Would I make a good owner?

[Tracy S]

Hi everyone, I have been looking at your site for a few days and decided to take the plunge and post a message.

We are seriously considering having a Cocker puppy, we have been thinking about a dog for sometime but have talked ourselves out of it. Whilst i would really like a dog, my daughter(12) and my husband, are desparate for one.Especially for my daughetr as my eldest son has just left home to go to Uni.

I would be the main carer for the dog during the day as I only work part-time.

Now the idea seems more of a 'reality' I am starting to have some reservations. My main concerns are for my 2 cats and also that we might end up with a 'vicious' dog. Also, I totally trust the dogs of people whom i know but am not so good if faced with a strange dog off the lead in an open environment.(I saw quite an horrific dog attic when I was young).

I was wondering if any of you out there were nervous about having your dog or were you 100% sure?
If we have this puppy, it will be for life, i do not intend taking it back!!Hope you can help.

[miche]

Hiya and welcome to COL.

Your family life sounds perfect for a cocker spaniel.  I had 2 cats when I got my dogs, but only have 1 now as my little girl cat died.  Cockers like to chase and cats will run.  My cockers chase my cat and he hisses and jumps out of their way but then 5 mins later they are all sat on the stairs together - I guess that is there way of getting on.  Many cocker owners have cats with no probs but the cats may be a bit upset initially.

I doubt very much you will end up with a vicious dog, cockers are lovely and with gentle and positive training, you will end up with a friend forever as they truely love their families. 

I think the main problem you have is your own fear of strange dogs after witnessing the dog attack, obviously that is going to be upsetting especially if you were young, but when out with your cocker you are going to come across dogs off lead and only you know if you can cope with that.

I was 100% sure when I got my cockers but I had always had dogs, if you are a first time owner you are bound to feel nervous.  You won't be dissapointed with a cocker spaniel and you will get all of the advice you need here on COL, hope this has helped a bit.

[Poppy W]

Hi there

Any puppy is hard work and Cockers are certainly very demanding! Having said that they are the most beautiful and loveable rogues you could ever wish to meet!

So, just to address a few of your points:


- You will be the main carer - you say you work part-time. You need to consider how many hours your pup will be left alone, small pups require alot of attention and can't be left for very long. Also, if your husband and daughter are so keen to have a dog you need to ensure that they will also take responsibility for its care - the whole family should be involved.
- You are worried about your cats - providing your puppy is exposed to your cats from a very young age it really isn't a problem, I've had two Cockers and they have managed to be tolerated by even the most dog-hating cat in the world (a rescued oriental tabby - she loathes dogs!). You just need to be sensible and ensure your puppy learns to respect their space.
- Scared of dogs off the lead/of having a bad-tempered dog - hopefully you would take your puppy to socialisation classes and then to training classes. This will not only help their development but it will also give you confidence around dogs. A well socialised, well-handled dog is a delight to own and will bring all the family many years of happiness.

Hurrah for your attitude about having a dog for life. Too many puppies end up in rescue homes because their owners weren't prepared for what they had taken on. Do you have any friends who have dogs that you could speak to about their experiences?

I think you'll see that we all love our dogs but we're not blind to their faults. That said COL is a great help and you will always have someone to turn to on this site!

[PennyB]

I think the main problem you have is your own fear of strange dogs after witnessing the dog attack, obviously that is going to be upsetting especially if you were young, but when out with your cocker you are going to come across dogs off lead and only you know if you can cope with that.

Be careful about transferring any fear of this as dogs can pick it up and it can make them worse on your behalf. I also see owners are fearful of other dogs and so their own pups were never socialised (as they continually pull their dogs away --- cockers play really noisily and so some may mistake this for something other than the play it is) and so themselves are a pain round other dogs. The best thing to gain confidence is to make sure you attend training/socialising classes so you get to see how other dogs are and how to deal with them.

