Puppies for idiots.

[notevernotnevernotnohow]

My children want a dog. They have been asking for literally ever, for years and years. For various reasons, if we are ever to do it, now is the best time. OH and I are on board in theory, but we have never had dogs in our lives. Both eldest child (13, almost 14) and I have done a lot of research and have decided on a Westie, Cavalier or Cavachon puppy.

Any advice for the clueless? What supplies are necessary? We understand we need insurance, possibly puppy training classes, microchips and neutering. Crate training, yes or no?

Have a scroll through this thread, there's loads of really useful stuff on there.

Puppy classes are an absolute must, especially if you've never had dogs before. It can be tough finding a reputable one (the dog training industry is entirely unregulated and there are lots of iffy trainers about) so I'd recommend looking at the 'Puppy Classes in the UK by Country' document on this list or by finding someone via one of these organisations who runs classes local to you.

Cavachons are rarely (if ever) bred by decent, reputable breeders. They, along with other CKCS crosses, have become increasingly popular in recent years as people believe they're a much safer bet in terms of health however some of the most serious issues in the breed can't be reliably avoided just by crossing them with something else. A breeder producing CKCS x Bichon litters still need to be doing all the relevant health testing/screening on the CKCS parent but doing so is even less common amongst cross breeders than it is in breeders of pedigrees. If you do go down the route of a CKCS (or cross) you need to really research their health issues and what breeders should be doing to avoid them. This site is absolutely packed with good information and is kept very up to date. This one is a bit less daunting but still quite informative and it's also worth reading the UFAW pages on the CKCS.

Crate training comes down to personal preference. They're useful but not a necessity and they're definitely not a magical cure all for puppy problems.

Our puppy is 18 weeks now. I would say be prepared for sleepless nights, and very early mornings for months (if not years). Also the time and concentration you need to devote to them. I recommend the Dogs Trust classes.

Puppy is a joy BTW!

Early mornings depends on the dog. My whippet is nearly six months old and loves nothing more than a good lie in

I'd go for a cavalier definitely. Some westies can have "small dog syndrome" (some, note, but all) whereas cavaliers are much more amiable usually. I don't know about the other breed.

Please do lots of reading on puppies and dogs in general. Puppies are like toddlers, thry will wake in the night, need reassurance, be naughty, chew everything and some are hard to toilet train. There was a thread on here recently where the op was struggling with a puppy after one week because it woke in the night, widdled everywhere etc and although she said she'd read up they did that, the reality was different. As long as you expect the worst, then if they don't widdle, chew etc then you'll be pleasantly surprised.

Having a dog is amazing, the love they give and the pleasure they bring is immense. Not to mention the welcome you get every time you step through the door

*not all

Ps re crate training, I'm not a great fan of it but some use a crate with the door completely off and a blanket over the top, to create a safe space for the puppy that nobody can enter but which the puppy can still come out of. I'm all for that. I'm not for crates with doors closed essentially for the owners convenience to stop them spoiling the house. I had a colleague once who locked her (small) dog in a (big) crate when she was at work all day and swore the dog loved it - yes it had room to turn around but it was still locked in all day. I can't agree with that.

This is absolutely meant to be informational, not preachy, so please read as such ... it's not meant to put you off either, although it might sound like it LOL.

Welcome to the potential world of dog ownership. Choose right, and it's great! Take your time to decide on the right dog for you all, but please also take time to find the right puppy to buy that is raised with love and care, well socialised and will give you the best chance of an easy and loving family member for your first dog. Make no mistake, it's a bit of a minefield these days, unfortunately, and getting much harder to see through clever sales scams.

You have chosen two breeds and one crossbreed that are absolute puppy farmer gold. Am not saying that they are bad choices in themselves, but PLEASE read up on the evil trade of puppy farming and do your very best not to put money in these people's pockets.

As well as the fact that you would be supporting a life of misery for the dogs involved, you could well be buying yourselves a whole heap of heartbreak and expense. Poorly-bred Westies are very prone to skin issues. Poorly-bred Cavaliers are prone to endless horrible issues. Crossbreeds do not magically negate any health issues, but rather are more likely to take health issues from poorly-bred parents on both sides, as those with well-bred healthy dogs are much less likely to cross-breed.

