Beagle / Springer Spaniel puppy

suki1964

But that's the whole point - you picked what you thought was helpful and chose to ignore what you didn't want to hear

I am not going to post on here for any kind of advice anymore thanks to those negative people!

Well I pity you in that case. You will get no end of EXCELLENT advice free of charge from breeders, behaviourist and experienced spaniel owners here. It would be a shame that you turn away from such a valuable resource because the advice doesn't suit

However in saying that :

Nikki, I dont know how old your pup is but if he has had his inoculations and is allowed out - its no more then five mins per month of his life till a year old. So saying he is allowed out hes 3 months - that's a 15 min walk and now more. This can be 15 mins two or three times a day though, just not more then 15mins in one stretch

Notsosharp

suki1964 wrote: »

Because she originally posted that she didnt have a clue then less then 24hrs later shes the proud owbner of a pup. !!!!!! I epect she would spend more time researching a car then she ever did when looking to buy a real live creature.

I am not being funny but when you own a dog for the first time you tend not to have the full picture of what its going to be like, people are willing to learn, she showed that by posting on here in the first place. And just because she did not have a clue it did not mean she is any less capable of giving the dog a loving home then an expert.

Not everything is as black and white as some people like to think.

My daughter is six now and at school and I don't think I would still be allowed a rescue dog. My Mum had three young children and dogs and she coped fine, it gave her a reason to get out of the house for a start and I think its good for children to start learning about animals at an early age. I am sure there are loads of people out there with dogs and young children/babies, it does not render you completely incapable of looking after a dog too. I have a child and a fair few animals and I do just fine.

suki1964

Notsosharp wrote: »

I am not being funny but when you own a dog for the first time you tend not to have the full picture of what its going to be like, people are willing to learn, she showed that by posting on here in the first place. And just because she did not have a clue it did not mean she is any less capable of giving the dog a loving home then an expert.

Not everything is as black and white as some people like to think.

My daughter is six now and at school and I don't think I would still be allowed a rescue dog. My Mum had three young children and dogs and she coped fine, it gave her a reason to get out of the house for a start and I think its good for children to start learning about animals at an early age. I am sure there are loads of people out there with dogs and young children/babies, it does not render you completely incapable of looking after a dog too. I have a child and a fair few animals and I do just fine.

Also not being funny or wanting to get in a row as I agree, some people are willing to learn - nikki wasnt

She never even stuck around long enough to get replies to her post but rushed right off and got a pup

Her latest post proves that she chose not to listen


There are many rescues that dont use a blanket ban, do keep trying.Many rescues take each case on merit - Battersea Dogs Home will always do home visits and match dog to family so never say never

Notsosharp

I don't want to get in a row either but I do think a lot of the posters on here were unnecessarily negative. Sometimes you can do all the research you like but it still does not prepare you for actually owning the animal. You can read up on whats best for the dog as much as you like but when you actually own the animal sometimes its only then you find out whats best for that particular animal.

And I do have a dog but technically he belongs to my Mum, I have "borrowed" him for a bit so I can practise for when I get one of my own but tbh that probably won't be for a while yet. He is a springer and I don't think you could wish for a better dog.

GracieP

Notsosharp wrote: »

I don't want to get in a row either but I do think a lot of the posters on here were unnecessarily negative.

I agree, especially the comments about the reputability of breeders who will allow springers to homes where they will be pets. They make fantastic pets in the right home. And I'd be confident that a significant number of working strain springers are happy, fulfilled pets. The breeders that we got our first dogs from were great people who loved their dogs. We've stayed in contact with them and send each other pictures occasionally.

It's amazing to see how like his father Dougal has become even though they have different markings, they have the exact same facial expression. They were also gutted to hear when one of our boys died, especially as their mother had died two days before. Hardly the actions of a breeder who couldn't care less about the pups.

maggie110

1sue23 wrote: »

Why so negative the vast majority of springers that I know have made great pets and are ideal with children ,my own springers were bred by game keepers and I can honestly say are great dogs, yes they are active but when in the home after a good run they are both very calm and very gentle with my grand daughter ,the elder dog was a pat dog for many years and has never shown any aggression ,it may well be that this dog will get long walks and will grow with the child and that they will have many happy years together .

