HarveyHeaven Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 well we have pondered over whether or not to get a dog for several years. We have decided to go for a puppy. After a great deal of research we have settled on a miniture poodle. So, at the moment we are in Spain, we have a house in Barcelona and a flat in Roses and they needed some attention...we have the builders in at the mo... so we're spending the winter here until mid February. (I much prefer the motorhome it's a lot easier to maintain) :D Now then perhaps those of you with loads of doggie experience can advise. We get home mid Feb. I would like a puppy as soon as possible when we get back as we intend coming back to Spain in the motorhome at the beginning of June. So I'm on a couple of mini poodle breeders waiting lists. I'm not sure how soon after birth people are allowed to see the puppies? There's no point, I think, in expressing an interest if I'm not there to go see and choose the puppy... so should I wait until I get home? or should I express an interest in puppies born say at the beginning of February in the hope that there will be a choice when we get home on 20th Feb? If my callculations are correct we would need to have the puppy by the end of March to be able to get away for the beginning of June....unless of course (Heaven forbid) there is a 'cliff edge Brexit' when life with a dog (and without) would become much more complicated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirou Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 Depends on the breed but in some cases you might have to reserve a dog years in advance. How soon you're allowed to see them largely depends on the breeder but I don't see a point in doing so before at least 4 weeks old. On a lighter note... why having a dog in a MH is sometimes a bad idea (yes, Daily Mail but just trust me) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6587795/Dog-accidentally-puts-owners-RV-reverse-sends-lake.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 Go on the Kennel Club website. There should be details of approved Poodle Breeders, it could widen your choice if you have a limited time period to obtain one. We organised a Poodle Pup for the Wifes Cousin from a local Breeder and Exhibitor. The Wife is not here at the moment but I will quiz her later and see if anything might be available for you to see. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyHeaven Posted January 17, 2019 Author Share Posted January 17, 2019 Thanks for that...I'm on the KC Breeders list so am informed whenever there are new puppies. I'd be interested to hear where you got your puppy though as we are prepared to drive any distance to get a puppy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trialsrider Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 Go down the local dog shelter and give one of the unlucky inhabitants a new life. They have dogs of all ages from pups to old chaps who just need love. Check out the dogs trust website. Getting a pedigree dog isn't always best. Just my opinion but I feel crossbreeds have fewer abnormalities and congenital defects than their pedigree counterparts. It's rescue dogs all the way for me !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyHeaven Posted January 17, 2019 Author Share Posted January 17, 2019 spirou - 2019-01-17 2:43 PM Depends on the breed but in some cases you might have to reserve a dog years in advance. How soon you're allowed to see them largely depends on the breeder but I don't see a point in doing so before at least 4 weeks old. On a lighter note... why having a dog in a MH is sometimes a bad idea (yes, Daily Mail but just trust me) https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6587795/Dog-accidentally-puts-owners-RV-reverse-sends-lake.html Thank you for this information, but I suspect it is no worse an idea than having kids in a motorhome :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyHeaven Posted January 17, 2019 Author Share Posted January 17, 2019 trialsrider - 2019-01-17 7:06 PM Go down the local dog shelter and give one of the unlucky inhabitants a new life. They have dogs of all ages from pups to old chaps who just need love. Check out the dogs trust website. Getting a pedigree dog isn't always best. Just my opinion but I feel crossbreeds have fewer abnormalities and congenital defects than their pedigree counterparts. It's rescue dogs all the way for me !!! Yes, we thought long and hard about a rescue dog versus a puppy but in the end we've decided on a puppy. We use e-bikes so our puppy will need to be trained to ride in a basket on the bike...much easier to train a puppy :-D I'm sure you're right about pedigree versus crossbreeds but we've decided on a poodle because they are minimal shedding, very intelligent and they need a fair bit of exercise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crocs Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 You will also need to watch timings if you plan to leave early June. A puppy must be at least 15 weeks old to travel abroad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keithl Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 HH, It has been a few years since we got our Chocolate Lab as a puppy but from memory they have to be at least eight weeks old before they can be removed from the mother and then are not allowed anywhere any other dog has been for another four (or maybe eight) weeks, and definitely not until they have had all the initial vaccines. Ask a breeder or vet for more information to confirm your timing but I think it may be very tight to go away so soon. Keith. