# About to become the owner of a crazy 6 month old springer spaniel bitch, help?



## hanalouise (Jul 27, 2011)

Hiya everyone,

My sisters springer spaniels had a litter of 6 puppies back in February. At that time i wasn't able to have one but my sister said to all the pups new owners that if they found for whatever reason they couldn't look after the pup to let her know, Well one lady has got in touch and said she needs to re home "Molly" as she cannot look after her properly and as my situation has changed i have said i will buy Molly from her.

Molly is a beautiful lovely dog but she is crazy, she is so hyper and she has only just been house trained,

I know that with a lot of work i can train her to be a very good well behaved dog, but i don't know if because i haven't had much to do with how she has been trained for the last few months whether she can make a come back if you get what i mean?

Any advice, tips, help or findings from your own experience would be very helpful!!


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## Pupcakes (Jun 20, 2011)

You'll definitely be able to train her. Can you contact her old owner and ask her some questions about her training and routines?

She's only young so can be re-trained, no problemo 

xxx


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## hanalouise (Jul 27, 2011)

I know the owner so we are going to meet up together before i have her.

She had been house trained, but shes not been trained on the lead,

i just want to train her to be calm? can i do that?

I also want to change her name, from Molly to Marley, they sound quite simaler so i think it would be quite easy


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## Pupcakes (Jun 20, 2011)

I think that a lot of the calmness will come with age, well it did for Dottie although she still runs around 10,000 miles and hour until I make her have a time out so maybe you can work on some calm time too. Like in a crate or cosy corner where she can relax.

But I think as long as she gets enough exercise and mental stimulation, she will have a good vent for her physical and mental energy.

Maybe its a good idea to write a list of questions to ask her previous owners just so you dont forget anything.

xxx


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

hanalouise said:


> Hiya everyone,
> 
> My sisters springer spaniels had a litter of 6 puppies back in February. At that time i wasn't able to have one but my sister said to all the pups new owners that if they found for whatever reason they couldn't look after the pup to let her know, Well one lady has got in touch and said she needs to re home "Molly" as she cannot look after her properly and as my situation has changed i have said i will buy Molly from her.
> 
> ...


She could well have had little to no training and not enough mental and physical stimulation and if shes just been house trained too, then I think its safe to assume that a lot of her problems are man made or have been made worse,
at 6mths too she will likely be having if not already big hormonal changes coming up, and be aproaching the stage where they begin to push boundaries and see what they get away with anyway, even ones that are well trained before and have a good foundation can go pear shaped at this stage.

If shes only just been toilet trained, then the upheaval and layout of your home thats likely different may cause a toileting set back, so I would take her straight out as soon as home to the garden, and do all the puppy naming for a toilet cue when she starts, praise and treats when she finishes, and take her out regularly for a day or two, until you know how reliable she actually is and to make sure she knows where to go and the layout of your house.

Personally I would decide on a structured routine for eating, exercise and training sessions, and stick to it, and get her to a decent training class as well asap, then keep up daily training sessions at home. As well as the basics I think I would invest in a long line too, and start straight away intensive recall training.
This is the age when recall can go wonky anyhow and if she wasnt taught a decent one before, and she gets into the habit of running off or doing what she wants, then its going to be an even bigger job. Also she has got to settle in and get to know you and become settled really anyway before I would trust going off even if her recall was solid before.

Im sure with a proper structure and training and if you start as you mean to go on she will be fine, just may be a little harder as the prime time when they are more dependant and eager to please has passed a bit.


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## Nataliee (Jul 25, 2011)

The calmest spaniels I have met are ones that are worked. She should calm down as she gets older but diet can play a part too i've just seen a spaniel go from bakers to arden grange and shes like a different dog now. Maybe take her to training classes or something to keep her brain stimulated?


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

hanalouise said:


> I know the owner so we are going to meet up together before i have her.
> 
> She had been house trained, but shes not been trained on the lead,
> 
> ...


Regarding the calmness, If you havent already I would think about getting a Kong, you can feed her some of her allowance adding some wet if she is on dry and bits of chicken or something to make it that bit more interesting, Kongs are great to keep them busy and wind down, Treat balls or toys you fill with kibble and set to distribute pieces here and there are good to, and a good supply of safe dog chews, chewing and things like the kong are good for winding them down and de-stressing.