Thats great for the Springers you know BUT what about the 200 that i know of that have walked through 1 rescues doors this year and they have not even had the Xmas rush yet, also the waiting list for rehab with the Spaniel Trust at the moment due to behaviour problems brought about by boredom.

All i was trying to do was educate the health and behaviours of springers and yes call me cynical but haven seen so many springers handed into rescue because their owners couldn't cope i think i have reason to be !:mad: also i did give the details of a website for springer owners earlier in the thread which offers loads of advice to new owners.

Quote:
Another point that has been raised is even if people do go to rescues they cannot get a dog for whatever reason, the OP has a young child, do you think she would have been even given the chance to rehome a dog? Why do rescues not allow families with young kids to take on dogs, I grew up with dogs, my daugher has grown up with dogs and neither of us has ever come to any harm......
Because rescue asses a dogs needs and a pup going to the home where there are young children not at school is not a good idea. Its hard enough giving a ppup the time it needs for toilet training, general training, without having to make sure pup and child are never left supervised together.

Now I know that in real life people cope every day but rescues cant take that risk, They are looking for "forever homes" and dont want a family handing a pup back into rescue a month or so down the line because they cant cope

Quote:
And how exactly do you distingusih between someone who is a backyard breeder and someone who isn't
Someone who breeds indiscriminately for profit and doesnt care who the pups are placed with. I good mating of gundogs would have queues of people lining up for the pups - gun dog owners - they would never need to be sold on as family pets

Quote:
Why so negative all the time, why has this poster come under all this flack for getting a dog whereas the OP with the labrador hasn't?
Because she originally posted that she didnt have a clue then less then 24hrs later shes the proud owbner of a pup. !!!!!! I epect she would spend more time researching a car then she ever did when looking to buy a real live creature.

Now its obvious that the majoriety of posters who spend a lot of time and effort replying to questions here care passionately about dogs and their welfare.If someone asks on here how to buy a pup we are going to tell them how to go about doing the research and what to think about their own lives and how a pup/dog will fit in, None of us are saying no one can get any dog other then a rescue on, we are just saying you need to do a lot or research before parting with your money as you want a fit and healthy dog that suits your lifestyle

Thank you Suki1964 :T

GracieP

maggie110 wrote: »

If someone asks on here how to buy a pup we are going to tell them how to go about doing the research and what to think about their own lives and how a pup/dog will fit in, None of us are saying no one can get any dog other then a rescue on, we are just saying you need to do a lot or research before parting with your money as you want a fit and healthy dog that suits your lifestyle

And what about when someone does all that research and still feels that a springer is the perfect dog for them? I sort of feel ignored a lot on this thread. I know all about the problem of people giving up these dogs as they had no clue what type of dog they were getting and can't handle them. As I said one of our boys came from a family like that and we know his old family replaced him with a King Charles spaniel. So I can only surmise they saw the little puppy with floppy ears and thought "lapdog!" I suspect that happens a lot with both springers and cockers.

But in my house they are the perfect dog. They have thus far proven to be exactly how we expected them to be and I would happily get a springer over and over until I am too old or infirm to handle them.

I have no idea how well suited the OP is to this type of dog, but she certainly lives in an area where her dog has plenty of opportunity for exercise. And I know my mother managed 3 children aged 3-10, a gaggle of rabbits and a pet border collie just fine. (And if there is one dog which is more work than a springer it's a border collie.) So just because the OP has a young daughter there is no reason why she won't be able to handle the dog too.

maggie110

GracieP wrote: »

And what about when someone does all that research and still feels that a springer is the perfect dog for them? I sort of feel ignored a lot on this thread. I know all about the problem of people giving up these dogs as they had no clue what type of dog they were getting and can't handle them. As I said one of our boys came from a family like that and we know his old family replaced him with a King Charles spaniel. So I can only surmise they saw the little puppy with floppy ears and thought "lapdog!" I suspect that happens a lot with both springers and cockers.

But in my house they are the perfect dog. They have thus far proven to be exactly how we expected them to be and I would happily get a springer over and over until I am too old or infirm to handle them.

I have no idea how well suited the OP is to this type of dog, but she certainly lives in an area where her dog has plenty of opportunity for exercise. And I know my mother managed 3 children aged 3-10, a gaggle of rabbits and a pet border collie just fine. (And if there is one dog which is more work than a springer it's a border collie.) So just because the OP has a young daughter there is no reason why she won't be able to handle the dog too.