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyHeaven Posted January 17, 2019 Author Share Posted January 17, 2019 Thanks, yes I've done loads of research and I know they have to be very sheltered until they have had all their vaccinations. I just hope we can find our puppy very soon after we get home in February...if not we'll have to postpone our trip until she is ready to travel. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyHeaven Posted January 17, 2019 Author Share Posted January 17, 2019 crocs - 2019-01-17 9:04 PM You will also need to watch timings if you plan to leave early June. A puppy must be at least 15 weeks old to travel abroad. 15 weeks....that's really helpful information....thanks a lot :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
747 Posted January 17, 2019 Share Posted January 17, 2019 HarveyHeaven - 2019-01-17 9:35 PM crocs - 2019-01-17 9:04 PM You will also need to watch timings if you plan to leave early June. A puppy must be at least 15 weeks old to travel abroad. 15 weeks....that's really helpful information....thanks a lot :-D You would need a Puppy born around February 22nd to 25th by my calculations to be 15 weeks old when you leave the UK. Have you thought about something like a Cockerpoo, a Cavapoo or the Bichon Frise/Poodle cross (I forget the name). They are all active, intelligent and friendly. Just suggesting alternatives in case it is not working out for a Poodle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyHeaven Posted January 18, 2019 Author Share Posted January 18, 2019 747 - 2019-01-17 10:24 PM HarveyHeaven - 2019-01-17 9:35 PM crocs - 2019-01-17 9:04 PM You will also need to watch timings if you plan to leave early June. A puppy must be at least 15 weeks old to travel abroad. 15 weeks....that's really helpful information....thanks a lot :-D You would need a Puppy born around February 22nd to 25th by my calculations to be 15 weeks old when you leave the UK. Have you thought about something like a Cockerpoo, a Cavapoo or the Bichon Frise/Poodle cross (I forget the name). They are all active, intelligent and friendly. Just suggesting alternatives in case it is not working out for a Poodle. Hi Jim, yes we have thought about those but have decided to go for the poodle...though we were tempted by the Cockerpoo. If we can't get a poodle born end of February then we'll leave it until later in the year. We've got kids and grandkids coming to Spain from the States in June so we have to be here to get them sorted. We woulld have to leave getting our puppy until after we got back in July/August. Of course, I'd much prefer to get it now but if we can't we can''t. The other consideration is Brexit if there is a cliff edge which is looking more likely by the day, sadly, then we couldn't bring the dog anyway as I believe the whole situation changes and 4 months or so is required in order for tests to be undertaken.....so we'll see. I shall get the dog anyway as we may not know about Brexit until 28th March >:-) one of us would then have to fly over for grandkids as I wouldn't want to leave a puppy so young with anyone even my daughter. Thank you so much for this chat and for working out the dates for me it has been really helpful and I so value your input :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StuartO Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 If you have no previous experience of dogs there is a lot to be said for starting with an older dog, so you don't have the challenge, initially, of coping with puppyish behaviour, like chewing things (including furniture) and toilet training from scratch. Our first dog was a puppy from a breeder and it worked out well but as we've got older we've enjoyed getting older dogs, usually rescue dogs. A bitch about 2-4 years old would be a safe bet. I have seen people keeping three or more big dogs, sometimes in remarkably small motorhomes and clearly they manage but two Dalamtians has been plenty for us, even in a bigish Hymer. Out dog was getting on at nine, so we decided a copanion was due and we thought of getting a smaller breed this time but then a sob story cropped up and we ended up with a Dalmatian puppy, who has been a bit of a handful. Good luck! