Hi All,

After many years of wanting a dog but being unable to have one, due to work, family, moving house etc etc myself and my family are finally in a position to go ahead.

We've spoken to a lot of people, read a lot of books and lurked on a lot of forums (!) and we think we have found a suitable match. We haven't bought her but we have been to visit her and her Mum and litter-mates .

I haven't seen or heard anything that makes me think this is a bad idea, but I wonder if any of you more experienced owners would mind telling me your general impressions.

Pup is a 10 week old Springer Spaniel cross. Her breeder (who lives very local) uses his dogs for working (shooting, gaming etc) and has bred a litter in order to keep a few of the dogs for this purpose. Mum and Dad are family pets and working dogs for the family.

Pups have been vaccinated, microchipped, wormed etc etc with all the supporting paperwork from the principal vet at a local practice.

The breeder is not asking for much money at all, probably not enough to recover the costs of having raised her thus far.

When we went to visit the pups at home, they were all in a very large crate in the kitchen. All looked energetic, alert, interested and healthy. They had free run of the kitchen while we were there and seemed very used to the environment (a half-chewed ironing board lay hidden in the corner).

We had a choice of 2 pups, both bitches. The one we took an interest in was the more timid of the group. She was happy to be picked up and held, for quite a long time. She sniffed and licked at us a bit and looked at us a lot (beautiful big eyes staring at us...gorgeous!) but other than that she was very placid and calm. Definitely in contrast to the others who were much more boisterous and playful.

My husband thinks she is a great match for us and she seemed happy to be with us. We have checked out insurance, got a list of essentials to buy and we've sourced the local training/socialising classes which we would do with any dog we get. I've watched a million Victoria Stilwell videos, read about the proper way to care for and train dogs (no pack theory, no dominance) and plan to practice positive re-enforcement.

We have young children (2 at school, 1 preschool) and my husband works full time but I don't work out of the home at all so I would be around all day.
We live rurally, in a small village where there are lots of people with dogs and lots and lots of open green spaces to walk them. Relatives of mine who live a mile away are farmers so pup would have access to private land (and a stream!) daily for off-lead activity. We have a good amount of garden space at home and our house is big enough to accommodate a Springer size dog, giving her a quiet space of her own away from the main noises of the household to relax.

Our children have a lot of experience being around dogs (we dog-sit for friends/family when they go on holiday) so they are already schooled in how not to treat a dog (no taking food from dog, no taking toys out of dog's mouth, let sleeping dogs lie, never tease the dog, gentle patting, calm quiet voices when with the dog).

I feel ready for a dog. I most certainly want a dog. As does the rest of the family.

But, truthfully, does what we offer sound like a good set-up?

What haven't I considered?

Thanks for reading this far, sorry for the essay!!

Nervous potential new dog owner

What actual health tests have the parents had done, not vet checks but health tests for the breed like the BVA eye test for one. The breed club will state what both parents should be tested for. Are they KC reg, as good working dogs in my mind are. Do you know much about the father? Is he local enough to visit can you look him up online or speak to the owner if you sp wish if not?

Springer as you are aware are very busy dogs and will need a lot of attention and training needs daily, they wont be able to walk far for the first year of their life so their mind needs to be kept occupied otherwise they will choose their own path for entertainment and its never the right one. If they are from working lines then their mind will be even more active compared to the show lines, which means a lot of hard work needs to be inputted into the pup from the start. Enrolling straight off in obedience classes is a must and if she's working stock I would be inclined to find a local gundog trainer for spaniels to start the basics off with and you've then gpt something else training wise during the week and days.
I walk a number of springers and they are hard work when the owners haven't put in the time and hardened live wires, one being a young working dog.
Crate training is very helpful to put the dog to settle when needed, out of the way of kiddie annoyance and at night to facilitate the toilet training.
Baby gates as well so that both children and pup van be kept safe from each other when needed, never leave a dog and young child alone unattended, accidents happen as young children don't always realise that tugging the ears, tail, grabbing various body parts, sitting on a dog is wrong if they've not lived with one before until they've been taught and this can take some time - guessing they haven't lived with one so they need to learn the rules at the same time as the dog needs to learn.

