New puppy, sprocker

Person_one

adandem wrote: »

You will have quite an energetic dog, working cockers are on a par with Springers. Lots of off lead excercise and stimulation.
Fab dogs

Springers and Cockers are both great dogs, but I have to be honest and admit that there's no way I'd have coped with either as a first dog! They aren't really ideal for beginners, especially the working strains. You will have your work cut out for you OP, your life and your home will look and feel like a tornado has blown through!

Mojisola

littleredhen wrote: »

No went to enquire about home from home scheme and waited and waited to be called back, when they finally appointed someone to the role they told me I wasn't suitable because we have a cat and because I wouldn't be able to. Visit their vet as required. So gave up on that and went to look over the dogs they had, about 40 dogs, none suitable for cats but you can keep phoning.

What a shame - but I have heard from other people that some places seem to make it very difficult to rehome dogs.

We got our current dog from the DT and it was a very smooth process.

They also had lots of options - dogs that needed an adult-only home; others that were fine with other dogs/cats/chickens; others that were okay around children; and so on.

Person_one

Jackieboy wrote: »

My friend has a sprocker - a very difficult dog to train, even with professional help. I just don't see the point in breeding (or paying good money for) cross breeds.

There are some very good reasons to outcross sometimes, for example the breeder who crossed Dalmatians to Pointers to eradicate the gene for high uric acid levels that makes lots of dalmatians ill.

Crossing for looks, or for an amusing name, I agree is not usually done by the kind of breeder you'd want to buy a puppy from.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

littleredhen wrote: »

Thanks a working cocker not show dog

Even more energy than a 'normal' dog then.


I hope you're all quite fit and prepared to keep the dog busy as much as possible - if you think of the 3am dashing-up-the-stairs-dashing-back-down-again-knocking-stuff-over-spinning-round-bouncing-off-the-walls-and-repeating-this-for-another-half-hour that your common or garden cat will do, take the long sleep afterwards out and continue for hours, you've got a rough idea of how active the dog will become.

Then add excited barking into the mix.



They're lovely, but there's a reason why most self respecting cats look upon such hairy, smelly, slobbering, yappy creatures - that can't even climb a tree - with a combination of disdain, distaste and utter contempt (except if their food smells interesting, then they'll usually just help themselves whilst the object of their disdain whimpers pathetically from the kitchen door).


You've probably just invited an adorable whirlwind into your home. Enjoy it, but give Mog lots of high places to retreat to, where s/he can perfect the Death Stare.