Does anyone regret the breed they chose?

[LostFrog]

Asking for a friend

We have a 13 week old springer. Considered beagle (scared off by tales of appalling recall and difficult to train), Labrador (2 horrid barky ones next door and decided too large for us), whippet (my first choice, but had heard horrors of accident proneness and high prey drive and we also have a cat), various others I can’t remember. Chose a springer in the end largely because dh grew up with one, but also because we wanted a dog that would enjoy a good couple of long walks a day, easy to train, not too big.

I keep wondering whether we made a mistake. Don’t get me wrong, we love him, no going back, I just worry that he is quite highly strung - our dog trainer looked at his pedigree and said because there were lots of field trial champions in there on one side we may find that he has a high drive and will be challenging and will need to be kept mentally occupied - so walks without a purpose incorporating lots of sniffy games will make him anxious because he needs to know what he’s doing it for. For some reason this has really worried me that even when we are past the puppy stage we will have a difficult dog. The breeder breeds for pets, not as working dogs, kennel club assured.

Is this just normal puppy blues? Did anyone else not regret getting a dog, just felt that they had picked the wrong type of dog?

We have a just turned 1-yr-old collie, and I won’t lie, she’s a handful and DP sometimes says we got the wrong breed, it was DD who wanted a collie and she is having mental health problems but we maybe should have looked into something a little more cuddly.

But I think our girl is great, she is super clever, yeah, she needs a lot of exercise but that really fits with my lifestyle and will even more so as she is a year now and can come running with me and seems to be finally getting recall (er, still not 100% but we are getting there). But she toilet trained in days, is getting better at relaxing on the bus/in the pub, she is quite friendly out (need to work on strangers coming into the house) and puts up with DD’s grabbing/holding/hugs with good grace. She also sleeps for hours and hours, we can have a lie-in until 10.30 or later at weekends. I love doing tricks with her, she is a bugger for pulling on the lead if she knows she is going somewhere off-lead/getting the ball thrown for her, she’s a real character (and very beautiful, very unusual markings)

Plus I think everyone with a pup just thinks ‘arghh, my pup is a nightmare’ sometimes,
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A working Cocker was one of the breeds I definitely didn't want. That just seemed like bloody hell to me. I wanted something majestic, wolfish-looking, and focused.

So, you can guess what I actually ended up with... :D

My Cocker came along as a foster at 8 months old, and I struggled. I felt suffocated by his clinginess and overwhelmed by his destructiveness. Two walks a day only made him ripped AF and more hyper.

But I'd look at his joyful little face every time he raced back and forth between us outdoors, looking all giddy and omigod-this-is-the-best. Then he'd sleep on the back seat of the car and I'd want to keep him.

The cunning little git then ended up needing an emergency vet trip at midnight. Nothing like the threat of loss to make you suddenly infatuated.

It's now 10 months later and aside from some reactivity issues that we're still working on, he's such a total dreamboat. I love how much he loves water, learning tricks, and playing games.

I love how he doesn't like strangers, but once he trusts someone, he races around in big circles then jumps up me as if to say, "that's my friend!!!".

He's so damn FUN. I hiked mountains with him in the summer and loved watching him do his first scramble up massive rocks. His recall is phenomenal, which makes me sooooo proud.

Also, I'm now the clingy one and he does this cute contented little sigh when I just climb on top of him and maul him with kisses and bear hugs, haha.

I love him so much now that I honestly find myself wondering if a non-Spaniel would be too boring for me next time. He's ended up being perfect for me in ways I wasn't expecting.

I don't understand your trainer's comment, to be honest! My Spaniel has field champions in his lineage too, but he just loves to use his brain, nose and body. I'd think if you fulfil that, you'd have no problem at all!

Bloody love my springer! He is a loon though but I do adore him!

@dustofneptune

A working Cocker was one of the breeds I definitely didn't want. That just seemed like bloody hell to me. I wanted something majestic, wolfish-looking, and focused.

So, you can guess what I actually ended up with... :D

My Cocker came along as a foster at 8 months old, and I struggled. I felt suffocated by his clinginess and overwhelmed by his destructiveness. Two walks a day only made him ripped AF and more hyper.

But I'd look at his joyful little face every time he raced back and forth between us outdoors, looking all giddy and omigod-this-is-the-best. Then he'd sleep on the back seat of the car and I'd want to keep him.