The pup is a springer cross from a working background so l doubt health checks have been done, that said l do know somewho breed dogs like this and they do tend to knowthe parentage of tbe pups and breed for health and purpose.
Pup sounds lovely, what is it crossed with?
On the whole working bred dogs do tend to be lot livelier the the show types, sou dslike you have done your research.

Sorry. I should have been plainer. Pup is a Springer x Bedlington Terrier/Lurcher. A real mix.

The breeder has Mum (Springer) and Dad (lurcher) as working dogs and pets. They both live with him. He also had Mum's Mum and her sister.

He told me the lineage going back 3 gens.

So no KC reg. No pedigree. And no health checks.

Is that a problem do you think?

It might be and then it might not, you have a lot of different breeds in there and they sound like a true working dog. Would yours be just a pet or do you plan to work yours as I wouldn't entertain a cross of all these breeds without doing something with it. No health tests means a huge gamble and its up to you if you are willing to take that.

Aside from reading up on springers I  would also learn about the other breeds too so you have some knowledge behind them also.
You have a cross of a sighthoubd, terrier and gundog, its anyone's guess how she will turn out and what part of each breed she will take after. This mix sound great if you're working them and a pure disaster for a sole pet home, sorry but that's a lot of hard work you have to come.

just want to wish you best of luck.i had pointer x springer bitch
she was fab round my son we nicknamed her nanny but sadly she was stolen along with her pup

she sounds idial pup for your family as long as she is healthy and happy and you and your family are happy it does not matter if she kc reg health checked etc etc
best wishes

Personally I'd not want a mix-bred dog simply because you really don't know what you'll get.   I'd also be a bit concerned re a working line.  They do tend to need to work!!    My sister adopted a Springer/Jackie???? mix and she was basically a nightmare - she'd been in two homes after her original breeders home before she ended up with the RSPCA.   Sweet dog, but my sister had to completely refence her then property to keep her in.  She had a thing about ponds and was always headed to the one next door.

If you go into this with open eyes, however, there's no reason why this puppy can't be a good loving pet.   Hopefully!

ps   A couple up the road out with a (too young) Lab puppy proudly said she came from working lines which clearly suggested they thought they had something better than other Labrador lines.   I've rarely seen such poor back end movement on a young Labrador!   She has a loving temperament however.

You have done a lot or research and put a lot of thought into this! I would also suggest crate training and stair gates . We have a male show lines Cocker Spaniel we chose a show line rather than a working line in case we couldn't offer the  ideal home and training for an active working line puppy. We have access to fields and a lovely wood right on our doorstep and our boy enjoys two walks a day usually 3 mile in am and another in pm. So we had got lots of time for training,the space and we walk a lot as a family anyway. We just felt happier with a puppy from a show line. It suited our family.

Our dog's best "walking friend" is a beautiful female Cocker from a working line. She has a really sweet nature and gets on with other dogs and people. I do know she likes more exercise than our boy and she has three good walks a day. She does like to "dig and forage" it seems more than ours .
I have gone to view the breeder as we thought we would have our second puppy from her. She had a few dogs of her own and her son had brought in a new male Cocker from a show line for new blood lines. The litter a lovely mix males and females, lively and quiet ( possibly quieter puppies had been tired from bullying siblings! Or playing!) All looked clean, tidy and heat lamps. Both dad and mom seen and met. The mom had just been separated from pups as now on solids. The breeder lived not far from us on a large holding with 2 holiday cottages. All the dogs kept got on with people and she advised all the puppies from previous litters good natures.  As she had children/adults in the cottages she had to rely on her dogs having good nature's too.
We almost had one but the "working line" from the dad played on my mind. We couldn't for sure say he/she would not be too active for us!

