Can't stop crying - need to rehome my puppy!!!

[mmmmchocolate]

My puppy springer spaniel is perfect, she is 7 months old. brilliant with my 2 year old dd. but i have another baby due in 10 weeks and not sure how i am gonna cope with a puppy, a toddler and a new baby during the winter. our house is open plan so i can't just shut the kitchen door and leave her in there. she is house trained and so obedient. i love her so much but just can't see how it is gonna work. ideally would be good if she could go away for 6 months etc etc.
Any ideas???

[pucca]

Is there no family or friends that could house her temporarily for you? I know how heartbreaking it is though and do feel for you, but you do need to be practical about it too, or another idea if you have the money to spend is a kennel in the garden (not ideal i know) but you can get some fab keneels now with heating etc.

Hope it works out for you. xx

[mmmmchocolate]

thats what i ideally would like to happen. asking the in laws as she goes there when we go on holidays, but not too hopeful. gonna look up kennels now. just feel its a bit cruel leaving her in garden all winter???!?!?!?!?!

[cupcakes]

We have an 8 month lab and my third baby is due in December. I was really, really anxious about it initially but I knew about the puppy when I fell pg.
She sounds really well behaved - what specifically is it you're worrying about? I know that when our dog is getting annoying I will shut him away and he will have to get used to it. Our house is fairly open plan as well but my dh rigs up areas with a long board of mdf to keep him somewhere safe and enclosed whilst we are out - with his bed and a few toys. If I need space from him he's going in there. Dh generally walks him before he goes to work.
Your puppy is young enough to be trained to adapt to new circumstances.
Has she ever been to a kennel? We found one recently when we went away for a long day and it is reassuring knowing I have something to fall back on in the first weeks if need be.

[lucy5]

I have a lab cross who is a rescue dog and very needy and also a terrible puller. Im preggers with high blood pressure and dh gets back to late to walk her in the week. So we pay our neighbours son to walk her, it works well for us. Also she will cakm down as she is not a puppy puppy, so to speak.

[mmmmchocolate]

My ground floor is completly open plan, i have a baby dan room devide set up between lounge area and dining room and kitchen. she has access to outside all the time and when its wet and muddy she drags it all indoors (not her fault i know). we got her and then found out i was 12 weeks pregant which was a surprise. i don't really have the room for her to have her own area its either all or nothing. i love her so much and so does my dd. she does has she is told. i just not sure how i am gonna cope with all of us being confind to the living room cause she has made a mess with mud in kitchen and dining room. sorry to go on but i really need some advice on what everyone else does.

[mmmmchocolate]

how old is your lab?

[lucy5]

my dog is about 18 months, we don't know but she is still very puppy like because of her bad start.

[misdee]

what about cage training?

[2labs]

If mess is the only issue, how about just restricting her access to the garden to times when you can give her a quick wipe when she comes in? So long as she gets plenty of walks/exercise there's no need for her to have the freedom of house and garden all the time.

In winter I have a bowl by the back door to do a quick feet-dip and towel-wipe on mine, doesn't take long.

Sounds like she's a good dog - if there are any other worries you have it's worth thinking about whether a bit more training could help solve issues for you - a good 'stay', 'back off', 'go to bed' for example. Clicker training is great for this kind of thing and with a clever dog, extremely quick to teach.

[Pierre]

I had this a few years ago. I went to oxfam and bought some old towels/candlewick counterpane things and picked up a second hand playpen from the paper. I would put the puppy straight into the playpen and onto the counterpane after each walk/when he came in from the garden, till he had dried off. Used to wash the counterpanes every couple of days. I kept toys and a treat in the playpen and would put him in when I went out of the room and wanted to leave the babys things lying around etc. By the time he got big enough to jump out, he had learned to sit and stay and would go to his "bed" - one of the counterpanes folded up and stay there till dry.

[cupcakes]

I think you should retrain her in how she uses your house - definitely restrict this constant access to the garden. Let her learn to 'ask' to go outdoors to relieve herself. I agree that if things stay as they are then it will be problematic for you. 10 weeks is plenty of time to adjust her habits. I think if you love her so much it will work out so long as you modify some things now.
I do understand your feelings though. Sometimes I feel like I have had it with the mess and getting under my feet in the kitchen and I wonder how I'm going to cope with the tiredness and stress of a new baby. But I know there are ways round it and in the end it be so rewarding for you and your children to get through what might initially be a difficult but short time.

[Prufrock]

Definately restrict her access to the garden - my lab (1 year old today - Happy Birthday Roger!) is kept inside unless he asks to go out. And to be honest whats so wrong with a bit of mud on the floor - rolling in mud is good for childrens immune systems!

Also get a cage - Roger lived and slept in one until a few months ago. It's actually good for the dog to have a quiet place to go to away from the kids, and if you put it near the back door and fill it with blankets you can get him to go i there as soon as she comes in an let him roll all the mud off. In fact if you are anywhere near Cambridge you can have my cage - Rog has grown out of it now but it would be perfect for a springer.

