Hey - New to this and some serious advice needed.

[ross0161]

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post on here so please be gentle.

Okay now the reason why I am here is because me and my girlfriend are thinking of getting a cocker pup ... Okay no problems there you are all thinking?

Well there are a number of factors that could prevent/hinder us getting one of these beautiful dogs and I would like to run them past you.

1. COST OF VETS BILLS - Can anybody give me a rough cost of what these would cost a year/month etc.

2. We currently have two pet rabbits. Can the dog be trained so that it does not disturb the rabbits or is it going to try and get the anyway?

3. We both work full time - Will this be a major problem or can toys etc keep the dog occupied until one of us gets home from work? When the dog is young we obviously do not mind popping home at lunch time to check on it etc etc.

If somebody could answer some/all of the above I would be greatful. Also if you feel that there is anything else that we should consider then I am open to advice.

Many Thanks in advance.

Ross

[cazza]

Welcome to COL Ross

Firstly well done on asking for some advice - but I'm afraid i don't think you will like what I'm going to say 

3. Leaving a puppy ALL day and just coming back lunch times is not a good idea at all

You would need to take 2 / 3 weeks off work and socialise puppy and bond then you would be best to find a doggy day care (which will cost, depending on area and how good they are etc, anywhere from £12 per day)

1. As for vet bills well that depends on how much you local vet charges and what is needed (firstly 2 sets of injections 2 weeks apart, then annual check ups plus anything else that may be needed in between)

2. any puppy is going to be inquisitive and there are no guarantees they will leave the rabbits alone


Hope this helps and sorry if it sounds on the negative side

[ross0161]

Negative? ... Maybe ... but I would rather than than be given bad advice so thankyou for that.

We were planning on taking a few weeks off work to start with to get it settled in/trained.

Do you not think there is any other way of leaving the pup on its own? Would this not be the same concept as leaving it at night when you go to sleep? Forgive me if I am wrong.

[skyesmum]

Hi Ross

Welcome to COL!

I would think very carefully about getting a puppy if you and your other half work full time.  Cockers need a lot of exercise and simply leaving them a few toys won't be enough to see them through a whole day on their own.

Before you get a pup, consult your vet and ask about dog walkers in the area.  They can usually supply you with a few contacts of reliable local people who can take your dog out for a couple of hours during the day.

What about weekends?  You have to say goodbye to your long days of shopping and pubbing and clubbing as your world will revolve around your dog now!  Goodbye to John Lewis and hello to Pets at Home!

Puppies are such hard hard work and a massive commitment.

I had a rabbit (he sadly died last month at 9 years old!) and Skye just ignored him. 

In terms of vet bills, the usual vaccinations and boosters are all I have had to pay for so far. (touch wood)

But you can get pet insurance and pay every month in case (God forbid) a big op is needed and is costly.

I hope this helps, there's a lot to take in but you're starting in the right place with this website.

Gill

[ross0161]

thankyou for that skyesmum

what about if we walked it when we got home? Weekends would not be a problem as we are prepared for the hard work and know that we will only get out what we put in. We are both prepared to work very hard for this dog and hopefully (if we decide to get it) will get alot of enjoyment out of it.

I like the idea of the dog walkers? What would they do? come round to the house and take them out for you?

[jools]

Hi Ross,

I'd echo what Skyesmum has said. We have 2 cockers and I recently went back to work 3 days a week. My 2 go to doggy daycare. It costs me £19 per day for both of them, they love it and I have peace of mind. Also, when they are at daycare, I don't have to worry about fitting in the usual long evening walk; both of them are so tired that all they want to do is sleep in the evening.  

As far as vet bills, you might want to look at insurance (says she who hasn't got any  ). At least then you'd know that the main stuff would be covered.

Hope this helps.

[Helen]

Hello and welcome.

Agree 100 percent with Cazza on points 1 and 3 - the other point on vets bills is the cost of insurance and at the moment this can range from about £8 - £30 a month.

As for puppies and rabbits, well, we have a shared garden and our neighbours have 2 rabbits in a large run.  Jarvis was introduced to them at 8 weeks and soon got used to them.  After a while he used to take no notice of them, so yes, I think it's feasible that your pup can co-exist with rabbits and not go for them, but it takes time and consistency.

Regarding leaving your puppy day and night on it's own - not much of a life is it expecting a dog to sleep all day and all night and not be destructive or bored....  To be perfectly honest I think that it would be selfish to take on a pup if that is the life it's destined for.

I would leave my adult dog during the day after a long walk for a maximum of 4 hours.  But thats it.  And he has 2 1 hour walks at least a day.  I would not leave a puppy for this stretch of time initially.