I think only you as a family can say for sure if you can cope with a very active puppy! The puppy sounds lovely and with hard work,classes,patience and an abundance of love may prove to be a great member of the family. A check over by a vet maybe worthwhile if the breeder hasn't done this already.

I wish you lots of luck and keep us posted! X

This is a difficult one.... why has this particular litter attracted you? Is it just because it's available nearby, you already know the breeder and the parents before puppies were born, you're looking for a very active dog to do activities like agility when she's old enough, you just want a puppy now and they're ready...

I've always wanted pedigree dogs, mainly because you know what you're getting. I've always been put off by the Springers I've met being generally manic, busy, busy dogs. I'm not anti cross breed, as a child we had a whippet cross staff, cleverest little dog I've ever met. We used to play schools with him, he lived to 17 and the whole family was devastated when he died. It's just that you've got some high energy, working lines in this puppy and I'd be seriously asking myself if I really could offer the life she will want. If you are looking to get your kids involved in agility or flyball when she's older, she could be ideal.

I've been thinking about the interesting mix of breeds going into the pup, working spaniel, terrier and lurcher which is a cross in itself (sight hound plus collie or something else). I wonder which side of the dog would dominate or would there be a combination of all the breeds. I just have this vision of a dog that has the non stop work ethic of the spaniel, the see something a mile away and vanish after it of the sight hound, and the stubbornness of a terrier. This pup could be one active dog.

It's the reason why many people want a pure bred dog especially newbies, as you know what your getting to a large degree. Not only in size, shape and coat type, but character and temperament.

It's just something you might like to consider before you commit yourself especially as you have young children.

Thanks for all the input.

Yes. The working vs show issue is one Ive considered. We wouldn't work her. She would just be a pet for an active family.

But she would be able to exercise outdoors for at least 2 hours a day, with a lot of off lead time.

Is that not enough? I had heard/been told that working dogs can be very good house pets provided they get enough physical and mental stimulation. Is this wrong?

We decided to see this litter as we trust the breeder. They are local, they take good care of their dogs, they are being raised in the home with exposure to children, different people and household noises. They have had all the vaccinations to date, been chipped, wormed etc etc.

I had considered that maybe a cross breed/heinz 47 would be good for novice owners?

The breeder has picked the two pluckiest, sharpest pups to keep for working.

Is it really unadvisable to have a dog from working lines, even a mixed breed?

they have had a full vet check along with vaccinations, microchipping, worming etc. And ive seen the paperwork relating to this. All the dates etc check out fine.

It's not just masses of exercise, yes they do need to have plenty of opportunity to free run (off lead) so teaching an excellent recall is essential. What is also need is mental exercise. A dog like a springer does well at nose work so you might want to consider classes in that, but just sniffing out and finding something in the house, whether it's just some hidden treats or a special toy only used for this. I have some catnip mice which I hide and get my dog to seek out. There are lots of books on mental exercise training, one that springs to mind is called Brain Games for Dogs.

Thanks Jodi. I'll check out that book.

I know Springers need a lot of mental stimulation. Ive found the nearest training classes which , if we get pup we will be doing.

I guess I'm looking for some reassurance that she will be happy without having a "proper" job to do. We dont shoot. We dont hunt or game.
But our lifestyle can accommodate alternatives.

You shouldn't over exercise any puppy sp a lot and I mean a lot of brain work will be required with this mix, I don't mean obedience classes once a week, I mean a number of times a day to get that brain tired.
I walk a lurcher which is a greyhound cross collie, as a pup he was really easy with the collie instinct of wanting to learn ay the forefront, now he's slightly older his desire to hunt and chase on the greyhound side is very very strong, i wont let him off lead now because of this. His owner has just started agility and he's doing well but the collie side seems to be not as strong now. She did think a cross would be good but has stated that now she has to be mindful of all breed traits in him to make it easier for training.

