Clodagh
Well-Known Member
That’s a great update. Tawny still doesn’t acknowledge Scout. He’s been here since December. We say she’s Priti Patel and he’s a migrant. If she can’t see him he doesn’t exist.
The New Adventures of Henry Spaniel.
- Thread starter PapaverFollis
- Start date
Moobli
Well-Known Member
Great update. It sounds as though they are sussing one another out. There's a definitely upshift in your description, so I can just feel that slight anxiety lifting. Brilliant. He is a very handsome chap, lovely photo.
Christmascinnamoncookie
Fais pas chier!
Loving the floofy paws. My three are on separate beds right now but once Im on the recliner, I’ll have all 3 piled on together. Pack animals, ultimately.
PapaverFollis
Well-Known Member
We're still a long way from peace in the house I think. I don't think it is a Henry's fault, the big boys just don't seem able to leave him alone. Hugo wants to posture and growl at him. Oscar wants to play with him. Henry wants to busy about. Evening Disney Dog Time with everyone on leads is fine but any attempts for house time without leads on has so far just not really worked. It is my fault and my out of control big dogs rather than a Henry thing though.
However...
Walks are going well.
❤❤❤
However...
Walks are going well.
❤❤❤
Clodagh
Well-Known Member
What a gorgeous photo? Is that President Hugo in the middle?
PapaverFollis
Well-Known Member
He would like to think so. I suspect "Supreme Dictator Hugo" would be his preferred title though.
Christmascinnamoncookie
Fais pas chier!
I know I’m the reverse situation, 2 pups and one adult, but what would happen if you were to let them be together in a room in the evening? Are there separate beds or room for another for Henry? I’m very overcrowded with 2 large crates and 3 beds in the lounge (hoping to get rid of the crates reasonably soon) but everyone can be separate if they want.
PapaverFollis
Well-Known Member
I think the problem is that they don't want to be seperate. They want to be interacting. But not in a calm way.
I don't really know.
I don't really know.
fiwen30
Well-Known Member
Full disclosure- could be completely wrong here.
I wonder if it could be of use to have the big lads off lead in the house with Henry (one at a time), but they’re being taught to leave him alone? Just thinking how I had to train my boy (eons ago) to Leave the cats, when he so desperate wanted to jump all over them and play. Because you’re right, it sounds more like a problem with the older boys wanting to fuss over him, so if they get positive reinforcement when they’re not focusing on him, that might help?
I wonder if it could be of use to have the big lads off lead in the house with Henry (one at a time), but they’re being taught to leave him alone? Just thinking how I had to train my boy (eons ago) to Leave the cats, when he so desperate wanted to jump all over them and play. Because you’re right, it sounds more like a problem with the older boys wanting to fuss over him, so if they get positive reinforcement when they’re not focusing on him, that might help?
PapaverFollis
Well-Known Member
I think you are right. I also worry that creating a "training" situation might ramp Hugo up too far.
What I kind of need is three separate beds and to do the 'boundary games' protocol with them all on their own boundary... etc etc. I can try that. But I'm not entirely convinced it would work once the training situation was dismantled. I feel like they'd be alright while being actively trained (and I think this is why they are OK to ignore each other outside... they all think they are 'working') but I feel like as soon as the treats went away they'd be back to the daftness.
Pearlsacarolsinger
Up in the clouds
You've only had Henry for a very short time. When we got the Lab pups to introduce to our adult Rottweiler, we were extremely careful to keep them apart/on lead for about a month.
We had 2 adult Rottweiler-sized crates in the living room, we put the pups in one and the Rott in the other and swapped them about until the Rott stopped being so excited about them. We allowed short sessions in the garden with them all on leads, then with the pups off-lead all under very close supervision.
I'm sure your 3 will all settle down sensibly together and you will look back and wonder what you worried about
We had 2 adult Rottweiler-sized crates in the living room, we put the pups in one and the Rott in the other and swapped them about until the Rott stopped being so excited about them. We allowed short sessions in the garden with them all on leads, then with the pups off-lead all under very close supervision.
I'm sure your 3 will all settle down sensibly together and you will look back and wonder what you worried about
Christmascinnamoncookie
Fais pas chier!