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pottypam Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 Your time scale is really very tight, especially with the uncertainty over Brexit. As this is your first dog, are you really aware of how much work a puppy involves? Feeding several times a day, toilet training, etc. If you do find one, make sure you see the puppy with its mother and check out the conditions the dogs are kept in, even some KC registered breeders are not as good as they could be. The breeder should have the puppy microchipped before sale. Make sure it is chipped to you as soon as possible. You will also need to get an identity tag for its collar, with your contact details. As you will be taking it to Spain, make sure any phone nos include the UK international STD code. Consider very carefully how your pup will travel in the MH. It needs to be secure and not able to interfere with the driver. If you have more than two travel seats this should be no problem (check out the options online). Otherwise, it can be a more difficult. For such a young puppy, a crate would be the best solution but it would need to be secured. Also, how are you intending to travel back to Europe. Many dog owners prefer to use the Tunnel as you and the dog stay in the vehicle. Leaving a puppy in the MH on a ferry would be very scary for it. Having dogs in a MHcan be great. You certainly get to talk to more people and explore more areas. Good luck. Hope you have many years with your dog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyHeaven Posted January 18, 2019 Author Share Posted January 18, 2019 Thank you ever so much for this information. I have had dogs before but it's a while ago and never with the motorhome. I'm anticiating the puppy stuff so feel as prepared as one can be for puppy behaviour. Our house will be pretty puppy proof as we have grandchildren who get up to nearly as many antics :-D I'm a cognitive behavioural psychologist by profession so I'm quite looking forward to the training part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyHeaven Posted January 18, 2019 Author Share Posted January 18, 2019 StuartO - 2019-01-18 8:58 AM If you have no previous experience of dogs there is a lot to be said for starting with an older dog, so you don't have the challenge, initially, of coping with puppyish behaviour, like chewing things (including furniture) and toilet training from scratch. Our first dog was a puppy from a breeder and it worked out well but as we've got older we've enjoyed getting older dogs, usually rescue dogs. A bitch about 2-4 years old would be a safe bet. I have seen people keeping three or more big dogs, sometimes in remarkably small motorhomes and clearly they manage but two Dalamtians has been plenty for us, even in a bigish Hymer. Out dog was getting on at nine, so we decided a copanion was due and we thought of getting a smaller breed this time but then a sob story cropped up and we ended up with a Dalmatian puppy, who has been a bit of a handful. Good luck! Thank you ever so much for this information and for your good wishes. I have had dogs before but it's a while ago and never with the motorhome. I'm anticiating the puppy stuff so feel as prepared as one can be for puppy behaviour. Our house will be pretty puppy proof as we have grandchildren who get up to nearly as many antics :-D I'm a cognitive behavioural psychologist by profession so I'm quite looking forward to the training part. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyHeaven Posted January 18, 2019 Author Share Posted January 18, 2019 pottypam - 2019-01-18 10:36 AM Your time scale is really very tight, especially with the uncertainty over Brexit. As this is your first dog, are you really aware of how much work a puppy involves? Feeding several times a day, toilet training, etc. If you do find one, make sure you see the puppy with its mother and check out the conditions the dogs are kept in, even some KC registered breeders are not as good as they could be. The breeder should have the puppy microchipped before sale. Make sure it is chipped to you as soon as possible. You will also need to get an identity tag for its collar, with your contact details. As you will be taking it to Spain, make sure any phone nos include the UK international STD code. Consider very carefully how your pup will travel in the MH. It needs to be secure and not able to interfere with the driver. If you have more than two travel seats this should be no problem (check out the options online). Otherwise, it can be a more difficult. For such a young puppy, a crate would be the best solution but it would need to be secured. Also, how are you intending to travel back to Europe. Many dog owners prefer to use the Tunnel as you and the dog stay in the vehicle. Leaving a puppy in the MH on a ferry would be very scary for it. Having dogs in a MHcan be great. You certainly get to talk to more people and explore more areas. Good luck. Hope you have many years with your dog. Thank you