We are going to get a dog...

[Shattereddreams]

I've put it off for years, but youngest DC is 3 and loves dogs.
My mum has puppies, we are going to have one. This isn't spur of moment, my mum has had three litters from three dogs over last 6 years and we have always resisted.

It's a boy cocker, black, white bib and two white back paws. He's five weeks old.

DS has called him Scruff.

So exciting. But I think I am barking (ahem no pun intended) mad. I'm a clutter free clean freak...... How will I cope?

What is essential reading? I'm not a spoil your dog type, this dog comes from working stock and will be visiting his relatives often.

[Confusedandfedup]

I thought I could cope and didn't. A dog totally changes your lifestyle. Please think carefully......in hindsight I should not have got a dog

[1MitchellMum]

So do you recoil in horror when you see dog hairs in your Mum's house?! I'd be tempted not to get a dog because DC wanted one as it is highly likely that the dog will be old and grey before DC can take care of him.

[DeepRedBetty]

Has your mum always had dogs? I mean, were there always dogs around when you were growing up? Because that'll have been the best training environment for you, IYSWIM.

If you've got washable floors downstairs and can easily prevent Scruff from transporting his filth through the house with child gates etc, you'll be fine.

I've been involved in lots of families dog's upbringing in the ten years I've been running our dog-walking/daycare service, and the most successful dog-rearers have been the ones who were fairly relaxed about it. There have been two new owners who stand out in my memory though, both of whom had not had dogs around in their lives before, and relied very heavily on books etc, most of which seemed to give conflicting advice

Both ended up with nervous, disobedient dogs, probably because their own anxiety transmitted itself to the dog, and also because they were constantly trying new techniques depending on which book they'd looked at most recently.

I refuse to recommend any particular book, if your mum is raising healthy happy well-behaved dogs, do what she does and follow her advice!

[DeepRedBetty]

Have an outdoor hosepipe set up with a brush attachment, usually sold for car-washing. This will pay dividends when he's older and starts coming in absolutely filthy, as cockers do not normally go round puddles or ponds, but straight through. You could be super nice and have a hot water feed to it, which one of my clients has splurged on, although most seem content with the cold only. And collect up old towels to be dog towels. There's a microfibre dog drying bag, I've seen it used and seen it on Amazon, it really works.

[idirdog]

Can i just ask why you want a dog?

Do you love walking all weathers, do you love training dogs, do you love spending time with doggy people?

Do you mind having to plan every day for the next 16 years to accommodate the dog,

Do you mind paying out money for extra food, health and equipment

Do you mind having to plan every day out to make sure the dogs needs are accommodated as well as the family.

Or you could just let your DC's adopt one of your Mums dog and visit it when they visit Grandma less stress but DC's still happy

[1MitchellMum]

Great post idirdog! Just one thing - I'd love to have had a dog live to 16!

[Confusedandfedup]

Our Border Terrier lived to be 18.

[Shattereddreams]

Idirdog
Thankfully your post doesn't freak me out. I am house proud but hope to keep dog downstairs. But I know the Hoover will be my new best friend.

All the family things we do can be done with a dog. And my brother and sister have dogs (from diff litters of mums) so I have holiday plans in place.
Dog will be washed in cold water! And I camp in all weather. I hate spiders so hope to god Scruff likes eating them! (Do they do that?)

Deepredbetty I didn't grow up with dogs but my mum has adapted. DH did grow up with dogs and your post is most reassuring.

Thanks. I hope doggy knowledge on mums net is as good as other areas! Looking forward to discussing Scruff's achievements!

[ILikeToClean]

I'm houseproud and have a 5 month old puppy, first of all I was totally OTT about cleaning up every little speck, but now it has actually made me relax a bit, but yes, I do find that I hoover and steam sometimes twice every day! Luckily my dog doesn't shed hair, just tumbleweeds of hair every now and again but not hair on our clothes etc, its more the coming in from the garden and bringing grass, mud etc in with him. It's fine though, the benefits of having him outweigh the extra work. I don't let him upstairs either and he has gradually been allowed more access to rooms downstairs as he is getting older and more trustworthy, and yes, he does eat spiders! This forum is brilliant for any questions you have, it really has helped me a lot!

[portraitoftheartist]

Can't you find a better name than Scruff? Cockers aren't scruffy and it's very dated. How about Henry or what about William? Possibly Percy?

[Iatemyskinnyperson]

I got a dog 6 months or so. I'm not remotely house proud and its sent me over the edge. He's an adorable lab, but sheds like crazy. There are always drifts of hair around the place, every single thing I pick up seems to have a dog hair on it.

I use one of those comb things but it doesn't help that much. Every time he shakes himself, I can see it drifting off him.

Please think long & hard about this!! I regret getting him, and he's a totally adorable well behaved mutt. Well behaved apart from stealing food & cuddly toys.

[Shattereddreams]

Portrait
DS named him when he was a 1 week old puppy, he announced loudly this is scruff and this is Russell (outs self). My neighbour is called Russell hence why he probably said it. Can't very well holler that in the back garden.

DS is 3 a couple of weeks ago. I think he has the right to name our family dog. Scruff he will remain, he has a white bib on all black coat so that is also,his scruff IYKWIM.

My kids have the sort of old fashioned name you suggested so we are covered!

