mowgliandme Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 (edited) My puppy is almost 1 year old (in a few days) and I had hoped that she would just grow out of it by now but she is still a clutz! She has been vet checked, can see and hear perfectly well etc. She is not even in the growing phase and has been this size for 3 months. I’ve taught her some rear end awareness exercises (thinking it would help) such as moving her back feet onto a block, she can weave between poles and legs, and can pivot etc however she still seems to hit her head or body around once a day on something! Tables, chair legs, posts, trees…she just doesn’t seem to look where she is going and runs/walks into things at full force without a care in the world. She has very little awareness of where things end, e.g. she sits on the sofa and instead of having her back near the back of the sofa, she will lie with her back near the edge and i have to stop her from falling off! Its same with heights (she's not very good at judging them) she jumped into a small pond which was too steep for her to get out of (which resulted in me getting wet too) and always wants to peer into drains and off bridges just a little bit too far (so she gets kept on leash most of the time). Will she just grow out of this at some point? Id like to let her run free without hurting herself...it happens so unpredictably e.g. we were walking around a lake for at least 20minutes and she's just walking and sniffing things, running to catch up with me at times, then she'll sniff something new - get a burst of energy, bounce and run into a tree! Edited May 15, 2017 by mowgliandme 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
katherineaw Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 No answer from me, sorry, just wanted to say she's an absolute beauty, though! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RuralPug Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 I guess some dogs, like some people, just focus too hard on what they're doing to have any attention span span left over for obstacles etc. This can often be easily cured in people by removing their mobile phones or tablets, but I'm reasonably sure that won't apply to many dogs. To be fair, at twelve months old, she has probably not quite left her teenage months yet, so there may be hope that with maturity comes a bit more body awareness LOL 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JRG Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 I have a bitch that I would classify as 'clumsy' and was dreading her having a litter to look after! Contrary to expectations, she reared 11 beautiful babies without ever stepping on one of them!! So you see, she can do it when she wants to. Guess in her case, it is a matter of concentrating on what she perceives as important - which is obviously not my legs! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
persephone Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 She is such a pretty girl has she had her eyes checked ? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Panto Posted May 15, 2017 Share Posted May 15, 2017 How is she compared to other dogs, friends dogs etc, - just want to rule out worrying too much and her relying on you to catch her / watch out for her all the time? (ie. she has developed a behaviour of reliance on you to this level) She's a cutie! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowgliandme Posted May 16, 2017 Author Share Posted May 16, 2017 She has had her eyes checked twice! First when we got her and then again a few weeks ago when she got a back sprain (and needed medication and three days rest) they looked good to the vet and she is able to follow a laser pointer on the ground, chase birds, follow hand signals etc Yep when she's excited (which can happen by anything - like a funny smell or leaf on the ground!) she just doesn't care or look out for anything else :P I'm not really sure how she compares to other dogs? I don't have many 'dog knowledgeable' friends and everyone has put it down to puppy clumsiness so far...she's pretty happy go lucky and very confident She definitely does have a reliance on me to stop her falling off couches, I'd let her sort it out but I'm guessing thats how she got that back sprain in the first place...? Thank you - she LOVES to be told she's cute <3 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jemappelle Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 My first cattle dog was very clumsy. She did eventually grow out of it but not until she had knocked my feet out from under me twice! lol 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papillon Kisses Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 I'm not saying you shouldn't ask a vet but I have noticed that dogs of that particular breed/mix are often total clutzes and hoon around with little care/notice of things around them. Perhaps brain needs to grow into body? IDK, maybe ask the vet next time you're in for a checkup! How's her back going? Mal's done his back a few times and we got Dr Jaime Jackson to prescribe some exercises for pre/rehab. PS it is nice to see you! 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowgliandme Posted May 16, 2017 Author Share Posted May 16, 2017 Luckily she's too small to knock me over! (9kg) It could be just the breed/mix...she's pretty calm 99% of the time, but then just randomly bounces around! I'll ask at the vet just in case ...I think they know i'm a hypochondriac now (still better safe than sorry~) Thanks PK! Her back is back to normal - it was really only one day of soreness and then two days of keeping her still and entertained in the house. (I wasn't really sure what was wrong when we took her in as she was her usual cheeky self but a little grumbly when patted) What are the exercises like? Are they preventative conditioning exercises? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Papillon Kisses Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 Yes they are largely preventative. We work on body awareness, strengthening, core stability and stretches. Our GP vet prescribed pain relief, rest and a gradual return to activities (short walks on the flat then gradual increases) but it didn't address the cause or risk factors so he kept hurting it. