Puppy viewing tomorrow!

[HeatherandBenjy]

I agree wholeheartedly with Nicola's last post. 9 -1 and then 2 - 5 is just far too long to leave a puppy every day.

I'll be honest, if we left Amber (18 months old) for that long I'd expect the house to be wrecked. She wouldn't be being naughty, she'd just be bored and making her own amusement.

You will, as Nicola said, also have difficulties toilet training and socialising a pup if you leave him / her for that long every day.

Have you considered taking on an older rescue dog, who might better suit your lifestyle? This isn't an easy option, but they are often toilet trained and can get used to being left for longer periods of time. It still means getting up and spending time with your dog and walking him / her before you go to work and then coming in from work and doing the same again......

[JaspersMum]

Just to give you a comparison how my friends daughter coped with working and having a dog, and this was an older rescue..

She arranged doggy day care to collect the dog about an hour after she went to work and the dog sitter then kept the dog with her for most of the day returning him home just before she got on. Unfortunately, the first day, even in that short time and having worked upwards in leaving the dog, her kitchen was ransacked and one chair destoyed.. so she introduced the crate which worked in part.  The dog sitter was excellent in having the dog overnight and weekends if she had to go way on business for the evening.  The downside with this is of course the huge cost on a daily basis and unfortunately for her, the dog started to take out his anxieties on the other dogs in the dog sitters care and the arrangement broke down.  This of course, need not happen with your new pup, the comparison being a rescue of unknown background.

Young pups are going to have accidents, do get bored and frustrated and the best of them can chew your most cherished possession whether thats the remote for the TV, your mobile phone or the brand new leather settee.  We lost plaster off the walls and the internet cables with one of ours.  Your clothes will inevitably have hairs on and suddenly the washing machine isn't the same without clothes coming out hairy than they went in because you forgot and washed their blanket.

Cockers do need a fair ammount of grooming and even if you are going to pay a groomer to do the main work, you still need time in between to brush and keep knot free, especially in weather like now when they are often wet and muddy.

The plus side, as a single person in a stressful job, was the solemate she could come home to and take out to unwind after work.  However, this means walking very early mornings and after dark in the winter, cold wet nights when all you want to do is sit in the warm with a nice meal and a drink.

Soooo, does that phase you or are you prepared for your life to be changed for the next 15+ years?

Definately the best decision we made, but I can understand how some will find it too hard and hence so many young dogs end up in rescue.  Our first boy was homed twice before we found him at 9 months old.

Good Luck in your decision, whatever it might be.  I'm sure your potential pups breeder would rather you took him with your eyes wide open than find you couldn't cope and the pup had to be returned x

[LinziS]

Dont think you over analysing...you are being sensible thinking it all through.
Have to agree with the other members here that it is a long time to leave a pup on there own for when you at work. I took a week off when we got Tilly who is now 15 weeks old and I was exhausted to the point of tears at times as was doing most of the work on my own due to hubby's work commitments.
I had hardly any sleep the first couple weeks..out in the garden at all hours and each day seemed to be  an everending routine of feeding toileting playing and back to feeding as well as trying to make sure the family were catered for  ..think we ate microwaved meals for a fortnight.

I never really left her on her own for any length of time...10 mins max to nip to shop etc but gradually built it up to longer. Even yet due to our work pattern she is never left any longer than 90 mins. If we have to go out for longer or on a night i get my parents to doggy sit  

Also we do go abroad on holiday and having an older cocker as well as the pup the cost of us kennelling them is in excess of £300 for 2 weeks...so also takes a huge financial commitment also.

You are doing the right thing by weighing up everything before you become a puppy owner...it better that than regret her when she arrives.


Yes it hard work...but I find it very rewarding and love my babies to bits...would never be without them..they are my world

[black taz]

i agree that leaving a pup for that long may cause problems, not least of all the puppy getting bored and eating the furniture.  Cocker puppies are really hard work (in comparison to my other two dogs, Taz was by far the hardest puppy).  I am lucky as my sons work different shifts so someone is at home most of the time, although i do all the walking.  Getting up at 6 am everyday to walk them before walk is tiring, but i love seeing the world wake up, especially in winter when it is dark morning and evening.

There are loads of rescues out there.  My colleague at work as just rehomed a 6 year old lab that was left 8 hours a day and never walked.  He will now be left 2 x 4 hours (as your puppy will be) but i can guarantee he will get walked 2 - 3 times a day and lots more at weekends, including agility.

