queries about taking on an 18 month old working cocker

[McFly]

Hi folks,

Well things have changed quite a lot since I was last on here, and my search for a Cocker has now ended up being a search for a working Cocker bitch.  Having taken up shooting and joining a syndicate club, I now need a companion for shoots.

I had planned on searching to get a pup for around Xmas time, so I'll be off work for a couple of weeks and have time to help settle the new pup in to its surroundings.  However, finding a good working strain pup within this timeframe is proving tricky.

I have found a gorgeous Golden bitch who's just over 18 months old and is for sale, the breeder is keeping two others for field trials and is looking to rehome this Golden doggy.  She's quite well trained already, although she has spent all her life outdoors so will have no concept of toilet training, and she would be a house pet as well as a shooting companion for me.

My queries are:

1) Am I taking on trouble with a dog of this age?
2) Will she be hard to toilet train at this age?
3) Should I ask to take her on the basis that if it doesn't work out, he will take her back?


Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

Here are a couple of pics:

[Penelope]

  :luv:She is gorgeous! I would fall hopelessly in love with her and let my heart rule my head, so don't ask me for advice!!! I would be there now collecting her!!!
Someone with more sense will be on very soon I am sure.

[McFly]

:luv:She is gorgeous! I would fall hopelessly in love with her and let my heart rule my head, so don't ask me for advice!!! I would be there now collecting her!!!
Someone with more sense will be on very soon I am sure.

She was so adorable, I was close to taking her with me there and then!  

Is that a Bichon in your avatar?  I had one called Daisy with my ex girlfriend, in 2 years we never managed to sort the toilet training!  

[Brimbeck(Dyllan)]

I am sure she will toilet train quickly. My daughter and I had a young bitch join our crew this year and we have had no problems at all  

[jaybee]

She is just gorgeous.
Oh that picture of her looking from the other side of that fence , I would be unable to resist.

You, however, as you have shown, are made of stronger stuff  
You have done a lot of thinking previously, and i imagine you've continued to think about it in the time since you last posted.
How your situation has changed! Deep down, you know what is the right thing to do. You know all the information you need to have, all the tests etc. Good luck making your decision!

She really is gorge

[MacTavish Boys]

What a beautiful girl   i of course would be like lots of other folk on here and let my heart rule my head   good luck in whatever you decide to do
Stephanie, George and Hamish xxx

[Ninasmum]

My queries are:

1) Am I taking on trouble with a dog of this age?
2) Will she be hard to toilet train at this age?
3) Should I ask to take her on the basis that if it doesn't work out, he will take her back?


Any other advice would be greatly appreciated.

In reply to your queries.....
1/ Because she hasn't lived in a home environment you really aren't going to know for sure unless she comes to live with you.  The current owner's may say she has a fab temperament, which to them she may well have, but living in a new home environment is a completely different lifestyle to what she is used to.
2/ Toilet training would be the same as teaching a puppy to go outside, although as she is now an adult she obviously would have full control of her bladder so in theory it should be easier.  
3/ Please, please, please discard the thought of taking her back if it didn't work out    If you do decide to take her, she deserves a forever home with people that are dedicated to making it work.    She may or may not be a perfect dog but with a consistent, loving, dedicated owner to help her, i'm sure she would become a happy, loyal, well trained dog that would make a lovely pet.  
Good luck with your decision  
She looks gorgeous  

[Nicola]

I would want to know why she's being sold on. If you're looking for a dog for working what level and kind of training has she had? At 18 months if she's been allowed to pick up bad habits then it'll be difficult to make a really reliable working dog out of her. Does she have any faults that mean that her current owner doesn't want her for working? I'd want to see a demo of the training she does have and see her in a variety of environments and with other dogs - I've seen dogs that are fine with their kennel mates that they're used to but terrible with other dogs that they don't know. If she's had a good start in working training though then that would give you a good base to build on and I would worry too much about house training her, she would pick that up in time with patience and consistency same as house training a puppy.

[McFly]

Thanks for the replies folks, I appreciate it.  

I would want to know why she's being sold on. If you're looking for a dog for working what level and kind of training has she had? At 18 months if she's been allowed to pick up bad habits then it'll be difficult to make a really reliable working dog out of her. Does she have any faults that mean that her current owner doesn't want her for working? I'd want to see a demo of the training she does have and see her in a variety of environments and with other dogs - I've seen dogs that are fine with their kennel mates that they're used to but terrible with other dogs that they don't know. If she's had a good start in working training though then that would give you a good base to build on and I would worry too much about house training her, she would pick that up in time with patience and consistency same as house training a puppy.

Even the slightest whimper will mean he wouldn't be able to use her for field trials, but the honest answer is that I don't know.  He's a well respected working Cocker breeder here and I know he's not hiding anything, as far as I understand this is very common to sell on young dogs who don't quite make the cut for field trials.

She's on the whistle and hunting, we took her into the field at his ground and she seemed pretty sharp, stayed close enough and stopped pretty much on command.  She was a bit slow to stop so would need work in that respect, but she was quite good and very eager to please and looking for instruction from the owner.  

She had no pigment on the top of her nose, I asked if she had been sunburnt on the nose but he said that's just the way she was.  Is that common?  Looked a little odd to me.  

[Helen]

split from your original topic as you have a completely different set of questions now 

[McFly]

split from your original topic as you have a completely different set of questions now 

Thank you.