My neighbours have a lurcher, rough collie and greyhound, both parents were the same cross. She is a lovely dog and appears to have inherited the best of both breeds. She's super intelligent, but not desparate to be working, happy to walk for miles, but just as happy to snooze the day away in her bed. She went through a stage when she was young of tanking off after rabbits, but now the obedience of the collie is more prevalent. But you never know what's going to happen with crossbred dogs, whether you get more of one breed then other and every pup could be different not only in looks but in personality and character.

It sounds to me as if you have done more research than the majority of first time dog owners.  As to your choice being ultra active is debatable.  I have a ISDS registered Border Collie from working lines.  I don't work him, but I do seek and find work with him to exercise his brain.  I send him off to find things several times a day and he loves it when he brings his find to me.  He is given free running which gives him a lovely toned body.  You sound very much as if you're prepared for this and I would only say that you are best to work on recall first.

Enjoy your puppy.     

IMO a dog would be lucky to have you and the place you live.  If you put as much thought and love into your dog as you have in just planning for one, then he or she will be an extremely happy dog the whole of its life.

Thank you very much for all the replies. It's so helpful to talk this through with more experienced people.

And tinar, thank you. Your post meant a lot to me.

In some ways, I have done so much research and reading and talking and thinking that I feel overwhelmed by the prospect of caring for a real-life living and breathing dog.

Because there is no perfect dog. Just as there are no perfect people. I have 3 children. I do my best to raise them well, to make them feel loved and listened to. But they have their faults. I guess having a dog is similar.

So pup may be nutsy and high energy and if she is, we'll accommodate it and work with it. Or she may be fairly relaxed and content. Or she may be a bit of both.

If we go into this expecting hard work, a lot of expense and time and thought then we probably can't go too wrong...?

God, I hope so anyway!

Most pups are hard work, frustrating but great fun.
If you're going in eyes open and don't expect a perfect cutdown adult, you'll be fine.

With the mixed heritage you are less likely to be forewarned about temperament traits...
but all dogs are individuals and the their owners shape quite a large proportion of this outcome. You sound like this will work out for you.
Good luck with your new addition 

I would look for clicker training classes, the more physical exercise some dogs like Border Collies & Springers are given the more they want & as a puppy won't be physically able to do very long walks until mature.

You can watch Kikopup clicker training videos on Youtube

Hi ThinkingofTess,

For some unfathomable reason some thinking has been passed to you with innuendos suggesting the dog your about to get will/may well have some kind of health problems, not for me to fathom out why those written thoughts seem unaware of the enormous health problems specificaly related to KC registered pedigree dogs, if you click the link below it takes you to a TV documentary broadcast in 2004, you will find it 'illuminating'
Enjoy your dog when you get him/her.

KC registered canine health standards
https://vimeo.com/17558275
.

Thank you all. This has been very helpful.

Clicker training. Yep. Thats. Something i forgot about. Will look for a class for that.

Youve all been really reassuring. I've read so many horror stories about unsocialised untrained pups that it had begun to seem an unachieveable task to have a calm friendly trustworthy dog.

I'm now starting to let myself feel excited. We're going back to see her again in a few days. I have a feeling we won't be walking away empty handed!

I just wanted to say that your set up sounds ideal to me - particularly that you are at home all day. You seem to have done more work and thinking about getting a dog than many people would.

This pup contains all three classes o hunting dogs, so expect them to have prey drive, and I'd want to be sure of the sires temperament, as terriers can be sharp and sight hounds aloof, a combination that might be iffy with children, but if he is a sociable dog that isn't too reactive, and your sensible about child dog interactions then probably fine.

If both parents are sensible family dogs, then I'd go ahead.

I'd be concerned about the bitch being taken away from her pups just because they are weaning (bitches should be able t get away but have access to pups as and when they wish) as they need to learn from adult dogs what being a dog is.