for these very helpful comments. Brexit is a problem but then we have no control over what happens there and it will affect us whatever we do!!! I have had dogs before for many years but it has been some time since we had our last dog which was a Bassett Hound. Yes, I'm very aware of the needs of a puppy and have decided that for us this is what are happy to do. I intend buying from a KC registered breeder or a Champdog breeder where all those formalities are in place both health and registration wise. We would expect to see our puppy with her mum and siblings in her home and to receive all the appropriate documentation in relation to her pedigree. I completely agree about the safety of the puppy in travel....she will be crate trained from the beginning. We have 5 belted seats in our motorhome only 2 are in use. We usually use the tunnel and with a young puppy we wouldn't travel any other way. We difinitely would not to leave her for hours alone in a kennel on a ship. Yes, I am really looking forward to the social side of owning a dog again :-) Thank you for your good wishes :-) :-) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yoko8pups Posted January 18, 2019 Share Posted January 18, 2019 HarveyHeaven - 2019-01-18 6:47 AM 747 - 2019-01-17 10:24 PM HarveyHeaven - 2019-01-17 9:35 PM crocs - 2019-01-17 9:04 PM You will also need to watch timings if you plan to leave early June. A puppy must be at least 15 weeks old to travel abroad. 15 weeks....that's really helpful information....thanks a lot :-D You would need a Puppy born around February 22nd to 25th by my calculations to be 15 weeks old when you leave the UK. Have you thought about something like a Cockerpoo, a Cavapoo or the Bichon Frise/Poodle cross (I forget the name). They are all active, intelligent and friendly. Just suggesting alternatives in case it is not working out for a Poodle. Hi Jim, yes we have thought about those but have decided to go for the poodle...though we were tempted by the Cockerpoo. If we can't get a poodle born end of February then we'll leave it until later in the year. We've got kids and grandkids coming to Spain from the States in June so we have to be here to get them sorted. We woulld have to leave getting our puppy until after we got back in July/August. Of course, I'd much prefer to get it now but if we can't we can''t. The other consideration is Brexit if there is a cliff edge which is looking more likely by the day, sadly, then we couldn't bring the dog anyway as I believe the whole situation changes and 4 months or so is required in order for tests to be undertaken.....so we'll see. I shall get the dog anyway as we may not know about Brexit until 28th March >:-) one of us would then have to fly over for grandkids as I wouldn't want to leave a puppy so young with anyone even my daughter. Thank you so much for this chat and for working out the dates for me it has been really helpful and I so value your input :-D A good breeder will have done health testing for the genetic diseases that poodles are prone to. Some one breeding a mongrel will almost certainly not have done all the necessary testing on both parents and you double up on the chance of joint problems and immune diseases. Stick with a pedigree if you have decided against a rescue. I have seen a huge variety of sizes in crossbred dogs and you might fall in love with one that grows out of the bike basket! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyHeaven Posted January 18, 2019 Author Share Posted January 18, 2019 yoko8pups - 2019-01-18 12:05 PM HarveyHeaven - 2019-01-18 6:47 AM 747 - 2019-01-17 10:24 PM HarveyHeaven - 2019-01-17 9:35 PM crocs - 2019-01-17 9:04 PM You will also need to watch timings if you plan to leave early June. A puppy must be at least 15 weeks old to travel abroad. 15 weeks....that's really helpful information....thanks a lot :-D You would need a Puppy born around February 22nd to 25th by my calculations to be 15 weeks old when you leave the UK. Have you thought about something like a Cockerpoo, a Cavapoo or the Bichon Frise/Poodle cross (I forget the name). They are all active, intelligent and friendly. Just suggesting alternatives in case it is not working out for a Poodle. Hi Jim, yes we have thought about those but have decided to go for the poodle...though we were tempted by the Cockerpoo. If we can't get a poodle born end of February then we'll leave it until later in the year. We've got kids and grandkids coming to Spain from the States in June so we have to be here to get them sorted. We woulld have to leave getting our puppy until after we got back in July/August. Of course, I'd much prefer to get it now but if we can't we can''t. The other consideration is Brexit if there is a cliff edge which is looking more likely by the day, sadly, then we couldn't bring the dog anyway as I believe the whole situation changes and 4 months or so is required in order for tests to be undertaken.....so we'll see. I shall get