Do we get a puppy?

[Peckhaminn]

I've recently changed jobs where I work from home permanently and occasionally go into the office and I travel abroad every 8 weeks for my job a week at a time but would have someone to look after them whilst I will be away. I also attend many team meetings via video do wondering if a puppy will cause issues during this.

We are looking at getting a show cocker spaniel and I've never had a puppy other than when I was a young child. Is it going to be very full on and difficult.. and will I regret the decision?

Any advice please!

Some questions to ask yourself;

Can you commit to at least an hour walking per day, come rain or shine? Or can you afford a dog walker? Cocker Spaniels were bred to be hunting dogs, they need a lot of exercise.

Can you afford it? Vets fees (they’re prone to ear problems), insurance, dog Walker, regular grooming etc

Cocker Spaniels form great bonds with their humans but can be prone to separation anxiety. Have you read into this? Are you able to put in the effort to prevent this or solve this if it does happen.

Once a week every 2 months is quite regular, depending on the dogs personality the disruption in routine could affect them. Are you prepared for that?

Cocker Spaniels can be quite vocal. Is this something you can handle? If you’re home on calls, will this be very disruptive?

i recommend the book Easy Peasy Puppy Squeazy, it’s about puppy training but I bought it before I got my puppy to understand more of what would involved.

Who is going to look after him when you’re away for a week? Especially for the next 18 months when the pup will need consistent training and boundaries, or you’ll have a very confused pup.

I don't think it sounds like a good idea.

How are you going to WFH while you toilet train a puppy and stop them destroying your house?

What happens if you're in the middle of a call and the puppy needs a wee, or tries to chew through a cable, or rip up the carpet?

Who's going to look after the puppy while you're away? Are they fully prepared for the responsibility of it? What happens if they can't do it anymore?

Your routine sounds too disruptive for a puppy - it wouldn't be fair.

The first few months are pretty full on. 8-16 weeks old you will be toilet training. This means someone watching pup, actually staring at them all the time, for signs of needing a wee, and then spending probably 5-10 minutes every hour standing in the garden waiting for wee time! Pup will need to go out after waking, after food, after playing, after 30 minutes and at other random times. If you stop paying attention too early you'll have loads of accidents! Pups don't need much walking , but they are unlikely to lie quietly at your feet while you're in a zoom meeting, especially when they are under 6 months old.
Oh, and for the first weeks or even months you'll also be standing in the garden at 2am, 5am and then getting up again at 7. Its genuinely like having a newborn baby, but with no maternity leave.