One Or Two ??

[PennyB]

I'd say 2 but wait until you've been through all that adolescent stuff 1st. There is 13 months between my 2 and it was very hard work at the beginning as Ruby decied she'd forgotten everything as the pup obviously was getting away with all this bad behaviour!

Crates aren't as horrible as they seem and mine has been a godsend with my 2. In fact they still use them as beds with the doors open. I've also used them recently for when I had to keep Wilf confined for 2 weeks (24/7!) on no exercise after an op (to remove a lymph node) and he was 5 months old at the time. I thought it would be a complete nightmare but it went really well.

I also have panels for mine that you can attach so it becomes a bigger pen.                    

[Mightyjoe]

Thanks for all the advise, the is a lot to go at, I agree that the conservatory can get very hot. We do leave the roof vent open but we give Oscar the run as most of the time he will go asleep on a bed that he has at the top of the stairs. This is his safe place, if the is something that he is not happy with (the hover, lawn mower and the dust buster) he can be found a sleep up there. Most of the time when we come he is upstairs, we know this as it sounds like an elephant running down the stairs to meet you. He does not chew the wires, but they are very well concealed. There is only the odd cable, which is only 12v so this won’t do any harm. I think the mass of toys that he has and the lemon tree keeps him going most of the day. I am sorry but I still could not put Oscar in a create I would rather have him chew the plants or better still I could move them before I go out (I think Oscar is Training us) He is getting better with time in all aspects, something’s that he does I think he is just being mischievous like he will look you right in the eye then run straight to the tubs outside and pull a plant up and then look you straight in the eye again. You can see this as I have put a picture of him doing this in the puppy pictures. Well thanks again for all the help, Sharon my wife is off work this week so we should not have any problem.  

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[Mightyjoe]

Oscars Pic

http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/photo/Puppi...DSCF2652?full=1                    

[speedyjaney]

Hi There
We did the ultimate sin and got two puppies within a week of each other, one a cocker and the other a westie, both demanding breeds in their own right!)
So far we haven't had any trouble ( they are 9 months old now) but we do have 4 adults in our huse so there is plenty of time for each one to be trained / cuddled etc so there is no need for either dog to be jealous of the attention the other receives.
We did buy a crate for them from day 1 and also have a dog gate which confines the pooches to the kitchen and dining room (where their crate is). Both of these purchases were the best things our money could buy. We have had hardly any destruction as they respect our house and enjoy it when we give them permission to be in it. Their house is the crate which they whimper and cry to get into if they want space from us (or each other) and we have closed the door.
We now have two very well behaved dogs, with very good manners who are very sociable both with other people and other animals (not just dogs) and they are doing really well at training classes and are just about to be promoted into High School. They are still puppies though and do get very excited when the bell rings but their good manners prevent them being nuisance for very long!
So in answer to your question I would have to say two but not without some boundaries and rules being imposed on them both or I could imagine your house looking like a war zone when they are double trouble!
Have fun
Jane, Jessie Cocker and Saffi Westie                    

[Magic Star]

Hi

Sorry but can I just mention here, that a small puppy should not really be climbing the stairs unsupervised, its quite dangerous from a falling point of view!  Also puppies really shouldn't be allowed to run up and down the stairs at a young age, as it can cause arthritis in later life!

Oscar is just adorable, just had a look at the pictures!                    

[Silver Surfer (indiesnan)]

I agree with what Emma and Jane has said. I would not give a young pup the run of the house either, especialy the stairs.

Crates are a godsend and arn't cruel if there used properly.  

The dogs i know that are crate trained, love them. They treat them as there own little space, and often disappear for quite some time for a nap!.  

Love Oscars piccies, hes a little cutie.                      

[Mightyjoe]

At what age would you let them go  up and down the stairs. I will need to get a couple of gates then as Oscar sleeps upstairs                    

[shonajoy]

I have a six month old boy and he is crated when we go out. He has his toys, and treats in it, and will go in when he's told. He also sleeps there sometimes too. Because we have children it's his place, they aren't allowed to wake him or play with him when he wants a break, so I think it's ideal.

I personally wouldn't feel safe leaving Indie in a room on his own without his crate - when he was a bit younger, totally out of the blue he chewed through a cable, and he also eats plants given the opportunity - I know some plants are *safe* but he could have choked on it. I don't think there's a room here I'd feel ok with - if he was in a destructive mood, or bored, he could chew on furniture or carpets, he's not even a destructive dog, just a puppy, and can be very unpredictable.