Also check out local dog walkers - if you pay somebody to take her for a long walk first thying she'll be less bouncy for the rest of the day

[cupcakes]

chocolate - how are you feeling about thibgs today?

[mia84]

I just found out im pg, and ive got 2 big dogs
I wouldnt get rid of them for the world!

I think it'll be fine! And it's brilliant for children to grow up with a dog.

[magnolia1]

I am expecting #5 and we have 2 dogs and rearing 6 puppies at the moment. It is a pain when they are really muddy but I would say definately crate train. Ours come straight in and get in their bed if dirty, wait till they have dried off then shake bed and wash if needed. We don't leave the back door open at all in winter and they go out in morning, walk twice a day and then out in evening and thats it (in winter).
I don't have open plan rooms but is it possible to section a big bit off for the dog when you want her to be out of the way for a bit?
Would have to be tall though if she is anything like my eldest (staffie X springer) who jumps 4 foot fences

[mmmmchocolate]

thanks everyone for such helpful comments. i am now really trying to think of a solution so i can keep her.

I am now closing up her hatch in which she has her access to the garden 24 / 7. so tonight will be her first test!!!!!!!!!!

i am worried about leaving her when it does get colder, as at moment she is left in garden with kennel and water till we come back. in winter i can't leave her in garden whilst we are out, and if i leave her in she jumps the baby dan devide and runs round the house and when i come back in she wees and has had a good rumage and maybe chewed things.

At the moment she sleeps in the kitchen/dining room and never attempts the jump gate its only when we go out.!!!

Any advice on this?

[mmmmchocolate]

thanks everyone for such helpful comments. i am now really trying to think of a solution so i can keep her.

I am now closing up her hatch in which she has her access to the garden 24 / 7. so tonight will be her first test!!!!!!!!!!

i am worried about leaving her when it does get colder, as at moment she is left in garden with kennel and water till we come back. in winter i can't leave her in garden whilst we are out, and if i leave her in she jumps the baby dan devide and runs round the house and when i come back in she wees and has had a good rumage and maybe chewed things.

At the moment she sleeps in the kitchen/dining room and never attempts the jump gate its only when we go out.!!!

Any advice on this?

[Piffle]

Get a crate to keep he indoors in when you go out
It seems cruel but my two puppies love their crate and it is so much ahndier, they sleep locked in at night and do not soil as it is their bed
Let out first thing and I leave the crate in the garage so they can sleep in their during the day and bring it in at night. the you can do supervised house access when its convenient for you
The crates can be bought cheaply off ebay.
An outside kennel and run would be sound as well.

[YellowFeathers]

Have only skimmed through the replies so sorry if I repeat anything.

Definatly get a cage/crate. Will make life 10 times easier. You will have peace of mind when you leave the house and it can reassuring benefits for the dog too.
I would also suggest getting some baby gates for your doorways. I know you said your house is open plan but is there anywhere you could "seal off" with one?

[mmmmchocolate]

are your puppies outside all day? i do have a crate that is in garden but she never goes in it. and when we first got her she wee'd and poo'd in it!!!!!!

[mmmmchocolate]

bump

[horseshoe]

mmmmchocolate,

Where abouts are you?? It's not an ideal situation I know but I offer free respite care to people who have a new baby and need a bit of time away from their dog. I have a lovely little yorkie puppie at the moment. The owner is finding it a bit hard to look after her and so I have her for a couple of weeks while the owner sorts her house out and spends a bit of time with her new baby.
All we ask is for a small donation towards food costs. It's up to you but it's an option. I'm in London/Essex.

[magnolia1]

omg horseshoe that is one of the nicest things I have ever heard

mmmmchocolate: I wouldn't reccommend leaving them outside all day if you are out, unless they are very very well behaved and don't bark etc.
The crate would have been too big when you 1st got dog so she would have had room to wee/poo. Puppies don't like to go to toilet in their bed but if they have enough room they will sleep one end and toilet the other. If she is a bit bigger now you will find she will probably not mess the crate. Bring it in the house and leave the door open for a few days, dont shut her in straight away. Put in some toys and a nice chew and leave her to it. Don't worry if she doesn't go in it a lot for a while. After a few days shut her in for 10 mins with a chew and leave her.
Ignore protests!!!! Let her out and then praise her. Later on do it again. Next day 1/2 and hour twice in the day, next day an hour and after that when you go out or at night etc.... See how she goes and be prepared for lots of whining but she will get used to it very quickly I promise

[magnolia1]

I meant half an hour next day

[BROWNY]

Horsesoe, that's really very kind of you to offer such a loving service to new mums - I hope you receive some lovely presents as a thank you too!

Can I ask for some advice please? I have four children, the oldest is 10 and the youngest is 2 years old and we all would like a dog in our home. Could you recommend a dog for our family? We have a small back garden and lots of lovely parks nearby to walk him/her and I'd like the children to be able to take it for walks (so not a big dog that would pull).

Hope you can help, keep up the wonderful work you do!