Second dog

I adopted Francis in February. She's a cocker spaniel too. She's 11 years old and is fairly mellow. She and Deuce (my pug) play well together and she also does fine with my boyfriend's dog who is also a cocker spaniel. Other than Deuce and Tucker, Francie does not get along well with other dogs and she gets easily stressed out when I've taken her to Petco (two times) and also to Bark Tutor to play once. She does much better staying at home and keeping things in a schedule.

I would recommend that you take Sammy to meet the other cocker spaniel, but you should arrange to meet on neutral territory. That's how I introduced Francie and Deuce and it was a successful introduction.

Good luck and let me know how it turns out!

They have a reputation as being snippy. I have met some really great ones and some not so great ones. I would definitely take Sammy and your kids for a long meet and greet. They are beautiful dogs but do require regular grooming with particular attention paid to their ears. That is probably their biggest problem-ear infections due to their drop ears and long hair. If they all get along, just consider the time and $$ for the grooming. If you're ok with that, then it sounds like Sammy will have a new dog buddy:-) Have you considered taking Sammy to behavior classes before adding another dog? A friend might help him calm down or she might get them as anxious as she is. I would highly recommend www.doggoneconnection.com The closest one to you would be in Zionsville just off 465. We have taken several of our dogs there with great results.

Thanks for the thoughts. I am feeling a little discouraged as I am told most doxie rescue places won't adopt out to homes with small kids. Never mind the fact we've had two doxies and never had a bit of trouble with our dogs. But they were raised together.

So I began looking at other things. I found Lucky on petfinder and he is at Cocker Haven here in Indy. The woman I spoke with said he's wonderful with other dogs and kids. I am trying to make arrangements to go meet him. I will definately take my kids and Sammy. I will also check into Dog Gone Connection. Thanks for the link.

Here's a link to a really cute Dachshund mix in Indy http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10822764
It says she's good with kids and dogs. She's younger than Sammy but adorable.
Here's another Doxie mix that mom wants http://www.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10895085 What an adorable pup! Don't forget to check the Petfinder classifieds as well. That's where individuals can post their dogs needing new homes. As far as Doxie rescues not adopting to people with small children, I know it seems harsh but they are really trying to do what is best for the dog. Most Dachshunds that end up in rescue have 1 of 2 problems. #1-pottying in the house, hard to housebreak. #2-nippy with the kids so the people want to get rid of the dog. Dachshunds can easily become fear biters due to their small size. Kids and dogs can live together peacefully but many times people don't want to take the time and effort to correct the problem so they dump the dog. So that's why many rescues won't adopt small dogs to families with small kids. Just keep trying and wait for the perfect dog. I know you want a dog soon to keep Sammy company but wait for the "perfect" dog for your family. You'll find it.

Everything that you read here is true. They can be nippy, have bad ears and bad eyes.
My parents had 3 or 4 of them over the years and not one was nice. But....they were never socialized or taken care of properly. You have to remember that each and every dog is different. After you see this guy, you may fall in love with him and he may be the nicest dog around. I suggest you take a good sniff of his ears...look inside his ears if you can.
I don't want you to pass up on him without giving him a chance but I don't want you to be discouraged later on because of problems.

Melissa - a woman at work posted about her mother's minpin - I guess the mother is in very poor health and she is looking for a home for it. If you'd like, PM me and I'll give you her contact information. I know nothing about MinPins, but I do know that some cocker spaniels can get cranky as they get older. Both my mother and husband were bitten by cockers when they were younger.

Hey, you call it cranky...I call it set in my ways. If I were a movie character, I'd be Weezer from Steel Magnolias.

Maybe "sassy" was a better word! :)

My first pet was a black cocker spaniel. I got her when I was two. She was wonderful with me. After she passed, we got another cocker who also was wonderful. I have met many of them who are snippy though, so I think it probably just depends heavily on the dog and the way it has been raised/socialized. Ours both had some ear problems, so that is probably something you'll want to ask about. Good Luck!!

No, cranky is right.

Thanks for the links, but we really don't want that young of a dog.

Well, just be patient and keep looking at petfinder.com and "your" dog will be there, waiting for you. Mama looked at so many dogs before she found me and we are perfect for each other. Good luck, and thank you for giving a dog a home.

I swear there was someone on here just today trying to dump a Cocker! Maybe you can try and help that poor dog out.

Found it!

http://indypaws.com/post/index/17292

I don't know exactly what you're looking for, but there's a sweet little basset hound mix who's been on Petfinder for far too long. I'm not sure how old he is. I've been keeping an eye on him...
http://search.petfinder.com/petnote/displaypet.cgi?petid=10202423