chris o Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 hi all. i am getting my new addition to the family and gun gear. a lovely 8 week old liver and white springer and i get him next week. and can not wait. just a few questions though. 1) i know most gun dogs should be kept outside but cos of the area we live he will be kept indoors and because i have 2 children in the house is there certain things i should tell them not to do or any thing? 2) with it being a pup what is the best thing to feed it on? i think when i lived at home i think my dad used to give them buiscets softend with water and some meat aswel would this be suitable? 3) what dummy should i use for it when it is old enough to be taught basic retrieves? any help you guys can give would be brilliant and be greatly recieved. thanks. chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 Tell the kids not to run about the house with it or they will end up standing on it.And tell them not to feed it scraps. I wold feed it on whateve it has been weaned on at the breeder for thefirst week till it settles in and then buy a good quality puppy food.Try and keep it on the plump side as opposed to lean while it is in the first 4- 5 month. Any tennis ball or the like will do in the house to teach it retrieving.I dont let mine have its dummy in the house. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mez75 Posted November 3, 2009 Report Share Posted November 3, 2009 Inside or outside doesn't really make much difference, a dog who lives outdoors will have a thicker coat though, all mine live indoors it doesn't make them soft & they go out all weathers. Don't allow children to play fetch or tug of war games with the pup as this can lead to problems with running in on retrieves & not releasing dummies/birds. As for the food give what the breeder has been feeding to begin with, a reputable breeder will give you some food or you can ask what they have been feeding & get some in advance, adding water to the food can help with pups but always have plenty of fresh water available, if you are going to change the food do so gradually 10% at a time this will take 10 days to completely change foods but helps avoid upset tummies, as with babies feed pups little & often rather than 1 or 2 big meals a day give 4 small ones to begin with. Get yourself some good books on training spaniels, I can recommend ones by Joe Irving Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris o Posted November 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 oh and also what whistle should i get? and what pitch or what ever it is graded by? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul@Ribchester Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 Chris, I have a Lab pup coming on Sunday, we have been to visit her at least once a week since she was three weeks old. She has been weaned on Beta Pups and milk and that's what we will continue to feed her. We got a 15kg bag the other day for £27....... She is going to live outside, in fact the kennel and run will be finished tomorrow morning, with an infra red lamp for the colder days. Anyway good luck and keep us posted. Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris o Posted November 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 is that cows milk or dog milk? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blackbart Posted November 4, 2009 Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 is that cows milk or dog milk? Where do you get your dog milk from ? :blink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris o Posted November 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 4, 2009 only asking cos you can buy cat milk so wanted to make sure. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul@Ribchester Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 Chris, I don't know what milk it is but the lady I'm getting our pup off said it was £30 for a tub! I will ask her, I think we are going later today. Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lister1 Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 for my new pup i used a small cotton glove to get her to retrieve inside the house (which she did the first day we got her). then once she got used to the idea i stuff one sock with cock pheasant feathers, one with hen feathers and one with mallard feathers. she now she retrieves outside no problems i mix the different socks about to keep her interested. don't get her to retrieve all the time because she will get bored. oh and we use the doggy choc drops as a treat when she gets it right. we feed her on pets at home own brand puppy feed soaked in a little water. the breeder i got her from introduced the pups to different feed so she has not had a bad tummy. our bitch is outside during the day when i'm not there but she sleeps in her crate in the house at night. also the tip on not playing tug of war with your pup is a good one. our pup (poppy) is a springer cross wiermaraner and she is great. we've only had her a couple of weeks and she is doing great. she retrieves, asks to go out to her stuff and she takes herself into her crate to sleep. she moaned a little when she went into her run the first time but has calmed down now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stamford Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 Hiya mate, we've just collected our Sprocker pup last weekend and also had the same issues as yourself. We've done so much homework you wouldnt believe !! We've stuck to the same food as the breeder started on ( Science Plan ) she seems to like it and has 4 small meals a day 2 soaked in water and 2 dry. Make sure you get the pup crate trained and if you have a big crate, put a divider in it so it only has sleeping room as you dont want them using a corner as a toilet area. So far so good as ours hasnt soiled the crate once There are plenty of gundog sites to check out ( pm me if you want them ), I've also got the book by Jo Irving but a simpler book to start I would recommend This, makes everything for a first timer very easy. I bought a 210.5 whistle which is what the Spanner workers use and you may want to get yourself a 1/2lb puppy dummy, we've also got one from ebay which is half covered with rabbit skin but we havent introduced that yet as she seems intent on chewing most things up at the moment. Our Sprocker ( 10 weeks ) loves retrieving a tennis ball and is very good at dropping aswell. We also have young children ( 10 & 5 ) and its very important to make sure the children dont get the pup excited or to play tug of war games, makes it very difficult in the long run We're going through the nipping and biting phase at the moment especially when she gets excited when she see's me and the kids, make sure the pup has calmed down before the kids start playing as it will nip as my kids have found out over the last few days Regards sleeping, every night we've had at home has been great but make sure they dont sleep too early, we keep ours awake as much as possible till about 22.30 and then she's put in the crate and we dont hear a sound till I'm up for work at 5.30 and she goes out in the garden. Good luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Delbert Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 is that cows milk or dog milk? Usually goats milk is recommended for pups due to the difficulty in placing a milking bucket under a spaniel Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stamford Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 is that cows milk or dog milk? I've been advised to stay away from the cows milk as its far too rich for the young pup but apparentley goats milk is good Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul@Ribchester Posted November 5, 2009 Report Share Posted November 5, 2009 Chris, Just got back from visiting Nettle. She is on full fat cows milk, just a little mixed in her beta puppy to soften it. Also having some tuna or chicken mixed in there occasionally. Cant wait till Sunday when we pick her up. All the best, Paul. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris o Posted November 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2009 hi all thanks for your advices really helped. i finally got to meet the dog today. and he is not the best looking springer i have seen not much of a saddle on it yet but he is my first dog and i am chuffed. if you could see me now i have the biggest smile you could ever imagine. the guy who is selling it to me said he is just feeding it on buiscuits softend with water and a bit of tinned meat. but for 190 quid i can not complain. i hope he is going to be a good little worker. yyyyyyyiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiipppppppppppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee. hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
varmintator Posted November 11, 2009 Report Share Posted November 11, 2009 Hi Chris, How are you mate great news about the dog, have you got her yet? hows tricks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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