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Original poster

Spaniel puppies

64 replies

pinkandsparklytoo · 10/07/2016 21:09

So today I've been to look at some spaniel puppies and managed to narrow the choice down to two... The all brown boy one is the one Ds wants and the other with the blue eyes is a girl. Unfortunately I can't afford both :-(

Spaniel puppies
Spaniel puppies
OP posts:
tabulahrasa · 10/07/2016 22:01

"That's why I asked about what they wanted the dog for. Pet or working dog."

Yeah, but some people like an active pet dog too, I do.

OP, it might just be the photos, but...are those puppies definitely from the same litter? The girl looks less developed than the boy.

Original poster
pinkandsparklytoo · 10/07/2016 22:04

It was hard enough narrowing the choice down to the two! She had a choice of 7, of which she was keeping one and one had been reserved. Sadly I can't afford both otherwise I wouldn't be here seeing what other people would choose :-) We had gone intending to go for a brown one but the female was so pretty. They were both equally good at being handled. They also seemed fairly similar in their personality. The breeder didn't recommend one in particular other than saying she had wanted to keep the blue eyed one herself before deciding on a different one. The mother and father were outside when we got there. She had the grandfather as well. I've been looking through rescues near me for a while but spaniels don't come up very often. I have children under eight so that spaniel specific charity wouldn't consider me unfortunately.

OP posts:
Wolfiefan · 10/07/2016 22:06

OP seems to have left the thread. I was hoping I would get a reply about whether they liked running, lived in a rural area, had a dog already etc etc.
I have spent over a year doing my HW. It just seemed like the sort of thing someone would post who was buying on impulse. I was hoping that wasn't the case.
And I don't honestly give a shiny shit if anyone finds me patronising. I am really worried about the number of dogs bred in the UK by puppy farmers and the way this impacts their life, the life of the poor bloody dogs used for breeding and the families who take them home (often unwittingly) and have a shit outcome.

Wolfiefan · 10/07/2016 22:07

X post. OP sorry. What are you hoping for? Preference for boy or girl?

TrionicLettuce · 10/07/2016 22:14

Whilst it's not necessarily enough to really start alarm bells ringing it's also not generally the norm for a decent breeder to own both parents. It does sometimes happen (especially if the breeder has imported one or the other) but it's far more common amongst BYBs who have decided to have a litter from their family pets "just because".

Have both parents been fully health tested? The breeder should have shown you official paperwork for both showing that they've had their hips scored, have a current annual eye test and have been DNA tested (or are clear by parentage) for PRA and familial nephropathy. Alternatively if the parents are KC registered and you know their full names you can look up what tests have been done (and what the results are) here on the KC site.

dottygamekeeper · 10/07/2016 22:20

The blue eyed puppy will not necessarily keep its blue eyes - our spaniel pup had blue eyes when we first got her but they turned brown as she got older.

Jeremysfavouriteaunt · 10/07/2016 22:21

Spaniel aid have lots of good info on their site.

Spaniel puppies
JemTheAngel · 10/07/2016 22:25

I have a black cocker. OP, we've met loads of spaniels since we got ours and both DH and I have thought that brown coats tend to be quite fluffy, rather than silky. I've also read that on cocker forums, and it can make them harder to keep looking smart - if that bothers you. For that reason, I'd go for the girl, but also because I like the blue eyes, I think she looks stunning. That's just personal preference though on a very superficial level.

Have you thought about the differences between boys and girls too? We wanted a boy if possible, so that would probably have influenced us more than choice of colour. While not massively different, there are gender specific factors (seasons, relative cost of neutering, possibility of breeding etc) and some people think that there is a difference in how they bond to their owners. Can't speak to that as I've only had my boy, and he's wonderful.

In terms of choosing a dog on appearance, I agree it shouldn't be the first factor you consider, but if you have a choice of two puppies in a litter who have a very similar temperament, I think it's inevitable you consider colour etc and I don't think there's anything wrong with that.

tabulahrasa · 10/07/2016 22:29

"The blue eyed puppy will not necessarily keep its blue eyes - our spaniel pup had blue eyes when we first got her but they turned brown as she got older."

Yep, loads of puppies have blue eyes, it's one of the things making me go, hmm, but it looks a couple of weeks younger than the other one.

MajesticWhine · 10/07/2016 22:34

I would get the brown boy, he's gorgeous.

