Getting easier!

[Jan29]

Just realised i put this conversation in the wrong place so here goes again! Charlie has been with us for 10 days now and is 13 weeks old today. Things are getting easier and he is sooo cute! My husband thinks i've gone a bit strange as i talk about Charlie non stop! The sleepless nights have improved but only cos for the last two nights Charlie has slept in my sons bedroom. He was howling so loudly it woke the neighbours up and all of us for 6 nights and as soon as he was with my son he slept for 8 hours and no messes! I know i shouldn't have given in but i was desperate. He also loves his walks and seems to want to go on and on but should i limit how far he goes while he's so young?
Also i've noticed when he eats he grabs a mouthful and then runs away with it and then comes back for more and does the same thing - is that normal? Thanks for all your replies so far, this forum is great for first time owners like me.                    

[Louis]

Hi Janet

Glad to hear things are settling down, It's like having a new baby.  I think I have been very lucky with Louis who will be one next month.  He cried for a week every night, but I persevered, which was very difficult, and since then he goes straight into his crate and we don't hear from him until we get up the next day.  It's amazing how quickly they adapt to there new homes.
As for the eating habits Louis does what your cockers does.  He picks up some food out of his bowl and takes it into the living room and puts it on the floor and then eats it :shock:  :shock:  Very strange.  My mum and dad's cocker used to also do this.  He does this a couple of times then he stays at his bowl and finishes it.

Gemma&Louis                    

[PennyB]

I'd keep his walks short for now and just let him have lots of play. I used to take mine to the park where they didn't actually 'walk' very far but socialized lots with other people and their dogs and so ran around a lot or we played games (to help with their recall)                    

[Miss Poohs]

We used to have a dog that did that. She would lift out a mouthful of chow, drop it on the floor and eat it from there!! Very odd - we ended up just having an array of mats and trays.  :wink:                    

[Cob-Web]

He cried for a week every night, but I persevered, which was very difficult, and since then he goes straight into his crate and we don't hear from him until we get up the next day.  It's amazing how quickly they adapt to there new homes.

Gemma - your post has given me confidence - Molo has setteld really well - but having read some COL postings, I was beginnig to think we couldn't have 'got away with it' and that he would have some dreadful surprise up his sleeve wqhen he gets older. Your expeience with Louis has reassured me that we may get lucky                      

[Louis]

I'am glad I've been of some help.  I think it's all down to hard work.  If you put the effort in at the beginning it usually pays off.  I didn't want him to think he was in charge and that every time he cried I would come running.  I did used to go down the odd time when I couldn't bear it any more, but I wouldn't play with him, I just used to open the back door, let him out and then put him straight back in his crate.  All he wanted was attention, but i never used to speak to him.  As long as I knew he was ok and that he didn,t need the toilet.

We also took him to puppy socialisation classes and we done the junior and the bronze kennel club good citizen award, and this has really helped and I would definatley reccommend it.  It's good for your pup, but also for you to meet people with pups and talk to professionals and I learned so much about the way a dog thinks from my trainer that it really helped me understand my Louis more.

We are thinking about another cocker next year when Louis is 18 months, but I keep thinking Louis is so good in every way that I worry the second one will be a little tyrant and mess up our happy household, but there's a lot to think about,
Good Luck with your cocker

Gemma&Louis                    

[Sam n Riley]

Riley does the same thing with his food  Cockers are funny!                    

[kookie]

So does Livvy! Odd :roll: