for him to get on it without touching the grass. 🙄 😂 💖

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks Your dogs are a lovely colour. Is that classed as cream?

@SpanielsGalore I wonder if it’s common with cockers?! I assume it’s because he sees it as home still so doesn’t want to go there. We have a paved back yard and then grass front garden so he has options. I need someone to come and bring their dog to pee in the yard then maybe he will pee over it 😄

@SpanielsGalore technically they're all 'gold' - Hen as the oldest is the closest to being cream, but she's still got a lot of gold in her coat. They've become progressively golden over the years just because the dogs with the healthiest scores and best temperaments have tended to be gold as well. Twatdog's sire is technically 'Gold', although when you see photos of him he's more cream than gold. Pointless Wonders Sire Twatdog and DWS have the same markings as him, right down to the Golden back and white bum fluff.

Tbh now I have looked at the Pointless Wonders sire again, I am wondering how I ever thought Twatdog was going to be nornal. Because in photos of his sire you can see the wankyness coming out the screen. Twatdog stood no chance.

What I am taking from this is @YorkshireFelix (and you SpanielsGalore) is that all black cocker spaniels must be avoided because they don't like to wee in the garden. I have no advice on how to get V to pee in the garden through...a trainer might have ideas? Maybe you should dig up some earth from the nearby field and bring it home? He might tiddle on it then? Although that feels like a rather extreme measure.

@Bupster do you think Bill's bladder control is partly just sheer determination to not miss out on any snuggles?😄

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks 😂😂 Poor TD. Hopefully DWS doesn't take after him.

I thought they might be cream as they aren't as golden as the working ones I see locally. There's a show one in the village and he's pure white.

K would like it to be known that she'll come and piss in everyone's garden to show how it's done. 😇 😂

All the talk of golden retriever colours reminded me of my visit to Crufts when I saw the Southern Golden Retriever display team (name?).

Looks like @TheHungryHungryLandsharksliving room 🤣

@SpanielsGalore K, P and N are welcome in my garden any day!!

Sadly not! The cream ones became a bit too inbred for my liking (trying to find a healthy sire to my [admittedly insane] standards was impossible) , hence the branching out a bit. It’s made for healthier dogs though so although they’re not as pretty to look at (to a judge) they’re better off.

@YorkshireFelix looks like everyone’s dream living room 😃

I love the display team! Not sure if it was last year or one before but one of the dogs basically just did its own thing 😂

When did cutting dogs' nails become a thing?

@SpanielsGalore I think it's because groomers offer it (and so do some vets). Not entirely sure why, if I am honest! I've never had any of mine done.

DMum has Satan's done because her nails go 'tippy tappy' on the floor and it drives everyone bonkers. You can hear her at the other end of the house. But that's partly because she's a little old woman who can only tolerate grassy walks (allegedly...) and so they don't get ground down the way they would if she walked on the pavement.

Did someone offer to do P, K or Ns?😁

Every so often we think that Dog’s nails need cutting. However, the local dog groomer has always assured us it’s not needed. He’s never been to a groomer’s either (local dog groomer is a neighbour). Although he does have a bath every so often, after a brush down, the mud seems to fall of him.

Dogs are expensive enough, without having to have a dog groom every four to six (?) weeks.

I've taken the ends off mine very occasionally, in the summer they don't do that much pavement walking. It does depend on the dog to some extent too. I know my friend with multiple labs said only one of hers ever needed regular nail trimming.

I was surprised that on the dog expenses thread someone said they took their lab to the groomer and paid £45. What do they do beyond giving it a bath?

@TheHungryHungryLandsharks One of N's toes bled the other day and I wondered if it was because her nails are too long. But it could easily have been cut by brambles on the bank she was scrambling up. And my thoughts ran on from there. 😂

I read once that if their nails make a tippy tappy noise, then they are too long as the nail isn't supposed to reach the floor. Don't know if that's true. I have carpet everywhere now, so I wouldn't know if their nails touch the floor or not.

It's good to know I'm not the only one who doesn't take their dogs for a pedicure. It seems to be a thing these days, whereas it wasn't even thought of 30 odd years ago.

@tizwozliz I saw that comment. Some people must have more money than sense. P is 4.5 years old and still hasn't needed a hair cut, so I can't imagine what a lab needs doing.

I am soooooo over this weather. The whole next week is forecast rain every day! It feels relentless. Dying for a peek of sun!!

@YorkshireFelix watch the curling! That'll cheer you up - people sweeping for fun 😁Honestly, it's my favourite winter sport.

I know what you mean though. I usually love winter but this year it's just felt so long and grey.

@SpanielsGalore it probably is true that it shouldn't tippy tap, but honestly I think it's one of those things where if the dog is happy and showing no discomfort why fiddle with it?

I cannot imagine having a retriever (or any sort) and taking it to the groomers. With a Lab...what do you do (as @tizwozliz says) other than a quick nail trim and wash...and with a Golden they'd probably just shave the poor bugger naked.

Satan does go to the groomer, but she's not a 'proper' spaniel (she's definitely show rather than working lines) and her coat is an absolute nightmare if it grows too long. I'll see if I can dig up a photo of her with her 'proper' coat...

And I still owe a photo of the rest of my rabble. So I'll find of them too!😀

Can’t get over £45 for a dog groomers for a lab!

I’m also so over the rain. Trying to be positive, at least it’s not snowing and it’s not too cold.

On today’s walk, Dog got nervous at a…four month old cockerpoo! She was very sweet but very bouncy and a bit in Dogs face so he gave some warning barks. Other dogs we’ve met recently, of all shapes and sizes, he’s been fine with.

We avoided the mud today, lots of wading though, path is pretty much a stream now.

Don’t know why, but I love a picture of a soggy doggy.

That path is a river!

I too am totally over this winter! The walls in my hallway are now decorated with a fetching mud pebble-dash effect because she shakes as soon as we get in the house and before I manage to throw a towel over her. Having said that, I can actually see some blue sky right now - enough to patch a sailors trousers, as my mother would say.

So do you guys not trim your dogs nails? I’ve been feeling so guilty about not doing it. I have tried, but it freaks her out (understandably) and I’m scared of getting it wrong and hurting her. What about brushing teeth?

Nope, never trimmed nails or brushed his teeth. He gets a dental stick treat once every so often, but but every day.,