Getting an 11 month old dog - advice please

[Lessworknow]

During our family search for a dog ,we came across an 11 month old cavapoo that has been extensively health checked.

We found him at a home breeders when considering a pup .

He was going to be a stud dog but now she does not need him as she has a pure breed - and this is why we know he is extensively checked and in good health

Breeder issues aside please….

This pup lives with multiple dogs and appears v gentle and chilled .
He has never been on walks but lives in a multi dog house hold and plays in a large garden

The owner took him for his first walk the day before we met him - with another dog and he was hesitant but coped well.

The next day , we went to meet him and walked him near a road . I sat on the floor with him on the grass verge and chatted to him and stroked him as if it was a non issue- again he was fine

When we returned to her home, he sat next to me and put his paw on my leg .

We have decided to bring him home - but are mindful that he has not seen children, been to public places.etc.

Bearing in mind he has missed his early socialisation window, please can we have your practical suggestions to help him transition to our home ?

Am aware he has never been without other dogs- is this a thing to be aware of ? And what can we do specifically to help him settle ?

My ideas in include-
.sleeping near him.
.quiet time at home initially .
some gentle visitors .
. walks near the home - same ones for familiarity .
.introduction to friends dog oriented dog - walks with her for confidence.

I need to introduce him to cafe s and pubs as that is very much part of our family lifestyle.I presume that the idea is to introduce slowly- but if he is anxious- what is the best way to react - treats and reassure or exit .. advice on this and general matter’s would be much appreciated.

Dunnocantthinkofone

thank you
i did get advise about a pure breed and was pursuing that - but when I went I was v unsure as the owner was too busy to even see me as she works full time.

so I have adhd - I struggle with decision making as is evident!
the sort of dog i really want is

a gentle ,quite limited energy dog.
a lap dog.
that is human focused.
low prey drive .
one that would enjoy jy lifestyle - which is
cafe, pubs , walks , travel in my small camper van .
due to the adhd
I respond well to calm therapy type dogs.
i am very loving and focus my life around dogs - my ild girl had a wonderful life - she had the sea , walks , daiky love and in her last two years when I could tell she lacked confidence- I adapted my life around her so that she got small daily joys whilst feeling safe .
i am aware that I am being criticised here but if i get the right match i will work to give the best life .
as i say- i was guided previously to what was thought to a good match and would be extremely grateful for any further help - whilst recognising that i am a little annoying to say the leasr due to my issues x

Quite aside from anything else - ethics, suitability, the stack of latent behavioural issues this dog will come with… has the breeder done proper checks for heart conditions, luxating patella and brain malformations ?? If nothing else, could you imagine taking home this dog, loving him, and then him dying within 12 months from a non-survivable and possibly very painful genetic medical condition ? Bevause that could happen.

MusicalCarbuncle
as a potential stud- yes v tested.

MusicalCarbuncle
as a potential stud- yes v tested.

LandSharksAnonymous

yes it was me - I did reply saying that Id got good advice re a pure breed and that I appreciated that . But that when I did a second visit, the breeder that was seen to be decent, could not be there as she works full time and i did wonder just how much socialisation was in reality happening- this put me off. The lady had minimal English so it was hard to navigate.

Bollocks that someone who doesn't even bother to walk a dog has done the necessary health testing. One of the major things to consider in a stud dog alongside health is temperament. How do you assess temperament of a dog that's never even been on a walk or socialized in different environments?

@Lessworknow she was an alright breeder - several people said that. Her accent should not put you off buying a dog. She would have been a far better choice than this travesty.

As you have repeatedly been offered good advice, and ignored it, on at least four threads …I am no longer going to contribute. Good luck in your hunt.

If he has been health checked she will have paperwork to show you and to give to you. We have all the relevant test results for our spaniel. He couldn’t be used as a stud without these and you need to check all ok. He may have separation anxiety being an only dog but you work on it by leaving him for short times eg going into another room for 5mins initially and praising when you come back if no crying gradually building up to longer times away. Care. is needed socialising any dog with children of course but that’s common sense. You can sign up with a dog trainer too. The health tests are the most important thing don’t just take her word for them being done. Look up what genetic diseases the breeds need checked for and ask to see the results

What breeds have you put on your shortlist
and for what reason? Why do you think those particular breeds will be suited to the lifestyle you can offer?

That’s always the best place to start. Finding the actual dog or breeder is a very long way from the first thing to decide on.

Answer those questions first, then maybe someone can steer you further

You were put off a puppy because you didn't know how much socialisation it had had, but are now considering an 11 month old dog that clearly hasn't had any.

That makes absolutely no sense.
Most 8 week old puppies will only be socialised to household things, with a couple of trips in the car for vet visits. They won't be socialised with other dogs or the outside world as they aren't vaccinated.
An 11 month old should have been out and about for the last nine months getting socialised/acclimatised to the outside world.

Did the puppies cower when you approached them?

Dunnocantthinkofone
poodle
bichon
cavashon
cavapoo
shitzu

SpanielsGalore Meant i didnt think that they we’re getting much interaction

This is him first time in car . She said. He did not stress

And how much interaction has the 11 month old had? At best, not much if it cowers when approached. At worst, lots of negative interactions that have taught him to fear people.

Is this your first dog? Your insinuation that he doesn’t need walks as he lives in a place with a large garden makes me think it is.

