What happened next after I typed, Cocker Spaniel Puppies For Sale Near Me
Hi. My name is Simon.
And this is my dog Gweni…she’s a Golden Cocker Spaniel.
Gweni’s birthday is February 08, 2023, and she became mine on May 24, 2023. We live in Crumlin, South Wales with my 12-year-old son Teddie.
I wanted to get a dog for some time. I had another dog, Gemma, a Kokoni spaniel, but sadly she died of Leishmania in May 2022. That was one of the saddest days of my life.
I waited a long time to get another dog. I wasn’t sure if I could find another that I could love as much as Gemma.
I also wanted to allow myself time to grieve properly, but after a year, I still missed Gemma very much, and by that time I knew getting another dog would help.
I initially thought about getting another rescue dog as we found Gemma in a Rescue Shelter in the Forest of Dean.
Before I got involved, fundraising had taken place to bring her and her sisters from Macedonia. Like many foreign dogs they have little value to the wider community. They were classed as rubbish and put in a bin on the day they were born, but luckily someone found them, looked after them on a farm, and funds were raised to bring them to the U.K.
We didn’t know it at the time, but Gemma’s mother must have been bitten by a sandfly, because she had a degenerative disease called Leishmaniasis.
The worst thing about Leishmaniasis is it lies dormant for 3 years. So although Gemma was screened and passed health checks before I signed the rescue papers, issues later emerged.
Because of the heartbreak her death caused, I decided it was too much of a risk to get another dog who was born abroad, so I started to look for a puppy around the area I live in, South Wales. I joined Facebook groups and emailed the Cocker Spaniel Breed Club but inevitably a search on freeads was done where I found Advertisements for Cocker Spaniel puppies.
Being that Gemma was a spaniel, albeit a Kokoni spaniel, there was a strong similarity in facial features, so I was drawn to the Cocker Spaniel breed. (Later I found out their personality and temperament are similar too).
Searching for ‘Cocker Spaniel Puppies For Sale Near Me’
I paid the small fee of £5.95 to join freeads which allowed me to message a breeder about a Golden ‘Show’ Cocker Spaniel puppy in Lampeter, Cardigan.
Texts went back and forth to the breeder asking basic questions around when and where I could go and see the puppy?
My suspicion was aroused however, because the lady I was texting said I had to meet them at the top of a road…not at the Farmhouse where she lived?
I replied that I must be able to see the puppy with its mother.
The breeder said that would definitely be the case, but because the road to their farm was so rugged I would need a 4-wheel drive vehicle to make it to the farm house.
So, on a beautiful evening on May 24th I set off for a farm outside of Lampeter, the other side of the Brecon Beacons from my home in Crumlin.
I was feeling uneasy during the 2-hour drive to Lampeter as it did seem odd. Could this be a puppy scam? Do they just want the money and not care about who is buying their puppies? The only question the breeder asked me was “to see something of the garden the puppy would enjoy”. Anyway, no deposit had been paid and I could always walk away if something didn’t seem right.
After some texting on route, I met her husband at the top of lane, and I found the farm was inaccessible due to the rough road- phew, she was telling the truth!
Mr. Breeder took us a few miles to a very remote farmhouse…but everything was fine and seemed okay.
I met Mrs. Breeder at the entrance to the farmhouse and Gweni was one if three puppies running around with her mum.
The breeder showed us the vaccination card that had the name of a Vet on it and she also had the chip number bar code (which you use to register yourself online as the owner).
The breeder said she was being fed with ‘Gain24’ pellets (which later I found out was for greyhounds/working dogs and not sold for domestic pets) and gave me a days’ worth of food. She also gave me some pads as no toilet training had been done.
After a long drive back, it was dark when we arrived home and I realised I was woefully unprepared to be looking after a puppy.
Although she had been held all the way home, Gweni was overwhelmed and just wanted to hide from us. She looked so nervous, and I felt bad about taking her away from her mother. She hid underneath tables and just peered out at us. I realised it was going to take some time for her to settle in to her new home.
That night, she slept in a makeshift bed in a cardboard box in Ted’s room, the next night she spent downstairs. And the third night she slept on a blanket on the end of my bed and has slept there every night since.
In the morning I introduced her to the garden and she soon found places to hide there as well.
I was getting quite worried that she didn’t like me (it’s amazing what goes through your mind) but I laid down in the garden and eventually she tip-toed out the tulips and came for a cuddle.
It was a good day and half before her first instinct was not to hide from us.
A Trip to The Vets
The breeder gave me a card with the vaccination details on, so I phoned the local vet the next day to arrange for Gweni to receive her second course of injections.
When I got the Vets appointment in Pontypool, I presented Gweni’s vaccination card and learned that because it had been more than one month since the first vaccination she would not have full immunity unless we started the course of vaccinations again…from the beginning… ahhhh, so annoying!
Surely the breeder would have know this when she sold Gweni to me?!
When I got home, I sent her a text message to find out:
The cost for both vaccinations was £118. But that wasn’t the worse thing. Gweni would not be allowed outside for another 6 weeks as she might pick up parvovirus. ! I had a 14-week-old puppy, that was a bundle of energy, restricted to my house and quite a small garden.
