Buying a 6 month old puppy.

[EmmaGellerGreen]

Some friends work full time and have a 9 year old ds. They are very cash rich / time poor and have been talking about getting a dog for ages but not young puppy as they dont have time to train it. They have not owned a dog before.

They saw a advert on line for a 6 month old cocker. They viewed it in the owner's home and were told that the owner has changed jobs and no longer has time for it. The current owner bought it a month ago from an acquaintance who had 3 more puppies and this one was being "bullied". They were told that it is healthy, had all vaccines etc.

They bought the pup for hundreds of pounds there and then. It seems to be settling in ok. The plan is to leave it from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with a dog walker coming daily. They will be in more at weekends but will still have a dog walker on Saturday.

Am I justified in having concerns here about the lack of knowledge about the dog's history, health, background etc as well as plans to leave it alone so much. It does seem to be a lovely little dog but I do feel uneasy.

It's madness with a cocker. With any puppy or any dog, they're setting themselves up to fail.

Buy a toy instead.

Sorry, I was too cross ie supporting your view to continue. That dog is likely to become bored and potentially nervous. At the very least, if they are cash rich, can't they put it into doggy day care? Dogs need companionship. A young dog has had its routine and family upset twice now. The poor thing.

And cockers are active esp the working ones.

Oh I want to bite them. Sorry, I know they are friends.

I feel the same! I'm not a dog owner but it feels crazy and cruel. I just wanted to sense check my reaction with my knowledgeable folk.

Genuinely no idea why they would want a dog, though I am guessing fairly soon when their house has been destroyed they may not want this one anymore.
Very sad for the pup - six months old and already in his third home? :(

Agree with you, this is not a suitable set-up for a young dog. They dont just need a midday walk but stimulation through the day.- and no doubt reassurance and routine given the start they have had. Spaniels are not the easiest of dogs at the best of times as they are high energy so this sounds like a recipe for disaster. Our 13yo lab is happy to be left for hours but we have waited years til one of us is home all day to get a puppy.

They need to swap the dog walker for dog daycare with training
The pup is too young to be left, and is at the critical point for needing firm boundaries and training, especially for a high energy breed such as a cocker

They may find that the difference between a dog walker and daycare isn't huge - around my way, it is £15 for an hour walk or £25 for 9-5 at daycare, with pick ups and drop offs

Hmm, thank you all. I was quietly hoping that I was wrong. Poor puppy.

We bought a 6 month old collie pup from an ad online. Buyer beware. People lie through their teeth about provenence, health, habits... The whole thing. You actually have NO IDEA what you are taking on. Our pup was hell on legs for the first 18 months, until I found a sheepdog trainer who was able to help with his habit of bolting. Our hellhound became a liability, especially when he and one of our older dogs wound each other up, big time. He is now 6, and generally a joy to behold. I have been through hell and high water with this dog, working with trainers and behaviourists and our lovely vet. To get a puppy at 6 months without knowing the truth about his past, and without the support of a training club is sheer folly. It cannot end well. It takes time and commitment working with the dog, and dedication to keep the dog no matter what, unless there are very serious welfare issues.

Tiger, thank you for sharing that. I do fear that they are heading down the same route but, unlike you, I don't think that they would persevere.

Completely agree with all of the above.
We have a cockerpoo - but would not have even considered getting a dog if it was going to be left for 8 hours a day. Not fair on the dog AT ALL.
Tell them to get a goldfish.

Poor thing. We have a 7m old lab and no WAY would she be happy being left all day with a midday walk. She is left alone for 2 hours on a Friday but other than that she has someone at home pretty much constantly.

WE got a five month old JRT from a farm, last of the only litter, mum and sister still there. We only did so because DH was going to be at home all day virtually every day. And we've become friends with the farmer and wife.

Admittedly jrts are diff from cockers, but they are both extra high energy dogs, need lots of exercise or to work. And a controlled environment ( no hope if that, mind you, with us).

If not they become nervous, self willed and destructive.

I think they will learn the hard way. I hope it's a show cocker - a field cocker will be even more manic!
My gorgeous show cocker was just starting to chill out a bit at 6 months but obviously he's been with us since 9 weeks. He took a lot of patience.
Cockers can be genuinely perfect family dogs they are fun and playful and very soppy BUT they are very social and miss company. Sadly I have to work 9-5 in the office (usually work from home) about 2 days a month - I am currently looking for a dog walker because my boy is not coping well with being left that long - I never planned to we just have no staff atm long story. I would never have got him if I worked 5 days a week away from home. It's all well and good this dog having a walker but he won't know who his owner is - they are fecking mad and negligent - they won't get the well adjusted loving pet with that set up they will get manic destructive makahusted dog.

Oh dear. They are well meaning people but not always realistic. This isn't going to end well for any of them I fear.

Honestly, look up doggy day care and day training round you, find a MNr who can say that's the sort of thing she would use, say a friend has recommended, ( ok, stretching the truth) and tell them firmly they will have a destroyed house and v unhappy pup who will become un house trained because of the stress before too long. And that you don't want their dc to become distressed if things don't work out.

Ignore all the background stuff. They are where they are.

I still want to bite them and leave crumbs in their beds. As a minimum. It's so not fair. And the DS will also be distraught if it doesn't work out.

www.happy-dogs.co.uk/happy-dogs-prices

This is the sort of thing. I've no idea if it is any good at all but it's better than leaving a poor pup who is on third family by itself.

And they need to spend at least a few days with the pup at first. The pup needs to get to know its family.

I want to cry.

We adopted a nine month old cocker. It was the best thing we ever did but bugger, was he hard work.

I feel for that poor dog, I really do. They are probably buying a dog just as it enters its most challenging stage, the teenage years are hard for any breed but they are especially difficult for a lively, clever breed like a spaniel. It will run rings round them.