[bracken]

Hi
Personaly I would never get a dog if I worked full time, cockers especially love company it would be unkind to expect a dog to stay on its own all day even with all the toys and treats in the world. You would end up with possible behaviour problems    

Vet bills hard to say you will have the jabs annually which are about £78.plus worming and frontline.

Dog insurance about £12 per dog, depending on the company.

 One of my dogs had 2 operations in his first 2 years he had cancer this was very costly. He is 11 years old now and has been a expensive dog but my others have been fine no major illnesses.

Jo

[Elisa]

Negative? ... Maybe ... but I would rather than than be given bad advice so thankyou for that.

We were planning on taking a few weeks off work to start with to get it settled in/trained.

Do you not think there is any other way of leaving the pup on its own? Would this not be the same concept as leaving it at night when you go to sleep? Forgive me if I am wrong.

You would still be 'around' to cater to a puppy's needs at night.  It isn't recommended that a puppy is left for more than 2 hours.  I agree with Cazza that a puppy needs more than a quick trip home at lunchtime.  You would need to be around to regularly let him/her out for toilet training.  Having a pup is hard work and very time consuming.  Have you considered an older rescue?  This might be more suitable for your situation.

As for vets bills, it's a bit like how long is a piece of string.  Insurance is worth having, and can range from approx £10-20 per dog, per month.  As an example, my two cost me over £1000 in 6 weeks last summer, but in the last 6 months, nothing, so vets bills, I'm afraid are really unrepredictable.

[ross0161]

well i think insurance is a MUST. We havent got it for the rabbits but, like you said, it is peace of mind and dog operations are going to cost twice the price.

So if we were both working full time and the dog was in the house what would likely to happen? Im sorry if I'm being silly here I just want to make sure I get this absolutley right before making an decisions.

Livercake - My appoligies - i set one up in here 1st and didn't recieve a reply so I put another one up in the general section.

[LakesUk]

Myself and the OH work full time, so Orrin is at home during the day. However as we don't work too far away from home, we go home at lunch to make sure she has 30mins walk and we get 30 mins lunch. If we aren't able to be around on a day, we have a nice neighbour that lets her out at lunch, so she can have a play in the garden. We feel that orrin needs 3 walks a day as she is a working cocker, and is full of beans!
No matter how old they are, i think they still need their exercise.
If you do intend having a little one, i would recommend a crate for them during the day, piece of mind that they aren't upto too much mischief

[jools]

So if we were both working full time and the dog was in the house what would likely to happen? Im sorry if I'm being silly here I just want to make sure I get this absolutley right before making an decisions.

Hmmmm......loads of stuff!   As well as the coming home to your house stinking of pee and poo and having to clean up said pee and poo (which pup would walk around in all day and spread through your house) There is also the boredom factor. Dogs like company - simple as that. Someone on here once mentioned that company and exercise are equally as important to a dog in terms of it's wellbeing (this info came from a report somewhere).

Another thing - dogs can get pretty destructive when they get bored / miss their hoomans.....so you'd have to prepare for your house getting wrecked.

[Elisa]

If you do intend having a little one, i would recommend a crate for them during the day, piece of mind that they aren't upto too much mischief

You wouldn't have a puppy in a crate for 3-4 hours in the morning and then another 3-4 hours in the afternoon though surely?

[ross0161]

thankyou all for your responses.

I hope that I didn't give the impression that I would just leave a dog all day and all night on its own. I was just throwing ideas around as I want to do everything in my power to get a cocker spaniel.

We are early birds anyway so an hours walk in the morning would be no problem and another hour at night and we are always out and about walking at weekends so exercise isn't a problem its just the fact of them being alone all day 

but thankyou all for you help and comments on this.

Ross

[louis mum]

It is possible to work full time if you can make alternative arrangements for your pup whilst you work.

I have reduced my hours slightly since getting Alfie, he is now 22 weeks, which means I can work opposite shifts to my OH so Alfie has someone with him all of the time.  There is one day that we both will have to work that will clash, but my mother in law will be looking after him on that one day a week. If you have willing friends or family to take the pup for you whilst you work is an option, as is pet sitting services. Obviously there are costs involved with that. 

We had a total of 2 months annual leave booked off between us for when Alfie came home, but my OH developed a bad back, which was perfect timing really.  This means Alfie has had constant attention since 8 weeks old, and I have to say I now wouldnt do it any other way, it has paid dividends to his training etc. 

The most time Alfie has been left up till now at 22 weeks is 2 - 2 1/2 hours max. I wouldnt be happy any longer to be honest.

We pay £20 a month insurance, then you have grooming costs, food costs, initial vaccintaions, the list is endless really. 

Good luck in whatever you decide, pups are very hard work, but so rewarding if you can commit to them 100%.