You’re doing great, IMO. The babies still harass Bear but they’ve been taught to leave him and that evening=quiet time. It‘s only been a few weeks with Henry, you’re doing brilliantly!
Marnie
Well-Known Member
I think you are doing great, and I am enjoying following your thread. I have a vaguely similar situation with my puppy and 2 older dogs. The puppy leaves the old boy alone but can't resist jumping on the old girl - in the house, outside they are generally fine. They will all share a bed quite happily when tired, it is just the odd occasion that puppy gets a bit rough. I am really careful to not let the situation happen and puppy has learnt that no means no most of the time - it is just when she hasn't had enough exercise / activity. It would be great to just have them all together all the time but we aren't there yet, slowly getting there though - as I am sure you will!
PapaverFollis
Well-Known Member
Henry is gradually, gradually settling in. He's a busy boy. But we know have quiet mornings as office dog where he mooches around in MrPF's office and the hallway, is ignored and spends increasingly long periods settled on feet or on a bed. We give him much of the morning out of his crate, then the big boys get the afternoon out of theirs and he settles and sleeps back in the crate. We've been walking them together in the field and Henry and Hugo get some lead walking on the road individually too. Henry came out with MrPF riding the horse the other day and was very good!
He is a super little dog. And very sweet. Despite occasionally being a bitey little shitebag/land shark if he gets too ramped up. ? I think it confuses him that he gets zero reaction to that from us bar calm waiting for him to settle down or at the most getting some social shunning. I think biting human hands and feet has previously been both a fantastic game that gets a super reaction and a way to work out frustration and excitement. I'm doing a mixture of stopping interactions, asking for a sit then re-engaging with him, walking away and leaving him and just plain ignoring it and taking a few deep breaths until he de-ramps himself. It is fine for us to deal with. And is at least a clear signal as to where his emotional state is.
(I'm just writing this down for recording purposes, it isn't something I'm worried or stressed about to be clear. It is 'of interest' rather than 'oh my god'. He can also get a bit loud in his crate if there a Things Happening and he Isn't Involved. It's annoying but it is gradually, gradually getting better...)
I let him and Oscar have a bit of interaction before lunch today. I brought Oscar in from his midday garden ablutions and Henry was out of his crate and quite calm about him coming into the house. I got a few biscuits and got some sitting, then some lying on the bed from them both for rewards. Then I gradually stopped asking them for behaviours and let them start doing their own thing. I intervened by asking for settled behaviour again if they got too rough or intense with each other and although they were quite excited at first it properly de-esculated quite quickly and then it was bouts of pretty relaxed wrestling followed by periods of just mooching together and even Henry settling on the bed to chew a nylabone. (No resource guarding nylabone worries with Oscar, he doesn't value them that much and is quite happy to let Henry have all the nylabones). They did really well.
Interaction between Hugo and Henry is also getting better, less intense and less growly. We've been testing the water by letting them have very short bits of interaction in the evenings when everyone is a bit more settled and Oscar is tired enough to just stay well out of it. Last night they spent some time both licking each other's faces/teeth/ears. Honestly looked like very, very bad nightclub snogging! So I think they were both trying to be friends with each other but are also both pretty stressed out or massively excited about the other too. They didn't settle together but we had at least moved beyond Hugo standing over Henry and growling
We're still very much croft-based and keeping the walking to running in the field and getting heavily rewarded for checking in. Happy to have him off-lead in the front field, he tends to stick close by. We'll probably take him on a off-croft adventure this weekend. I'm not doing all that much training and that with him. Tiny bits, mostly around settling on a bed and some handling. But I'm mostly just giving him time now that we've found a more comfortable routine. I think he's happy enough with what he is getting here. I hope so.
He is a super little dog. And very sweet. Despite occasionally being a bitey little shitebag/land shark if he gets too ramped up. ? I think it confuses him that he gets zero reaction to that from us bar calm waiting for him to settle down or at the most getting some social shunning. I think biting human hands and feet has previously been both a fantastic game that gets a super reaction and a way to work out frustration and excitement. I'm doing a mixture of stopping interactions, asking for a sit then re-engaging with him, walking away and leaving him and just plain ignoring it and taking a few deep breaths until he de-ramps himself. It is fine for us to deal with. And is at least a clear signal as to where his emotional state is.
