Should we get a puppy?

[user1488756360]

Hello. Just looking for some advice please. We have been talking for a few years about getting a puppy but been waiting until the right time. Kids are both now of an age where they can help out with walks etc. Im a sahm but will be returning to work in September 2.5 days per week (term time only). We think the time might be right and want to start looking but I'm not sure at what age you 'find' your puppy or how long it will take from now until we have a puppy with us if that makes sense? In September we could have a 4 month old puppy at home. Would it be ok to leave at that age for 2 full days per week? My parents only live along the road so would be able to help.

I'm under no illusion how much hard work it's it's going to be. I've never had a dog before but dh had a dog growing up so he's very laid back about the whole thing but it will be at work all day and it'll be me at home with a puppy/dog most of the time.

If you are going to get a puppy from a breeder rather than a rescue, it's likely to be a year or more before you have a puppy, only dodgy breeders have puppies for sale that exist already.

There's a long puppy support post on here which might be worth a read. Obviously you would need to put something in place when you work which could gradually reduce to a lunchtime walk as pup grows up. I think length it skew to get a pup depends where you look...rescues or breeders. On here people have free say a d can't breeder us booked up way in advance. There are many more knowledgeable people who will no doubt give lots of good advice soon....

No a dog should not be left alone for full days it's really unfair.

They are such a joy but hard work which sounds like you get which is good.

I love my dog so much and I chose a puppy through a kennel club breeder so you can know the puppy's lineage (breeding issues and knowledge of history). Cross breeds are a bit risky as you might get say more of one dog than the other so you can't guarantee temperament etc

Don't forget holiday overnight care at Circa £25 per night etc and also to get a breed that reflects how much walking you are capable of doing. Obviously it needs a daily walk or two but larger breeds need miles and miles.

The biggest thing to consider is your part time work and not leaving it alone as I think that's unfair. When I was working part time he was in doggy day care for 2 days a week which adds up but I couldn't line with the guilt of him being all alone !

Good luck and ps a crate is a good start as they have a nice, safe little home

What are your hours going to be when working?

I think it would be cruel to leave a puppy alone for anymore than say 4 hours in total a day. They are still very young, even if they are well behaved it's not really fair. I also wouldn't expect them to last without a bathroom break for any longer than a few hours.

Would your parents be able to take the puppy for some of the time you are walking? you could get a dog walker but 4 months is really too young for long walks so lots of little ones would be better and that would be very £££.

If you are looking for a decent breeder it will take time and they will have waiting lists, they also don't normally have that many litters a yea so you may be waiting months. You might be able to get a slightly older puppy from a rescue in a couple of weeks. Or if you don't care you can get something off gumtree from a puppy farm within a day or so.

Thanks. I had no idea the waiting lists were that long. I wouldn't use a puppy farm or someone who isn't reputable but a rescue dog is something we have considered too.

There's a few companies I've seen doing the rounds which do dog walking etc around where we live. Id day the majority of our street has a dog! My parent would definitely help out with walks etc in the days I'll be at work (9-3).

I've been looking into helping out at local rescue centres and getting involved in dog walked schemes that they offer just to try and get us all used to the responsibility before we take the plunge.

We're considering a cavapoo or a cockapoo.

Well if you are looking for those you will be looking at mainly bybs and puppy farms .

And with the health issues cavs have and the fact that such puppy farm breeders won't have done health checks, you're liable to end up with a very poorly / short lived dog.
Cockapoo needs lots of exercise and mental stimulation to be kept happy and healthy, so unless you've lots of time to invest in training / agility / search and rescue / just lots of long exciting walks, it's not a good breed to get and expect it to be happy with a short trot with a dog walker and left alone for hrs

Cavapoo and cockerpoo are cross breeds favoured by puppy farmers and by byb who think they'll make a quick profit off their pet, with no real knowledge of breeding.

Really you'd be safer looking at full cavalier king Charles, full cocker or full poodle.

It is essential you get a good breeder, who has fully health checked parents (and preferably fully health checked older generations).

Speak to breed clubs and look at Kennel club assured breeders. (Pups just being KC registered is different - even puppy farmed pups can be KC registered).