The number of issues that may arise from his lack of socialisation and understanding of the world outside of his home and pack for the first 11months of his life are a recipe for anxiety based aggression/reaction so would be an incredibly big task for the most experienced of owners. From the questions you have asked and replies you have given so far it feels like you do not have the experience for this little guy no matter how good your intentions are.

i am not trying to be rude but just think you should really reconsider this one as it will have a huge impact on your life, and the life of the dog

Wigtopia
had my own dog for 15 years
v happy well loved

the thing is i am ( obviously!) a v anxious person and a calm dog matches me . Which my dog was - she came everywhere with me and was an unofficial therapy dog at work.

the energy of this dog reminds me of her.
i put him in my camper van and for the most part , he sat next to me - he appeared relaxed- he put his paw on me and seemed to be enjoying contact.

• the only thing i can think to do is to
• walk away
• ask breeder could i spend a week with him( nearby her home- take him places with me daily- would that be enough?

I can see you're struggling with the advice being given but no one can tell you whether the behaviour you are getting from this young dog is because he's confident with you, confident with most, confident with all or whether he is shut down and timid.

Rescue dogs do not behave, as a general rule, in three months in the way they do in the first three days. I can give you an example of my own boy who I rescued at 11 months. He was an absolute dream, snuggly, toilet trained, perfect recall, great in the car, great on lead. Four weeks in we got the first signs of resource guarding, eight weeks in he attacked a family dog, by month four we realised we had a dog who was seriously dog reactive. We haven't been able to resolve this but we are able to manage it but it's stressful and life changing. We had another 2 dogs and if it wasn't for them, I doubt we would have been able to deal with him as they provided him with comfort and he copied a lot of their behaviour but with his added behaviour issues.

What you are experiencing with this young dog is unlikely to be how it ends up. The environment will be a drastic change for him, his age means that he is still developing. The combination means that no one can tell you whether he is a good match for you but the better his background story, the more experienced you are then the more likely it will work out well. What little information you are giving is that his background story isn't good and you don't appear to have the confidence to deal with any issues that he may have.

Please don't have a trial for a week - that just sets him up for more disruption in his young life if it doesn't work out and you return him.

And just one final point is that timid does not equal calm so please make sure that the behaviour you think you are seeing is what it is and not what you want it to be.

Blistory

thank you
for your understanding and info

The thing is i approached the breeder asking for a ‘ therapy ‘ type dog and was honest, as i am an honest person, about the adhd i have and that i need a calm dog amd need a companion animal.
id assumed , given that she makes a lot of money from her pups, that £ 800 iie what she wants for him, is a drop in the ocean to her .
And therefore she was being kind and matching a dog to me .
yes i kmow i am naive maybe

@Blistory I think the fact he cowered when approached points more towards being shut down and timid.

@Lessworknow No. A week isn't enough. As PP has said, it takes months for the dog's true personality to come out. What would you do if you took this dog and months down the line he becomes reactive and unable to be taken to pubs and cafes? Or to work with you?

She wasn't being kind. She saw the opportunity to make some money from a dog that is of no use to her and she doesn't want anymore.

• ask breeder could i spend a week with him( nearby her home- take him places with me daily- would that be enough?

NO! Not even remotely enough and completely unfair to the dog. Sorry OP, but that’s a total non starter

I’ve looked at your list. You appear to want small breed, calm and fluffy.

Poodles and their crosses are unlikely to fit the bill - whip smart and keen to work. Often neurotic if these needs are unmet and very sensitive.

Bichon - maybe a decent fit
likewise Shihtzu

Id add Maltese, Pug and Cavalier King Charles to your list for consideration from a temperament perspective. Big issue with the last two on health but IF (and it’s a big if) you can find health tested very well bred ones they would also fit the bill.

If you are sold on a poodle cross, a cavapoo is the only one I’d even vaguely consider. The issue as you’ve found out is finding a good breeder is by definition an impossible task….they aren’t a breed, so attract the wrong sort of people to the market, only interested in money. As demonstrated by the moron with the 11 month old..only cares about using him for breeding and then offloads him when he’s no longer useful. Never walked him or done anything to make him more comfortable with the wider world. A total arsehole in other words

Dunnocantthinkofone
thank you - you have a good unde of the breed I think would match

Dunnocantthinkofone

thank you
can you help me to understand something please
if you feel a shitz may be a good match as calm
then why not one mixed with poodle - if cava is also calm - if you see what i mean. Thank you .

The only reason for risking a poodle cross rather than pure bred is if a breed by itself has a potential issue that ca. be mitigated by a cross. Bichons aren’t especially terrible healthwise so no benefit to a cross imo - CKCS have multiple health problems. To me, there’s a small potential benefit to a cavapoo in that the head shape is better and the bulging brain/cherry eye situation is potentially less likely than with a pure bred. That said you could end up with the personality of a poodle and all the health problems of the spaniel.

That’s why (apart from some people just being snooty about it) those of us who know dogs well wouldn’t get a poodle cross - you can very easily get the worst of the two breeds - and without doubt it will come from a shit ‘breeder’ to boot!

What breed was your last dog and did you have her from a puppy ?

The problem is that you are looking for the perfect dog (aren't we all ?) in terms of size, temperament, energy levels etc and you won't get all of that from one breed without compromising. We all know and have had dogs who become perfect but they don't start that way - it needs time and training and sometimes a bit of luck.

Low energy - it's more likely you'd find more options for this among medium - large dogs.
Calm - older dogs like rescues who have lost their owner, dogs bred to be around humans like lovely mature labs. Young dogs tend not to be calm but most breeds can calm down with age and training.
Quiet - again this isn't easy with small breeds who can have a tendancy to high pitched barking, inquisitivness and even small breeds can have high prey drives.

If you're really not up for a puppy, an older rescue with a known history and ideally, some time in foster care, might be what you need if you can only cope with a good outcome.

Breed traits are a starting point but that's all they are - you and the dog need to put in the work to become the partnership you want.