I am sorry if you feel ignored i'm sure it was not done on purpose.

I think what some of us were angered about was the fact that she asked advice then shortly after went out and bought a pup.

Different rescues have different requirements when homing some will home to homes with children but it has to be the right dog for that family nobody wants a dog to bounce back to rescue we search for forever homes and this can take along time if a dog isn't in rescue to suit at that moment then people go on a waiting list and wait for the right dog to come along.

I own 2 springer spaniels and a stafford i live alone with 3 children and my dogs, i work 22 hours per week and i manage my dogs fine they are all walked before i leave for work(for 1 hour) when my youngest is dropped off with a childminder before school then a friend walks them at lunch time(1 hour) then they are walked with training added in when i get in after work.
We live 3 fields away from 5 square miles of fell and woodland. We attend gun dog training classes and the dogs help out the local game keepers when needed they all so go picking up with me and my partner when we go out shooting on a weekend so their drive is being challanged and they are doing the job they were bred for. Also will add the the stafford picks up too when we go out shooting.(must not mention they sleep on my bed, hog the sofa,can wrap me around their paws with their melting eyes,have nick names and different accents when i talk to them,or the fact that i smell their paws because they are scrummy ! )

All i was trying to do was give the worse case situations of what it can be like the same with the health problems if we are to stop animals landing in rescue then we must educate people on the plight of the wrong dog/owner situation.



Springers make great pets loyal, obedient,loving and great foot warmers in the winter but they are not for everyone

suki1964

Gracie, I would never say a springer wouldn't make a great pet - BUT IT DOES DEPEND ON THE BREEDING.

Breeders breed to enhance the breed (or so they should ) If a gun dog breeder is breeding then s/he should only be breeding from the best working dogs going which means you are getting pups who's genetic make up is to be on the go for hours in all weather working to the gun - IT GOING TO BE BRED IN THEM

Now we have the show strain of springer. This side of the breed are just as boisterous and clever and as much fun, but breeders are looking at a more laid back dog, enhancing the qualities more suited to a family home.

I have had two show cockers. My first was a puppy farmed dog. Although he was registered with the KC he was about as far removed from cocker standard as you could get. And he was more suited to working. He would be on the go for HOURS, never settled, always "working". My cocker now is from a very very reputable show breeder and he couldnt find his way out of a paper bag, turns his nose up at the rain and prefers life in front of the fire. He has been bred that way. Theres not a working cocker in his tree for over five generations so his working instinct is in fact extinct

And I will say again, any reputable gun dog breeder will have a QUEUE of people waiting a pup. They dont breed just cos they can, they breed when they have that special dog with the genetic make up they want passed along. They do not breed and sell to families

So you see, my problem has always been that the OP chose not to listen to the advice she was given about how to chose a breeder but instead rushed off and put her money in the hands of a back street breeder. And really at the end of the day insulted us all by asking for advice she was never going to take.

I will always tell people to do their homework on a breed and I will also point them in the direction of finding a GOOD REPUTABLE BREEDER. If people ask and then chose not to take on board the advice given then I think I have every right to make comment about the pit fulls of buying puppy farmed/commercially bred/back street bred puppies

GracieP

Maggie and Suki, thanks for responding to me. I know you were both responding to the situation of the OP but I felt some of the comments made, by lots of the posters here were a bit sweeping. As springers can make excellent pets. And they can "work" in ways that doesn't involve hunting. Playing a doggy version of hunt the thimble (ie, hunt this biscuit that I waved in front of you and then hidden while you were on a lead) or training them in agility or to respond to hand signals as well as words.

I got my original two from a gun-dog breeder. Their parents had both been prize-winners in agility and hunting competions. But my dog's breeders certainly weren't in it for a quick profit as they were selling the dogs really cheaply, they would barely have made back the costs incurred in them being born and raised. The pups were the first litter from there parents and a lot of people are reluctant to take pups from a first litter although there were no genetic problems back several generations of the dogs.

I know full well that these dogs aren't for most people, there is the occasional moment that I wish I'd opted for goldfish.;) They are hard, hard work. But if they are the right type of dog for your family they will give so much more than they take.