The cunning little git then ended up needing an emergency vet trip at midnight. Nothing like the threat of loss to make you suddenly infatuated.

It's now 10 months later and aside from some reactivity issues that we're still working on, he's such a total dreamboat. I love how much he loves water, learning tricks, and playing games.

I love how he doesn't like strangers, but once he trusts someone, he races around in big circles then jumps up me as if to say, "that's my friend!!!".

He's so damn FUN. I hiked mountains with him in the summer and loved watching him do his first scramble up massive rocks. His recall is phenomenal, which makes me sooooo proud.

Also, I'm now the clingy one and he does this cute contented little sigh when I just climb on top of him and maul him with kisses and bear hugs, haha.

I love him so much now that I honestly find myself wondering if a non-Spaniel would be too boring for me next time. He's ended up being perfect for me in ways I wasn't expecting.

I don't understand your trainer's comment, to be honest! My Spaniel has field champions in his lineage too, but he just loves to use his brain, nose and body. I'd think if you fulfil that, you'd have no problem at all!

Love this. How much exercise did you settle on in the end? I worry that I'm walking my 7 month old WCS too much, to try and knacker her out.

She has between 1.5 and 2hrs a day, split across 2 or 3 walks.

I honestly don't have time for endless brain games at home, although I do incorporate some into the day.

At times mainly when it's chucking it down blowing a gale and my lab still wants his walks while friends are indoors with their no wet weather dogs 🐕

Or when I'm hoovering up for the 5th time and still have tumbleweed of hair

But to be fair he was easy to train and a real softy and I love him to bits and at nearly I is starting to slow down unless there is water and then he is 2 again

But won't do another lab as am getting older and not be wanting to walk for hours in wet and cold

I've always had Springers since I was a kid.

They do need occupying but IME they don't need to 'know' what they are doing you just need to know what they love and incorporate that into their excercise.

My current Springer is tennis ball obsessed, I run with her and will either canicross with her or kick a ball while she runs off lead. My previous springer had a totally different personality and was bubble obsessed, so I'd shove a bottle of bubbles in my pocket on walks. They do need wearing out but moreso physically than intellectually like you see with collies etc.

My high energy young Springer right now.

I've only ever had Springers. OP no joke..they're arseholes until they are around three then they become the best dogs you can imagine. They are incredible dogs...the best of them I think. A massive capacity for learning, maturing yet they hold on to their stubborn streak so they are very much their own personality and not just trained, mindless, broken dogs.

Springers are the BEST dogs in the world.

@LastSummerHere

I've only ever had Springers. OP no joke..they're arseholes until they are around three then they become the best dogs you can imagine. They are incredible dogs...the best of them I think. A massive capacity for learning, maturing yet they hold on to their stubborn streak so they are very much their own personality and not just trained, mindless, broken dogs.

Springers are the BEST dogs in the world.

Agree

Oh yes! I have a beagle cross and I love her to absolute bits, but I would never get a beagle again. She's my first ever dog, so it's been an incredibly steep learning curve and a daily battle of wills, but the past six months she's really settled a lot (nearly 3 now). She is still fairly reactive with other dogs and would happily chase and kill small animals, but we've got to the point where she's very good in the house and is able to calm herself down a bit.

It feels like a betrayal to say this with her sleeping under the duvet but next time, I'll get whatever the opposite of a beagle is!

@Bouncer500

I would never get another patterdale. Crazy aggressive mad dog.

I know someone with a Patterdale. She refers to him as "The Twatterdale"

@Grumpyosaurus

Nope. High-drive gundog breed, very intelligent, lots of prey drive, can be bloody-minded, but intelligent, funny and affectionate.

I work the older one and nothing beats seeing her do what she was bred for.

I think we have the same breed

We have a beaglier, he is a beagle cavalier cross. Such a lovely little dog and not so stubborn at all as a full beagle. They’re all so different, I didn’t get it, we were lucky with him

We have a 1 year old sprocker and I felt the same those first few weeks when we brought her home. Fast forward 12 months and she’s brilliant - adores our children, good on her walks and a sloth in the house once she’s been tired out.

I definitely had the same thoughts initially as you but I feel we made a great choice, having always had retrievers before but couldn’t justify the prices of one last year!

@opalescent We just do one walk a day now! Average day is 30-60min off-leash. Weekends usually double that, but not always. Occasional long hikes (10+ miles - but we waited until he was a year old for that).