[Shattereddreams]

Iatemy it's a worry but I am too uptight, hopefully Scruff will provide a cure

[littlewhitebag]

I like a fairly clean house but for some reason the dog hairs don't bother me one bit. My golden lab casts hair everywhere but i certainly don't hoover every day. I have just made sure that any carpets i replace are goldie compatible and we have tiled almost the whole of down stairs in tiles which blend nicely with her hair.

BUT mud..don't talk to me about mud..I am just glad it is sumer and we have had a nice dry spell.

[lainiekazan]

Deepredbetty, your post struck a chord with me.

We are first time owners, and have had to rely on books. Boy, there are thousands of them out there and all with conflicting advice. I have spent hours and hours on the Internet and have become thoroughly neurotic and obsessed over my failure to produce "The Perfect Puppy".

The OP does sound like she is more used to dogs and has a good support network. I like the name Scruff! Dogs are all called human names now. Let's have a return to Fido, Rover etc.

[absentmindeddooooodles]

We have a 17 week old German Shepard pup and a 2.3 yo ds. I love the dog but it is chaotic and messy and I cannot count the number of times that I have had to pick my way through poo and god knows whatever else.
I'm a sahm and make a real effort to train her, but you can't always get there quick enough. The puppy stage will be messy and hard work but it is worth it.
Prepare yourself for the mess whilst training and after that they are a lot less work!

[hennipenni]

We have a 13month old cocker who we love to bits, great dog but has "isshoos" due to nervousness. Lots of input and correct handling and training are slowly overcoming his problems but I'm lucky in that my children are older and so are able to help with this.

As for the shedding, my boy is a show and is hand stripped, I still, despite hovering/sweeping/mopping up most days find hairs everywhere imaginable. Hairs don't bother me, what bothers me is the mud and the very very fine layer of dust that I find everywhere (even in the places he's not allowed to go). And the rolling -anything dead needs rolling in, anything smelly has to be rolled in, anything dusty has to be rolled in, anything wet has to be rolled in. My car stinks of dead animals from time to time that he's found to roll in unbeknown to me.

However we would not go back to being dogless, he has bought so much joy to our family and a real sense of achievement when we consider how much more confident he has become with our help (this is still a work in progress though).

Enjoy your pup, I'd have another like a shot when we've overcome the problems with this one. (by the way my children named our dog too)

[ladythatlunches]

We are getting our pup next week 8 week terrier he is gorgeous I already love him to bits.

We have never had a dog before but I have done all tje research spoke to all my doggy friends who have had more than 1 pup each.
.constantly on Google. Looking at everything and anything I need to know.

I come on here and there is so many negatively posts about puppy's its Scarey

[lurcherlover]

Lady it's scary because they are bloody hard work. It is like having a human baby all over again. The housetraining, the mess, the training, the walks in all weathers, did I mention the mess? They come in wet and shake...they get paw marks everywhere, even when you've wiped their feet...they rub themselves against the furniture when they're a bit itchy and leave hairs everywhere...and if their anal glands are a bit full, you soon know about it when they do the lovely bottom-scoot and leave skid marks on your carpet.

And it is true that you have to plan every day around the dog. No more long days out at the zoo or even just shopping, unless you can leave the dog with someone or have someone pop round to take him out. Kennels for holidays are mega-expensive. And cost-wise, vaccinations, insurance, food, training classes, grooming, other vet bills...it all adds up.

I love my dog to pieces, but I got him pre-dcs and with two small children, a dog is very hard work - just fitting in the walks is a logistical nightmare. I do it, of course, and would never dream of rehoming him, but I won't be having another dog for a very long time in the future once he's gone.

[Confusedandfedup]

I am determined not to let dog adversely affect our days out. I certainly won't be planning my days around her. I see no prob with leaving a dog once in a while for 9 to 5 (that covers most days out). Otherwise I would have to re-home her

[Irishmammybread]

We let our kids name the dogs too, Scruff is a great name!
A good book is "The Perfect Puppy" by Gwen Bailey.
I'd get a big dog crate to confine pup when necessary especially when he and DS need space from each other.
"Furminators" are great brushes to stop excessive shedding,they're not cheap but we have Labs and I couldn't believe the difference it made.
There is a puppy version you can buy too, "My Furst groomer" I think.
Yes, it probably will be chaos but dogs bring such fun to family life and it's lovely for children growing up with a dog.
Relax and enjoy it!

[lainiekazan]

I am determined not to let dog adversely affect our days out. I certainly won't be planning my days around her. I see no prob with leaving a dog once in a while for 9 to 5 (that covers most days out). Otherwise I would have to re-home her

What the... ?! You can't leave a dog 9-5!! Could you spend 9-5 without needing the loo?

Everyone says smugly, "Having a baby won't change our lives; the baby will have to fit in around us." Then observe said parents a few months later as they are routine-obsessed mad people, carrying round a removal van full of baby stuff if they even pop to the shops. It's the same with a dog. Major adjustments need to be made.

[Confusedandfedup]

Well for one a dog is not a child.

Secondly, my last dog, a Border Terrier, was left 9 to 5 a couple of days a week and was 100% fine.

Thirdly, my dog can last from 8 am until 4 pm without a wee. Also a night from 10 am until 7.30 am when she gets a walk.

I'm talking once in a while NOT every day...I bet there are millions of dogs left at home all day during the working week. That's the reality.

[Confusedandfedup]

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