Springer Spaniel Pup - Advice Required General Chat

Hi All

I take delivery of a lovely little springer spaniel pup in two weeks (Mid-June) and would appreciate any kind of advice or guidance that can be offered from you all...

It is the first time I have had a pup so any advice would be appreciated.

hey,

i also have a springer. little tips, dont walk too far too fast. as there little their bones need to develop. start training off early, the earlier the better. puppy classes are brilliant if you want to get them well socialised. toilet training is a nightmare but it will pass so just be patient with them lol. i wanted to give my pup away after a week because of the toilet training. but she finally got it after 2 weeks and never has any probs now.

enjoy your time with him/her. oh and as im having this prob, its prob best to lead train the dog first before off lead training.

you will have to post pics when you get him/her hehe, cant wait to see it

Read up about the breed and incorporate games in the home/on walks that will give them the stimulation they would have if they were working. Remember that long walks aren't enough, they need mental stimulation too. Practice recall and heel from day one and DO NOT give up until it is 100%. Set clear boundaries. Always stay one step ahead and give your dog what you yourself would expect/want (in terms of nuture).

Oh, and remember to post some pictures asap ;o)

When you say take delivery do you mean you are collecting the pup or it's being delivered?

No I have seen the dog, on several occasions and I will be picking him up in person...

Indeed me and the family are off to see him this morning, watch this space for pictures later today

Oh and by the way - when I stated mid june in my original post - It was supposed to read mid July... 18th to be precise... 13 days and counting...

simple start as ypou mean to go on, recall and lead walking from day oone, don't be afraid to let puppy off, trust me he won't run off they need you too much at that age, choose one method for lead walking and stick to it, mostly have fun, they are highly addictive

That's ok then Looking forward to pictures

Fudge now appears on the left next to my username - aint he a cutie )

he will probably be lonely at nights when you first get him home. Do Not Give in!!! if he howls at night, even if heartbreaking, do not give in to him. start as you mean to go on. our Bodhi (springer) whined/howled for 2 weeks at night time. we, with difficulty, ignored him. he is 2 years old now, no problems settling at night.
as with earlier answers; mental stimulation, when he is bigger; ball games, frisbee etc etc oh and be prepared for lots of soggy doggy, springers love water!!!!!
good luck, lots of pics please

Agree with the night time but strongly urge you get a crate for him and have him in there in your room for day (night) one. It will become your best friend.

He looks great btw. Is he pedigree from accredited breeders and health checked? I made the mistake of assuming accreddited breeder meant health checks and they don't. My little chap now has mild MRD.

Everyone has given you great advice - I would also add that it would be good to start looking round for a good puppy class now. The good ones often limit the puppies on the course and will be quite booked up. Go round and look at a few locally, make sure you like the methods and the trainers.

With springers my advice is ..... Never challenge the dog - when he steals something (as he is a springer!) either ignore or swap it try never to chase him or make it into a game that he has stolen something.

And (as with all dog training) be consitant...decide what the rules are now re furniture/upstairs/jumping up etc and STICK to them!

oh....and above all...Have fun
(Can;t wait to see pics )

Puppy class all lined up, and even better new class starts when he is 12 weeks, so all seems to be falling into place nicely...
One other thing - anybody give advice on the best pet insurance ? Have shopped around a bit and there appears to be no end of providers - anybody had any recommendations ?

Awww the pup looks totally adorable. cant wait for more pics, im springer mad lol

lots of other threads on here about insurance.... but we are with "healthy pets", good price, just depends on what you require and can afford, get some quotes and read the small print. you will need a policy that covers ongoing illnesses.

What does a puppy need?