Basically, instead of making the time for two walks, I substitute one of the walks with training and/or play. Works really well for us!

There's an awesome book called "Mission Control" by Jane Ardern, if you haven't already read it! It's about training control into high-drive dogs - particularly Spaniels!

I don't really do many brain games at home - as in snuffle mats, puzzles, etc. any more. He gets through them too fast. I do most brain game stuff during walks instead (flushing for dummies, training impulse control with balls, scattering treats and having him wait before he can get them, training emergency stop and recall around distractions, etc.). I just find that gives me more bang for my buck, leaving the afternoon time free for other training or just a good old game of tug!

I've got a German Shorthaired Pointer and a German Wirehaired Pointer. The GWP is wonderful, if smelly, the GSP is a maniac and I probably wouldn't choose her again.

I grew up with GSPs and thought I knew them very well, but she is another level. She's so loud, always howling or whining, constantly getting into scrapes requiring vet bills, needs a massive amount of off lead exercise and mental stimulation every day to keep a lid on the worst of her excesses. This being said, she's very trainable in terms of recall and general obedience and is a wonderful family dog and my toddler adores her and she's so loving and protective of him that I forgive her most things. She's a huge pain, though, and I don't think I'll have another GSP again for fear that we'd end up with another like her! I don't know if regret is the right word, but she's certainly been eye opening and should probably have lived on a farm somewhere.

Nope. Labrador here. She's the best dog ever. I LOVE her SOOOO much!

We were forced into getting a dog by my middle child who has a learning disability and wanted a pug for years.

He would not accept another breed so we went for two 3/4 pug/1/4 beagle cross brothers to avoid some of the health problems pugs have.

Both have good recall, are friendly and are loving companions for my son. One however, is completely Beagle greedy with the distinctive Beagle yip while the other barks in the garden at everything.

I later re-homed a pug and while we love our first dogs, both dh and I are agreed we wouldn't go for a cross again. The pure pug is much less woofy and anxious. And so bloody beautiful.

There are lots of pugs I could t bear to own because they have been mercilessly bred with pushed-in noses and breathing problems. It is cruel to breed from pugs who have almost concave faces.

@toastfiend, have you thought about gundog training for your GSP? I have a lot to do with HPRs and the high-drive end of any of those breeds needs a lot of input and mental focus. Scentwork is great for them too.

You might have thought of all of this, but if you haven't, it might be worth a try.

@HoliHormonalTigerlilly

Nope. Labrador here. She's the best dog ever. I LOVE her SOOOO much!

I'm sorry, you're wrong. WE'VE got the best dog ever. Cockapoo, who is completely amazing.

@dustofneptune thanks for recommending that book I’ve just ordered it.

We have a sprocker, she is fab but we have to keep her busy but in a good way and she is so incredibly loving and smart.

I just worry I’ll get things wrong for her as she is so keen to please so hoping that’ll have some more tips for us

I got a Cavalier King Charles spaniel.
I don’t regret the breed I chose but he’s a very different dog to what I thought I’d be getting! I was looking for a small dog, but not too small. A companion dog and one that likes a cuddle. He is all those things. He is also a true spaniel. He loves scenting, he will walk for miles, loves swimming, he will flush pheasants and partridges in the fields. I think I’m many ways he’s more dog than I expected from the breed. And I’m very pleased with that as he is lively and entertaining. However his fur type is less great for being an active country dog. He is so small that he gets really muddy where a bigger dog would just have muddy legs and it can take ages to brush out burrs and seeds. Don’t regret the choice though, he is a loving dog who enjoys cuddles and now he’s a bit older is restful in the house.

@Shouldofgotahamster85 Aw no problem! I hope you have fun working through it! You're most likely the total centre of your Spaniel's universe, so I wouldn't worry about getting things wrong for her! Honestly I think it's like we learn along with our dogs, rather than them just learning from us, you know?

@Grumpyosaurus thank you, yes we have. I grew up with Pointers so very used to their foibles but she is another level! She's very well trained and generally very obedient when asked to do things, it's just the force of her personality that's a bit overwhelming for most people. She was once described as "the best behaved but worst dog" someone had ever met. 🤣

Ah @toastfiend I feel your pain, got one the same. The cuddles make it worth it …and when you’ve tired her out, it is a sense of achievement I’ve never had with another (normal) breed. Last was a lab, and secretly smile when lab pup owners say they’re hard work. Lab X1000