How Much Is That Doggie In the Window

Our family has been the owner of a young male Cocker Spaniel named Tripper for the past 5 months. We have put our heart & soul into this dog and tried to love him the best we could. Unfortunately we don't feel like he is the best fit for our family, and we are looking for another family who would love to take him in.

There are a ton of things we love about Tripper. He loves to play catch and tag. He is protective of us, but non-confrontational. He enjoys being social, and he is kind when he meets other people, energetic when he meets other dogs. He loves a good scratch. He is not a picky eater. And, although he is still in somewhat of a "puppy" stage and loves chew toys, he is not picky about those either, and is just as content with a few dollar store toys. He travels well as long as he is in a kennel or can see out the window. He is great on walks, hikes, bike rides and camping trips. He is loyal. He doesn't complain too much when he gets a bath, even though he prefers rolling in the grass for an hour afterwards. He's pretty cute. He looks great all trimmed up, although, currently his hair is growing out and he looks somewhat close to a tussled bear, but still cute. He craves affection and laps it up. He's got great energy. He has been an outside dog for us, and prefers to sleep on our small trampoline or the back porch instead of in a dog house or on a dog bed. I think he would do well as an inside dog too, he was one up until he was 5 months old.

I wish I could give you a good reason of why we are looking for a new home for him, as we really do love him, but I'll let you know our two top concerns for our family. First is that we never have really bonded, any of us, with Tripper. I think most of our love comes from all the work we have put into him, and the fact that dogs are just so very likable. And although my kids have expressed that they will miss his company, they also have talked about the freedom they will have in their own backyard, as of right now, it is Tripper's territory. And, second, while he is great at obeying commands from Mike and I, such as "sit", "down", and "heel", our kids have had the most frustrating time trying to get him to obey the same commands, and that is important. What worries us most is that they don't feel they have control when it comes to him. We have read up on this, watched videos, and practiced consistency with him, and still Tripper views our kids more as his puppy playmates.

Those are our big reasons, so if you feel you may stand in the same boat, please consider a different dog.

Tripper was born on December 13, 2008. He is a pure bred Cocker Spaniel. He has had all of his shots and has been neutered. We have all of his paper work. As a puppy he was named "sugar cookie", but now he answers to Tripper. We will get a letter from his breeder declaring that the two are the same dog. He really is as good as a dog could be.

We'd love to give him away for free, if we found him the right home. Please share this with anyone you know who may be interested. Thanks.