Honest and helpful opinions welcomed please! LONG POST, BEWARE!
Here's our situation, myself and my husband bought a Springer Spaniel from a first-time hobby breeder (first mistake), 6 years ago. We were childless at the time, we did the research, Denver came from Working stock, with Field Trial Champions as his lineage and from Rytex/Badgercourt stock with a 5-generation pedigree and Hip Scored parents. He was a lovely, cheeky puppy who loved people. We took to dog owning like a couple of pro's (I'd longed for a dog as long as I can remember, and my husband grew up with Springers). Denver went to puppy socialisation classes, I did obedience and gun dog training with him, he came to the office where we all worked and was walked 4-6 times a day. He came on holidays with us and all seemed well for the first 6 months, before disaster struck. Denver became suddenly, completely blind in both eyes (I now know it was PRA), and that was the start of our demise...
Despite being advised by 2 vets to put him down, over the next 2.5 years we tried to help Denver with his condition. I did specialist training with a Police Dog Trainer, to learn new commands for blind dogs and help Denver not bump into everything. We 'scent-marked' the house and never moved furniture around. It didn't always work, Denver was constantly running headlong into things, drawing blood, hurting his head and scratching his corneas and he eventually became fearful of other dogs, new places and things. Family daytrips or holidays with the dog were now impossible, ordinary walks around the neighbourhood or parks were frought with obstacles and danger. He was by now a large (above average for a springer), strong and willful dog, and despite my best efforts to train him to walk on the lead, he often toppled over the pram and once pulled my shoulder out, requiring physio treatment. We moved house from a quiet culdesac (with a postage stamp for a garden) to a much bigger house with huge garden, but on a main road. We thought Denver would prefer the space outside, and he did (he hated being inside the house now, and fought us when we tried to bring him in) but I also think he found the new noises very frightening and would bark so much that we had a letter from the Council about noise pollution. We also had a toddler by this time, who was beginning to walk and would occasionally surprise Denver by touching him when he wasn't expecting it - Denver 'corrected' our little boy 3 times (drawing blood) before we started to consider he may need re-homing. He went from an outgoing and inquisitve puppy, to a fearful and anxious dog. It was absolutely heartbreaking to watch.
Finally we took the agonising decision to rehome him with NESSR, who were brilliant, non-judgemental and found him a loving forever home with an older, childless couple, who had another female Springer (would help Denver around the place) and lived on a farm in rural Wales. I believe in my heart Denver is happy where he is now, as he doesn't have to contend with the noise of a built up area or with young children.
3 years on, and we still think about the dog-shaped hole that this experience has left in our life. We never imagined we would re-home Denver - he was supposed to be the start of our family life together, and I know that our lives will not be complete without a furry friend to share it with. Now we have a 5 year old boy and a 2.5 year old girl, and 2 rescue guinea pigs who (although sweet in their own way) are not the same as having dogs! I am tentatively considering the possibility that we may be ready for another dog. I am a full time stay at home mum, we are an active family (I cycle the kids to nursery/pre-school every day) and there are so many parks and walks in the area that would be ideal to raise a dog in.
I have researched long and hard on breeds which are most suitable to family life, and recognise now that a Springer's from working stock would not have been an ideal choice in the first place. I have come to rest upon the Cockapoo (American specifically), for their characteristics, size, and good health (compared to pure breeds) and have started to research reputable breeders who do the right health testing.
My question is, given our history and experience, do people think we should have another attempt at owning another dog??
Here's our situation, myself and my husband bought a Springer Spaniel from a first-time hobby breeder (first mistake), 6 years ago. We were childless at the time, we did the research, Denver came from Working stock, with Field Trial Champions as his lineage and from Rytex/Badgercourt stock with a 5-generation pedigree and Hip Scored parents. He was a lovely, cheeky puppy who loved people. We took to dog owning like a couple of pro's (I'd longed for a dog as long as I can remember, and my husband grew up with Springers). Denver went to puppy socialisation classes, I did obedience and gun dog training with him, he came to the office where we all worked and was walked 4-6 times a day. He came on holidays with us and all seemed well for the first 6 months, before disaster struck. Denver became suddenly, completely blind in both eyes (I now know it was PRA), and that was the start of our demise...
Despite being advised by 2 vets to put him down, over the next 2.5 years we tried to help Denver with his condition. I did specialist training with a Police Dog Trainer, to learn new commands for blind dogs and help Denver not bump into everything. We 'scent-marked' the house and never moved furniture around. It didn't always work, Denver was constantly running headlong into things, drawing blood, hurting his head and scratching his corneas and he eventually became fearful of other dogs, new places and things. Family daytrips or holidays with the dog were now impossible, ordinary walks around the neighbourhood or parks were frought with obstacles and danger. He was by now a large (above average for a springer), strong and willful dog, and despite my best efforts to train him to walk on the lead, he often toppled over the pram and once pulled my shoulder out, requiring physio treatment. We moved house from a quiet culdesac (with a postage stamp for a garden) to a much bigger house with huge garden, but on a main road. We thought Denver would prefer the space outside, and he did (he hated being inside the house now, and fought us when we tried to bring him in) but I also think he found the new noises very frightening and would bark so much that we had a letter from the Council about noise pollution. We also had a toddler by this time, who was beginning to walk and would occasionally surprise Denver by touching him when he wasn't expecting it - Denver 'corrected' our little boy 3 times (drawing blood) before we started to consider he may need re-homing. He went from an outgoing and inquisitve puppy, to a fearful and anxious dog. It was absolutely heartbreaking to watch.
Finally we took the agonising decision to rehome him with NESSR, who were brilliant, non-judgemental and found him a loving forever home with an older, childless couple, who had another female Springer (would help Denver around the place) and lived on a farm in rural Wales. I believe in my heart Denver is happy where he is now, as he doesn't have to contend with the noise of a built up area or with young children.
3 years on, and we still think about the dog-shaped hole that this experience has left in our life. We never imagined we would re-home Denver - he was supposed to be the start of our family life together, and I know that our lives will not be complete without a furry friend to share it with. Now we have a 5 year old boy and a 2.5 year old girl, and 2 rescue guinea pigs who (although sweet in their own way) are not the same as having dogs! I am tentatively considering the possibility that we may be ready for another dog. I am a full time stay at home mum, we are an active family (I cycle the kids to nursery/pre-school every day) and there are so many parks and walks in the area that would be ideal to raise a dog in.
I have researched long and hard on breeds which are most suitable to family life, and recognise now that a Springer's from working stock would not have been an ideal choice in the first place. I have come to rest upon the Cockapoo (American specifically), for their characteristics, size, and good health (compared to pure breeds) and have started to research reputable breeders who do the right health testing.
My question is, given our history and experience, do people think we should have another attempt at owning another dog??