Alternatively look for a cavapoo or cockerpoo in a rescue. Whilst they may still develop health problems from originally being from puppy farmer or byb, at least you know your dog isnt going to die from a nasty infection as soon as you get it home and you are not actually supporting puppy farmers or byb.

I hate this cavapoo/cockapoo phase. There's no such thing as a cavapoo - it's simply a cross breed. Breeders just sell them off as designer breeds to make money.

There's nothing wrong with mixed breeds. My last dog was a mix breed and absolutely perfect but she was a large dog and the pregnancy wasn't intent - so those who say stay away from mixed breeds need to be clearer about what they mean. Stay away from designer breeds, yes. IMO.

But no I don't think you should get a puppy.
My pup is 5 months old and I wouldn't dream of leaving her alone for 6 hours as a one off let alone two days a week.

Volunteering doing dog walking is great but it isn't the reality of walking your own dog I'm afraid.

Sparkling I agree mixed breeds can be good, the problem is finding a well bred one, that hasn't come from a byb or puppy farm. "Designer breeds" crosses are pretty much always a definite no.

You can get other good crosses though. My friend has a lovely collie cross (she has the right lifestyle to give him the life he needs), that was bred by a farmer specifically for him to increase his good working dogs numbers and so the farmer had fully health tested both parents, thought carefully about the mix he was creating, raised them well , Inc good early socialisation and had a good understanding of genetics.

Also a fair amount of lurchers tend to be good, as they are often bred with the aim of getting good working dogs.

So mixes are good, when crossed for a specific purpose, from fully health tested parents, by someone with the correct knowledge to breed and raise pups. It's just finding one amongst the huge numbers of puppy farmed or byb bred pups.

Sounds like your family can fit a dog in well. And your breed (or cross breed) choice is your own decision to make (and yes, there IS such a thing as a Cavapoo....it's a description of a specific cross, no need to be so obtuse).

I will say that pups are a freaking nightmare and probably for the first year you'll need someone to help break up that 6hr stint two times a week. Also prepare yourself for the stress of coming back to ripped up everything (sofas, walls, chair legs) and stinky accidents unless you crate when out but I personally think that's something you have to be patient with and accept rather than lock them away for. Crating is great for short breaks for everyone, dog included, though.

I don't think I'd ever get a puppy again. The stress of one in the house was awful and our bond has never really recovered. Next time will be a rescue grown up dog. But you live and learn!

Really you'd be safer looking at full cavalier king Charles, full cocker or full poodle.
If you look for a full Cavalier, be aware that the breed is riddled with health problems. The vast majority of Cavaliers develop mitral valve disease (a serious heart problem), and a significant proportion suffer from syringomyelia (essentially, the skull is too small for the brain). I've known three Cavaliers, all of them sweet little dogs. Two had MVD and one has syringomyelia.

It's actually quite hard not to start ranting about it.

Lumela that's why I also advised looking to find a good breeder, (who does all health tests) through breed clubs and KC Assured Breeders.

Cavapoo's get those same issues, infact it's more likely since cavapoo's parents are never fully health checked and usually from puppy farms or byb who bought the parent from puppy farm. So the cavalier parent is most likely to suffer those issues, thus pass them on.

My cavalier comes from very well health tested lines. Even his great great grandmother doesn't have heart problems at over 12yrs old - his breeder was very passionate about eliminating heart problems in cavaliers after his first ever pet one died from heart problems at just 5 years old.
Most in the line (both maternal and paternal) have also been MRI scanned clear.
They are also fully DNA clear for the other main problems (which I can't name off the top of my head) that cavaliers get.

Cockers and poodles will obviously have health issues that a good breeder will be testing for too. You can look up what hereditary problems your chosen breed has issues with on the KC website and a list of tests (including which should be done as a minimum and what else is advisable to be done)

Oh and it's worth pointing out that a lot of the health problems commonly seen in cavaliers are because they were very popular with puppy farms prior to the whole doodle/poo fashion.

The main problem with CKCS crosses is that the most popular breeds to cross them with aren't entirely free of some of the most devastating health conditions which plague the CKCS.

Both Syringomyelia and MVD have been seen in Bichons, toy Poodles and miniature Poodles. Any half decent breeder of CKCS crosses, particularly if they're using any of the breeds mentioned above, should still be utilising the BVA CM/SM scheme and adhering to the MVD breeding protocol.