(I'm just writing this down for recording purposes, it isn't something I'm worried or stressed about to be clear. It is 'of interest' rather than 'oh my god'. He can also get a bit loud in his crate if there a Things Happening and he Isn't Involved. It's annoying but it is gradually, gradually getting better...)
I let him and Oscar have a bit of interaction before lunch today. I brought Oscar in from his midday garden ablutions and Henry was out of his crate and quite calm about him coming into the house. I got a few biscuits and got some sitting, then some lying on the bed from them both for rewards. Then I gradually stopped asking them for behaviours and let them start doing their own thing. I intervened by asking for settled behaviour again if they got too rough or intense with each other and although they were quite excited at first it properly de-esculated quite quickly and then it was bouts of pretty relaxed wrestling followed by periods of just mooching together and even Henry settling on the bed to chew a nylabone. (No resource guarding nylabone worries with Oscar, he doesn't value them that much and is quite happy to let Henry have all the nylabones). They did really well.
Interaction between Hugo and Henry is also getting better, less intense and less growly. We've been testing the water by letting them have very short bits of interaction in the evenings when everyone is a bit more settled and Oscar is tired enough to just stay well out of it. Last night they spent some time both licking each other's faces/teeth/ears. Honestly looked like very, very bad nightclub snogging! So I think they were both trying to be friends with each other but are also both pretty stressed out or massively excited about the other too. They didn't settle together but we had at least moved beyond Hugo standing over Henry and growling
We're still very much croft-based and keeping the walking to running in the field and getting heavily rewarded for checking in. Happy to have him off-lead in the front field, he tends to stick close by. We'll probably take him on a off-croft adventure this weekend. I'm not doing all that much training and that with him. Tiny bits, mostly around settling on a bed and some handling. But I'm mostly just giving him time now that we've found a more comfortable routine. I think he's happy enough with what he is getting here. I hope so.
ycbm
Einstein would be proud of my Insanity...
Soppy dawg! ?
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Pearlsacarolsinger
Up in the clouds
He certainly looks happy!
Michen
Well-Known Member
Love a friday Henry update, and such a great one! xx
Christmascinnamoncookie
Fais pas chier!
Is that the most enormous dog bed in the world ever or the perspective?? Blimey!
PapaverFollis
Well-Known Member
? Two old duvets folded up with a fleece throw tucked over them. Had to make it big enough that Hugo saw 'furniture' rather 'training mat'!
PapaverFollis
Well-Known Member
I think we're there! ??
The Xmas Furry
🦄 🦄
Yay! Cracking photo PF ??
AmyMay
Situation normal
Absolutely!!
Moobli
Well-Known Member
Fabulous!
PapaverFollis
Well-Known Member
Henry had an adventure today. And so did we. We went off to John O'Groats for an ice cream. Henry was so good. It wasn't very busy but he was quite excited at first, people and dogs. But he settled really nicely and after we had ice cream had a nice, sniffy on lead walk along the coastal path for a bit. We didn't stay out too long but I think he enjoyed himself.
I need to teach him to do a sit and wait for having his picture taken.
I'm so pleased with how all the dogs were together in the house today. We didn't really have any long periods of being settled but at the same time it was bouts of nice wrestling with no-one getting wound up. Then short breaks from the wrestling and bits of chewing nylabones, and mooching about. It's really good to feel like they will all settle together eventually for definite.
I need to teach him to do a sit and wait for having his picture taken.
I'm so pleased with how all the dogs were together in the house today. We didn't really have any long periods of being settled but at the same time it was bouts of nice wrestling with no-one getting wound up. Then short breaks from the wrestling and bits of chewing nylabones, and mooching about. It's really good to feel like they will all settle together eventually for definite.
PapaverFollis
Well-Known Member
We've made good progress on being a happy pack. Hugo and Henry even shared sitting on my knee this afternoon. Henry lasted about three minutes before he decided that actually he's a Proper Dog not a stupid mummy's boy and put himself on the dog bed instead.