A crate. It is only natural that a puppy resists its crate at first. What the puppy wants more than anything else is to be others, you, anyone else in the household, and any other pets. In our modern society, even if we are home, other things distract us from the attention an uncrated puppy must have. The only real solution is to crate the dog when you aren't around. The dog may be happier in its den than loose in the house. It relaxes, it feels safe in its den. It rests, the body slows down reducing the need for water and relieving its self. Dogs that have been crated all along do very well. Many of them will rest in their crates even when the door is open. Skip the bedding. At first it gets wet, and later it can be chewed into choking hazards. A wire rack in the bottom will help keep the puppy up out of accidents at first. They are available with the crates, but a piece of closely spaced wire closet shelving from a home supply place is cheaper. I think the plastic ones give the dog more of a safe, enclosed den feeling. Metal ones can be put in a corner or covered with something the dog can't pull in and chew. Select a crate just big enough for the full grown dog to stretch out in. At bed time, with a new puppy, I have found lying down in front of the crate like you were going to sleep and speaking softly to it, or singing, until it settles down and goes to sleep works very well. Follow the pattern, a period of active play, outside to eliminate, and then into the crate.

Chew toys. The pet stores are full of toys that many dogs will quickly chew up into pieces they could choke on or cause intestinal blockages. If you are not there to watch, stick to sturdy stuff such as Nylabones and Kongs. Keep a close eye on chew toys and quickly discard anything that is coming apart in pieces. Rawhide is especially bad because it swells after being swallowed. These problems are the worst with, but not limited to, large, aggressive chewers such as Labs.

Food. Find out what the breeder is feeding. If it is dry chow you can buy readily, I would stick with it until the dog is 4 months old, at that time switching to a dry adult chow. If not, try to have the breeder give you a few days supply to use making a gradual change to a dry puppy chow.

Dishes. Empty plastic food containers are good enough. If you want something nicer, buy the spill proof? ones. I have found them at Big Lots.

A collar and leash. You should stay with a flat fabric or leather collar until your puppy is 5 months old. Then you can go with the metal slip collar with the rings on each end. Otherwise you could damage its windpipe. Put it on like this for the usual dog on the left position. Pull the chain through the one ring forming a"P". Facing the dog, slip it over its head. The free end comes over the neck allowing the other end to release pressure when the leash is slack. A five month old's head will still grow some. If you buy one that easily goes over the head, it still should come off leaving the ears when the dog finishes growing. I start the puppy out with a metal leash and switch to a leather one after the worst of the chewing is over and I need more control.

A name, try http://www.lowchensaustralia.com/names/petnames.htm#1 and http://www.cat-dog-names.com/

A brush. Start the puppy with a bristle brush. They don't shed much at first, and the bristle brush will remove dirt and help control odor. When shedding becomes a problem later, switch to a slicker brush with the wire teeth.

The number of a vet. It is very hard to evaluate them. Dogs need more medical care than in the past. Many new problems are wide spread.

A book. Any book is better than none at all. I like the Monks of New Skete and their The Art of Raising a Puppy, ISBN 0-316-57839-8.

Obedience training. A good obedience class or book is about you being top dog, not about rewarding standard commands with a treat. Start obedience training the day you get the dog. Build on the foundation of housebreaking. The younger the puppy, the shorter you must keep sessions, only a few repetitions at a time. A few minutes here and there, and by the time the puppy is 4 months old, people will be impressed with what a nice dog it is.

A Dogsey bookmark so you can come back for help as needed.

I didn't forget treats, shampoo, and bedding. I seldom use them.

I cannot agree with this. He is just a baby, away from his mum and siblings for the first time in his short life. Of course he is lonely, poor little mite. To abandon him and "not give in" is simply cruel.

Take his crate up to your bedroom and talk to him if he cries. He will soon be happy and you can gradually move the crate to where you eventually want him to sleep.

This is not spoiling him, it is kind common sense.

common sense prevails please.... we did not abandon him, we just had family ground rules so as not to spoil the new puppy and set up bad habits for the rest of his life. we wanted our dog to be used to sleeping in the kitchen, with his bed, toys etc (and our older dog)......not at the foot of our bed...

I tend to be of the mind - I would prefer we start as we mean to continue, realistically I do not want him upstairs in the house, meaning the bedrooms are out of bounds - hence I think we will be trying to stick with the kitchen being his bedroom... oh well I suppose the little feller will get used to this soon enough... time will tell

I agree entirely, neither do I. My dogs have and do sleep in the kitchen every night without a murmour.

They do, however, start off in a gentle manner which suits them very well.

Perhaps it will seem less cut and dried when he is howling the place down at 3am for the 4th night in a row.....:?