Pre puppy recommendations please!

[Tefiti3]

We are hoping to get a puppy (a show cocker) next Spring. This will be our first dog as a family, although both me and my DH grew up with dogs, we would like to be as prepared as possible. Are there any reading recommendations or resources fellow owners found useful? Or just anything that prepared you? Many thanks!

Easy peasy puppy squeezy book is really good!

I really recommend Louse Glazebrooks book.

I recommend you read about all the dogs that are sat in the rehoming kennels that are desperate for a home

You know, I don't think posts like this are at all helpful to rescue dogs. The people who make them (usually at least one on every thread about getting puppy) come across as preachy and sanctimonious, as they all seem to assume that the OP hasn't thought about this option and been turned down for all sorts of reasons. We went for a puppy years ago because we got turned down by a couple of places for having young DC, and I turned down another as I felt they weren't honest and upfront.

OP, one thing I would advise at the moment is making a vet appointment for first vaccs good and early - most vets seem to be very busy at the moment and some are apparently not taking on new clients.

There’s some good spaniel groups on Facebook, they share lovely pictures but you can get a feel for common issues or questions.
id recommend cocker spaniels UK and working cocker spaniels (uk) to start with. My guess is you’ll want a show cocker- the wcs has some good general span advice-plus will give you a good insight into the increase in drive and why these might not be suitable for you.
I see a lot of people posting pictures of their dogs asking if they are show or working- and it is impossible to downplay how important it is that you know this before buying your pup.

I agree with this.

But if you’re insistent on a puppy, read about people that were apparently very ready for one and then got to the point of getting rid of them because they didn’t realise how hard it is.

Read what they say and think very hard about if you’re really up for it. Wee and poo everywhere, lots of biting, belongings ruined, howling and crying when left, not being able to leave them for long so difficulty going out, the time and consistency it takes to properly train etc. And are you ready to have a dog for 15 years?

There’s plenty of posts on here with people saying they didn’t realise how hard it was, nothing could prepare them etc. But in truth it can. Read people’s accounts and watch stuff. Don’t get one unless you’re 100% committed because if you rehome, that dog is a little bit fucked up from being dumped for the rest of its life.

Im not going to recommend any other specific resources because I don’t agree with buying puppies but there’s plenty out there. Be aware of puppy farms, many look like ordinary families living in ordinary houses. Be aware that the vast majority of breeder are far from good. Choose carefully.

Copied from another post but it's so true.. worth a read!

“A purchase of a well bred purebred dog does not condemn another dog to death.

A purchase of a well bred purebred dog does not result in an uptick in the shelter dogs.

A desire to have a dog with predictable temperament from a healthy line does not result in another dog not getting adopted at the shelter.
Careful research on the most responsible breeders who meet all requirements is not the problem. It's not what you should be mad at.

It's not who you should blame.

I am not the one who irresponsibly brought these dogs into this world and left them in a shelter. Responsible breeders aren't the ones bringing these dogs to animal shelters either.

It's our home, our life and our choices what kind of dog we want to bring in. Maybe we need a working dog, sport dog, show dog or just a companion dog of a certain breed that suits me best.

Whatever reason we choose to support a reputable breeder, it will not send an animal protection dog to death.

A breeder who does health tests, temperament tests and titling of their dogs does not contribute to the number of stray dogs.

The number of stray dogs in the world is a problem, but it's not a problem made worse by reputable breeders or those who buy from them.

Your neighbor who gets a "purebred" dog without papers because they're ‘cheap’ is contributing to the problem.

Your friend who spontaneously bought a puppy from an advert is contributing to the problem.
The person scrambling to pump out the hottest designer mix ASAP is contributing to the problem.
Your friends who have to get their dog covered once, "so she can experience what it's like to be a mother" or because "she's such a good/cute/sweet girl" are contributing to the problem.

Your old school mate who bought a working dog with lots of energy without taking the time to research its needs and character who ultimately sees it doesn't fit his lifestyle is the problem.
A reputable breeder offers lifetime support. A serious breeder would never allow their dogs to end up in a shelter from the start.

It's understandable to be angry about the number of homeless dogs in the world, but if you look closer, you'll find that your anger is misplaced.

I think it’s also worth pointing out that “rescuing” only cute wee dogs may not be all that it seems…often they are bred to order overseas and imported as “rescues” and even in this country, adopting ex-puppy farm bitches is simply enabling the puppy farmer.

this poster is looking at doing a years worth or research before buying a dog, I don’t think they are contributing to the problem.

41% of the dogs taken in by spaniel aid over the first 6 months of the year had a bite history. Personally I think those dogs are well beyond being taken on by a first time owner.
51% can’t live with children. Rehomed dogs can have complex needs.

my breeders contract with me requires that if I ever can’t look after my dogs they are returned to her. My dog will not whatever the circumstances end up in a shelter. Responsible owners and breeders do everything they can to avoid this.

Hi Tefiti,

A puppy is a massive life adjustment but having a dog can be a wonderful thing! A show cocker is a great family breed. Although I agree people should rescue dogs if they can, knowing what I now know about dogs after raising ours, I would be very wary of getting a rescue unless I was an experienced dog owner with a bit back yard and PLENTY of time for dealing with any issues that may arise. Not everyone is in this position so it’s really not as simple as saying everyone should rescue a dog.

