New puppy?

R11

A friend of my wifes dog has had a litter 3 weeks ago. Mother is a Cavachon, father is a Cockapoo. She has offered one to us for a very reasonable price, chipped and vaccinated. We have 2 boys aged 8 and 6,both love dogs and have wanted one for years. Our youngest has Sensory Processing Disorder and we feel a dog would really help calm him. Our eldest has put on weight so we feel the exercise a dog needs would benefit him. My wifes family have dogs but I have never(though wanted one when I was younger). Its very appealing to us and we know we would give it plenty of love,attention and exercise....however we both work and will be away from the house from 8am to 4pm, 4 days a week. My wife takes parental leave every Wednesday. The pup would be 8 weeks if we decided to take it....How would people suggest we make sure it receives sufficient care for those 8 hours? I could ask my Dad and my wifes friend to check in a few times a day.
Should we leave it indoors in the kitchen with some toys , food, water etc? Or outdoors? We have an average sized back garden,fenced in with 2 side gates so it would not get out.. I'm a teacher so will be off in July and August so can give full time care myself then.......Or is it just too cruel on the poor wee pup?

cocker5

R11 wrote: »

A friend of my wifes dog has had a litter 3 weeks ago. Mother is a Cavachon, father is a Cockapoo. She has offered one to us for a very reasonable price, chipped and vaccinated. We have 2 boys aged 8 and 6,both love dogs and have wanted one for years. Our youngest has Sensory Processing Disorder and we feel a dog would really help calm him. Our eldest has put on weight so we feel the exercise a dog needs would benefit him. My wifes family have dogs but I have never(though wanted one when I was younger). Its very appealing to us and we know we would give it plenty of love,attention and exercise....however we both work and will be away from the house from 8am to 4pm, 4 days a week. My wife takes parental leave every Wednesday. The pup would be 8 weeks if we decided to take it....How would people suggest we make sure it receives sufficient care for those 8 hours? I could ask my Dad and my wifes friend to check in a few times a day.
Should we leave it indoors in the kitchen with some toys , food, water etc? Or outdoors? We have an average sized back garden,fenced in with 2 side gates so it would not get out.. I'm a teacher so will be off in July and August so can give full time care myself then.......Or is it just too cruel on the poor wee pup?

To be honest 4 full days alone per week it’s too long unless you can organise the following;

Doggie day care, or a dog Walker / sitter to call in fir an hour or so etc - for an older dog it would be ok but very long for a puppy ..

Please absolutely do not leave the dog alone in the garden at any time - lots and lots of dogs been stolen at the moment

When you say reasonably priced .. I assume you know your paying for a cross breed with no health checks from a back yard breeder?

Also please bare in mind .. your kids are very young so full responsibility will be on the both of you that includes all the walking, poop collecting and feeding etc - I know of parents where they assumed the kids would walk the dog and after a few months the novelty wore off ..

Puppies are incredibly hard work - sorry not trying to out you off but it’s true .. but it can be very rewarding if the proper time and effort is put in (lots of people fail to do this)... but it’s hard work no doubt.

Best of luck with whatever you decide

R11

cocker5 wrote: »

To be honest 4 full days alone per week it’s too long unless you can organise the following;

Doggie day care, or a dog Walker / sitter to call in fir an hour or so etc - for an older dog it would be ok but very long for a puppy ..

Please absolutely do not leave the dog alone in the garden at ahh time - lots and lots of dogs bed stolen at the moment

When you say reasonably priced .. I assume you know your paying for a cross breed with no health checks from a back yard breeder?

Also please bare in mind .. your kids are very young so full responsibility will be on the both of you that includes all the walking, poop collecting and feeding etc - I know if parents where the assumed the kids would walk the dog and after a few months the novelty wore off ..

Puppies are incredibly hard work - sorry not trying to out you off but it’s true .. but it can be very rewarding if the proper time and effort is put in (lots of people fail to do this)... but it’s hard work no doubt.

