New puppy, sprocker

littleredhen

Hi everyone we are getting our new puppy in four weeks, we haven't had dogs before but have had cats and still have a cat now.
We would love all your do's and don't although I realise you could all end up arguing amongst yourselves:cool::rotfl:
Anyway helpful tips appreciated X

Person_one

Do:

Make sure that the breeder you are getting your puppy from has carried out all the necessary health tests on both parents. Hip and elbow scores, DNA tests for the diseases that are prevalent in both breeds. (Google to find out what they are, most breed clubs list this information on their websites.)

Find out why the breeder is breeding crossbred puppies. Unfortunately most who do this are either basically puppy farms or amateurs who are just in it for the easy money. A good answer would be that she is trying to breed away from health or behaviour problems in one or both breeds and has long term goals she is happy to tell you about in great detail.

Make sure that the breeder is willing and happy to take the dog back at any point in its life if things don't work out for whatever reason. All good and ethical breeders do this, she should really be the one to bring it up and tell you about this requirement.

Be prepared to walk away if you feel uncomfortable or worried that the breeder might not be an ethical responsible one. It can be tempting to 'rescue' the pup or to have fallen for it and still want it, but all this does is allow bad breeders who don't care about their animals to carry on.

Good luck.

Fosterdog

Agree 100% with the above, I'm yet to meet anyone who breeds these crosses for anything except money unless they are working dogs where the breed doesn't matter at all but the health and working skills of the parents are more important. I'm assuming you are just getting a companion dog and not a working dog? Any reason you have chosen two highly active working breeds lumped together as your choice for a first dog? Be prepared for a lot of work because they can be very intense dogs and not suitable for everyone.

Start to look into puppy classes in your area, socialisation at a young age is the most important thing when it comes to dogs, not doing it can lead to years of hard work when the dog is older. You'll want the dog to get used to other dogs, all ages and sizes, people of all ages, travelling, water, household appliances, cats, any other animals he/she is likely to come into contact with.

Then comes the training, puppies are much easier to train than adult dogs, spend your time now watching YouTube for training tips, I highly recommend Kikopup, a wealth of knowledge and uses positive reinforcement. Another one is Zak George, he's got all the right ideas and great idvice but I do find him a bit annoying to watch and constantly plugs his book, its worth putting up with to get the training tips.

Have you considered how your cat will cope? If you can get a blanket or something from the breeder with the pups smell it would be good to have around your cat now to help him/her adjust to the smell and make sure you have a safe place for the cat to get away from the dog.

elsien

My neighbour got a puppy from Wales. "Breeder" helpfully dropped it off for them. Poor little mite turned out to be only 4 weeks old. Puppy farmed. obviously.

Anyway, back to OP. Decide how you're going to manage when its missing it's mum and siblings at night.
Discuss food and insurance with the breeder - should have the food it's already on to come with it, and insurance to cover the first week/couple of weeks.
Take it out to socialise it - even when it can't walk outside prevaccinations, you can carry it in a sling and get it used to new places and experiences.
Go to puppy classes.
Enjoy.

bmthmark

I got a puppy cocker spaniel about 6 weeks ago. I spent a lot of time researching online.
I searched and searched all the different advert websites, I also visited a few places. I was absolutely horrified what I saw in a couple of the places I went to. One person had all the puppies outside in a cage freezing cold and wet, it looks like the owner had just washed them down. The guy said you can have one now if you want. I asked about micro chipping and he said he doesn't do that. I walked away and reported them. It was horrible to see the poor pups being treated so badly

I got so frustrated searching as it was clear that there is a lot of dodgy people out there trying to make quick money. In the end I went to http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/ and sent an email to all the breeders in the approved list. I was very lucky and one of them phoned me back and gave me a telephone interview (it seemed like that). This was a great sign for me as I knew they had the puppies best interest at heart. There were no talks regarding money, it was all about the health of the puppy and whether I was the right person for the pup. We talked for ages about the mum/dad (which they owned) it was the first litter, food, vaccinations, when they will be available, when we can visit, puppy pack, insurance etc.

You must see mum (and if possible dad).
Don't go for the sad scared puppy in the corner.
Make sure the puppy is at least 8 weeks old.
Make sure the puppy is micro chipped.
Ask about vaccinations.
Ask about the type of food the puppy is eating (you need to carry this on).
Ask if they will be providing a puppy pack? this normally includes food, blanket (mum scent on it) and maybe a toy that the pup has played with.
Be prepared to be interviewed as this is a sign that the owners have the puppies welfare as number 1 priority.
Ask if you can visit the puppy a few times before collection.
We got 5 weeks free insurance with ours as it was through the kennel club.

I know the above seems like a lot of hard work, but trust me in the long run it would be better for you and the puppy.

When I finally got the puppy i will admit it was really hard work. People told me it was going to be hard but I never imagined it would be this tough. The first few days were the worst, I think I probably got a total of 5 hours sleep in a week!!
But 6 weeks on and I know I have made the best decision and it was worth the hard work. The puppy is healthy and very happy. He has so much energy and you have to watch him like a hawk but he is perfect for us. He goes to puppy training and is doing very well. House training has gone very smoothly with only a few incidents (to be expected), we have a bell at the back door which he rings when he needs to relieve himself.
I was told to try and give the puppy all the different experiences before 16 weeks, this is because they adapt very quickly. Therefore we have had him off the lead, he socialises with other dogs, he has regular contact with children (big and small), he is happy to spend a couple of hours in his play pen and he knows when he is in his crate at night he is safe and he sleeps well (personally I could do with an extra hours but can't complain)

Good luck with it but please don't underestimate the time required to look after the puppy

margaretclare

What's a sprocker?

bugslet

One of those crossbreeds.

Springer with a cocker spaniel.

I do wonder why, all the time, why not get a springer or a cocker and then research the breeder. What's a sprocker breeder going to have, a 20 year plan on the wall with imports to keep the lines healthy? Er, no.

If you are going to get one, it will be tough. Every time I get a puppy I think, no never again, and then I seem to forget. Lola the now 6 month Giant Schnauzer is very much reminding me of what hard work they are....but boy is she gorgeous:o

sheramber

Having a new puppy in the house in very like having a new baby in the house- hard work exhausting and rewarding when they are happy, fed and settled.

You need eyes in the back of your head and endless stamina.

But it does settle down once you get used to each other and used to new routines.

bmthmark

sheramber wrote: »

Having a new puppy in the house in very like having a new baby in the house- hard work exhausting and rewarding when they are happy, fed and settled.

You need eyes in the back of your head and endless stamina.

But it does settle down once you get used to each other and used to new routines.

That's very true they do settle down once you get in to a routine. After 6 weeks mine is starting to settle. I think he knows he is in a safe place and he knows he is going to have lots of fun.
And yes 100% it is like having a baby.

margaretclare

Oooops. Springer spaniels are my DH's favourite breed of dog, but they are extremely energetic. Extremely! Outdoorsy, full of curiosity, full of get-up-and-go.

Is the idea of crossing them with a cocker spaniel to tone down the energy a bit, or what? AFAIK all spaniels are full of energy. Be prepared to be run off your feet!

littleredhen

Thanks all. I am glad to say all above has been done, puppy pack chipped, first injections, we left a blanket for her to come home with, not getting till 8 weeks, get a pack of puppy food, 4 weeks insurance, will be getting puppy training classes too.