Hi, I've not been around for a while but used this forum a lot when my dog was a pup. She is now 3.5 and is great - she has changed our lives and lifestyle completely, but we are now fully trained and life is pretty easy with her. I've wanted a second dog for at least two years but my husband kept saying it wasn't the right time. Out of the blue this week he told me that he had found a puppy that he thought was suitable. I didn't realise that he'd been looking for litters, but did a bit more research - it's another working cocker (the same as our current dog); the breeder is reputable, has both parents, it looks like a good mating, and the pup seems to be suitable for us. I agreed that we could go ahead with it - after all, I've been ready for a second dog for years! We've put down a deposit and my husband is going to see the breeder, parents and puppies this weekend but I'm in Scotland for the next few weeks for work so wouldn't see the pup until it's time to collect it (in 6 weeks - we'd pick it up at 12 weeks, at the breeder's preference). I'm now getting cold feet and I can't decide if that's because this really is a bad idea and we should call it off, or if it's just a normal freak out that will pass. In some ways this is the perfect time to get a puppy - I work at a university and have research leave this year so have a huge amount of flexibility with my time for the next 12 months. But in Nov-Dec I will be visiting another university (in the UK) - it's all booked and me, husband and current dog are all going. Practically, it's possible to make it work. The rental will accept multiple dogs for a small extra fee + larger deposit so we can just take the new puppy too. But it will mean a lot of changes in a short space of time: collect pup in early Oct, then after just 5 weeks for house-training etc we would be away in another city for 6 weeks, then Christmas and lots of driving and family visiting. But in January we would be back to normal and I would have another 9 months of research leave to settle the puppy into our lives and routine. Is it madness to think that this could work? Or is that too much change for a puppy in the early months? I really do want another dog and this pup seems ideal in lots of ways, but having waited so long I want to get it right for all of us (me, husband, current dog, puppy). Any thoughts/comments/advice very welcome - thank you!