Best of luck with whatever you decide

My wife's friend is a working professional as is her husband. This is the dogs first and only litter, they chose the Dad carefully with other friends. They're not backyard breeders out to make money. They're genuine dog lovers. She said dog will be chipped, vaccinated and fully checked.

We could organise for somebody (or a few different people throughout the week) to check in and spend time with the pup. But if that's not enough, we may have to re think.

Knine

R11 wrote: »

My wife's friend is a working professional as is her husband. This is the dogs first and only litter, they chose the Dad carefully with other friends. They're not backyard breeders out to make money. They're genuine dog lovers. She said dog will be chipped, vaccinated and fully checked.

We could organise for somebody (or a few different people throughout the week) to check in and spend time with the pup. But if that's not enough, we may have to re think.

Anyone breeding cross breeds with no health tests are backyard breeders.

I think that is a long time to leave a puppy alone, Could you get a family member/ friend to call in during the day?

Dogs are often great for children with special needs but it also depends on what type of sensory issues the child has.

cocker5

R11 wrote: »

My wife's friend is a working professional as is her husband. This is the dogs first and only litter, they chose the Dad carefully with other friends. They're not backyard breeders out to make money. They're genuine dog lovers. She said dog will be chipped, vaccinated and fully checked.

We could organise for somebody (or a few different people throughout the week) to check in and spend time with the pup. But if that's not enough, we may have to re think.

They are 100% the clear definition of a back yard breeder

tk123

Knine wrote: »

Dogs are often great for children with special needs but it also depends on what type of sensory issues the child has.

I was going to say the same. A pup will be jumping all over the kids and nipping at them/hanging out of them - will they be ok with that? Kids tend to magnify the situation too screaming and the pup will think it's a brilliant game and continue doing it and it can be upsetting. Puppies teeth are razor sharp daggers lol. As for your son walking with the dog - forget it. It'll happen the first few times at best and never again - this is common in the park I walk in and then it's left to one parent to do all of the work.

In your situation I'd be holding off until the summer when you'll be off - you'll have plenty of time for training and getting the pup into a routine for when you're back at work. I'd also have a think about what suits your household best - a puppy which will be like a toddler or a dog who's calmer and over the puppy madness stage.

I'm all for puppies (from reputable sources) and am on a list for one myself atm - but they don't suit every household. Not all puppies are bat sh!t crazy either but they do require work which not everyone has time for. You'll be up during the night for toilet training for example.

R11

cocker5 wrote: »

They are 100% the clear definition of a back yard breeder

OK, we'll probably leave it so

Kaylami

We got our new pup last Friday. I can tell you that someone calling in for a hour isn't going to do toilet training any favours for a start.

We have a crate and Pickle sleeps in it and has her me time when the kids are too wound up.

I'm up every 2 hours at night for potty breaks and she needs constantly watched when not in the crate. Its like having a newborn again.

If you're leaving the pup alone for 7 hours a day 4 days a week they won't have the stimulation to keep them from being destructive and hyper in my opinion anyway.

My kids are 11,8,6,5 & 2 and honestly more of a hindrance than a help with the pup at the minute.

My youngest is on the autism spectrum and adores animals, our cat is his best friend but the pup is too much for him with play biting and running round. He is fine with older dogs though.

Just a bit of perspective from a new puppy owner!

Knine

R11 wrote: »

OK, we'll probably leave it so

It might be a better time when you are on holidays.

My child has sensory processing disorder among other things. How does your child interact with dogs? If you think a dog would greatly benefit, than do some research into Reputable Breeders, this is especially important for a child with extra needs as you want a dog that is going to live a long healthy life & whose breeder will give you support with the dog if it is needed for that dogs life time. I don't have any issue with cross breeds but I would never pay for one other than towards rescue & certainly both parents should be health tested.

twiddleypop

R11 wrote: »

My wife's friend is a working professional as is her husband. This is the dogs first and only litter, they chose the Dad carefully with other friends. They're not backyard breeders out to make money. They're genuine dog lovers. She said dog will be chipped, vaccinated and fully checked.

We could organise for somebody (or a few different people throughout the week) to check in and spend time with the pup. But if that's not enough, we may have to re think.

