Evening everyone...

We recently lost our family dog a black lab/collie cross through a tumour on his spine...having had him for 12 years there has been a large hole in my life since he left....
We decided to look for a new dog ideally a springer as we have a 6 year old girl and lead a pretty active lifestyle, hillwalking, running, mountain biking etc...and realised the breed fitted in very well with this....but just hoping someone can reassure me that I havent made a huge mistake in an effort to please my wife and little one...
Springer puppies had been advertised in the local Pets at Home and we visited them tonight....all are around 3 weeks old. I had read all the bumf about hip checks, eyes etc and enquired with the owner of the dogs about this....we were able to see the parents which were 2 lovely well trained, and nice tempered dogs. This is the second litter the bitch had produced and all of the litter had been sold apart from the last two boys...a liver/tan and black/white.......He assured us that the dogs had no health problems, this was the 2nd litter after all and no issues had been raised with the previous litter and some dogs were in fact with friends and family. But he had no paperwork, or other information to hand regarding the health apart from the fact the parents were obviously in great health and no issues had been raised from previous litters. We decided again not sure if it was the right decision to take the 2 puppies that were left...they arent available for another 5 weeks and we left a deposit. My wife works part time we have a very large garden with purpose built run and kennels, as well as direct access to open woodland and rivers at the back of our property...am I mad in getting 2.....am I even madder for accepting the dogs on the basis of what history the owner has offered...
I wouldnt say he is a breeder as such......the parents are both family dogs and he just seems to be selling the litter....no huge sums of money involved either .....can anyone reassure me that the dogs will be fine judging by past history..???

thanks
Paul

Hi Paul and welcome to ST! Are you worried about getting getting 2 springers full stop or are you worried about where you are getting them from?

I only have 1 so my experience is very limited. They are wonderful dogs, but please do not under estimate the amount of exercise they need. They are very clever dogs (can't believe i just said that ) and need not only physical exercise but mental stimulation as well.

Someone with more experience no doubt will be along in a bit and give you advice regarding the health issues - so keep checking your post.

Good luck and enjoy the forum!

Sam and Angel

hi angel...thanks for the response...

I'm more worried about the health things to be honest......but it is a family we got them from not a breeder...so not sure if he should have all the paperwork anyway......?? I am just comforting myself in the knowledge that this is the second litter and there was absolutely no problems with any dogs from the first.....

as for getting 2 it was more of a general question.....have done obedience training before with Ted...but wondered how it would be with 2 springers...do I have to say everything twice....?? though watching them they do seem to copy one another...

Paul

If he has had any -*test*-('")s done on the dog and bitch, then he should have the paperwork - full stop. Sounds like no -*test*-('")s have been done and he is just saying everything is ok - of course that doesn't mean that it isn't, just the -*test*-('")s give a little more confidence.

On the topic of 2 pups, some people do it fine, others say they should never have done it - personal situation, attitude and preference I guess.

Hello and welcome.
To begin with, congratulations on your new pups.
I have had two pups together in the past, they were labs.
What I would recommend is taking them to obedience classes. You can go as a whole family. There will be expert help on hand, and you will enjoy it too.

As for "paperwork" Health wise they should at least have been wormed and had the basic puppy vaccinations by 8 weeks. There should be paperwork for this. If the parents are KC registered then the pups may be.
I would get them both to a vet as soon as you have them to get them checked over for general health and advice.
Get them insurred too, it can be expensive if they have an accident or become ill.
I am with healthy-pets.co.uk and they are very reasonable, but there is plenty of choice out there.
Finally, get them castrated when old enough. Vet will advise on this too.
Don't forget to post photos when you have them!

Hi there - I have two littermates (nearly 1 year now) ... and have found them to very rewarding... however, I don't have a six year old! - i have three kids, aged 13-18... the eldest has done hours of training over the months, and devotes about 5 hours a day to walking/playing/training them... I do believe that the amount of work they create.. ie washing, cleaning up, tidying up after, they are as much trouble as a toddler But that said, it has worked for us, and if you have the time and patience it could work for you too

Yes you have to do everything twice and everything separate, so they bond with you and not each other.

Please think carefully about getting two, its very very hard work and then some.

And then they may decide they just don't like each other

HI and welcome!!!

Sorry no advice really...I have never had a pup...but I do have three springers, I got sally and yoyo together but to be fair they were pretty well trained as they were older, Badger our newbie is not trained at all and I have struggled to find the time to work with him and entertain the other two and work at the same time I find the time, but let's just say I don't have much time to myself or my OH But I do love having more than one

Good luck!!!

Hi Paul

I am a member of a website called Puppy Love. Many of the members there have had puppies from sources similar to yours and have described their experiences, some of them really bad.

I would be suspicious of anyone who could not provide papers to prove the necessary -*test*-('")s had been done. You do not want to set yourself or your family up for heartbreak. There are so many genetic illness that can be passed on, and once the puppy is settled into the family, it's too late to complain. You might not be emotionally able to give the dog back.