the dog anyway as we may not know about Brexit until 28th March >:-) one of us would then have to fly over for grandkids as I wouldn't want to leave a puppy so young with anyone even my daughter. Thank you so much for this chat and for working out the dates for me it has been really helpful and I so value your input :-D A good breeder will have done health testing for the genetic diseases that poodles are prone to. Some one breeding a mongrel will almost certainly not have done all the necessary testing on both parents and you double up on the chance of joint problems and immune diseases. Stick with a pedigree if you have decided against a rescue. I have seen a huge variety of sizes in crossbred dogs and you might fall in love with one that grows out of the bike basket! Yes indeed I would steer well clear of any breeder who could not show me certificates pertaining to the health of the puppy..... One of the propblems with the cross breeds is that you never quite know what size they will be and I was a bit concerned about the shedding also as it depends on how much of the non poodle breed there is in the cross breed....so all in all I thought the pure poodle was the best way to go.......We really don't want it to grow out of the bike basket.....ever :-D (lol) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rayjsj Posted January 22, 2019 Share Posted January 22, 2019 Keithl - 2019-01-17 9:21 PM HH, It has been a few years since we got our Chocolate Lab as a puppy but from memory they have to be at least eight weeks old before they can be removed from the mother and then are not allowed anywhere any other dog has been for another four (or maybe eight) weeks, and definitely not until they have had all the initial vaccines. Ask a breeder or vet for more information to confirm your timing but I think it may be very tight to go away so soon. Keith. Ha Ha, you would need a sidecar on an E-bike to take our Labrador on it. Dont think a basket would do it..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyHeaven Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 Rayjsj - 2019-01-22 11:30 PM Keithl - 2019-01-17 9:21 PM HH, It has been a few years since we got our Chocolate Lab as a puppy but from memory they have to be at least eight weeks old before they can be removed from the mother and then are not allowed anywhere any other dog has been for another four (or maybe eight) weeks, and definitely not until they have had all the initial vaccines. Ask a breeder or vet for more information to confirm your timing but I think it may be very tight to go away so soon. Keith. Ha Ha, you would need a sidecar on an E-bike to take our Labrador on it. Dont think a basket would do it..... (lol) (lol) (lol) (lol) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheFrenchConnection Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 A rescue dog for us everytime...please don't buy a dog when there are so many looking for good homes. Even if you want a specific breed there are many breed-specific rescue centres. Our current Yorke-Cross travels everywhere with us and is going to get a new companion when we get home again in March - and he/she will be a rescue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest pelmetman Posted January 23, 2019 Share Posted January 23, 2019 TheFrenchConnection - 2019-01-23 9:08 AM A rescue dog for us everytime...please don't buy a dog when there are so many looking for good homes. Even if you want a specific breed there are many breed-specific rescue centres. Our current Yorke-Cross travels everywhere with us and is going to get a new companion when we get home again in March - and he/she will be a rescue. Agreed.......Our current rescue is Spanish and came with a Spanish passport provided by the rescue centre so no Brexit problems for her :D ....... http://www.akira-animals.com/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HarveyHeaven Posted January 23, 2019 Author Share Posted January 23, 2019 TheFrenchConnection - 2019-01-23 9:08 AM A rescue dog for us everytime...please don't buy a dog when there are so many looking for good homes. Even if you want a specific breed there are many breed-specific rescue centres. Our current Yorke-Cross travels everywhere with us and is going to get a new companion when we get home again in March - and he/she will be a rescue. Thank you for that response. A puppy is a must for us as I want the dog to be happy about riding in a basket on our e-bikes and I don't believe this would be terribly easy for an older dog to feel comfortable with. I guess we must all make decisions based on our own needs and how happy any dog might be with our life style. We'll have our dog chipped in Spain in addition to the UK chip. You must be really excited about the prospect of getting your new rescue dog when you get home....alll the best with that. :-D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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