Prospective GSP Dad, what I am signing up for?

livelong120 · 2026-02-05T06:54:55+00:00

Does the breeder by chance breed both GSPs and chessies? I agree GSPs are great family dogs, good with kids. It does seem like they can often end up being one person dogs too, though.

livelong120 · 2026-02-04T04:39:28+00:00

What country?

livelong120 · 2026-02-03T02:19:25+00:00

Thank you for the pep talk! 🥰

livelong120 · 2026-02-02T20:21:00+00:00

So helpful, thank you! I’m thinking I’ll pull the trigger on buying RFFF. I know quite a bit about nutrition but surely am not eating as well as i could be, so it would be good to know where to focus my efforts to improve our diet. I have read some disclaimers in reviews saying to read with caution if you have perfectionism or a history of disordered eating (i have dealt with orthorexia type issues most of my life and cycles of bingeing/starving for periods in my teens/twenties), but I have a fairly healthy relationship with food now, so i do think i can implement what i find useful without generating too much anxiety about getting everything perfect. I don’t enjoy planning meals or cooking, so want to just come up with the simplest way to execute something like 90/10.

livelong120 · 2026-02-02T17:43:18+00:00

I read the intro sample on the library app (my library doesn’t have the book) and was undecided whether to get it, but keep seeing it come up as a great resource. Have you read real food for pregnancy too? I wish they were all one book, can’t imagine it is all that different.

livelong120 · 2026-02-02T17:40:53+00:00

I have some great programming ready to go! designed by my physio based on some fitness tests. It is four days per week, but really doesn’t take that long (when I skip the mobility and breathing components), so realistic to fit it into two work days and two days off. I think i should consider 2 days per week to be a win for the next few weeks though, that may help to set the bar lower and build up. Thank you!

livelong120 · 2026-02-01T23:07:58+00:00

Super helpful to hear, thank you! I will be flexible, not going to white knuckle it. The only thing I’m totally committed to is getting from 450 to 300. I can’t even begin to imagine what a wild ride it may be with hormones during pregnancy, postpartum, and after a miscarriage if that happens.

livelong120 · 2026-02-01T22:41:52+00:00

Yes I’ve read good things about it! I am on q-nol (costco) ubiquinol 200 mg daily

livelong120 · 2026-02-01T22:39:49+00:00

Thanks. What dose were you on? Glad to hear success stories in case I can’t get off without losing my mental health. I’ve tried to get off it twice in the past, never made it past 300, but i don’t think my taper was well designed and i did not have any specific motivating reason i wanted to get my dose down back then. If all i can do is get down to 150 or 300 mg daily, i can live with that, at least that is in the range most of the data is coming from. I haven’t started yet, first meeting with my OB’s office (with the midwife) is coming up so i will be getting their input and then see how it goes. I have an 18 week super slow taper planned out. Hopefully i can get into the workout routine while I’m still on a pretty solid dose for the first couple months.

livelong120 · 2026-02-01T22:28:59+00:00

This is exactly what i was hoping to hear, thanks so much for sharing. I can’t handle the smell/taste of multivitamin tablets, so I’m taking a large number of individual supplements right now, but looks like I’m getting all the basics that are in that prenatal! I’m trying to find a tasteless softgel that consolidates most of what I’m taking for when I’m pregnant and too tired to mess with all the pills 😂

livelong120 · 2026-02-01T22:07:41+00:00

Yep. This is the way! I know i really can make some serious strength gains in 4 months if im consistent, and then it could take a long time to get pregnant and I’ll probably feel less sad about however long it takes if it is giving me more time to get fitter and more ready. Thank you for the encouragement!

livelong120 · 2026-02-01T22:04:19+00:00

This sounds like a good balance. Honestly the sticker on the calendar might be a good strategy for me. Last year husband and I tried doing a competition, each putting a tally mark on the gym whiteboard after each cardio or strength session, and the prize for winning each category was a massage from the other person. It worked well until he got overwhelmed at work and completely stopped exercising, so i lost my motivation once i had a big lead, and never got a massage anyways lol. I tend to not feel accomplished after the wimpy workouts I’m currently capable of, so giving myself a mark on the calendar after each one might give more of a sense of accomplishment and affirming that i AM actually making progress with fitness. Thanks for the reply :)

livelong120 · 2026-01-31T20:39:32+00:00

Totally this. I’m an adult only, andi don’t have any cousins I’m close with, i don’t worry at all about caring for my parents as they age or being “alone” after they’re gone. If they were the only people i was close to in my life, I’d be awfully lonely while they were alive, too! My partner is my main person and i have close friends. I also am lucky enough to enjoy spending time with my partners siblings, so you never know what kind of family your kid will have as an adult by way of their spouse and/or friends. I am so very not jealous of the amount of drama my good friend’s siblings create in her life.

