Alfie needs you!!

[Scott_Manley]

Hi Everyone thanks for all the advise.

First point, I would NEVER re-home him, I waited over 5yrs to get Alfie and hes one of the best things that's has ever happened to me and completes my life its just hard work LOL, theirs more chance of me re-homing the kids!!
 
Alfie does fit my life style as I spend 99% of my time when I'm not at work outside, walking, running, training with my daughter (she races bikes in muddy fields) and he LOVES it. I just don't like him being upset like I said in my first post, if it was down to me I would have him me 24/7.

He has loads of different toys to keep his brain working when we leave him,Kongs (we currently have 4 different ones) which he only has when we leave. I've set up a camera and the Kong does work for a time but once hes finished he starts listening for us and then starts to get upset but does settle after about 10 mins. As for him following me around its not a problem I just wondered if that's a normal cocker thing. 

I know its going to be a long road to get him in a happy place but we'll get there in the end. Its nice to know that I have all you people with Advise if I need a drop of support sometimes. PS if anyone is in the Southampton Area and fancies meeting up for a walk, let me know.

Thanks

[Patp]

I am with you there Scott - my lovely girl comes before my OH for everything and if I had to make a choice - his bags would be packed in an instant!

I was outside at the front of the house earlier showing a local builder when I wanted some slabs laying, when I came back in, you would have thought I had been gone hours!!  Just as Twiceover2 says, Jinley is happy enough (she goes up to bed) when we are out, but has to be completely next to me when I am home and if I closed the door on her she would howl /bark /scratch etc.  I can now have a peaceful bath though as she thinks if she is in the vicinity, she might get put in!!

Is there a spare room somewhere that you could put a stair gate at the entrance so that your cat can get away from the attention of an over zealous pup?  It would be somewhere where the cat can eat/sleep/escape to in peace but also (if you have one) keep the litter tray where the parcels on offer cant be eaten

[minimoo]

I think the teaching him to get along with the cat issue might be easier to solve, so that he can then just follow you around as he wants to.  We have 5 dogs, one a cocker and the others various breeds/mongrels.  The cocker is the one that has to be by my or OH's side day and night.  We can leave her if we go out but if we are at home, there she is - sitting on a chair next to me while I work at the computer, on the bed at night, in one of our laps each evening and, like you say, she never misses a trip be it to make a coffee, fetch something from upstairs or switch on the light.  As soon as we move, she moves.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  Our other dogs have increased levels of independence.  Three are currently asleep on our bed and one is downstairs on the sofa.  That's the difference with cockers.

totally agree with everything you are saying, I took on a year old british blue cat who had never seen a dog , it took about a month or so but now they are all best buddies and I have 3 full on cockers . They also escort me everywhere sometime I feel like im wading through cocker spaniels but they are so so worth the effort and I am very pleased to hear that Alfie has a home for life  as I said earlier hes a baby and will be a big brave boy one day but I fear he will never stop following you around

[Murphys Law]

My whole life I always wanted a dog but my dad was never a dog person (though he has loved every dog I have ever owned)

When I finally got my first dog, Rusty the cavalier, I found it hard at first to adjust to the fact he would follow me everywhere. Now, if one of my dogs doesn't follow me I start to worry that they might not be well

[Ben's mum]

First point, I would NEVER re-home him, I waited over 5yrs to get Alfie and hes one of the best things that's has ever happened to me and completes my life its just hard work LOL, theirs more chance of me re-homing the kids

Well said 
Sorry I don't have any constructive advice as both my boys are usually two inches away at all times and get very cheesed off if expected to stay downstairs. I was amazed at how clingy cockers are. I have recorded mine and they just sleep when we are out, but if we are in they need to be with us at all times. I am not sure how you will achieve that with a cat in the house, but hope you find a solution

[Anne16]

Hi.

We've only had Sooty from 20th September and he was 4 months old then.  He does like to be with us, but we installed a baby gate across the stairs the day we got him.  He was initially terrified of the hoover     and ironing board and would bark hysterically, chase the hoover but he is better now, though still not happy with the hoover.

He sleeps in a canvas travelling crate and goes there by himself if for any reason we are upstairs or are out.  I think we must have been lucky with him, as the main problems are not wanting to walk on a lead by doing somersaults and jumping up and down like a jack in the box, and also trying to bite my step-daughter's feet.
I got in touch with his breeder who told us his father did exactly the same with the lead/harness/collar!
As I type this now, he is sitting close by on his bedding which he has dragged in to the sitting room!

 However the following around bit and having his nose in anything and everything is exactly as others describe.

[Bluepaula]

Hi Scott
How's it going?  Dixie drives my other half mad sometimes with how Velcro he is but I think it's really cute! Occasionally when we are going to be out we have took him to really good Doggy day care. Dixie loves it as he loves playing with other dogs and gets use to not being with us, it can be fun and more importantly we come back! Def worth a try x

[Scott_Manley]

HI everyone,
A little update, we used to let Alfie sleep on the sofa right next to us in the evening but we stopped that and it seemed to help for some reason, maybe its a case of him knowing I'm the boss and not the other way round. Something must be heading in the right direction as a couple of times I've been upstairs and hes just waited at the stair gate without moaning or trying to jump it but I may of ruined that as I was so excited I gave him a massive cuddle as I was proud of him ...  I know shouldn't of done that (note to self) 

He's still a complete plonker when we leave him and we had a visit from next door who confirmed he kicks off when we leave but lucky for us there now away now for 3 months so I've got to get it sorted before they come home..

So this is the list of issues:-

• separation anxiety
• Using the cat as a fluffy cushion
• Pulling on the lead
• digging in the garden
• Needs to stop trumping in the evening when we're watching TV (which being a man makes me laugh every time)
• Need to learn to dry his own feet when he comes in wet (I wish, hes like a sponge)

List of good points:

• Super Cute
• Brilliant off his lead
• Comes on a whistle
• learning blind retrievals
• Learning hand directions when retrieving
• The best friend I've ever had

Alfie V's Hugo (cat) still remains the same, we've had a stair gate from day one so the cat can get away but sometime Hugo forgets and walks into the kitchen only to be pinned to the ground by the dog,  Hugo is so chilled and doesn't claw him he just lets him sit on him but hisses if it gets to much!! I kind of wish the cat with bat the dog about so Alfie would stop it!

Lets talk Christmas trees? I can see me spending all December getting decorations out of his mouth!! any tips?

[Murphys Law]

Good luck with the Christmas tree Murphy was 6 months old for his first Christmas and after a few days of the tree being up, every decoration was on the top half of the tree. It looked terrible

Last year, his second Christmas, he didn't pay any attention to it at all. I am fully expecting Millie to strip the tree bare this year too

Have you tried a DAP diffuser when you have to leave Alphie? I use one and I don't know if it makes any difference but Millie has been a lot better when left since we started using it.

[Scott_Manley]

Good luck with the Christmas tree Murphy was 6 months old for his first Christmas and after a few days of the tree being up, every decoration was on the top half of the tree. It looked terrible

Last year, his second Christmas, he didn't pay any attention to it at all. I am fully expecting Millie to strip the tree bare this year too

Have you tried a DAP diffuser when you have to leave Alfie? I use one and I don't know if it makes any difference but Millie has been a lot better when left since we started using it.

Hi I've just been reading about a DAP diffuser, I'll get one ordered up and leave it in the kitchen and see what happens...  I'll post an update later.