Beagle / Springer Spaniel puppy

suki1964

Guess thats another puppy farm kept in business then

nikki702

suki1964 wrote: »

Guess thats another puppy farm kept in business then

Thanks for ur judgement but i got him from a gundog breeder who I was in contact with... not from a sleezy back street pet shop

You really shouldnt jump to conclusions! :rolleyes:

Notsosharp

nikki702 wrote: »

Thanks for ur judgement but i got him from a gundog breeder who I was in contact with... not from a sleezy back street pet shop

You really shouldnt jump to conclusions! :rolleyes:

Unfortunately its something a lot of people tend to do on here, I'm not saying they are not friendly and helpful (which they are) but they do tend to be a wee bit judgemental sometimes. I would guess its because they love animals so much they want the best for them.

Well done on getting a springer, they are fantastic dogs but very, very, very active. I have one but he is an older dog so fortunately not quite so bad. Having said that though he is 11 now he can still keep going for hours given the chance and he is obsessed and I mean obsessed with water, sticks and balls. I think it is a springer trait because my Mum has a young springer who is just the same only he takes what my one does and takes it to the extreme. He is just not interested in anything else, not food, not people, not other peoples dogs (not even a b*t*ch in season). My Mums younger springer (technically Bobby is Mums dog but I have him for company) is a lovely dog but completely hyperactive, he has frequently endangered life and limb for a stick and ball so be prepared for lots and lots of very long walks!

But they are very laid back, relaxed dogs too and Bobby used to win obedience competitions when he was younger and is still very good at finding things hidden away. The police wanted him as a drug dog at some point, once he gets wind of something he will not stop til he has found it. The only real fault he has is that he tends to be a bit dominant (with me anyway!) and he is not the worlds most loyal dog.

If I ever get the time to get a dog (mum looks after Bob for me when I am at college etc) I have always said it will either be a springer or a greyhound.

Good luck with your new dog! I am glad to hear he is black and white, I haven't seen any black and white springers for such a long time, they all seem to be liver and white round here. Not that I have anything against liver and white ones!

1sue23

nikki702 wrote: »

Thanks for ur judgement but i got him from a gundog breeder who I was in contact with... not from a sleezy back street pet shop

You really shouldnt jump to conclusions! :rolleyes:

Mine came from game keepers and are bred to work and work they do ,they never stop, but they are great fun give them a ball to carry and water to swim in and very very long walks and they will be happy ,mine always seem happy and love every one that give them attention.

MrsTinks

Best of luck - bear in mind a working stock springer is not the same as a "domestic" stock so it is likely to be even more active than most springers. My dog walker works her dogs and usually has a lab and a springer at the same time and she has even stronger views than I do on working stock as pets... These are usually dogs bred for generations not because they are pretty or conform to "show" standards, but because their parents and grandparents were good at their jobs, had stamina to last all day and stubborness to carry on when eventually the stamina wore out.
I do sincerely wish you the best of luck but yes... I think you made the wrong choice for your situation.
The people who reply here are usually experienced dog owners and some of us have spent many years working in or with rescues. Yes we are likely to be very judgemental on some points, why? Because we see all too often the result of people picking a breed or dog not suited to them or their lives. We offered you our advice based on our experience and you decided to ignore it and then tell us you'd gotten a puppy. Did you expect any other replies than what you got? Really?
As you have ignored the earlier advice I doubt you'll take this but I'll give it regardless:
Book your puppy in to puppy classes as soon as all it's jabs and so on are in order. With working stock it is even MORE important that you get the training sorted right from the word go otherwise you WILL have trouble later on, and be ready for the mouthing stage so that you can keep you child away from the puppy whilst it's gums are itchy.
Once puppy classes have finished join in with one of the many Good Citizen Award Schemes run/set up by the kennel club. This will further help you instill good manners and basic training.

1sue23

suki1964 wrote: »

Guess thats another puppy farm kept in business then

Why the assumption? I got mine from game keepers and I have never had any trouble from mine both great dogs.

1sue23

Try flyball and agility my older dog really loved this and great fun for the owners ,if you are willing to train and ready for lots of exercise you have many rewarding years ahead with your dog.

foreign_correspondent

How is he settling in? Hope toilet training etc is going ok, its always a busy time.

Good luck with your dog, but you are going to have your work cut out for you!

Not that it is impossible to keep a dog like this as a not working dog in a city, but it will need some work and consideration - you need to work out how you can exercise the dog enough (not yet, of course, but when he is a bit older) with a four year old, as the dog will be happy to walk for hours (especially being from a working strain) whilst the four year old will doubtless find this too tiring.

These dogs have been selectively bred fr years from the most active and energetic of each generation, so you now have a dog that will happily work for a full day, using lots of mental and physical energy. Put this dog in a home where this energy cannot be used and it will end up being diverted into excessive barking, chewing, destruction etc unless it has enough outlet for its energy through exercise, games, maybe agility etc etc.

Obviously I do not know your family or work situaton, but his exercise will be a constant time consuming daily need come rain or shine (more so than with almost any other breeds) and must be a priority otherwise you will end up with a frustrated, possibly destructive and difficult dog.

You also need to work on his recall from a very early age, as he will really need a good off lead run every day, and its no fun if you have a dog that will not return and dissapears into the distance in an urban park with busy roads nearby.

I have to say, they are nice dogs, but I would not choose one and I am an experienced dog owner. My dad used to shoot so has worked them and feels it is very unwise and unfair on these worky dogs to keep them merely as pets - obviously the guy who sold you the dog does not feel this way.

nikki702

We are all doing great thanks... His toilet training is going great he has had a few small accidents but nothing major.

I am looking into puppy classes...

At the moment he is very scared of other dogs... he cries when they come near him and dont really like "strangers" touching him he backs off.

My daughter and him are learning to share toys!!

GracieP

MrsTine wrote: »

bear in mind a working stock springer is not the same as a "domestic" stock so it is likely to be even more active than most springers.

Working stock springers are most springers. Show springers are an off shoot of the standard and as they are bred for physical traits they are more likely to have problems associated with inbreeding. Show springers and all types of cockers are off shoots from working springers.

Springers make great pets for people who can give them enough exercise. And for active people that isn't a problem. Sure there are days when you might be cursing the fact that you have to go traipse around in the rain for a couple of hours (like yesterday) but that's true of almost any dog.

They are a dog that is utterly calm at home once they have enough exercise. I have no problems with mine being boisterous in the house. They don't chew anything but the occasional rawhide treat. They rarely bark and have never detroyed anything (apart from one pair of shoes which my husband foolishly left in the kitchen with them when they were pups.) All they really do at home is cuddle up, sleep and fart. They are frighteningly laid back, they share each others' food, spend ages grooming each other, are very easy to train and rarely show aggression if well socialised. Which makes them a fantastic dog for a city environment.

They are a really fantastic dog, I grew up with border collies, so I knew what I was taking on with springers. Once I get older and am no longer able for long walks I'll go for a less active type, but for now there isn't another type of dog more suited to my home. They aren't the dog for everyone, in fact they aren't the dog for most, but if you are an active person who wants an extremely active dog they are fantastic.

Where in London are you living nikki?