Should we keep one pup from litter?

[Scallywag2023]

For background, we found out our springer spaniel dog who we bought from a breeder was pregnant - this was 7 weeks ago. We got her late feb, thought she was getting a bit pudgy and poss a phantom pregnancy but oh no she had 6 buns in the oven. A week after we found out she gave birth!

She’d accidentally fallen pregnant the week before we got her 🤦🏻‍♀️ and plus she’s only just coming up to a year old… not ideal at all.

Anyway that is a whole other story and possibly thread at some point.

So my question for this thread is should we keep a puppy??

As I say, we did not of course expect to find ourselves in this situation as it was not planned but we have now got attached to them and one boy in particular.

We got our dog at age 8 months because I was keen to get an older dog and having one that was part trained felt like an easy way to get back to dog ownership rather than wade through the puppy stages (our old dog died last year). She’s a delight, she’s well behaved, loves walking for miles and aside from the teenage pregnancy has settled in perfectly.

So are we crazy to consider keeping a puppy or will he just slot in because he was born here?

on the negative I’m thinking double the training, including toilet and crate training from scratch, double the insurance, double the food (prob more because he will be bigger) and holidays and doggy day care will be more expensive. Two dogs in the house feels a lot and they are springers so they get seriously filthy on walks.

But on the positive side I’m thinking he already lives here, we will never get this chance again (we wouldn’t ever breed her again), he will be company for her. And he’s insanely cute. The pro list is not as long as the con list 🤣

Has anyone got any advice please?

Do it.
I have no logic to offer.
But your heart says yes.
I'm sure there'll be moments, but, in the long run, you'll be glad. 🐾

Oh wow. 6 puppies from her first season. I'd be very tempted to keep one depending on how she's coping. It might be too much for her. On balance though, if you've got through this it sounds like you're doing great!

You might be right. Our old dog was the grumpiest arse ever and we never regretted him 🤣

Yes, do it. We have springers and always two at the same time. They are great company for each other and it's fun to watch them interact and play together.

@DarkForces shes very skinny but she’s done a great job with them…. Just tired now I think so trying to wean them to give her a break.

Can we have a photo please? 🙏🏻 😊

A grumpy arse to a teenage pregnancy 😂. At least you're prepared for whatever the next pup throws at you

I can’t possibly make a decision until I see pics of said puppies.

I would.
One of my old dogs had a litter 30+ years ago and we kept one - I think because he lived with us all his life we had a very strong bond, also the mother dog was a very good influence on him when training him.

I couldn't possibly say until you've 'paid the tax'

Oh bless her. Yes. Id probably keep the pup she seemed most bonded to if she was still coping when they're ready to leave. She's been through a lot

That was pretty much word for word what I was going to say.

I’ve twice kept a pup from a litter and each time it’s been a great success. Training is much easier because the pup tends to follow what their mum does. Yes, expenses are doubled but in many ways it’s as easy to look after two dogs as just one.

For walking, you’ll have to allow for shorter walks for the puppy until he’s older, so one short walk for both then later in the day pup stays at home while the older dog has a longer walk.

Two dogs can make a home seem crowded so think of where they would sleep during the day and at night.

I’ve never regretted keeping a puppy but I think of those I wish I’d kept. (Only had 4 litters.)

Go for it!

Heres my tax…. Sounds like it’s a yes do it 😬

@Honeysuckle16 good point about walks, that’s a good way of getting around their different needs for a while.

Your poor dog becoming pregnant at such a young age! And poor you getting that surprise!!! She's lucky to have you to care for her.
We kept a pup from our girl's one and only litter. Definitely a good decision for us and it was easier to train him as he learned from his mum and our older dog (we ended up with 3 for a while). Financially yes it was a bit eek but I'm glad we did it.

You’ve had her such a short time you’ve not had chance to bond yet. She’s still so young herself. I’d not even contemplate it. It’s a behavioural mess and very different to keeping a puppy from a planned and well considered litter.

Aahhh cute!!
We're planning on breeding our dog, she's a pedigree and a bit more unusual breed, you see them but not that often. Our dog is so intelligent and we're training her, and if we do breed, a puppy for assistance dog training.
My question is did you find you're gravitating to a particular puppy at all ... I just wondered if they seemed like you can tell their personalities and capabilities, our breeder said that this dog was the most likely to make a good assistance dog and she's really tame, intelligent, quick to train, good at dog agility too - she's awesome .. we'd like a carbon copy lol 😝

What breed is yours @FloofCloud ?

We got a dpuppy. 5 years later we inherited her dm. Not the same as your situation op but they get on fabulously and no regrets!! Seeing them building a relationship was a joy.

Keep one is my advice!

A puppy when you’ve got a young dog slots in easily enough in my opinion. Definitely keep a pup, especially if you’re particularly attached to one of them!

Dog sex isn't quick, nor is it easy, so I'm surprised the breeder had no inkling your girl was (potentially) in pup before you took her home. It's utterly irresponsible and wrong. What's done is done though and clearly not your fault.
What breed was the dad? I'm guessing there'll be no paperwork for the pups.
I'm not surprised you've fallen in love with the pup though! He is gorgeous.
Good luck!

Also you need to report the breeder to their council licensing officer. What they've allowed to happen is wrong and too wrong to be ignored.

it must be hard to chose just one!
is the one you’ve chosen the mummy’s favourite?

Not sure on how it works but if the dog was preg when you got it could it be related to the dad. Not sure if that would cause issues down the line.

No.
shes obviously come from a terrible breeder which would concern me as to her breeding, line, genetics and possible medical problems in the future.
Keeping a puppy could work out as double the issues.