To consider adopting a 6 month old puppy?

[Bamchic]

She was bought shortly before Christmas, and her people can’t take care of her anymore. She’s a WCS and I have had spaniels before.
We aren’t the most stable we’ve been as DH is unemployed, but I really feel like we could be her forever home.
I’m so torn as we currently rent (somewhere suitable for pets) and we are looking to buy eventually and are on the list for local authority housing.
I have checked and we can afford food insurance and a buffer for the excess.
Our last dog died in early autumn and left a big hole. I’m just not sure if I’m being stupid given we rent and aren’t in our best state financially

They've only had her for a month? What has changed and where was she before?
Do you have kids or want them?

Sorry just see your update. So the sellers MIL had her until she went to the current owners, but they don't want her after a month?

Hmm. Some people generally under estimate what young dogs are like. At 5 6 months they go in to adolescence which owners that can't be assed working through general give up around. It could be that this is the case....But I'd want to meet her a couple of times first.

@Bamchic You sound like you'd be the perfect forever home for this poor unwanted little soul! From your description of circumstances, the pup would be very well cared for and much loved! So what you rent, you cared for another dog, you can care for this one :)
They will always come with expense but you seem to have that covered and you know they're worth it!
Get that pupper!!

Have you researched the breed?

If you are confident that you can manage her, throughout your life changes, then there's no reason not to get her.

It sounds like you've thought it through. But be prepared to put in the training and for a lot of hard work.

It's likely she won't be trained (and has possibly learned a load of bad habits)

She might not be toilet trained.

She'll definitely be very unsettled for a few months while you get to know each other.

But if you're up for the challenge- go for it.

My WCS started to be an arsehole around 6 months of age and that's with me putting the training in beforehand as a base.

Really you need to be prepared for a hyper (most spaniels are) untrained puppy just about to hit her adolescent arsehole period.

You need to ask things like has the dog been seen at any vets and if so what for so you can assess what pre existing conditions might crop up for any insurance.

I have checked and we can afford food insurance and a buffer for the excess. My dog has had more accidents and illnesses which also included bowel surgery for a rag stuck in his intestines. I have paid many excesses on insurance because each one is considered a new claim unless it was directly linked. £85 excess each time bloody mounts up.

It might be hard work, but it sounds as though you're a good option for the dog - who otherwise might have a grim-looking outcome.

Could you take the pup for a month’s trial and see how he or she is at home, at night on walks etc? Poor thing. My childhood dog was a lab people gave up at six months- he was hyper but absolutely lovely and just needed owners who walked him enough and didn’t leave him home alone all day. The people giving him/her up may just be morons who don’t realise puppies require time love and attention. Trial period would protect you either way though.

I don't think a trial period would be best for the puppy.

True, Soup, but I’m imagining (maybe hoping) that pup is absolutely fine and OP willl quickly be able to make it permanent. OP have you met the puppy? Walked it?

Thanks all, familiar with the breed, our last dog was a wcs x and dh’s work dog previously was a wcs, also grew up with them so feel pretty confident. Mad as a box of snakes, but with a lot of time, love, excersise and attention I think we can make it worse.
You’re all right, I think it’s the “stroppy rebellious teenager phase” our last pup used to deliberately roll around in the mud outside our house when we got home from a walk so we’d take her back to the beach.
She’d also tear things to shreds and steal all kinds.
Lots of positive reinforcements, training, stimulating games and long walks knocked it out of her by 11 months ish.
They’re all so different but I hate to thing of her ending up somewhere where she’s not a member of the family

Mad as a box of snakes, but with a lot of time, love, excersise and attention I think we can make it worse.

😂 I assume you meant make it work

Do you know the current owners well, or is this just a story you have been told. I ask as dog theft is very common at the moment, if you can get the chip checked out at a vets.
Is there going to money involved?

soupdragon I would hope I could make it work 😂😂 bloody autocorrect 😂

cheri good shout re: chip & theft. Friend who is a dog walker has a chip scanner thingy as she also volunteers for a missing pet charity. I will ask if I can take it with me to check, as no I don’t know the owners personally and they are asking for money for her (£200 to cover the cost of her crate, injections and 6 weeks to a months worth of raw food they got her) much less than they would’ve paid but a lot if they’d stolen her iyswim?

Ask for the name of the vets when your at the owners house and then ring the vets and ask if the puppy has ever been brought in for any ( with the owners permission). serious treatment like entropian or hip / elbow problems
We did this when we bought an older dog and the vet was nice enough to say that there nothing on his notes that indicated a problem and was pleased that we took the time to find out if there was a problem with the dog before buying it

If the owner won’t do this then you know that the dog has a serious and expensive problem somewhere

I don’t know why more people don’t do this when they buy an older dog saves a lot of money long term especially with designer breeds liked pugs and frenchies

Loads of people get a puppy and don't realise how much work they are and so give them up. I've got 2 families in my small village with pups already wondering if they should ever have got a dog. Some people are idiots. You sound like a wonderful home and you have experience. Go for it. There's no reason for there to be anything wrong with the dog, just people who made the wrong decision about getting a dog. Like I said so many people just don't realise how much work they are. The longer they stick with the dog whilst putting in minimal effort the more frustrated and naughty the dog gets so 6 months is a good age to get him/her. Im excited for you.