new puppy when my foot is out of action

[JellyBabiesSaveLives]

So, we're getting a puppy next week. Never had a dog before. He's a cockapoo, will be 8 weeks old. I can be home all day and the dcs are 8 through 13 so old enough to be helpful, when they're home.

I've had surgery on my foot; back when we put the deposit down for the dog I'd expected to be fully recovered by now. Today I was at the hospital and they say it's not healing and I have to wear an airboot (knee-length cast thing) for a month - and then "we'll see". More surgery if I'm unlucky. In the meantime I'm allowed to remove the boot to drive (automatic car) and I'm not on crutches, but I am supposed to rest "as much as possible".

Am I mad to think I can cope? Or should we cancel on buying this puppy?

It will be difficult as the puppy will need to go out to toilet at least once per hour for first couple of weeks. You could check if a local dog walking person could help out (for a fee!) when my pup was about 8-9 weeks I had to go in to work (had intended to work from home). The dog sitter we planned on using when pup was older arranged for her mum to take him (as he was too young to be with other dogs) for the days I had to be in work. Then when he was 12 weeks I broke my ankle so the dog sitter had him every week day for about 8 weeks. Not cheap but it worked for us.

It will certainly make things very difficult.

As haggis says for toilet training you really need to be taking them out at least once an hour and sometimes you end up going in and out almost constantly trying to make sure they go to the toilet outside.

As well as the house training you need to consider how you'll manage doing all the appropriate socialisation. Obviously the pup can't be walked initially but they really should be carried out and about to get used to new sights, sounds and smells. The Puppy Plan has a great breakdown of the different stages of puppy development and what you should ideally be doing during each one. There's a fairly narrow window (up to 16 weeks of age) during which it's really important to socialise a puppy and build up positive associations with as many things as possible.

Could you ask the breeder if they could hang on to the puppy for another couple of weeks?

An airboot might not be compatable with a puppies 'I bite everything that moves' phase.