DH wants a puppy Is it worth getting a puppy for his birthday

[Safarigiraffe]

Hi all, we are thinking of getting a English Springer Spaniel puppy for DH birthday in June as a surprise for him however we do work full time, DS/DD work part time so any advice on if it’s worth getting DH the puppy he's always wanted or hang on a bit

What odd, childish phrasing...
An animal should NEVER be a gift.
You don't sound ready for any responsiblity

You know they grow into dogs don’t you?

Definitely not.. puppies are hard work and need a lot of time. You can’t just leave them alone (when toilet training, we took puppy out every 20 mins, for example). This is especially important if you want a dog without separation anxiety. Your sleep will also likely get very disrupted, and it will be difficult even to work from home - our puppy was like a tornado for the first months. And as many PP have said, a good breeder would not hand over a puppy as a surprise (and if they do there are a lot of other questions you should be asking about the breeder). Also, springers are very high maintenance, have very high energy levels, and need a lot of exercise.

OP, people today can be a bit over the top about dogs (or any animal) given as a gift. Obviously many times that's a bad idea, but in this case, the person who wants the dog is an adult who knows his mind, presumably knows what a puppy entails, and clearly very much wants a dog. You're sure he doesn't want a say in picking it out and isn't particular about when exactly he wants a dog/wouldn't possibly want to do it at a specific time?

A puppy is a lot of hard work, but it's not automatically a bad idea to give him a surprise puppy, if there are people home most of the time and everyone is willing to help take care of it, as needed.

Have you ever had a dog?
My mum had a springer spaniel for 13 years, he passed away last year. I lived with her when she (we) got him and did most of his training.

Springers are full on and need LOADS of exercise and mental stimulation. They are also very human oriented so needs lots of company. Think 2hr walks every day (my brother used to take the dog cycling every evening on top of his walks). I went to puppy classes with him, at the end of class the other puppies would be asleep and he'd still be running riot. They are the loveliest of dogs but you really need a lot of time to look after them properly.

I'd love a dog (a springer preferably) but we're realistic - we don't have the time and won't probably until we eventually retire.

On top of that I'd never get a dog or any living animal as a present.

but it's not automatically a bad idea to give him a surprise puppy

It is actually, because no decent breeder would agree to it.

Fuck no.

As others have said that’s a terrible choice of breed on the face of it. They’re bred to work and be on the go constantly. How much exercise can you give the adult dog?

I assume your DC won't always be working part time or living with you. What then? You can't leave a dog on its own for more than a few hours imo.

Yabvvvu.These dogs are extremely energetic and have a good brain so they require a lot of stimulation and exercise,proper mile by mile exercise,not simply throwing a ball from the same spot,it's very much a big commitment getting a dog,getting a Springer is absolutely not on.
whether the dc are home or not,are they going to want to go out three times a day in all weathers? If they have clubs,homework,friends,they won't want to go out .
wait until someone is home all day before getting any dog then research the type of dog that will suit your lifestyle,it's important to do that else both the dog and you will end up unhappy.
and don't buy,rescue!

Have you ever had a puppy before? They are brilliant but you need to understand how much work is involved before getting one? Have you researched the breed? Is it definitely the right one for your family?

Forget about what you want and think about what the dog needs. Can you give it the time, training and exercise it needs?

What do you mean by ‘worth it’? And wait for what?

I'm in the "fuck no" camp. I have had dogs all my life, btw.

When you say you'll be at home all the time do you actually mean all the time or do you mean the majority of the time.

Will DS and DD actually stay in to look after or does it just feel that way?

Right now are you honestly saying your house is never empty?

Take your worst case scenario (don't listen to the ones that lucked out, listen to the ones that didn't) and decide whether you can live with it:

Things like:
Your dog has separation anxiety so can't be left alone ever
The dog needs three one hour walks a day
The puppy spends the first three months scratching and biting at all of you whilst you're working because it wants attention and you can give it

If you can genuinely cope with the worst case then yes do it. But have a plan with the family that you can commit to, and, also. If your children are of working age it actually just needs to be something you and DH can commit to- it's the next 15 years.