I'd be more reassured if I could see Mum and even dad interacting with the pups between 6 and 8 weeks old.

Also never judge who the quite pup is just on a visit, as it could easily be that one had worn itself out before you saw it, the breeder should know the individual characters and advise you.

I would be more reassured about potential future health if the Springer had been Hip Scored (hip dysplasia occurs in all breeds and sizes of dog) and tested for Hereditary Kidney disease (though the likelihood of the same gene for kidneys being in the sire are less) and I'd have a good look at the sire for signs of slipping patella, (common in smaller breeds and terriers especially.

Just make sure you have good insurance cover (lifetime is a must) that way you will be prepared for any health problems in the future. I have had both pedigree and mixed flavour dogs and know that illness really does not choose between them, it is the luck of the draw. Yes health checks can avoid certain defects but many problems are not hereditary so you have as good a chance of a healthy pup as anyone else.
Good luck, enjoy your dog and be prepared that really you are getting another family member to love and care for. Love every minute you have with your dog, the good, bad and naughty days are all part of dog ownership, and looking back they will be wonderful memories to cherish.
Dogs lives are never long enough, so for this reason just enjoy every second and I bet this will not be the last dog you will end up having.

Welcome to the nutty dog owners club where members think discussions on the shape, size and consistency of dog poo is the be all and end all, where we wander around the garden by torchlight checking said poo if we are concerned our beloved dog is not 100 per cent well
Where we have dog hair in our food, beds, furniture and clothing, where we walk through mud, rain and hurricane to make sure they have excercise, where we still love our dog even when covered in fox poo or dead animal carcass - usually with maggots attached. Where you think nothing of clearing up dog sick or runny bums in the morning before breakfast.... I could go on and on....

Just enjoy and love your dog and he/ she will give you ten fold back, giving you a love and devotion that those without a dog will never experience.

Keep in contact and let us know how you and pup get on

forgot to say invest in paddling pool and tons tennis balls
the two pointers x i have had love water and took over bath in horse feild filled with water and also took over my sons paddling pool also the are obsesded with tenis balls

One thing I did wonder, as you said the pup is vaccinated, how old are the pups now?  I wouldn't have thought that they would be vaccinated before 8 weeks and if the pup is older than 8 weeks, then how much older?  Because of the theory that you need to well socialise pups before they reach 12-14 weeks, I wondered if you might have missed some of that window with this litter?  Has the breeder done any socialisation with them - i.e. taken them out and about, had them meet different types of people, get used to traffic etc.?

So true, Sue!

Pup is nearly 11 weeks old. The breeder did not try to find homes until 10 weeks old. I think because he wanted to assess and observe them and find which 2 he wanted to keep for working.

So although they are being raised in a family home I doubt very much that he has taken them anywhere much except the vets, which means pup will have been in the car and been to town. But i dont think there will have been much exposure beyond this.

But i thought 16 weeks was the close of the official socialisation window?

But pup has had 2 vet visits, her first set of vacs and a microchip and routine worming etc.

Mum and Dad are both family pets and working dogs so we saw them both when we first visited. Mum was happy with us seeing the pups but quite vocal. Dad was very placid and calm. Interested in us but not overly so.

I have I am pretty sure, met a very similar cross - I also have two lurchers who are predominantly bedlington x whippet.

You are likely to get a very VERY clever dog who has a predisposition to picking stuff up and carrying it about, and can and will hunt by sight as well as by scent.

I think you have a great home to offer a pup - what I want to know is are you  mentally prepared for this puppy.

If you pick this pup up soon you do only have a couple of weeks (that socialisation window really closes at nearer 14 weeks for most breeds) to get in a lot of socialisation/habituation, so be SUPER clear on what that means because a lot of people forget a really important element here.

Socialisation/habituation means pairing all those experiences, meet people, being in various situations and locations, with a POSITIVE experience, ie, super yummy treats.

