I'd thoroughly recommend Springers. Absolutely fantastic dogs, they're intelligent, lively, great with kids, very loving and unbelievably nutty. If you like walking for about 3 hours a day then that's the dog for you and the kids. I had a goldfish and took it to the vet because I thought it was epileptic, the vet looked at it and said " it looks pretty calm to me ". I said " wait till you take out the bowl "
Unfortunately we had to get our eldest Springer put down a couple of weeks ago, sadly he developed nasal cancer and went downhill very quickly. We're going to wait a couple of months to let the other one get over the trauma and then get another Springer, without a doubt the best dogs we've ever had.
Said the same to our lass this morning, it'll be fantastic at first then the novelty with wear off and muggins here will end up doing everthing, see what happens on sat
I'm not one for having pets in the house, but have recently relented to my 11 year old daughters pleadings and now have a couple of guinea pigs, and they are pretty cute..
This thread title is like a line from a crap spy film "The fish is dead now we want a dog." "Yes my uncle will be out until midnight."
Agreed. When we got our dog, it was the wife and kids that wanted one, and they said all sorts of promises that I'd not have to walk the dog, they'd do it all, etc, etc. I'd just have to agree they could have one, and I'd not be involved after that. Now, the kids just about manage to take her out into the garden for a play when they get home from school, and the wife comes on the odd walk on the weekends if there's a tea shop involved. Guess who gets up at 6:00 every day to give the dog a forty minute walk before anyone else in the house is even awake. However, the good thing is that I actually like doing it. The dog doesn't care what the weather is like, so it's a bugger when it's raining, but you just get your head down and get on with it. When the weather is good, it's great to be up and out when nobody is about. In winter you get to see the stars, and the sunrise, and in spring/summer you see deer in the fields and other stuff that you'd just never see otherwise. Go for it.
If they don't have a one you think you could cope with, ring around the others and ask what is available to save you wasted journeys. As for the "we will look after it Dad!" take with a pinch of salt, never going to happen. You are going to be the one does everything. The one good thing about this is the dog will love you more than them. I was thinking along the lines of "Allo Allo" "Good moaning!"
Lads are cheaper to get done. I've been told that if you get a bitch you should let have a litter of pups before you get her done. Beneficial to their long term health in some way, don't if that's bollocks though.
Nah thats true if you get a springer bitch they should have a litter before you have her spayed. It can mess up their hormones if they don't. Im going to find a stud dog for my bitch next year. Have got to find the right one though as my nutter is from a line of field trial champions that goes back 5 generations on her fathers side and has trial winners and champions on her mothers side. Theres a common misconception that springers should have long walks everyday. I cannnot stress enough how wrong this is especially when they are young. It will cause hip dysplasia. They require lots of mental stimulation but proper training will take care of that.
Agree 100% Staffies get bad press but reckon its just a few bad owners as every one I know of is a lovely beast, playful full of fun and gentle with kids and dogs.
