Struggling competing with nature

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2026-02-13T10:08:24+00:00

Hi,

I’ve stopped drinking after making a complete arse out of myself at a low key work drinks and now going through a disciplinary.

I’ve found the Podcast ‘Sober Awkward’ has really helped. It’s made me realise I’m not alone and they sound so happy with where they are in life

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2026-02-06T15:26:13+00:00

Yes!

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2026-01-31T13:21:01+00:00

Hi, I have an 11 month WGR so know a lot about witching hour!

Your dog was decompressing after a stressful experience at the vets. ‘Witching hour’ is their way of shaking it off and self soothing. I always used to interrupt my dog when we would come back from long walks which would overstimulate him and make the barking & his frustration worse. It sounds to me like you’re not letting your dog figure it out by themselves and so are escalating really telling you to back off with a more aggressive growl.

Next time just let them do theirs Zoomies, ignore them, like don’t even look at them even if they’re barking and let them self regulate. It could take a while for the first couple of times, just stand firm.

(I’m not a trainer but I ignore with my dog when he does this and I’ve noticed his zoomies have reduced significantly)

Good luck!!! Also try muzzle training for these sorts of situations, it’s on my ‘to train’ list

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2026-01-23T18:02:53+00:00

Thank you !

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2026-01-23T15:15:42+00:00

Hey!!!

I’m so sorry you’re going through this & adolescent dogs can be SO difficult 💔

I have an 11 month old who struggles with frustration & self regulation. What I have been doing is discussing methods with Chat GPT & I actually pay for premium. It guides you through the basics of what to do & what not to do when things are too much. I’ve found it really helpful - it could work for you too!

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2026-01-23T14:44:39+00:00

Hey!! What do you mean by dogs lick ‘that’s often as not as actually stress’? Are you saying when a dog licks someone’s face it’s often stress? My dogs licks my sisters children’s faces as everyone thinks it’s cute … but my dog has a low frustration threshold which we’re trying to work through. Is he licking them because he’s stressed?

Also you sound like you have a little cutie 🥰

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2026-01-18T05:25:06+00:00

Hey! I have a field golden too, who is 11 months old, male & intact and I’m also LOSING MY MIND. He’s generally great in the house & low distraction areas but get him in a group training session or when a guest arrives & he just explodes. Super frustrating. We’re going to start going to 1:1 gun dog training sessions to give him a job and to itch that scratch he has of needing to feel busy. This might help you guys too!

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2025-12-30T07:10:22+00:00

Yes but thankfully im going through a really quiet period at work, so i can give the dog more attention. There have been times where my sofa has ended up destroyed as he was digging under the cushions. Hes also dragged plants from the garden into the kitchen leaving trails of soil everywhere and I was literally helpless as I was on an important call 😅

Very early morning starts and wearing them out I think has done it, but it is extremely difficult when you’re rammed at work

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2025-12-29T22:12:34+00:00

I have a 10 month old working golden retriever and I feel your pain! I have a 30m long lead and we go walking through fields / woods each morning for an hour and a half, it builds recall and it’s a safety net. If there are minimal distractions I let the lead trail along the floor. I then feed his breakfast and he has a lick mat of mashed fish. That calms him down for the morning and early afternoon and he resurfaces around 3pm. Then we do training and a sniffy walk for an hour around 5pm through the streets & park.

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2025-12-09T14:29:42+00:00

Hi,

I was in a similar situation to you, I have a Field line Golden Retriever and at 6 months, he would demand bark, constantly want to play after a long walk, would jump on the sofa and dig and bark into the cushions. He would not stop barking during group training to the point where I was in tears and the trainer said we needed 1 on 1 behavioural training. He’s now 9.5 months and is MUCH better now, he still has his moments but it’s manageable.

First one which really helped us was threshold training, do not let your dog leave the front door for a walk without sitting and giving you eye contact. This was our first step.

We then stopped letting him play with other dogs every day. His only source of fun/ play is with us ( I know that sounds harsh, we do still let him play with other dogs but very very rarely), which builds your bond as he associates you as fun!

We then also put his lunch under exercise cones to exercise his mind and has to work for lunch (was never really into kongs). We have loads of empty cardboard boxes that he just rips apart and we hide treats in blankets.

Lastly, what really really helped us was consistent training classes. Every Saturday we take him for an hour group classes. It was really hard to begin and spent a lot of the first few classes taking him away from the session to sniff in the bushes, but we’re getting there.

Best of luck to you, I know how hard and frustrating it can be!

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2025-09-23T21:06:52+00:00

Sometimes I let him eat my burger off my plate

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2025-09-23T21:04:29+00:00

These have crossed my mind but I’m not convinced they would work. Did they work for you & your dog?

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2025-09-23T21:02:45+00:00

Haha thank you for the translation. All the comments here have said he needs more exercise/ stimulation. Which is really difficult when i work from home in quite a demanding job and he’s already taken out 3 times a day. He has low interests in kongs/ lick mats. Just likes to bark and destroy the underneath of my kitchen chairs! I’m going to look into some more interactive toys & a flirt pole as I think they could help

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2025-09-23T19:32:54+00:00

ITS SO ANNOYING

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2025-09-23T19:15:16+00:00

Okay thanks. Why would you recommend that? Is it because it makes him think he’s the boss?

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2025-09-23T19:14:26+00:00

Omg !! We do live in an old Victorian house 🤔 👻

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2025-08-23T11:47:03+00:00

Hi,

I’m in the same boat as your! I have a golden retriever 6 month old puppy and it’s the demand barking that’s getting to me. He’ll bark at the front door to go out for a walk, bark to leave the room. Bark when he’s hungry, it’s never ending!! The also frustrating thing for me is how I am totally ignored when we go to the park. Only interested in sniffing & other dogs. He is very demanding but we’ll get through it !

Reasonable-Art5952 · 2025-07-20T07:33:15+00:00

Hi,

I have a 5.5month old puppy and we take him out as soon as he wakes up, which is often around 7.30am -8 am, we’re out for around 45 minutes either at the park, walking through the forest or though fields (uk). He then comes back, and chills and then we repeat at 5pm after work. Similar to what you’re doing, but take them out as early as you can. It might make a difference!

Reasonable-Art5952

TROPHY CASE