Too many people expose their pup to loads of people, other animals, loads of different environments and situations but forget the positive association with something great like the treats - what happens then is the pup appears to handle all this stuff absolutely fine, becuase most pups will, and the person assumes that it IS fine as no fear response is seen... but later on in life the pup actually has no positive experience in the 'database' tofall back on to tell them 'hey you did this before, its all cool'.

The reality of socialisation/habituation is going to be that the pup comes EVERYWHERE with you, you make trips to the train station the bus station the supermarket the school... and every where you go you are armed with FAB treats and you are hyper aware of ensuring a good experience and of course preventing a bad one (which may mean making a sudden exit from somewhere, or being assertive with someone and sayin g'no sorry you cannot pet the puppy'... be ready for that!).

My puppy, as a comparison for you, is now in her 16th week.

She has:
Ridden in the car too many times to count.
Supermarket carpark,
supermarket foyer (I asked permission)
Poundstretcher
Evans clothing shop
Argos
Vets
Local pub
Less local pub
Train station
Builders merchants
Bus station
Busy road junction
Local commons
Off lead walks with other young dogs
Off lead walks on her own
Off lead walks with adult dogs
Friends house
Sisters house
Dads house
Training hall
On lead walks around housing estate
Motorway service stations
Dentists waiting room
Local rescue centre (i had to go there for work!)

She has met:
Old people
Small children
Medium sized children
Fat people
Skinny people
People of different colours (turkish, chinese and somalian)
People with different accents (ditto the above, polish and romanian)
Pushchairs
Prams
Wheelchairs
Mobility scooters
Kids on scooters
Kids on bikes
Motorbikes
Lawn mowers
Hedge trimmers
People on horses
Horses
Cattle
Sheep
Cats
Rats
Snakes
People half hidden by counters
Other dogs in pubs
Other dogs at training class
Dogs she can play with
Dogs she can't greet.
People she cannot greet.
People she can greet.

We've also made a point of taking her to places in the dark as well as the daylight, have other (trusted) people handle her, touch her all over, pick her up, leave her with other people for very short periods and crate trained her so she can be left alone in the car (max 1 hour so far). Shes also ok to be left in a room in the house whilst we are elsewhere in the house and soon we will introduce leaving her in the house with the other dogs whilst we are outside the house.

All of these experiences have been backed up with super high value reinforcers (liver treats mainly!).

This is on top of her training - she can sit, down, stand, has the beginnings of retrieve, has a fabulous recall (shes a scent hound so this is our priority!) beginnings of a stay and the start of walking to heel (hard for me as I use a wheelchair). She's also just about stopped play biting really hard, understands up, off, and wait and I am now introducing platform work to teach her to assume various positions around my wheelchair.

Even though I am a trainer, I decided to take her to someone elses training classes to be sure I wasn't missing anything or being blinded as to her qualities!

The other thing I would be concerned about is play biting - you have small children and they find it VERY hard to cope with the idea that the cute puppy bites HARD and it is likely yours will. Its also pretty much impossible for small children to do what is necessary to address inappropriate play biting, which is to stand still and redirect the pup with a toy. So you need to have a good plan in place to supervise both kids and puppy without isolating the pup or the pup  missing out on your company or attention.

I would also, no matter what you've read elsewhere, strongly encourage you to have pup sleep IN your bedroom with you until they are housetrained and confident. Once they are dry, and confident, you can teach them anything you like regarding where they sleep, but, the distress caused by forcibly separating them from you to sleep alone at night is a huge contributory factor to separation anxiety, it also impairs their ability to learn, and predisposes them to being nervous and reactive in later life. It also makes house training harder and slower!

I hve never yet heard of someone rehoming a dog because the dog needs to sleep in their bedroom, but i could show you hundreds of dogs that have been rehomed because they suffer separation anxiety, reactive nervous behaviours and/or are not reliably housetrained. :)

theemx

Thank you. That is alot of helpful advice.