SeemsLegit · 10/07/2016 22:35

Our dogs breeder had the mother and father at her home, the father was a foreign dog on loan from another breeder. Doesn't necessarily mean it's a puppy farm, our breeder was just introducing new blood into her line

MrsHardy1 · 10/07/2016 22:37

They're both gorgeous. I'd probably let ds chose because I'd fine it impossible.

OP, be prepared for a lot of mud, mess and lots of walking. They do need a lot of exercise and are very energetic. Mine is 9 and showing no sign of slowing down. I don't work her and we don't live rurally. We have the beach and huge stretches of grass though, and a dew dog parks. Are they show or working? Working are very different.

Original poster
pinkandsparklytoo · 10/07/2016 22:40

The whole time I've been planning to have a dog I always thought of us having a male dog. When I lived at home we always had male dogs and I know my parents have a preference for boys. However the girl was so pretty and I know that's not the reason to buy a particular pup. Also the breeder herself had said that was the one she had wanted to keep. As I said they were very similar in temperament. The brown one was the biggest one in the litter which might be why the other looks younger. They are six weeks old.

OP posts:
The2Ateam · 10/07/2016 22:42

Blue eyes. I adore Spaniels!!! I'm massively jealous.

DramaAlpaca · 10/07/2016 22:48

I'd go for the boy.

I'm biased as I have an utterly gorgeous spaniel boy pup snuggled up next to me right now. He's no longer a pup, he's a year old, but he is the softest, most affectionate, cuddly, trainable, biddable pup ever, and I adore him. He is so bonded to me & is truly the doggy love of my life Smile

We'd always had bitches before and they've been lovely, but the temperament of this boy is just so wonderful.

SloppyDailyMailJournalism · 10/07/2016 22:53

Jem what are the gender differences in bonding?

MsAdorabelleDearheartVonLipwig · 10/07/2016 22:59

Sometimes coats go fluffy because they've been clipped rather than pulled.

We had a black working cocker. He had a lovely coat. He was a solid colour and very handsome. I like a solid colour.

Original poster
pinkandsparklytoo · 10/07/2016 23:02

DramaAlpaca yours sounds like what I hope mine will be. She did have some all brown girls and one boy like this girl but with more brown on the face. I'm leaning towards the boy now just thinking of Ds when he was cuddling with him and the fact that he hasn't stopped talking about "his" dog all day.

OP posts:
DramaAlpaca · 10/07/2016 23:04

I think your DS has chosen for you pink!

Wyldfyre · 11/07/2016 06:44

I'd always pick on personality first and gender second ( prefer a bitch). If you are going solely on looks then I prefer the girl as I like spaniels to have a mask.

To a PP "home bred" does not necessarily equal back yard breeder. I have working line dogs and some of the best have been home bred from gamekeepers/shooters looking for a new dog - because they are interested in getting a dog with good instincts.

Also litter mate syndrome can be managed/avoided. Two of my three are litter mates as while the pups like each other's company they are not wholly dependent on each other.
It really is dependent on training them separately and (at least at the start) walking them separately.

starshaker · 11/07/2016 07:02

Spaniels are awesome pets. I'd go for the brown. Also it seems like your ds has already formed an attachment.

Just make sure you hide the socks lol

Original poster
pinkandsparklytoo · 11/07/2016 09:23

I spoke to my friend this morning and she said to go for the girl as apparently they are more loving and nurturing for kids and a boy would be more headstrong. I would have thought that varied from dog to dog though, not just based on the sex.

OP posts:
Floralnomad · 11/07/2016 09:45

I'd say that advice was bollocks , of all the dogs my family have owned the loving ,gentle ones have been boys and on the 3 occasions we have had bitches although they have been lovely with family they have all been snappy with strangers / visitors . I have a boy at present and he is the most fabulous family pet .

Wyldfyre · 11/07/2016 10:29

It does vary from dog to dog pink and it's definitely not a set in stone "rule" on sex.
However I've found its easier to get girls focused on work/training than boys. (Current boy took four years to get a halfway reliable recall. His litter mate sister had it from about 6months).
As I said this is not a hard and fast rule, just my experience.

ThroughThickAndThin01 · 11/07/2016 10:33

My boy dog is far more affectionate than my girl dog, your friend is talking bollocks.

Let us know what you decide.