That's one reason I don't really wan a dog. I enjoy having my holidays. But it would not stop me if we did have a dog
Mate I had enough trouble getting the mrs to leave the guineau pigs! It's the mrs and kids that will say they can't leave the poor thing etc.
My family has always had dogs. Just not me since getting my family. We have always had rescue dogs or mongrels but since my mum got our lab noticed a big different with temperament and willing to learn. The dog not mum. Unsure why. And why I was looking at pure breeds and such like.
Right narrowed it down to .................... fecking drum roll............................... ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL which I like. A classic looking god like this Cavalier King Charles Spaniel the wife likes A few questions. What insurance do people use? and recommend? Mum used Pet plan and after her lab has a cyst at 18 months old it was worth having insurance Food dry? tinned? Tips? Only thing my daughter is fretting about is that we know of a good breeder mum got her lab from, But he has no litters due at the moment and she is finding it hard to wait for a few months
English springer spaniel , lovely dog , but remember Remal its a working dog , My mate has two , soft has a brush , but on the go all the time , Big garden , loads of walks , ...... If that's not for you then the other is perfect , Dry food always , , Pet plan good too . Just my opinion mate . .
it's not me picking the dogs just out of the 2 the wife and kids picked I liked the Springer. So in the end not me doing the walking or poo picking up, just the paying for the thing and thanks Barney for the info Bud
Of the two I'd choose the springer, but I dare say Remal it won't be long before it will be "your" dog. We feed ours food called Natural Instinct. It is a raw wet food and comes frozen in plastic tubs. We've found it makes the poo a lot easier to pick up, if you know what I mean. We use Pet Plan too and it is worth its weight in gold for pedigrees (inbred). Facebook can be a good source of info too. I have looked and there is some good info if you can find the group to look at. "I love springer spaniels" looks like a good one to look at. Barney is right, they are very energetic dogs and do require good exercise. and Unless you can find a reliable family dog sitter, you'll be holidaying in the UK and your dog will love it.
oh yes find a reliable breeder. You must see the mother too. Join one of the groups on Facebook and makes sure you ask questions, see who won the breed at crufts to get some idea of dog standards etc.
Stunning feedback. Tis is the place mum got ger lab and where I was looking at getting a dog from. Welcome to Countryways As for the holidays at home, mum will look after the dog as I'm hoping to get back to the USA next year or next 18 months.
We went on PetPlan as soon as we got Bert as when one of my old boys, Elwood went we tried all we could to save him to the tune of over £1500. Not that I begrudged it and would pay it again while crawling on broken glass if necessary. My experience of it is mixed. As a moggie, Bert has built in 'hybrid vigour' and he's a tough little bastard. Pure breeds can be a slightly different matter and get all kinds of invisible ailments. With Bert, it's been stitches. Over the years we could have done the Bayeux tapestry in thread with him and, oddly, the bill has always hovered around the excess, causing a shall we, shan't we dialogue that always gets PetPlan off the hook because of the embuggerance of claiming for the sake of a couple quid. The one time we had to have something major done for him was an overnighter for a teeth clean and check up under a general which cost a bomb but was not covered by his policy. Plus, as he gets older, the premium goes up every year. I've always paid more to insure him than the FireBlade. Honest.
Food depends on the individual dog. We used to feed our GWP dry food which she seemed to enjoy but never really devoured her food. Sometimes most of her breakfast would still be in her bowl in the afternoon. Occasionally we would have to resort to bribery to get her to eat it all. As an experiment we tried adding in a bit of wet food. My god the Dig transformed into a food monster. She now hassles me for her food and scoffs the lot down in a single bite lol. So she now has a decent quality dry food (IAMS) and some Pets at Home Worker Dog tinned food mixed in. A tin will normally last 3-4 days and because it is for Working Dogs it is VAT free. Give it a while and you will find out what the pooch likes.
very interesting reading that and sounds like mums dog with the dry food. add wet and he eats it all but saying that his weight has kept at 25kg for many years and the vets always been happy with him next question Bitch or Male? thinking Male as Bitch's monthly's? I've never had a female dog in my adult life so no idea if it makes a difference? other than the obvious
We had our female dog spayed to stop the monthly liking noises. After much deliberation we went for bitch (obviously). But I can't remember what our deciding factors were.
The springer is a hyperactive dog, always on the go, always wanting to please. They are very intelligent dogs and need lots of stimulation, they're not a dog you can leave at home for long periods either. Ours tore everything up, she needed 3-4 walks/runs a day too, she was also a one person dog. I'm not sure if you've had a dog before but maybe some obedience training would be helpful to you and your dog to get control and assert the pack leader. At the moment I feed my border collie and german shepherd on dry, working dog, food as it's a complete diet food. Insurance wise is all dependant on what level of cover but search the internet and insurance comparison sites. Just remember the saying "a dog is man's best friend"
Dog or bitch depends upon if you're going to breed the dog or not. If you get a dog with a good pedigree then you can stud him out without the mess and fear of the bitch being caught by another dog whilst in season. I got my border collie just as a pet so didn't bother with a pedigree which then saved me between £200-400. Personally both mine have been castrated/spayed.
We used to have 17 dogs , yes that's right , ( the most we could hold ) But we worked part time for a dog rescue centre , These dogs had 7 days life left or bring them to us ( which they always did ) We used to find homes for the dogs and always did , now we've stopped doing it We just have are own (4) ,and if I could start again I would never ever have a pedigree Dog again , a bloody pain in the arse always something wrong with them, only certain Food or it goes straight through her , you can do all the research you can/ want and You'll never really know how the breeding really is done , ( interbreed ) So choose wisely Remal , me I'd have a little jack Russell can't beat them ,
J and I were just having bladder failure at the thought of you taking home all the dogs on death row. Good on you, mate. See. I was right about John Russell's.
We've always had bitches in my family. But enough about my sister... No seriously - we've had bitches because they always seem calmer, more loyal - but I suspect a lot of that is down to the breed. My experience with male dogs have always been more trouble. Just my 2p.
Right last weekend went to see these at Countryway gundogs Welcome to Countryways where my mum got her lab. Went shopping today to get a few bits. Basically We can't get a dog for about 2 months as we have a holiday and dog sitting a few times for mum. so want a few months we can spend with puppy and give it out total attention Right got: Cage, sleeping mates toys Any suggestions on harness or lead? Thinking Halti are good? unsure on what size until we get the Dog. Most probably going to be a Springer. but possibly a Cocker. won;t know until we see Dave the breeder