Did I buy my Golden Cocker Spaniel Puppy From A Puppy Farm?
Six weeks later (when Gweni was safe to go outside in public places), I bumped into a vet friend in Abergavenny. I told her the story about finding the Advert and going to a farm Lampeter.
To my dismay she told me that Lampeter is a hot spot for puppy farms. And, Gweni was likely to be a puppy farm puppy!!
What?! How could I have fallen for that?
I explained to my Vet friend that the breeders presented as nice people, they had a nice farmhouse, expensive Range Rovers.
Yes, she said, ‘but they’re incredibly cunning, that could have been staged’.
I remember the breeder saying something about not being there all the time? And I thought they obviously bred dogs, but I did not suspect a large-scale breeding operation.
I recalled, Mr Breeder made a point of saying, the barking and howling coming from the barn opposite was just the working dogs (he farmed sheep so needed working).
Could that barn been full of puppies like Gweni?
My vet friend said I should let the RSPCA know so they can check it out. If I hadn’t seen the mother with Gweni they would be in breach of Lucy’s Law which makes it illegal for a puppy seller not to show you the mother.
Pieces of the Jigsaw started to fall into Place
When I bought Gweni I asked the breeder why the puppies had taken so long to sell?
She said, ‘I don’t think it’s right to separate a puppy from it’s mother until after 10 weeks’ and ‘it has just been May Day Weekend and also we’ve been away’.
Mr Breeder said, “it’s not a problem, there’s no hurry”.
That statement was wrong firstly because of the vaccination issue, and secondly my Vet friend told me, a dog’s brain is mouldable for learning between 8 & 14 weeks. After that, their socialisation window closes and they find it harder to adapt to new surroundings, people, things, noises, other dogs.
I was pretty fed up, but the main thing was I had a healthy dog. After losing Gemma that was really all that mattered.
My Advice for others search for ‘Cocker Spaniel Puppies For Sale Near Me’
Although it seems naive to type this phrase into Google and hope for the best, that’s what I did and this is my story.
I hope others can learn from my experience. Ultimately things turned out okay, but I wish I had known about the vaccinations and how important it is to buy a puppy in the eight-to-14-week socialisation window. Also, I just don’t like having the wool pulled over my eyes – I wish I’d been more informed to counter the ‘BS’ the breeders told me.
I got Gweni on her 14th week, and things have been a bit hard going. She is very sensitive to noise and has not been socialised around other dogs. But the main thing is she’s healthy and has made such a difference to my life.
Cocker Spaniel Puppies Cost Money
Because of the cost-of-living crisis I considered breeding Gweni, but after a couple of days I thought that was a bad idea. Even if I managed the logistics of breeding, I don’t think I could sell the puppies. The new owners would have to be perfect people for me to part with them!
After my mortgage payments went up, I knew I had to do something to get more income. I changed bank account several times (per Martin Lewis advice) but how about being a Pet Blogger?! Write what you know, right!
Plus, I have endless content as I’m forever taking photos and making videos of Gweni anyway.
Gweni The Golden Cocker Spaniel
So that’s how ‘Gweni The Golden Cocker Spaniel’ came into being. I’ll be sharing or ‘journaling’ our time together, making some fun videos for YouTube (please subscribe), to make a few £s to keep Gweni chomping on nice Basa fish and help me make my mortgage payments on time.
Please let me know if you have any questions about buying a puppy. I’m happy to share advice from my own experience of buying and rescuing spaniels.
FAQs
How much should you pay for a Cocker Spaniel puppy?
After Coronavirus the bottom fell out of the puppy market. Prices in 2023 and 2024 saw a dramatic decrease.
Breeders will list a price of £900-£1250 but often reduce the price after a month if the litter has not sold. Gweni was purchased for £600 from FreeAds on May 24th 2023.
What Is The Calmest Spaniel
Show Cocker Spaniels are much calmer than Working Cocker Spaniels because they are not breed as working dogs. All dogs will be calmer the more they are exercised and socialised and content in their home environment. All Puppies need to play, so be prepared for a bundle of energy for the first 18 months and gradually your cocker spaniel will get calmer with age. Neutering will also see a change in energy level
Which is Better A Cockapoo Or A Spaniel?
Cockapoo’s have more poodle traits which is not present in the cocker spaniel. Both are intelligent and easy to train and make ideal family pets.
Can 2 Cocker Spaniels Be Left Alone
Yes, Cocker Spaniels can be left alone together, They are a breed they enjoys company and are loving and affectionate to each other because they create a bond easily. Make sure they have their own food and play items to avoid confrontation.
How Many Walks Does A Cocker Spaniel Need?
Daily Exercise for Cocker Spaniels varies depending on if they are a ‘working’ cocker or a ‘show cocker’
A Working Cocker Spaniel needs 2 hours of vigorous exercise daily. A Show Cocker Spaniel will be content with 30 minute trip to the park at a minimum but more is enjoyable.
Next Page – How To Potty Train Your Puppy. The Exact 3 Step Process I Used To Train Gweni
