I'll admit to being scared to post here..puppies.

[harryhausen]

Hello. I've been lurking here for a long time.

In about 12 weeks we will hopefully be bringing home our new family puppy.its not even born yet! Both dh and I have had dogs in our family before but weren't the primary carers. I think I will need a fair bit of advice.

I have to admit that I'm scared of posting here. I'm certain I will be told that everything I've done/choose will be wrong and I'm not an 'experienced' dog owner so am irresponsible. Call me paranoid. Please tell me it's okay to post for puppy advice?

In RL, I have much conflicting advice from dog owner friends. I've been told to get a puppy/not to get a puppy etc. I get conflicting advice on best breeds etc.

I've been researching for a long time. Over 2 years. We're on a waiting list for a breeder who specialises in labradoodles and 'poo' dogs. We're on a waiting list for a Yorkiepoo. This is because we want a smallish dog with less shedding as possible.

I work from home in a garden office so the dog will be with me all day. We have a large garden and a huge green area opposite our house. My dcs are 10 and 7. Ds and I have an animal hair allergy but it is eased with antihistamines. My dh will brush the dog regularly.

I have a lot to learn. I'm excited but apprehensive. Please tell me my decisions so far are okay and it's okay to come back.

We have two mini smooth dachshunds- very little shedding at all, and they are brill dogs (stubborn but brill) x

I have a little poodle, so want to defend a bit (sorry!)
He doesn't look like a 'poodle' purely because his face isn't shaved, 90% of people who meet him ask if he's cava/cocka/insert breed/poo because they don't realise that these dogs more or less look like poodles if you don't cut their hair into a show poodle coat. So I just have a scruffy little dog.
He is very friendly, extremely clever and sooo cuddly and loving towards everyone dp and I.
However, as much as I'll sing his praises I wouldn't suggest him to you. He is, what is known as, high drive. Basically the same as in people, some people have a very high drive, always on the go, want to get to the top of their chosen career, lifestyle etc. That's my dog, always on the go, would walk all day, eat all day, play all day, he has no offswitch, you can think he is fast asleep but as soon as you move he follows to see what you are doing. He is to us a working dog though, so it's what we want.
As a first time owner with a young family, you want a 'low drive dog' which doesn't necessarily mean lazy but they are more likely to go with the flow, be able to be calm around crazy children (at least as an adult) and probably happier to be left (you won't realise how much you are out of the house until you get a dog - basically you want a laid back breed.

Also, as much as people always recommend a rescue and I've had one, I wouldn't have wanted her as my first dog. We did get her older but everyone told us how lovely etc she was, how great she'd be and she was but also very nervous, which nobody really picked up until she wasn't in a kennel environment. It was just little things, like dogs that I've had from a puppy will let you do anything, in terms of picking up, touching feet, brushing etc, but it can take a lot longer to get an older dog used to this. Though having a puppy is also sosososo tiring. My mum got a puppy a couple of years ago and said that she felt more tired and drained with the puppy because it was like a baby that obviously can't be trusted to defend itself etc at all, but they have legs and eat everything - I'm childless so can't comment.

Anyway, feel free to ignore or take on board what you want from what I've said - its so difficult getting your first dog there is so much conflicting advice. Just remember even if your dog isn't perfect you will still adore it and they will seem to completely change what a 'perfect dog' is to you.

Great advice Dressinggownfrown thanks. Interesting stuff about poodles.

I'm going off the idea of a poo-dog but you never know. I think you're right about wanting an 'easy' dog - as much as they can be. I am quite apprehensive, as I should be I suppose. I've been around dogs but never trained one myself etc. I know a puppy will be very tiring, but I've managed 2 children so far so was viewing as a smaller 3rd child! ;)

The problem I'm finding is that one person will say their breed/dog is easy and then someone else will say the opposite. I think I maybe need to stop listening to too many anecdotes.

No breed is easy as in comes ready trained and will just slot in...so a lot of the time it depends on what suits you.

