Should we get a puppy?...

[Sunblushsister]

Hello,

We are considering getting a puppy and I'm still not sure if we should go for it or not. We have put a lot of thought into breeds and have come up with cockerpoos, cavapoos and fox wire terriers as the favs. We have 2 children (6 year old and a 4 year old)

The other day my friend said to me 'you don't really want a dog ... what you are really wanting is a third child' ...

I'm just really worried we are going to make the wrong choice...

Sorry for being so ridiculous ... would love someone to shine some light ;-)

[pigsDOfly]

Well, as you are giving no information about your circumstances and reasons for wanting a dog it's difficult to give an opinion.

You should be aware though that Cockerpoos, cavapoos and any other 'poos' are not actually breeds but cross breeds so be very wary of any breeders of those types of crosses because it's pretty certain they're in it for the money and you will likely be paying a lot of money and have no idea what sort of dog you'll end up with.

[pigsDOfly]

Would also add; don't get a puppy if you're not one hundred percent committed to the idea.

They are very time consuming and need to be with people who have some understanding of what having a dog is all about.

[Thattimeofyearagain]

Will someone be at home during the day?
Who will be responsible for training/ walking ?
Can you afford to feed/ insure/ de flea/ worm/ neuter?
Do you have a garden that is secure?

[TheoriginalLEM]

did your friend hit a nerve??

[Sunblushsister]

I work from home and so would be doing most of the walking, training, and playing. Yes we have a secure garden and we can also afford it.

Interesting you say about breeders of the cross breeds....

Thanks for the advice. Its a very big decision and I'm never one to just jump into something. we'll keep thinking ....

[Panicmode1]

We got our golden retriever puppy last New Year's Eve. I'd done a huge amount of reading, talked to lots of owners/breeders and thought I was prepared. I have four children so am fully aware of what hard work means...but the dog takes that to a whole other level, and I really wasn't as prepared as I thought I was!

The early weeks/months are totally and utterly relentless and I had days when I was in floods of tears thinking I'd done a really stupid thing. I still have days when I feel like that, but they are now very rare. For the most part she's brilliant, and I adore having a dog, but it is very limiting - you can't just decide to take off for the day any more and going on holiday now costs at least an extra twenty quid a day....

Now that she's maturing (a bit ) it's much easier, and family walks with the dog are proving a fertile ground for interesting conversations with my tweens and it gets us out as a family at the weekend, and it's great.

But it is hard work and and really not a decision to take lightly...

[WhoAteMyToast]

Our pup had me fairly stressed out too at the beginning - it is a lot of hard work. Now we wouldn't be without her. She is amazing.