I think you are right taking your time to consider taking on a pup, and to be honest a little surprised that the breeder hasnt stated any concerns about the amount of time the pup will be left.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

[penguins87]

Only you really know deep down if your ready and I wonder if these concerns are your way of telling yourself you are over stretched . Puppies are such hard work .

 personally I wld not have entertained a new owner who worked this long sorry. Cockers adore company and  my girls wld be so unhappy alone for these hours . When you get home after such a long day or week a puppy need so much attention and devotion and you might just want peace and it ain't gonna work too well for either of you .. Maybe the timings not quite right .

[McFly]

Lots of very valid points, I appreciate the honesty.

I'm going to sleep on it tonight (again!) and make a final decision tomorrow hopefully - either way I'm going to call the breeder to explain things, I don't want to leave her hanging on.

[LynneB]

Sorry but I have got to say think again...far too long to leave a puppy alone. I also am surprised that the breeder did not express concern over your working hours. I think this could be a recipe for disaster.

[McFly]

My head is telling me that I should wait, obviously the old ticker is telling me to just go and get the pup. 

Nevertheless, I think I have decided that now is not the right time.  I'm planning on going in to our family business to take over from my Dad at some stage this year or next, so perhaps I would be better to wait until then.  When I'm there the dog will be able to come to work with me.

This was a hard decision to make, and I'd like to say both a big thanks for all the advice I have gained here, plus a big apology for it all coming to nothing in the end.  What I will say though is that without COL, I would have gone ahead and got a pup anyway.

Depressed of Belfast. 

[LynneB]

I think you have made the right decision. Well though out

[aliceandlouis]

I think you have made the right decision. Well though out

Totally agree. 

Your time will come, and be all the sweeter for waiting.

[Evadee]

Oh Depressed of Belfast, don't apologise.  Sounds like you have made the best decision and there may be a better time for you in the near future to take on your pup.  Good on you for your honesty and thinking it all through.

[8 Hairy Feet]

Dear depressed of Belfast
Please don't be downhearted
as you have obviously thought
long and hard about your decision;
And your conclusion is that now is
not the best time,it's not a never,
so I would say "Well done" for not
letting heart rule head.
I've read of some CoL folk who
waited years for the time to be
right for them to get a dog,hopefully
that won't be your experience and
perhaps when your job changes that
will be the ideal time.
Also bear in mind you are now armed
with all the resources to locate the
pup you want when the time is right.
steffxxx

[VickyG]

My hubby and I only got our dogs when we were in a position to give them the attention they deserve.  I wanted a dog for years but my husband was always away with the RAF and I was always working away from home for business so it was just not fair to have a dog while we were working this way.  We both work from home now and our cockers have changed our lives massively, you have to plan everything around them, no more just popping away for a night, no more long lies in bed when it's pouring down at weekends.

It is a full time job having a puppy, they take all your energy for months as you need to make sure you give them hours and hours of socialising/training etc in the first year of life to make sure they grow into well adjusted older dogs.  To leave a young puppy straight away while your working full-time is just asking for trouble and is it really fair on the pup. 

I know how hard the decision is and I fully commend you for thinking about waiting until your work is more suitable for having a pup, we waited 15 years for our two bundle's of fur, and they are worth the wait.  My hubby is self employed now and its great for the dogs so this will also be great for you too.

You know in the mean time have you thought about going to a dog rescue place and helping to walk the dogs waiting for a new home?  You can then get to borrow dogs and still have your fix of spending time with the dogs but without having to comit full-time to owning one until you are ready?  Also if there is a cocker walk in your area scheduled you can always go to that aswell and meet everyone elses cockers 

[LottieLu]

  don't be depressed. It's not never, it's just not now. And I can think of nothing better than waiting and then being able to take the pup to work with you. Mine comes with me and I can highly recommend.

Please don't go away though, come here and tell us how things are going from time to time at least

[ollie nathan's mum]

You have made a very sensible and responsible decision, well done to you. There are to many people that rush into things and it is so heartbreaking to see youngsters being re homed. Ollie was only twelve weeks old when we rescued him, the people who had bought him didn't consider the impact that he would have on their life. Again well done for thinking hard and fast and not letting you heart rule your head.