Balancing English Cocker Spaniel + Work

[wish_4_cockerspaniel]

Hi all

We're hoping a new furry family member will be joining us in the new year! Both my partner and I work, but we've spoken to a breeder and are sure we can give her a great life. We are gathering practical ideas before we decide for sure... working from home some days, plenty of exercise and love when we are home, puppy school and training... but would love any advice people have.

Once she's 8-9 months old we'll be able to get a dog walker :rolleyes: to take her out during the days when we have to be at work, however while her bones are still growing and to avoid hip problems later we are looking for plans for her during the day, we'll exercise her in line with our breeders recommendations in the mornings and evenings.

If you have any ideas, we'd love to hear them! E.g.

- Puppy day care in Sydney Eastern Suburbs (where we live) or Lower North Shore (where I work)

- You've just got one too and would love mine to come visit during the day so they can keep each other company!

Thanks so much in advance for any advice you have.

[claireybell]

Hi there! I have an english cocker aswell. I find that walking her in the morning before work (about 20 mins) and leaving her with plenty of toys is fine for her while we're at work. After work we do fun things like go to the beach, go to an oval that is fully inclosed for of leash running, go to Nannies (my mum) to play with the other doggies. She was always fine.

We still do all these things but now she has a play mate aswell. We have a beagle X cocker puppy and the two of them play non stop all the time! Some nights, not very often though I'll come home from work and both are too tired after a full day of playing to be bothered with a big walk. On these rare occasions I just walk them round the block.

My cocker and other cockers I've owned/met seem to be very social dogs. They like nothing more than to be with their family so plenty of time spent with them and they will be pretty happy.

P.S. my puppies have two cats to chase around the house aswell when I'm at work and cant tell them off!

[Dogsfevr]

Th reality is you dont need dog walkers & daycare.

Dogs adapt very well BUT if you suddenly no longer do daycare & things as such it is often harder for the dog to cope,The idea of using the services is to not allow them to be board/lonely but there comes a time in a dogs life where it needs to learn how to live happily on its on without getting separation anxiety/barking or becoming destructive.

Form the day pup comes home you need to stick to a plan that isnt confusing/spoiling or over doing it.

Treating pup as a dog from day 1 is the best thing you can do & the best way your little one will cope .

Dogs treated as dogs thrive & settle & adjust very easily.They feel they are respected & now where they fit in the chain.

[FionaC]

The one thing I learnt very early when we first got Mort is that puppies spend a lot of time sleeping during the day - yes they like to play and run about but they sleep a lot as well .... from 2 days after Mort came home to us both my partner and I had to go back to work - M-F 8am - 6pm the house was empty - Mort adapted just fine - we had him in the backroom with his bedding, an indoor toilet, water, toys and the radio on for company .... he did fine - in fact when we introduced him to our neighbour a few weeks later she had no idea we even had a dog cause she hadn't heard him at all during the day ...... what we did do though is got a bit novel with how to feed him his middle of the day meal - we made food iceblocks (that had sufficiently melted enough by lunch that he could eat the food inside) or hid a treat ball or two around the place, frozen kongs with peanut butter inside is another trick - that way he had food in the middle of the day whilst we were out (and for the first couple of days my dad was able to drop over and check on him in the middle of the day)

Because we got Mort 2 weeks earlier than we had originally planned for he was out of schedule with our holiday plans (we'd taken time off for a break and to get him settled) so by the time we actually had our holiday he was well into the routine of us going out and leaving him (without any real fuss)

I'd just make sure the pup is safe, has things to do & has a comfy bed to sleep on .... then they will get plenty of exercise when you are home and you are playing with them....

Edited December 21, 2008 by FionaC

[Miranda]

I wouldn't put a puppy in day care you don't know what experiences he'll be subjected to while he's there and depending on your pup's temperament they may affect him in a negative way. Some puppies don't handle being placed in such a highly stressful, highly stimulating environment with complete strangers. He'll be much better off left at home in a safe area with his toys, after all he has to learn to be alone otherwise you may end up with a dog that can't cope unless someone is home and this can be a huge problem. Remember he's a dog not a child and treat him accordingly, don't spoil him and don't tolerate behaviours in a puppy that you wouldn't tolerate in an adult dog. 'The Perfect Puppy' by Gwen Bailey is a very good book for new puppy owners.

[wish_4_cockerspaniel]

Thank you all for your comments, it's great to be able to learn from people who've been through it!

Thanks also for the book recommendation Miranda, will definitely be getting that.

[Nicole...]

I totally agree with everything said so far.

Our cocker is home alone all day while my husband and I both work. She sleeps the vast majority of the time we are gone and honestly seems to enjoy the routine of it all. If we are home on the weekends and doing lots around the place, she feels the need to follow us around and you can tell she just wants to sleep... then she'll start dropping hints to get us to leave, and you've never seen a happier look than when we do get ready to go out, so we are confident that she is happy with this situation.

The main thing we find with Lomani is that we need to use up her mental energy. If we don't have the time for a walk, we have always done 10 minutes of obedience (and now agility) training. This is just as effective as a long walk in satisfying her, helps to consolidate her learning and stops any destructive behaviour. She has excelled at her training which I am sure is due to this so I can't recommend short training sessions highly enough.

You have chosen an excellent breed to add to your family... life will never be the same again

[becks]

My cocker chewed up as much of the house as she could sink her teeth into when she was left at home - and this was something she was used to right from the start.

I am not a fan of leaving pups at home all day, yes they do sleep a lot but I have also had my pups (12 weeks old) running around the house and garden for the last hour while the adults are all curled up on the sofa. Have you thought about an older puppy that the breeder has run on to show or a young adult rehome?