The CKCS, Bichon and toy/miniature Poodle can also be affected by hereditary cataracts, the genetic basis of which has not yet been discovered so partaking of an annual eye test as part of the BVA Eye Scheme is also an absolute must for crosses of these breeds. They can also all be prone to luxating patella so their knees should have been properly checked over by a vet, preferably an orthopaedic specialist.

Crossbreeding can be a immensely useful tool in removing or reducing health issues within a breed (LUA Dalmatians are a good example of outcrossing done right), not to mention improving genetic diversity, but it's also not a magic bullet and needs to be done with just as much care and consideration as breeding pedigrees.

Thanks everyone. Lots of interesting points.

I think we're going to make contact with our local rescue centres. Although a puppy would be lovely (the kids are obviously in favour if this option) I'm thinking that an older dog would suit us better.

There are lots of pups / slightly older pups in rescue .

Again, puppies are amazingly hard work , but if you can get appropriate day care ( puppies can't be left imo, dogs only up to 4 hours ( RSPCA guide lines) ) then go for it, our boy has enriched our family life and kept me mobile .

that's why I also advised looking to find a good breeder, (who does all health tests)
Sorry, swimming, only just had the chance to respond to this, and yes, fair enough. I'm really glad that you were able to find such a good breeder.

I just wish that the Cavalier breed club practised what it preached.
See this article
Things will not get better for the breed until more 'responsible' breeders act responsibly.

I think we've decided on a puppy. After speaking to a local rescue shelter we think that because we have young children plus 2 old lady cats that an older rescue dog may not settle so well and that the best chance of our cats and a dog being happy will be to get a puppy.

What do we need to look out/check for?

Any advice would be apprehended. Thanks

This is a good basic guide to buying a puppy. Their list of questions to ask a breeder is also well worth a read. Both are applicable (aside from anything relating to KC registration) whether you're looking at pedigrees or crosses.

If you're interested in a particular breed then the relevant breed club is usually an excellent place to start as they can put you in touch with breeders planning litters. The KC Assured Breeder Scheme is also a good starting point, although the scheme itself is far from perfect. Champdogs is also worth a look, you can filter results by breeders who health test.

This is a good site for researching necessary health tests, although they're not always right up to date with DNA tests as new ones are becoming available all the time. This site lists just about every currently available DNA test. The UFAW site is a great source of information on the most serious or prevalent conditions affecting many popular breeds.

It's also important to find someone who is putting the appropriate effort into raising the puppies. This site gives you a good idea of the minimum a breeder should be doing during each of the puppies' developmental stages. Puppy Culture is the absolute gold standard as far as raising puppies goes, there's an excellent FB group for breeders who utilise it where you can see the lengths breeders go to in order to prepare their puppies as well as possible for going off to their new homes and growing up into well rounded adults.

Be extremely wary of anyone who is licensed by their local council. The vast majority of councils only require someone to be licensed if they're breeding at much higher volumes than anyone reputable ever would. Other red flags include having multiple litters on the ground at once, breeding many different breeds/crosses, not having the litter in the house and there being no sign of other dogs at the house but the phone number has been used for lots of different adverts. It's also not usually the norm for a decent breeder to own both parents. A good breeder will pick the stud dog who is the best possible match in terms of health, temperament and conformation which is rarely the closest one. If you're looking at crosses it's wise to check how many (if any) pedigree litters a bitch has had. It's not uncommon for less than great pedigree breeders to swap to breeding crosses when they've registered the maximum number of pedigree litters they can with the KC. You can do that on the MyKC site, you need to register but it's a very useful site.

We spent ages searching all the rescues but gave up in the end as couldn't find anywhere that would help as our dd is 10. It is hard to rehome dogs with young families as there is no knowing the trauma that poor dog may have gone through.

In the end we got a cross breed puppy from a friend who has 2 dogs, and then a litter of puppies , and it has certainly been fantastic for all of us. He is now 10 months and so far very content with life. He has a crate which he is happy to be in, often going in of his own volition for a sleep. I like it as it gives me peace of mind when we are out and overnight it means our old lady cat can chill out on the sofa in the kitchen without puppy trying to snuggle up and annoy her. He sleeps all night in it, only waking when we go downstairs in the morning. Even if we go into the kitchen during the night he doesn't wake up!