Your new pup more than likely will bite, and in some cases very hard, but this is normal in young pups but the pup is not being viscous in doing so (even though it bl**dy well hurts) --- see section on puppy biting here and search on the forums here as many owners come across this and worry about it, and aren't always prepared for demon puppies when it happens.

You also need to ask whether you can provide the level of exercise a cocker needs (mine go out in all weathers) and I would say as a 1st time owner that you go to training classes (so need time for that) to help you through the learning curve (also get hold of Gwen Bailey's The Perfect Puppy from Smiths, Waterstones etc.)

They can be very strongwilled as a breed which can be very frustrating --- so a very good sense of humour is needed. They are a fantastic dog but can be hard work, no matter how much you prepare yourself sometimes and each one is different (I have two --- one is a dream and great for the 1st time owner but Ruby isn't for the feint hearted and stretches the patience somewhat)

[Cob-Web]

Maybe you could volunteer to care for the dogs at your local rescue centre for a while to help you get over your fears? They will have dogs of different sizes and shapes and sizes; some friendly, some not so much - I found it was a brilliant way of learning a lot about doggy behaviour and language  

This will help you find out if you are able to deal with circumstances that may arise when walking your own dog - being approached by a stray, or loose dog, needs to be handled calmly for your dogs sake, as Penny says 

It can take a while to find the right breeder and litter, so if you start helping at a local rescue, then by the time you start visiting litters, hopefully your confidence will show when you visit; many breeders (like Molo's) have LOTS of dogs, and they all greet visitors very enthusiastically 

[kb]

I think the fact that you have been looking at this site before getting a dog and are doing your homework shows that you have a very sensible attitude to owning a dog.

We have a cat - a very nervous rescue cat. From the very first minute Honey came into the house, the cat has been the boss and Honey knows it. Keep the pup confined to one room at first and let the cat have her space. Provide places for your cat to go which are dog free - high surfaces and so on. Put your cats eating things up on a surface maybe so they can eat without being disturbed. Cockers do love to chase cats, but once a pup has been warned off a few times it will start to learn. Our cat and dog will never be friends, but they tolerate each other. Most of the times I think the cat thinks the dog is mad! If anything it has made our cat a little bit more friendly - it has taken her a long time to trust us, presumably because she wasn't very well treated before we got her. There is a little bit of healthy competition there now!

As for your pup being aggressive - do lots of research and find a good breeder to start with - even if it means waiting a while. Do lots of reading on puppy training - try The Perfect Puppy by Gwen Bailey; find out loads about cocker spaniels and the behaviours they might have; don't believe everything you read about nasty dogs; find a puppy socialisation/training class and visit lots of dogs and puppies.

There is nothing wrong in having a healthy respect for dogs that you do not know that are coming towards you off the lead. Knowledge of dogs and how they behave however will give you confidence to deal with your own puppy.

We love our cocker - she is so special. She walks when you want to walk; when you cry she licks your face; she lies up beside you at night for a cuddle; she steals your underwear and takes it out the back for all to see . She is a character and life with her over the past year has been good and bad. We always had dogs at home - but I've never come across such versatile dogs. You never know the cats might love it too!

[sharesy]

We were 42, and 45 when we got our first dog, a golden retriever. I had always been nervous around dogs but really wanted her. Shes was an absolute darling from the start  . Sadly we lost her last year through illness  , but she certainly cured my fear of dogs and brought us a lot of joy.
We now have Kalli a black cocker who is a right little character that we both adore  .
I'm sure you will also get a lot of joy from your pup if you take the plunge.

[Ben's mum]

Hia

We agonised for ages before we got Ben - I was so scared about whether we would cope, would it change our lifestyle, would we be able to afford all the bills etc etc, but I desperatly wanted a dog - it just seemed such a huge responsibility.
Even when Ben arrived, for the first few weeks I was still wondering if we had done the right thing.  Yes it did change our life - but for the better

I can't imagine life without him now - so go for it !

Bens mum

[Sheila]

Welcome to COL.


The fact that you have posted and are asking questions means that you obviously care a great deal.