The most important thing for you to know is to choose your breeder wisely!!! I can’t stress how important this is. It’s also so hard to find a good breeder when you’re not already in the know, as people often advise you to go by “word of mouth” which is useless if you aren’t already in the dog world! A badly bred dog can be an absolute nightmare. Lots of messaging seems to be that it’s never the dog, only the owner - but I have a lot of first hand experience that often it really is NATURE vs nurture that influences your dogs character. Our dog has identical traits to her litter mate, who lives about 8 hours away (I am friends with the owner on Instagram as we randomly connected). The wildest quirks that they have both picked up despite having completely different upbringings and experiences. Luckily for us she is well bred so these quirks are funny. Not so lucky for lots of people in our neighbourhood who followed all the best doggy raising advice and have ended up with dogs that are so aggressive they can’t go to the park with others.

So, breeder first!! Don’t go to a pets4homes breeder and accidentally get a puppy mill dog. Looks can be very deceiving.

If you’re in the Uk,I have the name of a reputable show cocker breeder who sold us ours, if you PM me i will share with you. :)

Theres a few things in your post @SarahSissions that I could address but I don’t have time right now. I’ll just pick up on your last point where you said,

my breeders contract with me requires that if I ever can’t look after my dogs they are returned to her. My dog will not whatever the circumstances end up in a shelter. Responsible owners and breeders do everything they can to avoid this.

Unfortunately there’s plenty of breeders that put this in contracts, but they dump their older dogs that can no longer breed and make them money in rescues. We’ve had 6 in in the last 2 weeks from 3 different breeders, we know the breeder, we know how they operate. All would seem reputable to a buyer but they’re anything but responsible. There’s very few breeders that are not part of the problem and therefore very few people buying pups that aren’t part of the problem.

The Happy Puppy Handbook by Pippa Mattinson is very good

Easy peasy puppy and the Happy Puppy book recommned above are really good. As is the facebook group Dog Training Advice and Support.

Enjoy your freedom before it arrives.

Puppies are brilliant.

Can anyone advise on where to find reputable breeders, if Pets4Homes is no good?

I don't just mean spaniels but any breeds.
Are there any questions that should be asked of the breeder?

I judge a breeder by a number of things:

what do they do with their dogs/why do they breed. if they are just pets I’d be wary, if they have a purpose beyond breeding them that works better for me

where did they find the stud dog and why did they choose him

what are pups from other litters up to, can you speak with any of their owners (good indication the breeder stays in touch)

will the pups be KC registered? The KC limits the number of litters from a bitch that can be registered and the bitch has to be at least 18 months (bit to young IMO for certain breeds but is a check)

are there any endorsements on the pups-ie you aren’t allowed to breed or export. Makes sure pups go to homes buying for the right reasons

what health checks have they had

where does mum live (in or out), where will pups be raised. Can you see mum and pups etc

i also judge a breeder by how many questions they ask me about my lifestyle, family household, experience. Not because they should be filtering out first timers but because they are INTERESTED about where their pups will end up. Things like do you have a trainer in mind, will you be going to puppy class, what do you hope to do with the dog-family sofa pet, agility, active family holidays.

I’ve been introduced to my breeders by others latest pup I knew the stud dog owner. But I would still expect to be asked lots of questions.

my advice if you don’t have an “in” would be to go to the cocker spaniel breed club, there will be a local(ish) club that if you pass a breeders details to will be able to tell you something about them, go to some of their events some do fun days- but they will have shows as well where you can see dogs and talk to people in the know.

if you have a particular interest that you think you might want to do with your pup, I’d ask local trainers about breeders too.

if you ask breeders lots a questions a good breeder will never get offended-if they think you’re asking too many questions they’re probably best avoided.

if you have a gut feeling follow it. This pup could be with you for 14 years it is worth getting it right.

there’s lots of trainers who specialise in spaniels on the ladies working dog group open community on Facebook who will be able (and happy too) give really good advice

@SarahSissions good points, well made.

I've known at least four dogs go back to their breeder. In one case, the breeder then kept the (youngish) dog until she died; in two others, the breeder found a new home for the dog. In the fourth case, the dog is still back with the breeder who is training her up as a gundog and hasn't decided yet whether he'll keep her or find her a new home. I also know of a case fairly local to me where a breeder found that a puppy that they had bred had ended up in a desperate situation, went and got the dog, and rehomed it.

The trick is finding the breeders who are like this. They are out there. You need to do your due diligence however you find them. I've known truly excellent litters be advertised on ChampDogs. Pets4Homes is an absolute minefield, but we found a decent breeder on there. Years ago, iirc, there was a pinned post on here about finding a breeder. We could do something like that again.

There always has to be one sanctimonious twat doesn't there? By this logic no one should birth a baby because of all the kids that need adopting.

We picked our 12 week old show cocker up two weeks ago. He's a delight! But lots and lots of hard work.

You definitely must do your research on show vs working type as the differences in their needs and temperament are vast.

Do lots of reading and speak to a well versed spaniel owner on best ways to train them. The training is crucial and you must start earlier than you'd think! Spaniels are clever little things.

They are beautiful, beautiful dogs. Smart, so friendly and just a wonderful companion. Your kids will love it. Good luck!

There’s always more than one person that doesn’t understand the issues around breeding and says stuff stupid things like this.

@jammiewhammie65 - Unfortunately we attempted to rescue a dog a few months ago who then bit our youngest. Our preference would have been for rescue too but it has been too difficult to even find another rescue willing.

Thank you all so much for your really thoughtful comments - especially with spaniel specific information! We have a huge fenced in garden and lots of time to train - we have wanted a dog for years but waited until I could go part time to give it the attention and love it deserves.

@SarahSissions thank you for your posts - they are hugely informative! We already know the intended breeder - my friend owns their dogs sister and they are really lovely people, yes, it is show cockers they both have. However your list is really helpful and I will make a note of the questions to ask them!