Talk to me about sprockers

[ShrimpingViolet]

Considering getting a sprocker puppy. For context, we have an eight month old DD and an old miserable cat (he'd be miffed at a dog but would just ensure it stayed out of his way).

I work three days per week, one from home. Would have a walker to cover the two days I'm working in the office.

We live somewhere with plenty of good open space and great walks all around. I think having a dog would be great for getting us all out and about and DD loves animals so think it would be great for her.

I've owned dogs before but not for a few years. I want to make a sensible decision so weighing up all the pros and cons (extra cost, big commitment, more tying than a cat, etc).

If there are any sprocker owners about, does this sound like a breed that would suit our family? There's a litter very nearby but I don't want to go and see them until I've properly considered everything, as I know that once we see an actual puppy we will find it hard to make a decision dispassionately.

Thanks to anyone who can help

We got a puppy last year when our daughter was 14 months old. Hardest thing I’ve ever done and we have regretted it numerous times in the last year. Finally getting through the worst of it but we really did make life unnecessarily hard. I would honestly say wait a while. If I’d known what I do now there is no way I would have done it. And just to add, we thought once the first few months were over it would be easy, I had no understanding of the teenage years. The only saving grace is that our dog doesn’t need huge amounts of exercise, unlike a spaniel..

I would honestly wait until your DD is at least school age. The puppy months are relentless - they bite, pee, poo, bite some more, chase, teethe, chew things, bite and did I mention that they they bite?

Puppies have needle teeth and when they bite, it hurts. A LOT. Adults understand it's a necessary process but it can be seriously overwhelming for a small child. The puppy will hurt your DD at some point. Not because it's aggressive or anything, but because it's a puppy and that's what they do.

How do you plan on toilet training a puppy while you watch your toddler? Can you go out every 20-30 minutes to let it out to the toilet? What if it toilets in the house - can you stop DD getting to the wee/poo before you do?

Cockers and springers both need huge amounts of exercise too - how will you fit that in with a young child? Is your DD going to want to go out in all weathers for a good 1-2 hours a day? What if she's unwell or has something like chicken pox? The dog still needs a walk and young dogs especially need to go out on a daily basis. Mine is two and still gets restless if he's not had his walk by 9am.

For everyone's sake, you should wait. You'll enjoy it much more if you have the time to dedicate just to puppy (eg. while DD is at school) and you really won't want to juggle toilet training a toddler and a puppy at the same time!

They’re lovely but nuts. No way would I get a puppy one with an 8 month old baby. I got my well behaved adult springer when DS was 2 months old and it nearly killed me

Spaniels find it hard to shake ear infections.

Spaniels also have great talent for rolling in fox poo.

Looks down at the springer on the floor who had to be taken to the vet today, stinking of fox shit because he rolled in it minutes before we had to leave for his appointement to check on his £2500 (and counting) ear infection.

I don't know what you mean!

Our spaniel used to shake ear infections all over the floor ceiling walls 🤮 I put drops in her ears and she would shake gunge everywhere we learned to do it outside

Thanks everyone, all your advice is much appreciated! Not too worried about the toddler/dog combo to be honest - aware of challenges but think it's doable. Going to delay a while though and revisit the idea later in the year, and expand the breed search too.

It's also worth thinking about what you'll do those 2 days a week while the dog is still a puppy.

One visit mid-day is likely not to be enough for a young dog, plus s/he won't be able to join walkers on normal dog walks because they'll be too young to keep up.

Just a thought.

We have lots of springers in the family as a relative breeds them for farm work, and various family members also have them as (non-worked) pets. They all have gentle temperaments and are great with kids BUT they are insanely energetic. Having seen them as pets vs working dogs, I think the worked ones are much happier - the pets are bored. I would never have one as a pet, much as I love the breed.

I adore spaniels and think they make amazing pets, but some things to think about:

• you can't take dogs into most play parks so I was glad my children were old enough to play in parks themselves when we got our pup.
• puppies go through a nipping stage while teething, cockers are notoriously bad and often referred to as cockerdiles! This is a hard period for children (my kids disliked our pup during this time even though they'd been well warned). If this isn't managed well they can continue being bitey. I'm always amazed by how many people don't seem to know that puppies go through this stage.
• rage syndrome is rare but resource guarding is not. Read up on it and train on this from day one of getting a pup. Read specific training on the breed, and not just general training - www.about-cocker-spaniels.com was a simple but brilliant website that I used a lot with my pup.
• cockers adore company and often get most destructive when left alone. This is different to separation anxiety.
• spaniels do not necessarily need hours of exercise. A walk is the easy part to be honest (except in the dark, wet winter!). Mental stimulation is the best way to have a calm, sleepy, non destructive spaniel pet. It's not always easy to think of things to do and you have to put the time in to play with them, but it's so much fun and there are books and Facebook pages to help.
• I've got a working cocker and she's a dream (now we've found the Ancol stop pulling harness). Any mix you get could have the best and/or worst of either breeds so research them both well.

