New puppy indecision

[nancy2017]

I have a new puppy (11 weeks.) My daughter bought her from a farm as I was so sad following the death of my other dog after 10 years. My other dog was a show cocker spaniel although she was just a pet to me. This dog is totally different. I have researched it and found out that she is a working cocker spaniel. She is manic and constantly nipping. I know that is puppy behaviour and feel really unfair comparing her to my previous experience of a puppy which was a long time ago. I suppose I don't feel ready yet but don't think I should rehome just for that reason. I am just not used to a dog that doesn't sit and cuddle up at all. Any advice please.

Working cockers are amazing dogs. I have two and they’re both currently snuggled up on my lap / legs. Providing they get an hours walk a day they’re very chilled.

They are also very affectionate 😍😍

If she nips just yelp and turn away and ignore her. Mine learnt not to nip very quickly.

Sounds like normal puppy behaviour rather than her being a working cocker. My working cocker loves curling up on the sofa with me and he was the usual bitey manic puppy. Have a look on the puppy survival threads to see that unfortunately it's common. You probably have forgotten the puppy stage as it's so long ago

Saying that your daughter should not have bought a puppy for you. That should have been your decision

Excuse the random socks 😂

Normal puppy behaviour. Please do not rehome her for this.

Normal puppy behaviour - it is easy to forget how awful this stage is, but thankfully it doesn’t last long! Our show cocker could have nipped for England. He also didn’t want to cuddle at all. He’s 5 months old now, doesn’t nip or mouth at all now, and if I sit down, he’s straight up for a cuddle. The nipping stage seems a long time ago, though at the time it seemed to go on forever.

All sounds very normal. I have a show strain springer puppy here and I can assure you is very nippy all the time, too. It takes a while to get to the cuddly, snuggly dog that we all look forward to. Buckle up, put lots of hard work into her now, enjoy her puppyish ways as much as you can because they don't last forever and before you know it you will have the great cuddle companion you want.

Look at ways to control the hyperactivity:

• diet plays a large role
• being careful to reward the behaviour you want (this means making sure mania doesn't get any attention)
• balance playtimes so that they are fun but not over stimulating
• do lots of intellectual activities with her to build a bond and help keep her entertained
• try her with lots of types of toys to see what she likes; this doesn't have to be expensive. For example, my pup's favourite toy is an empty plastic bottle with 3 or 4 kibbles in it like a rattle; another is an empty toilet roll to chew up.

Thank you to everyone who responded. I am reassured . I think I have been worried at the term 'working' and thought she wouldn't be happy unless she was outside all day. I am in a position to be able to give her two long walks a day so she should be fine. Thank you .

Mental stimulation is just as important for an active, intelligent dog as physical exercise is. As a small puppy frequent, short training sessions and play will most likely keep her satisfied but as she gets older she may well need more to keep her from getting into mischief. There's all sorts you can do; trick/task training, scentwork, body awareness exercises and also endless ways to use her food to keep her brain occupied. I'd highly recommend these two FB groups: Canine Enrichment and Beyond the Bowl. It doesn't have to be hugely time consuming (for you) or involve expensive toys for it to be hugely enriching and satisfying for her.

You may find that you'll need to teach her to settle down when she's at home, it's not always something that comes naturally to some dogs. Kikopup has a good video series on YouTube called 'Capturing Calmness' (starting with ) which is good for this.

You might also find the various articles on this list helpful.

Agree with Cornflake - half an hour’s mental stimulation tires a dog more than an hour’s walk does. Look into doing lots of training and activities with her.

I have a working cocker spaniel who is 3 and another one who is the same age as yours. She is bitey, but they definitely grow out of it. And it is worse when she is tired, its usually a sign she needs a sleep in her crate.

My older boy is never bitey with us, he's really gentle mouthed. He caught a mole in the garden once and we took it away from him completely unharmed. They are the most lovely, sweet natured, people orientated dogs and my boy is definitely cuddly. I absolutely adore them both.

@nancy2017
Err you do know it’s the law to post a photo of any new puppy don’t you?!?

My show cocker was a right nipper! She was also a sock thief, and took them whether you were wearing them or not! It will take time to learn about this new pups behaviours and they will be different to your previous dogs. A bit of time out works wonders. Mine didn't understand what a yelp meant so I would leave the room. She took a while to stop nipping but she did. She is now 5 and pretty much a fab dog.

Don't yelp. It is more than likely to exacerbate the behaviour. Just keep giving the puppy what you are happy for them to chew.
Puppies are bloody hard work. I'm sure you will soon get to the cuddling stage!