I like a dog that's fairly high energy and on the go - as long as it's trainable. They're fun, which is what I want, something I can play with, train with and do a fair amount of walking with.

I hate grooming, but care not about shedding.

So if I was looking for a dog, I'd be looking at short coated, clever and none with aloof or independent listed as breed traits.

Which helps you not much to be fair, lol...but what I mean is, it depends a lot on what it is you want from a dog.

Do you want a dog that will be underfoot be keeping you company round the house, or just chilling quite happily.

Do you want to do trick training or a sport like agility, or just have something that'll maybe play fetch for ten minutes and then curl up on the couch with you.

That's how you need to think about the breed traits, what do they mean and how do they suit you...

I Would put money on this being a puppy farm :( not one specialises and then has a dozen different breeds !!!! Having looked at the tests they say have been done, I can only say they have not done all the tests necessary on any of the gundogs . Be very careful but good luck

you're a smart woman capable of putting a lot of thought and calculation into how you raise a dog and someone who works at home so wil be able to carve out the regular ten, twenty minute training bursts that suit young dogs so well. you will be fine.

what i would say though about working alone is even though you don't 'have' to leave a dog alone you should do so anyway - practice it even though you don't have to even if it is just to go out the door and to the shops alone and come back shortly later or to put the dog in a room at one end of the house for an hour or two whilst you go to work in your garden office. circumstances change and it's good to train your dog even for the things that don't seem necessary today.

take them on buses and trains even if you drive everywhere, leave them alone in the house for spells even if you work from home, expose them to kids even if you don't have them etc. apart from anything else there's a great deal of pride and joy in helping your dog to be confident and adaptable and able to cope with all sorts and it means whatever happens, foreseen or unforeseen, they've a chance of coping and leading a happy life with or without you. aware that sounds a bit grim but none of us know what the future holds.

pick a breed you like and is a good fit shedding, size and exercise requirements wise and then do all you can to give it the best chance in all the other areas with confidence that nurture and training are the biggest factors in most cases once you've taken the grosser traits into consideration and ensured they're coming from a healthy mum and dad and a happy good start in terms of the breeders home environment.

you will be fine!

oops forgot to say - make sure you get the family on board and singing from the same songsheet with training - makes things easier for you and the dog.

I know this is a bit late but couldn't see a feedback review from originator.
We had a puppy from Wentwood Puppies and our vet was impressed by the information and screening, inoculation program etc. she is and alway's has been a confident and joyful puppy. Hope this helps anyone looking. by the way she is a Cockerchon - half Cocker spaniel and half Bichon frise. (8months old and about Westie size at the moment).

No Lizzie, she is a mongrel

And no amount of testimonials will change the fact that they are a puppy farm.

I have a feeling that the OP from this thread got a border terrier from a reputable breeder ( I could be wrong) and yy monkey

How are people still falling for this shit? Wentwood Puppies have a reduced section for fucks sake How does it not ring major alarm bells that they've consistently got puppies not selling before 8 weeks who they then try and flog cheaply?

They're also not doing all the appropriate health testing. CKCS stud with no mention of hips, heart, CC/DE or EF. In fact only two out of their nine studs have hip scores at all. Lots of "DNA PRA clear" which looks impressive but doesn't actually mean they've bothered doing testing themselves. If both parents were clear then the whole litter will be, so no need to test them. It's quite telling that most of the studs (these places never showcase their bitches do they?) only have that as far as health information goes.

Could you let me know if you found a breeder for yorkie poo, I've been looking for so long and nothing. I really want to buy one in September.
Thank you.

I love lakeland terriers. They are at the less terrierish end of the terrier spectrum - so easier to handle than most. Low moult, not no moult.

I got a puppy from a bad breeder. On purpose. I couldn't bear to leave her there with him. She's almost 2 now and still extremely timid, very untrusting, really needy.

It's a zombie thread Cauli although your dogs are lovely 😊

I know it's a zombie thread but I wonder what happened in the end, what puppy if any did the OP get?