So check out as much info as possible to enable you to make an informed choice. And don't be afraid to ask the names of several previous buyers to ask if they have had any problems. If he refuses, he is not as up front as he appears and may just be a hobby breeder.

And although tiny puppies are adorable, that stage is short lived. I promise you a young springer would give you just as much joy in your lives and you would not have to go through the puppy stage as much. Please consider it. You can always add to the pack once the first dog has settled in and bonded with you all.

As for two puppies, well we all have our own preferences on that one

I believe that with two tiny puppies together at the same time, they might bond more with each other, whereas a single puppy or dog is more likely to bond with the human. As Fuddles said, you might have to train them separately depending on what you want them to do.

But that is only my opinion. And I know many members on here have twins and have done extremely well. It's all a matter of preference.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

Cath x

I wouldn't reassure you everything was fine going by past history, health problems can crop up years in the future, also you have to ask your self, does some one who's bred one other litter really know what they're doing, and why would they breed another litter having already had one litter from they're pet

If I wanted to sell you a dodgy motor I wouldn't tell you that I'm selling it because it's cost me loads and has let me down loads of times

Take any thing any one tells you with a pinch of salt.

Hi,

Is it possible to speak to or see anyone who has bought a puppy from the previous litter? That may ease your fears. Health can never be guaranteed but the -*test*-('")s (and accompanying paperwork) do help. He should also be happy for you to speak to his vet if you were concerned.

Also if the puppies are docked they should have paperwork saying it has been done within the law and they would be microchipped before leaving the litter.

My Millie was bought from the brother of a friend who bred from his bitch as she was a well admired worker and (so far) she's been OK. This was about 5 years ago now and at that time I was less knowledgeable of -*test*-('")s and paperwork. Although she is KC Registered. She'll probably be my last puppy as I wouldn't now buy one, I would go for a rescue.

Hi and welcome.

I cannot really offer any advise on health checks as both mine are rescues and I've rehomed them with the knowledge that I have no knowledge of their history!!

I cannot deny it will be hard work with 2 but rewarding nevertheless! If you change your mind about these 2, however, there are plenty of pups in rescue/foster homes right now! Might be worth a look!

Deb

I can't advise regarding 2 pups, but i can with regards puppy and a 6 year old........ flaming hard work.

We deliberately got Alfie prior to the schools breaking up for summer thinking that i would be home more with a young pup. I have never had such a stressful 6 weeks.

Not only are you training the pup but you are also training the 6 year old, my son isn't the best behaved and the excitement of having a 4 legged friend to play with sent him completely loopy

Hi,welcome.

We did what you did basically, brought 2 boys from the same litter, although we actually brought them a few weeks apart. Have to say that it was bloody hard going for a few months, though to be fair if I had found this site whilst I was going through it like I was I now realise with hindsight there was alot we could have done to have made life easier for ourselves, but hey ho, I didnt know ST existed. Our boys came from what I would call a backyard breeder, whilst I havent had any specific health problem with them there is a bit of a question mark over Merlins hips. Dad was hip scored & eye -*test*-('")ed but mum wasnt.

Make sure you set time aside for each dog indiviually and make full use of the advice that is freely available on here is the best advice I can give. Oh and I dont have a six year old but I do have a 2 yr old and a 9 yr old.

And my family think Im nuts

edited to add, my 9 yr old was actually 6 when we got the boys and yes now and again she did get knocked over by them and the occasional nip. We did do our best to prepare her beforehand that little things like this may happen and she seemed to take it in her stride. Nowadays they are like conjoined triplets

Thanks for all the responses.....
I have read and took in your guidance...and have decided on the following course of action....
I will make an appointment at our vets first thing on the morning I am due to pick the pups up....and ask him to give them check over.....I'm not sure how they are examined for hips, eyes etc....but even a clean bill of health would do for now.....and I would hope the owner of the pups will let me do this before handing over the remainder of the payment...If when I suggest it he shys away from letting us do this then we will walk away......
I will also ask for some contact numbers from the people who bought from the first litter and speak to them regarding their dogs.....

In general though I am still excited about getting them...as far as training them with a six year old is concerned..it doesnt worry me as our daughter has been around dogs since she was born and at this early age understood the handling do's and dont's of our lab/collie..so she is just as excited about getting involved in training the new arrivals......we live in such a wonderful place here in Scotland on the borders of the National Park with miles upon miles of mountain tracks and rivers for my 2 new boys to tire themselves out....hopefully...

we are all busily picking names.....Charlie and Sam being the frontrunners at the moment...
the main reason we picked 2 dogs is my wife works part time....only 4 hours...and we thought that the brothers would be good company for one another...they will be in a large garden with kennels, run and shelter....space is not an issue for us..

thanks everyone for the warm response.....and I will let you know what happens when I speak to the owner...
appreciate your advice...