I knew that the socialisation needed to be calm and positive but i didnt realise quite how much re-enforcement was needed in the way of treats.

What kinds of treats would you recommend specifically?

I had planned to take pup everywhere and anywhere in the next month or so although as we live rurally she is not going to be exposed to a wide variety of people. Predominantly white british where we are. Its also very quiet, not much traffic noise. Do you think this matters?

Thanks again.

Oh and pup is going to sleep with us. We didn't bother to even discuss alternatives.

So are you having this puppy? When will you collect? Sooner the better I think

> Do you think this matters? <br />

Yes go to nearest town and sit in the shopping centre, car park and near roads too.

I disagree with the socialisation window closing, it never really closes, otherwise dogs that have been though quarantine or had little socialisation and then are re-homes and socialised properly would never be normal well adjusted dogs.

It is the time they are best exposed to new things.

There are many things my dogs have never encountered until adult and been absolutely fine as they have inherited a genetically sound temperament and have generally been well habituated.

For example one of mien had never been near a train or train station until we travelled by train to Scotland for her to be mated, we had three changes going up and 2 coming home.

Two of mine as adults also took international flying, and all that went with that experience, in their strides.

The important thing is that they are used to as much as possible and find it positive, because they are confident and trust you.

Ok so as much exposure as possible so long as its positive.

Now here is a potentially stupid question: is it ok to carry a pup whilst socialising? Does she need to be in control of how fast/slow the process is or would it be comforting for her to be held while she meets new people and situations?

Yes. I think we are going to have her.

We have her on 'reserve' for want of a better word and the breeder is waiting on our final decision. He did ask what we planned to do with her and he seems to think we are a 'good' family.

However i need to be sure i have thought of everything. I'm scared that we take her and then find that there was a major issue that i had not considered (not talking about behaviour so much as practicalities).

Oh and as for the children. We have a 1 rule. Dogs and children are never unsupervised. Ever. Even for a minute. I know my girls need training as much as pup will.

Has the breeder said he would take her back if there was a problem with the dog?

If your pup isn't able to go out due to waiting for innoculations to 'take', then take her out in your arms so she can experience the world. You can introduce her to other dogs that have unto date innoculations and, of course, with people.

> Pup is nearly 11 weeks old

For all that people make it sound a mortal sin to buy a pup at this late age - do not worry too much.

I have a breed that even the breed club says should not be homed until 12 weeks. Yet a few pups that I've bred have qualified as PAT dogs.  Not exactly untrainable. 

The reality of socialisation/habituation is going to be that the pup comes EVERYWHERE with you, you make trips to the train station the bus station the supermarket the school...

Excellent post & a great list of different things/events/situations all to rarely posted, enrichment is a must for all dogs, the first 2 (memory cells start to form) to 16 weeks of imprinting are extremely important but can be done at anytime.
.

This lady has done more homework than most potential puppy owners, she has asked sensible questions and seems aware of the possible downsides as well as the wonderful and good side of dog ownership. If she doesn't manage to get her dog to a train station ( that mine have never ever seen) or the supermarket etc etc, then it is not the be all and end all. I live in the countryside and the closest that my dogs get to a main road is the one track road outside my door. Yes my dogs meet occasional dogs and owners at the beach or the few times that I have gone to public land.
Most of the time we walk on either our own private land or the adjoining private land of my local farmers.

I understand this lady has also said that she can walk her dog on her neighbours private land, so all of the socialising mentioned really does depend on where you live and the type of areas your dog is likely to visit.
Please don't make her feel that she will be a bad owner if she doesn't manage to accomplish all of the instructions that people have offered her as I feel she will be an excellent owner.
My dogs were socialised according to my lifestyle and my home area, not by the book. I am sure that she has the common sense to know what will be needed for her and her dog.