It's all personal choice, but I wouldn't condemn a crate as cruel - they are actually a very safe option, along with puppy pens. Indie's is a metre long, so he has plenty of room. My friend was totally against crates, but after her lab pup chewing through wires, shoes, cupboard doors, she's now a convert! I just think with a puppy you can never say never, at six months Indie's always up to new tricks and I bet Oscar is too  :wink:                    

[Magic Star]

At what age would you let them go  up and down the stairs. I will need to get a couple of gates then as Oscar sleeps upstairs

Hi  

We let Indie up and down the stairs when she was about 6 months,(supervised)  and to be honest thats probably too young too :?  Its just while the bones and muscles are still developing

Hope you don't mind me pointing out about the stairs issue, its just that I would worry incase Oscar had a fall when you were out!  

I know your not a fan of crates, how about confining Oscar to the kitchen :?:  I think a lot of dog owners do this, as when cooking is not going on, the kitchen is probably one of the safest places, with wires usually being out of reach to curious puppys   Wires can be dangerous, at Christmas Indie got caught in the christmas tree wire whilst I was upstairs, there was a huge bang :shock:  when I came running down, she had actually pulled the socket box off the wall, in her quest to untangle herself :roll:   I dread to think what may have happened had I not been at home to turn off the electricty :?

As long as Oscar gets his excersise when your there, I really don't think its cruel to confine him when your not home, providing of course its not for too long :wink:

HTH                    

[Mightyjoe]

Thanks for that, we did try Oscar in the kitchen we we first brought him home. But as the Kitchen is below our bedroom we did not get much sleep, that is why we gave him the run of the down stairs (with a couple of nights of me sleeping on the floor with him, how soft am I) i will try putting him in the kitchen and see how it goes or it might put a get a the end of the hall as the is no wires there and he will also have the kitchen as well

David Sharon & Oscar                    

[Gilly]

Hi Sharon,

I think any new puppy owner goes through those first sleepness nights  :shock: it usually only lasts a few days   so Oscar might cry for a couple of nights...but then he'll soon get used to it  
I started Buttons off in the kitchen...she has now manages to weedle her way into the bedroom  :?  but that didn't happen until she turned one and could be trusted more  :wink:  Saying that though she will be 2 in September and she is still eating my walls  :?                    

[bluesmum]

I didn't crate train my cocker Blue, but then I was lucky enough to be at home with him all day and keep a constant eye on his little antics :wink:

Blue has always slept in the bedroom with us, this was our choice and was what we wanted from day one, maybe I was just lucky or maybe it was the fact that Blue was comforted knowing that we were there but we never had a days problem with Blue he settled in without a murmer, we close the bedroom door at night so he never has the run of the house, he sleeps in his bed at the side of ours (Blues choice not ours ) and he only gets on the bed in the morning for a cuddle

I totally agree with everyone else that you must have a safe place were Oscar can go when you are not there, I have Bailey (new puppy) coming home soon and I'm having to 'puppy proof' my house all over again!! :roll:  and I know that with two cockers running around there is no way that I am going to be able to watch Bailey as carefully as I did Blue, Therefore I opted to use a crate this time, as I thought there would be no other way for the pup to get any rest away from Blue or to give the pup time out when needed - for ours and Blues sake :roll: but.............. I,ve since seen that fantastic play pen that Gilly posted and have to say that the crate is going back and the crate will be here ready to keep my little Bailey safe :wink:

I didn't choose the pen over the crate for any other reason than personal preference crates as the others have said crates are perfectly fine and useful when used in the correct way :wink:                      

[mrs hamster]

we have 2 huge crates, the biggest available, plus a puppy pen and our 2 have human company 24 hours a day. They get left for an hour max but otherwise go everywhere with us.

2 pups have worked for us and them but I think this is because we have invested so much time in them both.It has been totally exhausting especialy as Bon Bon was poorly for the first 4 months so she has only just become fully house trained at 5 months!!

But if you have the time like 24 hours a day to do nothing but doggy things for 4 months plus then I say go for it! Our 2 are now settling down to cuddling up together and giving us some peace and tranquility for a few hours each day now, mind you at times i thought this would never be the case!
jane