Wannabe Cocker Owner

[tinaedwards]

Hello all!

I have been following this wonderful forum now for months which has been feeding my cocker broodiness so thank you to all the cocker owners who have been providing me with valuable advice and knowledge to help me prepare for that exciting day when we might own one ourselves!

My partner and I dream daily of one day owning our own little cocker, we have even dreamt up a name if it is a boy - Gusto!

We live in London, next to a common and we both love going for long walks / runs and on most weekends drive out somewhere for a beautiful long walk. 

We have planned a way we think we could successfully care for a cocker but some advice may be needed still.

We have a garden so we will be able to use that to toilet train the puppy and I will take two weeks from work to stay at home all day with the puppy and my partner will then take two weeks off after that.  But thereafter I think I need some advice... After those four weeks, the puppy will no doubt need all day attention, but for how much longer?

We are going to employ a dog walker to come in at 11 am and 3 pm - half an hour each time to give some attention once he / she is old enough to be left alone for periods and thereafter when we have to go back to work.

Does anyone have any advice for us in getting through the puppy stage successfully? We both feel so ready to devote the time and effort in training and caring for our own cocker but may be we need to remain patient for a bit longer before we make the huge commitment.

Would really appreciate any advice.

Tina x

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

I think using the forum is a great tool for getting through the puppy stages. Charlie is my first puppy (we've had a spaniel before but not a puppy) and he's been so different that the forum had been really useful.

[SophieBlueRoanLover]

Hi Tina,
Welcome to the forum! I'm relatively new myself, as I'm also about to embark on my first cocker (although have had them in the family for years). My cocker broodiness has been growing since the last family one died four years ago and parents haven't got another.

I am currently not working (partly because I've been looking for a puppy), and plan to be off work and with the pup most of the time until he's at least 6 months old, and will then try to find another job and get the dog looked after by a doggy daycare carer (most of the day).

The first thing my breeder asked when I approached her was if I was able to look after the pup (and dog, when he's older) and not leave it on its own during the day. She would not sell a dog to an owner that was working and wouldn't have the dog looked after most of the day. Cockers are happy, sociable chaps, and I've heard stories of them having dreadful dependency problems when they're left on their own for long periods of time. A friend of a friend works as a GP and has had serious problems with neediness with her cocker for a couple of years (I think it may have working lines, which need more stimulation and exercise than show types). It has abandonment issues, I think, and then gets massively over-excited when she gets home.

I don't mean to be negative, but I would think that most people would agree that you'd need to take far more than a month off (between the two of you) to bring up the dog before just having someone to come and spend a short amount of time. I don't even feel that happy about my own arrangement, but I plan never to leave the dog on its own during the day (apart from obvious occasional trips and short breaks). I'd look into the doggy day care option more - it can be expensive (£25 per day near me in SW London), but the dog is looked after by someone for the majority of the day and exercised and socialised with other dogs a lot.

I'm sure there are people on here who work full time who will be able to help better from their own experience, but you may find it difficult to find a responsible breeder who is happy to sell a puppy to a full-time worker.

Hope this is helpful...
Sophie x

[TracyR]

Hiya,
I'm new to cockers myself, getting my puppy on thursday, I have 8 weeks to settle my girl in before I go back to college, my partner and I are looking at him either not working the 2 days I'm in college or sending puppy to daycare. I'm leaning towards daycare atm as I'd love her to have playmates x

[tinaedwards]

Hi, thank you all for your responses.

Yes I think it will be a much longer wait before we can make the huge commitment. 

All your comments were really helpful and so friendly.  We are ready to make changes to our lifestyle / pay for adequate care for our cocker when the time is right.  But you are right, the puppy will need 24 hour care for much longer than what we can give at the moment. 

I read this forum so often searching for ways to make it happen but I think it will be some years before we are able to change our lives to properly give a puppy the proper nurturing. 

It is sad and we feel there is a gap in our lives but one day we will be ready for a cocker and will give it all the attention it deserves.

Tina x

[tinaedwards]

Hiya,
I'm new to cockers myself, getting my puppy on thursday, I have 8 weeks to settle my girl in before I go back to college, my partner and I are looking at him either not working the 2 days I'm in college or sending puppy to daycare. I'm leaning towards daycare atm as I'd love her to have playmates x

Good luck with your new puppy!! I am sure you will give her all the love she needs.  x

[TracyR]

Thanks I just need to try not to spoil her or I'll end up with a puppy thats as stubborn as my daughter lol  x

[SophieBlueRoanLover]

I've been through this myself, desperate for one over the past few years, and only this year have hubby and I agreed that it's okay for me to take so much time off to do it. We used to make jokes about whoever brought it up it would love more. So it's going to love me more! I'm miserable when I have a job, so that probably helped the decision!

It'll happen one day for you too - you'll make it happen at the right time. Hope I wasn't too negative x
Sophie

[tinaedwards]

No not at all too negative - don't worry!

It is such a huge commitment that I need to hear the absolute truth.  And never having raised a puppy I knew that I would be in for a really tough challenge but just needed to hear it from those who are experienced.

I think that I am still too young and early into my career to start demanding more flexi hours / work from home days and my partner and I are still not earning enough for one of us to become part time.

I am very envious of your new addition to your family but you waited long enough and were extremely patient.  I should take inspiration from you and wait some years.  It will be worth the wait I know it!

x

[SophieBlueRoanLover]

You'd be amazed how negative all my friends and some family were to start with! "It's such a commitment!" etc... I'm 41 and I'm sure no-one would've dreamt of saying that if we''d decided to have a baby. Everyone seems very supportive now they've seen the photos of Henry, though!

Maybe one day it'll be written in European law that you can take time off, paid, for puppernity leave!

[tinaedwards]

Yeah my parents were so negative. But I know they would be delighted to be able to spend time with our little cocker when we eventually some day get him / her!

Love the name Henry, he looks so cute in your picture. 

ha ha I wish puppernity leave existed!! That would be amazing...

x