Two Best Dogs!

Perhaps as a go between - teach him to nose touch your hand for this walk bouncing challenge? Once understood as a trick. Hold your hand out low to the side when he gets the bounces and encourage him to burn his energy on high fiving your hand with his nose, versus your face. Not really a solution so much as a way to angle his enthusiasm into less hazardous movement for you. He does sound very passionate so stationary and calm will be harder for him - Thyme has this challenge except I am in favour of his demented pogo stick behaviour. So lots of redirections and showing him appropriate bouncing as stationary behaviours will never be his strong skill. Even when stationary I can see him vibrating and ready to explode For the lead situation - perhaps teach him how to put his head through a collar already attached to a lead. That will likely be easier for him (movement/action) over holding himself stationary. For calm cuddles - I have no real advice. Thyme decided in his second year they are “okay”. But most of our physical bonding is a bit of nightly wrestling which ends up with a rigorous butt rub (his one true weakness). Perhaps experiment with different ways to touch him? Will he slow down for a butt rub? For some lazy bitey face bitey hands? i would be cautious on using the absence of your presence to correct him, because it sounds like he is very frustrated in his enthusiasm of you. Better to find ways for you two to meet in the middle to get some success and negotiate (lol!) where you can both get some relief in your relationship.

Is this at the start of the walk? Try tossing your rewards on to the ground in the direction you are going - get him thinking “downwards” type behaviours as well as trick him into more appropriate behaviour of sniffing which will help calm him down and build a new environment excitement habit.

Keep forgetting to share this one for you guys - open access! https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2020.00388/full Assisting Decision-Making on Age of Neutering for 35 Breeds of Dogs: Associated Joint Disorders, Cancers, and Urinary Incontinence In the results section they split the results out by each breed so you can go straight to the breed you care about most:

No risks any different to any other female dog, except the risk of a long happy life ;) Terriers are resilient little things! Would probably desex to get any ovary/in season concerns out of the way and then off you go with your new friend

It may be your sister struggles with letting go - it's hard to know when the time is right versus too late with someone you love. There is an online calculator to help you work out if your dog has a decent quality of life or is "just existing" https://journeyspet.com/pet-quality-of-life-scale-calculator/ and you may find this blog post helpful to read, on knowing when it is time to let your pet go while letting it be a peaceful end. https://www.chronofhorse.com/article/death-with-dignity-why-i-chose-to-put-my-horse-down-on-a-good-day

Thanks Rozzie, I'll send this rescue name through to them!

Not very long as my sister and partner work different hours. Got to exercise details: they live across from a park and said exercise would be 30 mins+ evening walk but also outings throughout the day as her partner is home during the day. they’re okay for mature dogs (4-5 years) but nothing that’s too old or has health complications that prevent daily walkies and weekend wanderings

Waiting for them to get back to me, but I get the distinct impression their current main wants are: Under 10kg so the apartment lets them keep the dog Available to purchase now Adult and the allergies are an afterthought

Never mind

I have been going through victoria checkpoints to continue hydrotherapy for my dog. I know other customers from outside the restricted areas have entered the restricted areas for same dog services. We have letters explaining and saying where we are going/rehab centre details etc. My checkpoint guy was equally happy to view receipts instead of letters but the letter was what I used. Then it’s just a matter of following the safety guidelines eg I hand the dog over and wait in the car park.

To be honest, I did have to dedicate a lot of time to specifically teaching Thyme to settle in the house - otherwise he would make me dizzy with constant movement. He would sniff one thing, run through the house to sniff something else, run back, crawl all over the couch, go sniff the corner of idk a book. Then he'd get cranky like a toddler from being so scatter brained and not resting himself. I swear he was that shark saying in another life ;) "if it stops moving forward it dies". Lots of reassuring him that if he stops moving he won't die I don't mind, but I can see it being a thing people get annoyed to have to concentrate on teaching. But that is just Thyme - his cousin on the otherhand settles perfectly and is super laid back. Very varied personalities! Maybe keep an eye out for adults where upfront on if they're the settle or circle kind of dog?

Thyme can trot along for quite awhile, although we haven’t done a steady flat 2 hours. My attention span is too short for that. Multihours Hikes are normal tho. I think 1 Hour 30 On a flat path was our longest steady pace so far with some sniff/pee breaks here and there. I kickscooter with him so he’s usually pulling a bit too. we are training for the ANKC endurance test one day which is a 2 hour 30 min bike ride. So I am working him up to it slowly (plus my own fitness needs work!). (thyme is The springer spaniel) There are other spaniels who do the endurance test as well - including cavaliers! Among other more typical breeds like kelpies, huskies, pointers. I like looking at the photos. Terriers present too! would just be mindful to have a healthy dog and to work them up to it steadily like you do with your own health. And be mindful of the weather and surfaces. Eg I usually stick to dirt trails for long running with the odd bike path here and there. Spaniels are cool I am only a little biased ;)

The dog attack would have been covered. e.g. I got 80% back when one of my dogs (accidentally!) injured the other. (my plan pays me back on 80% of claims. I've yet to be declined) When getting insurance, you just need to be very mindful of what is and isn't covered. My main concerns were to be covered for: activity injuries, snake bite, emergency boarding if *I* am hospitalised, cancers/chemo. So far this has held true (so many activity injuries including a dreaded grass seed and one mystery tummy bug) I am not covered for our rehab physio as the leg injury is pre-existing and ongoing to getting the insurance. But I have been covered when that leg got injured by a certain enthusiastic springing spaniel landing on that leg and injuring it further (to my dismay).

I’m rather partial to the circle method - lunge then around in a circle like an over excited horse but dont go forwards until they lunge loosely. or lunge them towards something to m reward with. I find all the practice in circling - they get very practiced in recognising when the lead tension is tense enough to start turning back to you . And when they start turning - that is a movement into following you over pulling. gentler on both your bodies too. their are YouTube videos showing it and the like. Just search: loose lead circle method

Even if she adores the pup - she may still be feeling out of sorts from the routine disruption. Less sleep, changed hours, changed routine - all those can make for a dog to feel less tolerant and feel overwhelmed. And overwhelmed dogs stressing out get cranky and won't be able to listen as well as normal. It may also be, now that she has her own companion, she no longer enjoys the dog parks as she's already getting her "social quota" from her very own home. Try sticking to nice and quiet walks (without the puppy), avoiding triggers and looking for things to sniff. Giving yourselves both a break while new routines are worked out.