There has been much bitey face and wrestling and Hugo is actually being a very good big brother now he has got his head round it. The good thing is that wrestle mania has also calmed down and they are now all just settling. I think Oscar and Hugo are teaching Henry about sleeping. ?
I'm so pleased. My house is quite full of dog! But it is lovely now that they can all be out together. Only took a month in the end.
There has been much bitey face and wrestling and Hugo is actually being a very good big brother now he has got his head round it. The good thing is that wrestle mania has also calmed down and they are now all just settling. I think Oscar and Hugo are teaching Henry about sleeping. ?
I'm so pleased. My house is quite full of dog! But it is lovely now that they can all be out together. Only took a month in the end.
The Xmas Furry
🦄 🦄
This is a lovely update PF ?
palo1
Well-Known Member
Brilliant update. Well done for organising all of the dogs needs over the month too; pretty stressful I would think but such a great outcome for you and lovely doggos. 
You can just relax and enjoy them now hopefully. I really love sweet Henry dog
You can just relax and enjoy them now hopefully. I really love sweet Henry dog
Moobli
Well-Known Member
Really great. And the slowly slowly approach has clearly worked well. I look forward to seeing lots of pics of all three boys enjoying life with each other.
PapaverFollis
Well-Known Member
Got this photo yesterday.
As you can see we are a very strict and disciplined household...
Now there's some forced perspective at play but Henrt is genuinely quite a bit smaller than Oscar. I decided to weigh them both to compare. Oscar currently weight 18.6kg - quite heavy for him, he's usually been around 17kg when at a nice slim weight. I do think he's lost a little since we decided he was a bit chubby when Henry arrived and switched him to diet food!
Henry is a complete lightweight at 12.2kg! And I checked what Oscar weighed at that age. Oscar was already 17kg at about Henry's age. Irony expect Henry to grow that much more in that case! Which is actually quite nice, because he's a lovely compact size. ? "A one arm carry" I called him the other day.
Goodness knows what breed that might make him because that's the small end of the cocker spaniel weight range... but he looks like a springer in some ways and a show cocker in others. But Oscar is a Sprocker and is much bigger (although Oscar's cocker mum was more "generic working spaniel" than a true cocker I'd say).
What if Henry IS a cockerpoo!!? Just one that got almost entirely spaniel genes in the looks department. ? Hugo is half spaniel but looks like a miniature collie with a slight spanielness around the edges after all... Henry looks like a miniature springer. ?
But then, maybe he's just small.
And it doesn't matter at all to me, just interesting to think about. He's a Henry and he's pretty awesome.
As you can see we are a very strict and disciplined household...
Now there's some forced perspective at play but Henrt is genuinely quite a bit smaller than Oscar. I decided to weigh them both to compare. Oscar currently weight 18.6kg - quite heavy for him, he's usually been around 17kg when at a nice slim weight. I do think he's lost a little since we decided he was a bit chubby when Henry arrived and switched him to diet food!
Henry is a complete lightweight at 12.2kg! And I checked what Oscar weighed at that age. Oscar was already 17kg at about Henry's age. Irony expect Henry to grow that much more in that case! Which is actually quite nice, because he's a lovely compact size. ? "A one arm carry" I called him the other day.
Goodness knows what breed that might make him because that's the small end of the cocker spaniel weight range... but he looks like a springer in some ways and a show cocker in others. But Oscar is a Sprocker and is much bigger (although Oscar's cocker mum was more "generic working spaniel" than a true cocker I'd say).
What if Henry IS a cockerpoo!!? Just one that got almost entirely spaniel genes in the looks department. ? Hugo is half spaniel but looks like a miniature collie with a slight spanielness around the edges after all... Henry looks like a miniature springer. ?
But then, maybe he's just small.
And it doesn't matter at all to me, just interesting to think about. He's a Henry and he's pretty awesome.
Roxylola
Well-Known Member
My springer is about 13kg and tucks nicely under my arm. I think Michen's springer is a pocket rocket too - their is a lot of variety in the working types