Springer spaniels are hugely energetic and smart and if their needs aren't met then they're likely to be an awful lot of trouble, they really need to be working. I have no idea why when you both work full time you would consider getting that breed particularly. Realistically how long are your kids going to be living at home to be around?

@Safarigiraffe who will be around every day, for most of the day for the next 15 years?

because that’s what a dog needs.

who will train a puppy, take weeks of time off work to settle and toilet train it, pop home to keep it company, and walk an adult spaniel for 2+ hours per day on top of working full time?

Puppies as presents is ridiculous.

They take A LOT of work. You'll be house training, dealing with night wakings, training, vaccinations etc for a long time. You will have to change where you go and for how long. Holidays will be complicated let alone the cost of food and pet insurance.

You don't sound ready. Based on all of your hours, I'd say you don't have the adequate spare time to invest in a dog.

If you really want one then you need to sit down together and discuss who will be doing what and make sure it's something you are all in.

Have you had a dog before?

If you are experienced dog owners go for it. If not there are lots of factors to consider.

We have a family dog and everyone in the family is involved in his care. If your gang are up for the same, it is great idea.

Can you wait until you’re retired? A puppy as a birthday surprise gift sounds lovely but the novelty of that will wear very very thin very very quickly. It’s all right thinking everyone will share responsibility but that soon wears away and it’s usually left to one person ‘to sort the dog out’. Puppies are hard work but dog ownership is a huge responsibility. Think about it rationally. Have you the experience? The finances? What about when you all want to go out? Abroad? On holiday? It’s a bad idea especially now when you’re all working and I know from experience. As sad as this sounds, when ours pass away we won’t be getting any more. This is something not to rush into.

I think it's a lovely idea and June is a great time to get a puppy because they're like little kids and get up very early in the beginning so nice to be getting up in the bright rather than depths of winter!

I have a springer spaniel (he's 4 now) and got him when he was a puppy. However I'm a preschool teacher so was off work for the first 6 weeks we had him and then only working 4 hours a day.

I get up at 6am Monday - Friday and walk him for a full hour. It's tough going in the winter. My husband works from home most of the time but when he's not here the dog is alone for 5 hours by the time i drop kids to school, go to work myself, come home etc. He gets another decent run around (about 30 minutes with a ball) when i get home from work and then any time I'm going anywhere that i can bring him, i do. So if i was calling up to my mum i bring him. Or when the kids do basketball on a Wednesday night i use that hour to walk him.. hail rain or shine. The exercise goal with a springer is 1-2 hours per day and more at the weekend. It's a huge commitment.

Long story short, getting a family dog is a wonderful idea but think about the breed and whether or not you can meet the needs.

OP - putting aside the fact you sound a bit clueless to getting a puppy, this poster is giving you a generous insight into amount of work involved.

My cocker is coming up for 11
I’ve had her since she was 14 weeks old and she is the child I had before my children in terms of responsibility, cost and of course love.

until recently she needed a LOT of exercise i’m talking two and half tonthree hours a day at least an hour off lead. Now she has three shorter walks a day as her back legs are getting a it stiff despite injections so they need fitting in around work and school runs clubs etc.

she had never really been left on her own as my life and job have meant that’s possible but she doesn’t cope at all well with being left along and never has certainly not for more than an hour to two max.
puppies are like having a newborn then a teenager very quickly and you only get out what you put in. The housetraining and chewing can be very hard going.

buying a puppy for a present is stupid and no decent breeder would ever let you do that.

the breed and your current lifestyle don’t add up but to fair no puppy would fit well into this set up.

Plus decent breeders often have a wait list and won’t automatically have pups available in June. Remember bitches generally have a couple of seasons a year. Plus decent breeders don’t have dozens of dogs or breed repeatedly from the same ones.

A puppy should not be a 'birthday surprise' but instead a huge commitment.