Dont know how much access she has had to her previous owner on a daily basis, but I would build into her routine too, periods of rest with her kong or chews, preferably after a walk or training session and more likely to have got rid of excess mental and physical energy and be more likely to settle. I would start to leave her on her own while you are in for at least some of the time, just doing it for a few minutes to start with so she doesnt have time to be stressed,
you can then build it up gradually, leaving with no fuss, and returning with no fuss and even ignoring her for a few minutes before you give praise and attention. Done if short bursts from the start and as part of her routine, it should teach her leaving means you will always be back, and as its "routine" then you are less likely to have problems when you do have to leave her for longer periods as she will be used to it.


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## Andromeda (Nov 21, 2010)

Nataliee said:


> She should calm down as she gets older but diet can play a part too i've just seen a spaniel go from bakers to arden grange and shes like a different dog now.


That is good point. Good food is essential to have a calm dog. Any commercial brand is packed with corn (dogs can't digest it) and everything else but not meat. Dogs aren't guinea pigs. I recommend BARF feeding a dog raw food. More information you can find in that thread:

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-health-nutrition/154210-raw-feeding-diary.html


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## grandad (Apr 14, 2011)

Everybody has said it all pretty much and I agree with all thats been said. 
Structure, mental stimulation, exercise, rules, and good food with the right amount of protein. Always remain calm and be firm but fair. the dog will respect you for it. 
Get a good trainer, if your going down the gundog route, then get a gundog trainer. 
Recommend The Pet Gundog by Lez Graham. It's a good read and easy to digest.

Gundog Trainer Wiltshire | The Pet Gundog


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## bird (Apr 2, 2009)

I cannot really add anything different than what has been said. Apart from the routine for excerise etc, look at what food shes on. That can make a big difference alone to behaviour, Arden Grange and wainwrights are both good with my springer and cocker, however Burns made my cocker hyper.


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## hanalouise (Jul 27, 2011)

The girl im getting her from is giving me her cage and her bed.

I defiantly need to write a list of things to ask, thanks for the tip pupcakes

I know she has had no lead training at all, and i think she can sit but that is about it as far as im aware

I definatly like the sound of a routine, i only work 2 days a week and my mum who i live with has retired now so we should be able to get into a routine quite easily

Luckily she does know who i am as i was around from the day she was born untill she was 9 weeks old so maybe once she gets used to me again she will be fine

I bought a Kong today  hopefully she will like it

she was constantly around her owner but her owner couldnt walk her or play with her really so she was kinda left to entertain herself


Her current owner says that all food apart from wag upsets her stomach, but she was fed on wainwrights when we first started giving the pups food and she never had a problem with it then

what is the best type of food for a hyper dog?


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

hanalouise said:


> The girl im getting her from is giving me her cage and her bed.
> 
> I defiantly need to write a list of things to ask, thanks for the tip pupcakes
> 
> ...


Something thats only got natural listed ingrediants in, with no added, fillers, bulking agents or artificial preservatives or colourings. Also avoid super high protein levels. Some meats are only stated as chicken derivatives or whatever meat derivatives. For dry in the past and in fact mine still have it as breakfast Ive used James wellbeloved although some are not so keen on it Ive not had any problems. Another I did use in between thats good is the Natural Dog food company dried range The Natural Dog Food Company  where good health comes naturally that is hypoallergenic and is good for dogs with iffy stomachs and hyper activity.
Other more natural wet Ive used are Nature diet, Natures menu and Denes never had any problems with those.


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## bird (Apr 2, 2009)

hanalouise said:


> The girl im getting her from is giving me her cage and her bed.
> 
> I defiantly need to write a list of things to ask, thanks for the tip pupcakes
> 
> ...


Aw poor thing ever likely you discribe her as crazy, I think any dog young or otherwise would be a bit on the daft side with that scenario. 

Everyone will recommend a different food near enough.  However we all agree not to feed bakers/pedigree etc. On a personal level I feed either wainwrights or arden grange. Both suit my pair (1 springer 1 cocker) but whatever feed you use just remember to do the feed change gradule.


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## hanalouise (Jul 27, 2011)

I've taken her out twice now and have got her walking off the lead, walking well on the lead occasionally and fetching and bring back a ball. maybe she wont be as hard work as i thought.

Shes currently fed on wag, and my sisters dogs (her parents) are too, i think that im going to try to keep her on the wag but making sure shes getting lots of excersise, and if she doesnt calm down ill change her to wainwrights


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