Bev (advice needed with puppy)

hi im bev pettett and i need advice on my springer spanial as he is 10 months and a handeful! i got him given and have never had a dog before (i know of all dogs to get i get a springer) lol! have had him since he was 8 weeks old and have called him buster,v original! the problems i have are his whining and my lack of knowledge of this breed i think it's me not knowing enough about him that's frustrating us both so anybody out there with advice please help!!! i look forward to hearing from you, bye for now, bev

Hi Bev, welcome

When you say he's whining could you give us some idea of what this means? For example is it all the time, before or after food, exercise, etc.?

hi thanks for answering so quickly, he whines anytime, i think it's for attention but he doesn't do it for my husband (who works away, so why me?) i play with him and give him lots of loves and take him out so don't know what else to do, i want to give him the best start so need to know what to do, looking forward to hearing from you,

Hi Bev

What exactly are you finding frustrating?

Do you know if he is a working or show type Springer?

Can you tell us a bit more about his routine? how much exercise he gets, how you work his brain, what he is fed, what you do for training, how long he is left alone each day, etc.?

It is hard to comment without knowing any info.

This info would be very usefull to help us help you, they can be wingy dogs when they want to be

hi, i feed buster on pedigree chum meat twice a day and treats, i walk him first thing and in the afternon go to the park so he can have a good run then up on the green a few times in the evening for his last toilet, not every day do i go to the park as work part time but i do walk him, he is ok left not too chewy but we got him toilet trained in 3 weeks and he never has an accident which is great, maybe i don't stimulate him enough as it's my first dog find it hard as don't know what to do it doesn't come natural to me is this normal? lol, he is a show springer, i am confused at what he needs do i give him too much attention or not enough? that's my main concern, it's also the pulling on the lead that is hard as he is strong and i don't always feel in control but it's slowly getting better, why is it when he is in the middle of my husband and i or me and my son he walks like a dream find that very puzzling! is it he feels safe? looking forward to ur reply bev

Hi again

Firstly, I would consider switching him to a more natural food. Pedigree contains various additives and preservatives and is expensive for what it is (contains very little meat). Low/average quality foods can potentially contribute to hyper behaviour. Not only that, but feeding him only tinned food probably won't be very good for his teeth long term. Consider putting him on a complete dry food (look into James Wellbeloved, Arden Grange, Fish4Dogs, Autarky, Skinners Duck or Salmon, etc.) and then add a bit of tinned on top of that if you wish.

You walk him twice a day in a park? for how long each time? do you do the same routes or do you vary your walks? in terms of the amount of exercise, following the 5 minute per month of age guide line, he needs at least 50 minutes per day. My preference is to do that twice a day, provided it is all gentle exercise (off lead, just pottering around at the dogs pace).

Have you been to training classes with him? what have you taught him so far? with regard to the pulling, have you tried teaching him a formal 'heel' command?

Hi Beverly you say..

...what do you do when he whines , do you look at him/speak to him? .
If you know he isn't whining to go out and you don't want him to do it it's best not to reward the behaviour, this means no word no eye contact until he is quiet, then give lots of praise. The whining may get worse before it gets better as he tries even harder to get your attention rather like someone speaking louder and louder when they think you haven't heard. If you do this consistently it will work


Agree with Labradork, change to a better quality food with few additives Fish4dogs is good. Their dried fish treats are excellent too.

i will have a think about a change of food for him, i have to be careful where i take him off lead as if buster sees another dog he goes deaf and chases after them if there is nobody about he is as good as gold and comes when i tell him, he is even good when people are passing he used to jump and follow them but he is over that stage now, so it's v frustrating as have to chase him to put his lead on and if the other dog is visious it scares me, any good advice?

Hi Bev. As this is your first dog & as you've got a very active breed that needs a lot of physical exercise & mental stimulation, what about enrolling in some training or agility classes near you? As well as giving Buster the chance to use his brain & meet other dogs, it would also give you the chance to meet other dog owners & talk "dog" with them. You often find that these people are a wealth of information on nice dog-friendly walks, perhaps they may agree to meet you for a walk so that Buster has the chance to interact with other dogs.

Also Buster is 10 months old & this is never the easiest time ~ he'll be like an adolescent young boy with all the growing-up problems that come with that! At the moment one of Buster's priorities will be to meet other dogs, so it would be lovely if you could find ways for him to have a chance to play & interact with other dogs.