Mel Blacke
Well-Known Member
So I didn't think I would ever want a spaniel....too soft, too friendly, to clingy. Oh, was I ever wrong! I am more of a Plott Hound, Doberman, Rhodesian Ridgeback kind of girl and didn't even consider a spaniel. But those big .dogs didn't fit my current lifestyle or my work schedule. My sister and I live together and she is most definitely NOT a large, boisterous dog person and since she would be home with the dog while I was at work (she is retired), some concessions were in order. I did a lot of research and kept coming back to the ECS breed. Then I researched breeders. It made sense that I would need to actually see some of them before I made a final decision.
We met with the breeder who had 7 adult dogs on the premises. Despite working full time, the house and premises were clean, the dogs were all super well cared for (no long toenails, no overgrown coats, no dog smell). Turns out this breeder is a big time dog person. Agility equipment set up in the back yard. All of the dogs were friendly and happy. It just so happened that she had a litter of puppies. She had a jungle gym set up for them. I learned later that she took them on a road trip and had her friends come over to have puppy handling parties. She went above and beyond to do different activities with her "babies." She only breeds very occasionally and it was clear that these would be great dogs. We had a lot of good conversation about training, temperaments and health care. It was clear that this woman knew her stuff. If I wanted an ECS, it would be difficult to find a better breeder, so it turns out that I filled out the application and ended up with a puppy. No one was more surprised than me and my sister was thrilled.
What a good choice I made!! Fiona is now 7 months old and absolutely my ideal dog. We did puppy class and she is almost heel trained and plan to move on to novice obedience and hope to do agility when she gets older. This is a sideline for the two of us as I consider my dogs, first and foremost, my cherished companions. We will do this as long as we both enjoy it. That we do not compete at the highest levels or come in with the fastest times is okay with me. The fun will be in the doing and the learning. I am an active person who likes to be outside in the good weather whenever possible and I like to take my dogs with me. The dog needs to fit in anywhere and I need a go-anywhere and do-anything sort of dog that is very adaptable. She is very bright and very engaged and focused. What a great breed.
We met with the breeder who had 7 adult dogs on the premises. Despite working full time, the house and premises were clean, the dogs were all super well cared for (no long toenails, no overgrown coats, no dog smell). Turns out this breeder is a big time dog person. Agility equipment set up in the back yard. All of the dogs were friendly and happy. It just so happened that she had a litter of puppies. She had a jungle gym set up for them. I learned later that she took them on a road trip and had her friends come over to have puppy handling parties. She went above and beyond to do different activities with her "babies." She only breeds very occasionally and it was clear that these would be great dogs. We had a lot of good conversation about training, temperaments and health care. It was clear that this woman knew her stuff. If I wanted an ECS, it would be difficult to find a better breeder, so it turns out that I filled out the application and ended up with a puppy. No one was more surprised than me and my sister was thrilled.
What a good choice I made!! Fiona is now 7 months old and absolutely my ideal dog. We did puppy class and she is almost heel trained and plan to move on to novice obedience and hope to do agility when she gets older. This is a sideline for the two of us as I consider my dogs, first and foremost, my cherished companions. We will do this as long as we both enjoy it. That we do not compete at the highest levels or come in with the fastest times is okay with me. The fun will be in the doing and the learning. I am an active person who likes to be outside in the good weather whenever possible and I like to take my dogs with me. The dog needs to fit in anywhere and I need a go-anywhere and do-anything sort of dog that is very adaptable. She is very bright and very engaged and focused. What a great breed.
