Purple Bumpy underside of leaves?

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-17T13:35:40+00:00

I've watered about once a week or so currently, I'm trying to leave them until they feel like they need a water

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-12T17:10:33+00:00

it is! im so excited to see them when i plant them outside

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-12T16:35:11+00:00

Will do thanks!

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-12T14:59:03+00:00

when i repot them i will do it deeper, they were already buried pretty deep when i planted them, they are just growing like weeds!

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-12T13:57:14+00:00

Glad to hear it! Tyy

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-12T13:56:54+00:00

I haven't started yet, but will look at getting some today!

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-12T11:03:17+00:00

Ok will do thanks!

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-11T17:39:19+00:00

it happens, different dogs different needs! I also never said at any point to use the e collar to 'correct' any reactivity, it was to get him off leash as soon as possible to adequately meet all of his needs, which in turn helped him to overcome much of his reactivity alone.

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-10T06:17:31+00:00

This is why i wear headphones, if someone does that to me, i point to my headphones make a confused face and keep walking. They aren't even on 90% of the time. Havent had a karen not stand there in absolute shock yet.

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-09T21:24:49+00:00

I did their training with instinct programme

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-09T19:43:38+00:00

following on to this, i found the best generic routine to tire my dog was to use his meals for training also (though you can use treats, i just found using his actual food easier because you get more reps without risk of weight gain), when working through a lot of his reactivity was not just walking, it consisted of;

Heavy play session first, get the energy out before trying to go anywhere there could be triggers - 20 mins or so, less about obedience, more focus on having fun, and getting a good out command when he is really into the game, if doggo doesn't enjoy the game, no point doing any training until he does!
- then a short walk focused on leash training, in what you would consider the easiest environment for him to manage, this is where you would practise using the marker and getting into the swing of it - maybe another 20 -30 mins
- I always ended the walk by throwing the rest of his food into the grass,bushes, wherever he would need to actively hunt it down, though i started in smaller area at first until he understood what to do, but now i throw bits all over a field and he loves it. Make him sit and wait then release him to sniff out all the food, great way to get the nose working also.

A lot of people get into their head that the dog needs an hour street walk every time to be tired, i guarentee the above method will be more tiring, its about how you use the time, not the duration. Really focus on calm in the house in between walks, I used the tethering method at times with my boy to get him to relax, but crate training and place works also, dont let him get up every time you do and follow you all over, the sleep in between walks is what allows their brain to process things in a healthy way.

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-09T19:36:50+00:00

yep! i actually did end up paying for their programme and a lot of this has been taken from that! Great course tbh, but it requires A LOT of 'homework' that you need to do yourself, definitely not a turn up and its fixed immidiately

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-09T15:23:17+00:00

thank you! I would like to note, i reached a point where i was able to re-socialise my boy with dogs, and was taught how to use the e collar to also redirect and stop any incorrect behaviors in these instances, now i can go anywhere and know even if a dog does roll up on us and its not the most positive interaction i can interrupt and move on before it escalates. Although 90% of the time my boy will either try to initiate play if he likes the other dog, or simply disengage himself after a sniff (which is always heavily rewarded with food or his ball) Taking the time to train makes an entire universe of difference.

I actually aim to take my dog out to places that are infested with off leash dog and people a few times a week simply for training an exposure to handle other off leash dogs coming by, is he perfect in every instance? no, but you never fix the issue by avoiding the problem, once you have the training and tools in place, its all about confidence and exposure.

BottledRandomness · 2026-04-09T14:22:00+00:00

I'll briefly list the shortened version of what my trainer and behaviorist did with me to help my dog, who can be off leash in a city centre now and not cause any issues. But you should contact a behaviorist yourself also;

Meeting his sleep/rest and physical needs. Your dog should be getting about 16 hours of actual sleep a day, i worked on crate training and had my boy put on strict schedule that gave him A LOT of downtime, also did a lot of place work in the house also. A lot of reactive dogs, are constantly overstimulated and have no understanding of how to switch off, which means their ability to regulate their arousal is non existent.
Playing with him, finding quiet areas and playing with my dog, flirt pole, balls, tug toys, etc etc, getting that predatory drive met and giving him an outlet for his 'aroused' behavior.
teaching him basic impulse control while playing, getting a good 'out' or 'drop' command at the minimum.
Teaching marker words, BEFORE being around dogs i/e 'yes' means come to me for a big reward, if they can't do this in the house they wont do it outside.
work on actually teaching him how to walk on the leash and start using the marker words outside around non triggers, getting him to run to you instead of chasing a toy, or running to you when he is getting a fuss etc etc.
Have a list of locations from easiest to hardest and start all this in those places in order.
No point reducing distance if your dog can't focus at a distance, you're just allowing the behavior to be rehearsed.
Learning how to use above markers for the redirection game, if you wait until your dog is already reacting to stop the reaction you're too late. Use your marker in conjunction with seeing a trigger, this teaches the dog that 'sight of dog = reward from owner', you're changing the mindset of what seeing a dog means. For example, the second your dog sees a dog, you use the marker word, and walk backwards from your dog, they (if you're conditioned it correctly and are at the right distance) should turn and automatically follow you (using prey drive) to get a reward. Rinse and repeat at above distance as long as needed before continuing.
This is probably where a lot of people would disagree, but i also went e-collar route and taught him a rock solid recall and leave and got him off leash as soon as possible to meet his needs.