Obviously you do need to socialise puppies as much as possible, but I think temperament plays a large part in how a dog will cope with new sights and sounds. My dog hadn't done a number of things on the list in an earlier post when she was in those vital few weeks, yet she has coped well with a bus ride and a boat trip without problems, just accepted it as one of those things that being with us seem to happen at unexpected moments. Like sillysue we live in a quiet village and I socialised her as much as was able with meeting different types of humans, dogs of different ages and type, lots of car rides and walks in different places, busy areas, noisy areas and so on and so forth. I chose the breeder because his dogs were friendly good natured dogs and he was breeding for temperament as well as health and type. She has always been a confident friendly dog, but not over confident so that she has got into trouble. She was fine with bus ride although gave the waggling hand grips on the roof a worried glance as she thought they were going to fall on her. The boat trip was uneventful and she enjoyed looking at the sea. I would have no worries about taking her onto a train if necessary.

Socialisation can be done at a later stage it just takes a bit longer.
I've had a fair few problem rescues in my life, it's been hard work but they
have come round to most things.

Have fun with your pup, you will be fine

Our vets have a puppy socialisation checklist on A3 paper. It may be worth asking if yours have something similar. We gave them to all of our puppy buyers, not as a be all and end all, but it has quite a few things on it that you just wouldn't think about. They've all said that it has also helped to really involve the kids in training time with the puppy :-)

Have you decided yet?

Hi All

Sorry I didn't reply earlier. Well we decided to go ahead and brought her home on Wednesday.

She is amazing. Sleeps through the night (11 weeks old) and seems very happy with us.

She's been out in the car 4 times, had a trip to school, been to my parent's farm, met my sister and some friends.

She is playful and bouncy but there is no nipping, hardly any mouthing. She does jump up but responds to being told 'no'.

And she hasn't barked. At all. She is very quiet. I hope this is normal!

She has been left for 5 minutes, both in the house and in the car. She was ok in the house but in the car she was whimpering a little when I returned. Have I made a mistake with that?

She isn't terribly interested in food so rewards for good behaviour and toileting outside have been praise and playing. Although she has a stuffed kong that she likes.

She sleeps in our room (on the bed) and is very settled and sleeps soundly.

Housetraining is hit and miss. Im rubbish at reading her signals. But i make a big fuss of her when she goes outside and ignore it when she goes inside.

My only big concern is that she is still being carried when out and about. She has her booster today but she is timid. Im concerned about how to introduce walking on a lead and walking around town.

But all said, I think we're ok. It's not as stressful as i thought...yet!!

Many thanks sue. That was really encouraging for me.

Firstly congratulations on your new puppy She sounds  adorable and adapting well. Toileting issues sounds normal for a puppy just repeat with taking outside after waking,after playing,after feeding and before bedtime. Use the same word and lots of praise.  If she responds to verbal praise keep at it! It's still always useful to keep a few liver treats in pocketsThe stuffed Kong is a good reward and toy for distraction and to use if popping out for five minutes.
Are you using a harness or lead? I 7sed to put mine on my boy and walk him up and down garden so he got used to the feel of it. We also used "come" " "wait" commands to in the garden before being able to walk.
I know some people prefer to get their puppy at 10+ weeks and say they seem more ready to leave? I've always had mine at 8 weeks, one at 7 weeks only due to breeders wedding commitment and I felt too young.

I wish you all lots of joy and fun with your new puppy.

Thank you

She is fantastic. We're very lucky.

We tried an ordinary collar and lead. We put it on her in the house about 10 minutes before we wanted to go out to let her get used to it. Except she thought it was a toy snd started to chew on it.

When it came to leave the house she stood at the door and whimpered. I was out of the door holding the lead encouraging her but she panicked and started backing up and whimpering. So i picked her up and took her out. In hindsight i know that was probably not a good idea. I just can't bear to see her distressed. It's like a maternal instinct. When one my children is scared or worried i hold them and reassure them. I find i am doing the same with pup. But i need her to be able to walk outside!

Attachment parenting is a difficult habit to break!! Lol