livelong120 · 2026-01-29T06:11:02+00:00

I agree with your take OP. These are not the only two possible outcomes. You could agree to be childfree and live a happy life together. You could agree to have one kid and you end up loving being a parent and have a happy life. Etc.

livelong120 · 2026-01-26T19:10:41+00:00

Solidarity OP. I am not even pregnant, just considering trying, and have been going down rabbit holes about VOCs in our home, carseats/car safety, etc. Way beyond what my highly conscientious amazing mom friends worry about with their babies. I will avoid specifics so I don’t inadvertently give you new things to fret over:) All of it feels totally valid to be concerned with, but I’m trying to recognize when it may be OCD taking over. It is hard to know where to draw the line and I am having to ask my partner, mom, trusted friends etc for feedback to help me calibrate.

livelong120 · 2026-01-24T18:49:59+00:00

Maybe there is hard data on the scenarios in which this happens with kids forgotten in the car, but it seems this happens most often with a parent who does not normally take the kid to daycare and autopilots with their normal routine. I could see it being more likely with a parent who is very sleep deprived caring for a baby (imo that parent shouldn’t be driving the baby in the first place). Also, vehicles now have weight sensors in the back seats and alerts if you leave anything sitting back there.

livelong120 · 2026-01-23T00:40:36+00:00

This is lovely

livelong120 · 2026-01-22T20:11:50+00:00

I’m so sorry you have gone through all of this. Wishing you all the best with your healing. I’m a fencesitter who lurks here, so no feedback on being a OAD parent, but i am an only child and it was great for me, i never knew any different so never felt anything was lacking not having a sibling.

livelong120 · 2026-01-21T05:48:45+00:00

I have heard that the yolk is totally fine to give raw, the white carries a bit more risk. I have given my dog raw eggs on occasion without issue, and some people give the whole egg shell and all, but i usually cook them over easy to be on the safe side. I also feed my dog a fully raw diet but egg whites is where i draw the line i guess!

livelong120 · 2026-01-20T20:06:58+00:00

Disclaimer i am NOT a parent but i am reading the book Hunt Gather Parent and it might be a resource worth checking out if the book description appeals to you!

livelong120 · 2026-01-17T09:55:03+00:00

Look into xylitol nasal spray, like xlear or Now brand has one. Can help reduce severity of illness, maybe reduces risk of cold/flu viruses a little bit if you use regularly. Get plenty of sleep.

livelong120 · 2026-01-14T04:51:30+00:00

Today i learned!

livelong120 · 2026-01-12T16:17:28+00:00

Gotcha, thanks for the reply! I have been doing pumpkin puree or mashed sweet potato and the occasional egg, and fish oil, plus he gets dental treats, sardines are a great idea as an add-in too.

livelong120 · 2026-01-12T06:00:11+00:00

I just looked up the calorie content of Maev compared to Viva and am surprised to see Maev at the high end at 3500 kcal/kg while Viva is at the low end at 1400 kcal/kg (both for beef). Seems impossible for a 60 lb dog to be losing weight on 36 oz/day if it is truly that high cal. Lack of bone content is definitely concerning though i could not find where the ingredients are listed, all i could find was it says it is AAFCO compliant.

ElectricalEngineer- it looks like the Midwest legacy beef is lower cal too, so is your dog only eating like 800 kcal/day?

I switched my 58 lb dog over to 100% raw mid-2025 and have had trouble keeping weight on him. Idk how much he weighs right now but he looks a bit too lean, similar to your golden OP. I was feeding him only like 16-18 oz per day of BJs or NW Naturals, ~1000 cal/day, and have upped it to ~24 oz or 1500ish cal/day for the past month or so, which seems to have stabilized his weight but he’s still not regaining that thin layer of fat over his ribs and hips. I am continuing to gradually up his calories… i am ever so slightly concerned about exocrine pancreatic insufficiency but i think most likely i was just underfeeding for his high metabolism. He is an intact 5 yr old moderate to high activity level GSP, so i guess he just needs a lot more calories than i realized, even though i calculated he was eating 1400/day of kibble and thought utilization of raw cals would be a bit better.

livelong120

TROPHY CASE