Amateur breeding of trendy mongrels is not an action of a "genuine dog lovers".

A reasonable price for a crossbreed is free to a good home.

R11

twiddleypop wrote: »

Amateur breeding of trendy mongrels is not an action of a "genuine dog lovers".

A reasonable price for a crossbreed is free to a good home.

Thanks. Idea is now put to bed, shouldn't have even entertained it.

jrosen

You have to gradually leave a puppy alone, you cant just walk out. It doesnt sound like your family are a good fit for a dog so untill that changes id park the idea altogether

Animals are a wonderful addition to a family but you have to be ready to accommodate.

jimf

pups from 9 to 16 weeks are at there most vulnerable its the time they most need attention around the clock

this is the period when the are socialised to be what they will be


unless you are at home i would def pass for now

terminator74

R11 wrote: »

Thanks. Idea is now put to bed, shouldn't have even entertained it.

Fair play for taking on board the advice here, all of which is sound and coming from experience. Hopefully the opportunity and timing will be right for you to get a puppy in the future.

I read the post with interest as we are getting a new King Charles pup at the start of May (from a reputable breeder)

I am excited but also nervous in that I want to give this pup the best possible home. I also want to keep the family from killing each other!! (or the wive from killing me!) We have a 4 and 7 year old + 2 kittens. She is nervous about how the pup might add to stress levels in house however she is a dog lover with lots of experience of farm dogs growing up. Im under no illusion that I will be the pups main carer with respect to training, supervision, feeding and walking etc. I honestly cant wait despite the challenges and effort this will present.

We are both wfh for the rest of the year. In 2021 we'll be changing to a hybrid work arrangement where she will wfh for 3 days and I will be wfh 2-3 days so we feel we will have it covered in terms of ensuring the pup has company.

However, I'm interested in hearing how people manage if they do need to leave the pup/dog for a few hours on their own (i.e. if we need to go to shop/run; if only one of us is home at the weekend and need to leave home). Any practical advice here that will help the pup adjust to a couple of hours in their own company?

We have a sunroom (well ventilated and temperature controlled) where the cats are and intend to place the pups crate in there after a few weeks when he is old enough and more familiar with the us, the house and his new family.

Antares35

I would pass. I used a pet sitter for my own dog and would be first to extol the virtues of using one, but she is senior and therefore sedentary a lot of the day. Plus, it doesn't get you off the hook for the befores and afters i.e. you will still need to be taking it out before work and after, irrespective of how hard the day was etc. And, I don't think socially it's advised to leave pups alone anyway.

Have you thought about what happens to the dog if it doesn't work out? Your reasoning seems to be based solely on what the benefits will be for your children - weight loss, as a calming dog etc. But what if things don't work out? Where will the dog end up? Despite the fancy names that people give to cross breeds now, they are still just that - crossbreeds. And unfortunately are ten a penny in shelters, often coming from families who were well intended like yourself, but where it didn't work out. It's always the dog who pays in the end.

A rescue centre or animal charity probably wouldn't give you a dog in your current situation, and there are reasons for this. A pup left alone will be stressed, possibly become destructive leading you to believe it's "troublesome" and so on.

I would reconsider to be honest OP.

stephrousseau

Hi there,

Dog trainer/canine behaviourist here. I’d be happy to have a (free) phone chat with you about this if you’re still considering.

I would reiterate some of what’s been said here however- puppies are a colossal amount of work, and it’s a 24/7 job, especially for the first few months.

Young children often bear the brunt of the puppy nipping, and it generally takes puppies in households with children longer to grow out of the nipping phase. A lot of people I speak to say that in hindsight they’d have waited until the kids were older to get a puppy, or else gotten an older, calmer, rescue dog.

There’s also heaps more research coming out about puppies currently and all of the extra work we need to be putting in when they’re puppies to try and get the best outcomes for them as adult dogs. Things like building strong attachment, social sleeping, appropriate play, carefully managed appropriate contact with other dogs etc. etc.

It’s a minefield! 🀣

Steph