KC registration is no guarantee of all of careful breeding - but a non-KC registered dog is certainly far less likely to have been bred and reared with care. For a pedigree dog to be unregistered, it is likely that its mother is too young, too old, had too many puppies for more to be registered, or had some issue as a baby so a caring breeder 'limited' their registration.

NEVER take a puppy from horrible circumstances to 'rescue' it. All you are doing is paving the way for more to take its place. Hard though it is, it's better to walk away and report.

For my money, the best way to buy a puppy is to find a breeder of a pedigree breed who can demonstrate that they are in it for the right reasons - be that showing, agility, gundog work or whatever. Make sure they do the appropriate health tests for the breed (this bit is easy these days, look up breed clubs online and websites should tell you what is recommended) and don't accept excuses as to why they haven't been done. Once you have found a good breeder, be prepared to wait for a puppy for them.

Take your time and do it right - hopefully the result will be a healthy well-adjusted family member for about 15 years, so it's worth it.

Oh, and one other tip - the best breeders for me are the ones who have several generations of happy healthy dogs to show you, including healthy oldies snoozing on the sofa. There is no better advert!

Remember that whilst your kids want the dog it is you who will be responsible for its health and welfare - you have to be prepared to train, exercise, feed and look after its health for the next 10-15 years.

Sorry if that sounds obvious but there are SO many dogs in rescue at 2, 3 or 4 years old because 'the kids lost interest' or 'circumstances changed' so be sure that this is what YOU want, not just the kids

Oh yes, I know! It will be me training it and getting up in the night to let it pee etc, and going to the vets and all that. We have dogs in the wider family so have a little knowledge, just no direct experience..
Thanks for the thoughts.

Regarding crates- our rescue Jack Russell has severe separation anxiety and in fact cannot be left alone. The Battersea foster carer who looked after him before we took him said this had been caused by him being shut in a crate, which he hated. He's 4 years old now and will probably always have a degree of separation anxiety so please be aware of that if you do decide to get a crate OP. BTW our Jack Russell is gorgeous and we love him to pieces and he has enhanced our lives immensely. We've had him 3 months now.

We have a Westie and got him from a fabulous breeder. He never once cried for his mother and apart from waking about 5am was never a bother through the night. I know we were lucky! We found that a puppy pen was useful for the evening when he was thorough worn out and turned into a snarling ball of fury because he was so tired. It had a blanket and a puppy pad in it and when he got fractious, we would pop him in there and let him get on with it. He was usually flat out within 5 minutes! It was also a useful space to leave him in if we had to go out without him. We didn't think about crate training at all.

Westies are often puppy-ish in their behaviour for their whole life and terriers have minds of their own! They will walk all day if that's what you want to do, or snuggle beside you on the sofa all day, equally happily. They are full of character. They recognise other Westies, which is not something I have seen other breeds do. They are insanely cute as well and don't they know it!

Ours is currently still curled up in his bed. Its raining and he clearly doesn't want to go out for a morning walk in the rain. He knows I'll make him wear his coat and he hates his coat! I don't mind because I don't want to go walking in the rain either. And while that was quite light-hearted, that is a serious consideration - you will be out walking in all weathers. Something to bear in mind.

As others have said, go for a reputable breeder or you really don't know what you are letting yourself into! Puppies are sweet and fluffy. They will also pee and poo all over the place until they are housetrained, and will chew anything and everything they can lay their little pin teeth into. For the first 6 months at least they are anyones and everybody's.

In short, a puppy is a lot of work at the beginning. When they start to grow up all your efforts will come home to roost and you will have a dog who delights you and vice versa.

I've always had adult rescue dogs, apart from one, who came from a backyard breeder. She was dreadful at the vets for her first vax and snapped at her lovely trainer. We took her to collie boot camp where she snarled at the woman and I was told that she was badly bred and we needed to be careful with her. A couple of years on and she is a little snuggle bunny, reasonably under control, and adorable.

Re early mornings, I think the dog often adapts to the family routine. Both our Border Terriers soon realised we were NOT larks and our current BT snoozes well into mid morning. Happy days!