So many people on here must have had a way harder puppy experience than I have.
So many of my friends have puppies and toddlers and none have regretted it.
We take our pup pretty much everywhere we go. If we want to go in a park, we tie her to the fence and she sits and waits.
I go to my usual play grotto’s and soft plays. I’m only gone a couple of hours...pup is fine.
Putting her out ever 20/30 minutes doesn’t last long. If toddler is ill, dh does walks before and after work and I play games/give time in garden. The nipping stage didn’t last long either. I’d go for it OP. Best decision we made!

Don't make your existing elderly pet miserable by introducing a high energy puppy into his home

You almost dismiss your cat in your first paragraph , like he's a nothing and ' he can just stay out the way'

Don't do it. This stuff places great strain on a cat. Selfish and mean

I can assure you he's not dismissed @DollyDaydreamss, I simply haven't gone into great detail about his personality/background/preferences/daily routine. He is very much not "a nothing".

I'm not sure there is anything in my posts which suggest we are about to bulldoze into this without giving all aspects plenty of thought.

What breed do you have, @Howtosupportmyfriend?

cockers are notoriously bad and often referred to as cockerdiles!

Yes to this. Our cocker was a bloody nightmare with the nipping and it hurts. I love our now adult cocker but he wasn't an easy puppy.

As someone who has had lots of spaniels and fostered quite a few, very few spaniel puppies are happy to be tied to a fence while everyone else has fun.

The nipping stage doesnt always last long. But varies from dog to dog. If OP is gets a dog that takes longer, then how many times is she going to be ok with it accudentky nipping the toddler.

The dogs I have had when my kids were young, predated the kids.

I wouldnt say dont get a puppy with small kids. But an 8 month old is risky. When the 8 month old is walking but not quite understanding you cant chase the dog, or pull on it etc it's hard for everyone involved.

And yes, if you have someone else to walk the dog when the kids are ill that's great. Not much when the kid after becoming sick, after the other has gone to work and the dog is bouncing

For everyone who has a great experience with toddlers/babies and puppies theres alot of dogs that end up in rescues because people cant cope.

Another suggestion for a cocker!

I have a cocker and he's an absolute darling he loves a good run around on a walk but is also happy pottering around the house and sleeping lots!

He's the most cuddly/affectionate dog I've ever met, he loves lying on your lap and properly cuddles in super easy to train, good recall, really gentle with my toddler nephews. He doesn't bark either.

I agree that there are definitely crazy spaniels out there, but they're not all nuts and they can make a lovely family pet.

Reading the replies on here I'm worried my sprocker is actually not a sprocker 😂

We've had him since 10 weeks old.

We met the family, his Mum and Dad who both lived with the breeders and knew straight away that these were beautiful dogs, so gentle and loving. Family were lovely and they still text now to ask how he is!

He's 4 and is my best friend. He's walked for 1.5 hours every day, he was easy to train, fully house trained within 3 weeks of getting him.

He is gentle, soppy, a bit dopey, loves his rope and ball, behaves like a toddler when he's around children and has never been a problem to us.

His recall was excellent by 5 months, he is walked off lead across fields every day so he can run and run. No health problems so far touch wood.

He's never been destructive, as a puppy he liked shoelaces but what puppy doesn't!

My DH and I both work full time, he's never had separation anxiety as we left him for short periods of time when he was little, building it up.

He's just the most lovely dog and I adore him! Go for it OP, just make sure you know where you're buying from and invest the time that they need for training xz

Just to add - never had a problem when he was a puppy with biting or nipping, when he was teething our vet suggested freezing carrots for him to chew on and he still loves them now as an adult dog.

We also have a cat, they are best friends and the cat definitely is the boss!

@ShrimpingViolet I have a cocker.

I have a 2yr old working Sprocker. (Also have another dog too.)
We under estimated the training required for the Sprocker. We live rurally and he is a nightmare running off to hunt and chase. In the house he's lovely and very well behaved but very attention seeking. He loves to cuddle up face to face!! He is about to go to gun dog boarding school to get some control off lead. (I have a thread about that.)
He is totally lovely and loopy at the same time!