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BJ. Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 Nash who is an almost 14 year old GSP still runs around like a loon. Jumps from object to object without a care but often comes a gutsa. I am so surprised that we haven't had a serious injury yet. The older he gets the more I worry. I have curtailed his free running and we do a lot more lead work now he is getting on. When he was younger that wouldn't have worked as he needed to be able to have a good run. Luckily my parents had stock moving lanes on their property so we had somewhere flat, with no trees and fenced. Once he is going self preservation goes out the window. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cannibalgoldfish Posted May 16, 2017 Share Posted May 16, 2017 There is variations of personality/skills in animals. I have two cats, both British Shorthairs. Flansy is younger, he is clumsy and hoons about and bangs into things or runs into my leg. There is nothing wrong with him, he is just an idiot young skalliwag. Squishy is older and when she was his age she went through the same zoomie stage but never overshot her dashes or bashed into things/people. When I had my two dogs it was the same. Both boys of the same breed and first cousins in fact. Both would have their crazy moments but Wylie would be the one to run into my leg or go A over T when zooming. Near where I live there was a boardwalk that had a low narrow concrete divider thing about 20cms wide down the middle. Loki loved, (and still does, the prissy lil show pony) jumping up and running along it. Wylie used to try and copy him but was always too clumsy and would fall off. I think some pets are just clumsy :D 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowgliandme Posted May 16, 2017 Author Share Posted May 16, 2017 Glad to know she isn't the only one Well if she's clumsy forever at least she is my little clumsy dog forever! 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tassie Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 Another worry wort here . You know, if she were mine, I think I'd be booking her in for a consult with a canine physio or rehab specialist .. Depending where you are in Vic, you may be able to try someone like Michelle Monk. That will be an overall body check, but also hopefully a program of body awareness and proprioception exercises which might help. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stitch Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 I have a breed that has facial fur similar to your dog and it can make a BIG difference to the dogs sight just if you clip the hair from around their eyes. Leave the eye brows but clip the hair from the sides of the eyes and also the hair on the foreface that blows up from in front of the eyes when the dog runs. It may not look great and may not solve the problem completely but I know from experience that it does help the dog to see more clearly. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowgliandme Posted May 17, 2017 Author Share Posted May 17, 2017 Another worry wort here . You know, if she were mine, I think I'd be booking her in for a consult with a canine physio or rehab specialist .. Depending where you are in Vic, you may be able to try someone like Michelle Monk. That will be an overall body check, but also hopefully a program of body awareness and proprioception exercises which might help. Thanks for that -I will check it out, they're less than 10minutes from my house! I have a breed that has facial fur similar to your dog and it can make a BIG difference to the dogs sight just if you clip the hair from around their eyes. Leave the eye brows but clip the hair from the sides of the eyes and also the hair on the foreface that blows up from in front of the eyes when the dog runs. It may not look great and may not solve the problem completely but I know from experience that it does help the dog to see more clearly. Good point! I normally tidy up her face hair every week (at least under the eyes and on the muzzle - at the moment its shorter than in the pic above) but I really do need to go shorter on the sides (I am a bit of a scaredy cat when it comes to cutting her face hair!) 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kamuzz Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 My setter is totally bird obsessed. When we are out walking, he often goes smack into a street lamp or tree because he is not watching where he is walking. However, he never has trouble finding food! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scrappi&Monty Posted May 17, 2017 Share Posted May 17, 2017 (edited) Mowgli&Me; just read what you said about the hair near the eyes, I suppose the hair on the side of her face at eye level could be blocking her periferal vision a tad, which might mess up her balance and spatial awareness? Perhaps keeping that short could help a little? I'd have a go and see if it makes a difference. Edited May 17, 2017 by Scrappi&Monty 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mowgliandme Posted May 17, 2017 Author Share Posted May 17, 2017 (edited) Mowgli&Me; just read what you said about the hair near the eyes, I suppose the hair on the side of her face at eye level could be blocking her periferal vision a tad, which might mess up her balance and spatial awareness? Perhaps keeping that short could help a little? I'd have a go and see if it makes a difference. How embarrassing! I didn't even think of that, I hope that is the problem though On one had it would explain why the breed/mix perception as derpy...her hair isn't much different to the "typical cut"! On the other hand, I feel so terrible that I could have just cut her hair shorter and saved her the problems of running into things Ive cut it all the way down on the sides just now and will wait and see what happens (fingers crossed)! Edited May 17, 2017 by mowgliandme 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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