Dinner Tonight - Filet O'Flatcoat!

"Need spray bottle momma, must have spray bottle.  Please soak my face with that lovely bottle of water momma, please please.  I'll chill, I'll quit throwing a fit, just one little squirt momma.  Or two or three.  It's a simple thing momma, to squirt me with that bottle.  I'm begging for it momma, please squirt me.  I've gotta fevah, and the only cure is more spray bottle!"  Love Ari

Amy so very very true.  She'd probably be the happiest camper in the world if I had the spray bottle.  She'll do just about anything to be allowed to drink from the spray bottle or get her face all wet!  Such a weird weird dog.  Unfortunately her scattered brained Mom doesn't think of these ahead of time! 

Another high value reward for her (even more than a spray in the face) is TOOTHBRUSHING.  She becomes the most obedient dog in the world if it means being able to get her teeth brushed (aka she likes to chew the bristles lol). 

Forget giving her cheese, meat, or even peanut butter - just promise to spray with a spray bottle or brush her teeth and you'll be good to go.  *shakes head*.   

the_gopher

The REASON she didn't get her walk is b/c yesterday she ran full out INTO my leg, knocking me down, bruising my shin (it's also swollen) and hurting my knee (also swollen)- just call me hobbles today.

Oh I have had that happen, I couldn't go up and down stairs properly for nearly a week.

This may not make you feel better but when I took Ben to puppy class at 10 weeks, my trainer said "retriever, hm?  Wait until he's 7 months old, you'll want to throttle him."  I know Ari is a flatcoat and not a lab but maybe the principle stands, and the silver lining is that they are not 7 months old forever.  FWIW, she was right, but he DID grow out of it and is now a supremely mellow, laid back dog. 

do you have a dog park you can let her loose in? I've read most of your postings, and it really sounds like she just needs to get OUT there, and be a puppy.

Lots of dogs need a break from training, they need to be able to run and play with other dogs - it tires out my puppies better than anything else.

 erica if ONLY we had a dog park.  we'd all be in heaven.  she really just needs to run.  and run.  and then run some more!  maybe followed up by a bit more running.  I'm fine with her off leash in an open field (so long as we are alone - any people around and her recall goes out the window at this stage with her) but my SO doesn't trust her (though this isn't so much the case anymore she generally in the past has listened to me best).  I'm just not ok with the body slam tackle into my shin/knee (OUCH). there's rumor of a dog park nearby (45 minutes) that is supposedly completed, but no one knows where it is!  I've called around looking for it, but alas seems to be more rumor than anything.  It may just not be completed - websites I've found alluding to it state it is not. 

she actually does very well with training, so we keep it up.  the only formal time is tuesday nights.  other days it's sporadic through the day for varying intervals (to keep it spontaneous for her, light and lively aka fun lol which is her middle name).  right now the SO and Ari have a game of keep away going in the living room lol, but before that I did a little stay training with her with an enticingly filled kong :)  

mostly trying to fulfil the energy requirements of a 7 mos. old high energy breed is proving difficult at the moment.  i shy away from too much dedicated excercise given we've been warned of the dangers of over excercising a growing large breed dog.  but this weekend (prior to the knee incident) we did a 4-5 mile leisurely hike (mostly flat) with a short swim session for her and she still had energy that night (though it was significantly reduced yahooo) - so i took that as a sign she didn't over do it.  besides that type of hike is not an every day occurance.  she normally gets between 1-3 miles of walking (broken up, longest being at night) with play time in the morning (indoors) and at night (usually involves tossing a toy, some tug, and "catch me" (but only if she's behaving herself.  Before it started getting dark so darn early, usually her last walk of the day with me would mostly be off lead for her (so she can run and romp without being slowed down by mere humans).  

 Kate - Flatcoats definitively share many characteristics of other retrievers, including VERY slow maturity (Flat Coats I believe mature even slower than labs).  Thankfully my knee doesn't sound as bad as your knee injury did.  I'm feeling a bit better after keeping off it today as much as possible, and long hot bath to soak. Still is sore and I'm having problems when standing up straight, my knee doesn't want to go back - but compared to early it's a vast improvement!  The bruise on my shin is a spectacular color.  My legs are actually fairly well battered compliments of Miss Ari - bruises up and down. 

I don't think Ari will EVER be mellow - judging by her breed and her parents lol...but it IS what we wanted.  I just want her to the point where she has a tad more focus, and her energy is not quite so off the roof lol.  That WILL come in time.  For now I maintain my twisted sense of humor on those days where yes I would like to throttle that oh so cute neck of hers.  

And yup does make me feel better to be reminded that this phase will pass!!!