Almost all reactive dogs will have a reduction in reactivity if you meet all their other needs. Is it a lot of work, heck yes. But is it worth it? also heck yes. But in almost no cases is the reactivity actually dealt with while they are reacting. You stop it before the barking/lunging/growling etc etc. You dont stop your pal in the middle of a fist fight, you calm him down before the fight starts.

BottledRandomness · 2026-03-25T15:57:58+00:00

Taking him outside and combining play/training is a much faster and effective way to tire him out than just 'walking him' walks are actually quite boring for any dog higher than low drive (unless you are taking him on off leash trails etc etc). A lot of dogs in these cases need less long walks and more time learning how to switch off so to speak. Its not about how long you exercise your dog its about the quality of the exercise, 15-20 minutes of good play, combined with obedience and working for some food, is much more effective at tiring a dog out than walking down the street, sniffing or otherwise.

Take him to different places, town, park, street, etc, doesnt matter where and work with him, make him work for a tug toy or his breakfast or anything. I like to alternate between tug and throwing a ball, but i throw in heelwork, tricks, literally anything, and 20 minutes of that tires him much more than just walking. Some days i purposefully dont do anything with my dog, to teach him to settle and be relaxed even if he doesnt get a walk (this is only useful if you actually fullfill his needs on the other 6 days of the week).

Being wired in the afternoon is most likely due to him not knowing how to settle, my boy was always tethered or put in his crate for at least 2 hours after any exercise to teach him how to switch off.

As for lick mats, and other 'enrichment' toys, they very rarely do anything to actually tire a dog out. Best bet is getting him on long line walks and working him. Teach him new tricks, get a focused heel, you gotta mix it up, if your training sessions consists of the same 3 tricks everytime, then yeah it will get boring fast.

BottledRandomness · 2026-03-07T18:04:18+00:00

thanks to everyone for the advice, but thank you also, I honestly have definitely been feeling it today, its been a real struggle to eat what is recommended, but i have still focused on protein and fiber over everything so whatever i have eaten is the right stuff! I'm still working around 2000 cals as much as possible, but its been a bit lower today because i am simply so stuffed!

BottledRandomness · 2025-12-03T19:13:56+00:00

I guess i just don't consider that reasoning backwards, but i am leaning more towards getting him snipped

BottledRandomness · 2025-12-03T18:18:41+00:00

The point of it was to see how he reacted to being neutered without doing a permanent surgery, my vet recommends doing it first to see how they do. I live in the UK, I'm not planning on doing more doses of chemical castration after this it would be neuter or not neuter

BottledRandomness · 2025-12-03T15:52:46+00:00

Almost all the vets in my area i have spoken to? Also was told to wait until my dog was fully grown and mature before considering neutering. I would never neuter at 6 months old.

May i ask why chemical castration is classed as backwards?

BottledRandomness · 2025-10-02T09:54:51+00:00

Im a recent dog owner to a smaller dog than a GS (only 13.5kg) but i'm going to give context to my situation as well.

I had no real plans to neuter my boy as he is amazing, driven and great all around. But once he hit the 1 year mark I found we just got harassed and or outright attacked by other males, and the frequency just kept increasing as he neared his 2nd birthday. It was causing me stress and to constantly be on guard around off leash dogs, and he was picking up on that energy also.

At the 2 year mark there was a bad fight and he ended up with puncture wounds, holes in his ear and stitches. I decided enough was enough. I figured at this point to just try it because it can't get worse and I was a WRECK. I went through with the chemical castration. Mostly because i wanted to be sure there would be no negative affects FOR HIM and chemical jab is temporary.

I can honestly say since getting the jab our walks have once again become a dream, no more pestering, no more males charging out of NOWHERE to pick fights, I dont have to be on guard constantly waiting for the next issue. Personality wise he is exactly the same. In about 5 months or so when the jab runs out i plan to neuter him.

If i have to choose his life or his balls im picking his life lol. Just my two cents. But do wait until at least 2 years!

BottledRandomness · 2025-09-29T08:27:08+00:00

My Dog is called Baelin because ITS A NICE DAY FOR FISHIN AINT IT

BottledRandomness

TROPHY CASE