(no subject)
I went to London 2 weeks ago and left Sparky with a dog sitter/trainer/rescuer/fosterer named Jess.
Jess has 9 Border Collie pups (a rescue girl managed a quickie with her boy before she managed to get either of them fixed). She's found homes for 6 of them but is being very, very picky and so still has three left looking for homes.
You can see where this is going, can't you?
She's after me to give one of them a home. She knows I clicker train, crate train, raw feed, speuter and am planning on getting a BC for agility one day. So she wants to know why not now?
And I'm considering it.
Sparky's just about to turn 2, which I think is a brilliant time to get a new pup. He's old enough to be trusted in almost any situation but still young enough to want to play. He's well trained enough that I can concentrate on the new pup.
I only have a couple of problems with the idea.
1: I'm currently working full time in a bar which means irregular hours and anything between 5 hour (10am till 3pm) to 9 hour (5pm till 2am) shifts. Yes, I do get a dinner break but it's towards the start of the shift (generally half 6 to half 7 which still leaves half 7 till 2).
2: My boyfriend would kill me.
OK, that second one isn't really a *proper* problem, so it's just the first one.
How do you guys who have full-time jobs cope with young pups? From September onwards I'll have a flatmate who is doggy-savvy so I could trust her to keep an eye on him whilst I'm not there but I can't until then. Normally I'd crate train, but you can't ask an 8 week old pup to hold it for 9 hours which would probably mean puppy pads, which I'm not keen on. I could maybe ask my neighbour to help, she'd gladly do it...
Ideas?
Also, are two dogs much more work than one? I know whilst little one is still young it will be but after that? bearing in mind that Sparky is high energy and highly intelligent anyway, so I'm used to finding ways to exercise mind and body. Jess says Sparky got on with them really well over the week he stayed with her.
I'm going to meet the three pups on Wednesday (Jess runs a social dog walk on Wednesdays that I take Sparky to occasionally) and see how I feel then. My current frame of mind is that I may see if Jess will let me take one on a "trial" period so that I can see how well having a pup would fit in with my schedule and with Sparky and the bunnies. Does that sound like a good idea? I'm just worried that once I take one into my home I wouldn't want to let it go again, whether it's working out or not.
And, just so you can see what cuteness I'm up against here, the pups can be found here: http://dundeedogtrainer.co.uk/12.html
The three still without homes are Striven, Ossian and Treig.
Comments please! I need help!
Jess has 9 Border Collie pups (a rescue girl managed a quickie with her boy before she managed to get either of them fixed). She's found homes for 6 of them but is being very, very picky and so still has three left looking for homes.
You can see where this is going, can't you?
She's after me to give one of them a home. She knows I clicker train, crate train, raw feed, speuter and am planning on getting a BC for agility one day. So she wants to know why not now?
And I'm considering it.
Sparky's just about to turn 2, which I think is a brilliant time to get a new pup. He's old enough to be trusted in almost any situation but still young enough to want to play. He's well trained enough that I can concentrate on the new pup.
I only have a couple of problems with the idea.
1: I'm currently working full time in a bar which means irregular hours and anything between 5 hour (10am till 3pm) to 9 hour (5pm till 2am) shifts. Yes, I do get a dinner break but it's towards the start of the shift (generally half 6 to half 7 which still leaves half 7 till 2).
2: My boyfriend would kill me.
OK, that second one isn't really a *proper* problem, so it's just the first one.
How do you guys who have full-time jobs cope with young pups? From September onwards I'll have a flatmate who is doggy-savvy so I could trust her to keep an eye on him whilst I'm not there but I can't until then. Normally I'd crate train, but you can't ask an 8 week old pup to hold it for 9 hours which would probably mean puppy pads, which I'm not keen on. I could maybe ask my neighbour to help, she'd gladly do it...
Ideas?
Also, are two dogs much more work than one? I know whilst little one is still young it will be but after that? bearing in mind that Sparky is high energy and highly intelligent anyway, so I'm used to finding ways to exercise mind and body. Jess says Sparky got on with them really well over the week he stayed with her.
I'm going to meet the three pups on Wednesday (Jess runs a social dog walk on Wednesdays that I take Sparky to occasionally) and see how I feel then. My current frame of mind is that I may see if Jess will let me take one on a "trial" period so that I can see how well having a pup would fit in with my schedule and with Sparky and the bunnies. Does that sound like a good idea? I'm just worried that once I take one into my home I wouldn't want to let it go again, whether it's working out or not.
And, just so you can see what cuteness I'm up against here, the pups can be found here: http://dundeedogtrainer.co.uk/12.html
The three still without homes are Striven, Ossian and Treig.
Comments please! I need help!