I've been around dogs all my life and have no fear, but I imagine owning one for the first time could be rather a worry.....Just the same as having your first child to care for.

Cockers aren't vicious, they are incredibly loveable. We have a labrador and a cocker and they both try to win on the attention stakes....LOL. They both adore being fussed and stroked and kissed.

Puppies all play bite, until they get their adult teeth through, but that is normal puppy behaviour. They love their family, and are a delight to own.

Maybe it would be worth visiting friends with dogs, dogs homes etc, to get used to strange dogs.

I don't have any knowledge about cats with dogs, but plenty of people have both and usually the cats are the boss

Good luck with your decision, and make sure that you do plenty of research and reading, and if you do decide to go ahead with a puppy find a good, reputable breeder.

[Tracy S]

Thank you all so much for your helpful and thoughtful replies. It has really helped me! I think we might take the plunge now!! Need to find a reputable breeder in my area first.

Incidentally, I have been very close to tears whilst looking at the photos of some of the Cockers!
Anyway, thankyou for taking the time to reply.

[Rhona]

Hello.  Welcome to COL.

We discussed getting a dog for ages before we got Sam and I really swithered.  I knew that once we made the commitment to a pup we really were not the type of family who could say "oops sorry, wrong decision, lets just get rid of him."  I have visions of a demon pup eating the walls and furniture and me feeling bad because we were stuck with it.  This never happened thankfully!

Luckily for you you have found COL before the puppy.  We found the pup first and although we love Sam to bits and would not swap him I think the advice that can be found on this site regarding looking for a puppy and finding a reputable breeder are valuable.  We have been lucky to find a dog, who is a bit scatty but has a nice nature, if a little highly strung at times.  He has had a few health problems that perhaps had I known a bit more about lookng for a breeder could have been avoided.  I am sured armed with the information you can pick up on here you have a good chance of finding the puppy who will be right for you.

I must admit that I am slightly wary about meeting a large snarling dog when out walking.   I can honestly say there have been very few incidents that I can report back on.   You don't tend to see many dogs out unaccompanied and most people are very sensible with narky dogs.  Certainly on any of the COL meet ups I have been on the dogs have all got along famously.  Perhaps Cocker Spaniels have just got particularly nice natures (perhaps I am biased).

[Annette]

I tried to post earlier but screwed up (again).

Anyway.....I only wanted to tell you that I agreed with all the helpful advice you have been given already, and to add that we also felt very nervous about getting our first dog. Even once the decision was made and Buddy was waiting to come home we had moments of indecision and even downright panic. I was the same during my pregnancy. Don't know if everyone is like this but it's obviously normal for me anyway.

And, to be honest, there have been days (like this morning - no details but I'll just mention dead bird and fox poo. Enough!) when I would gladly return him if his breeder didn't live so far away (no, not really.....probably). BUT he's gorgeous, and sweet, and cuddly, and energetic and playful and gentle etc etc etc.

[debbie321]

You have done your research well and it sounds as though you are a family that a pup would want to be with!  The fear of other dogs maybe a problem as they naturally want to meet each other and you will be faced with all other breeds at close quarters!  If you can overcome your fear (puppy classes will help both of you) you won't transmit it to your pup. 

Ben met a huge (and I mean HUGE) male rotty the other day (can't spell rotweiler?) , he did the normal submissive behaviour at first and then managed to nick his ball straight from the jaws!  My heart was in my mouth but he got away with it   I know that rotties have a bad press but this one was a teddy bear, they are large and scary looking though, especially off lead and running towards you 

[miche]

Thank you all so much for your helpful and thoughtful replies. It has really helped me! I think we might take the plunge now!! Need to find a reputable breeder in my area first.

Incidentally, I have been very close to tears whilst looking at the photos of some of the Cockers!
Anyway, thankyou for taking the time to reply.

Oh that's fantastic news , you will make a great owner but beware ................................................COL is addictive!!

Good luck and enjoy searching for your pup, it's such an exciting time - I envy you but I think I have my hands full with 3 dogs already