Cocker Spaniel Temperament
The "Merry" English Cocker Spaniel
The English Cocker Spaniel Temperament Is The Best! The Cocker Spaniel temperament is very gentle and loving. This breed adore being around the family and are particularly good with young children - they make good family dogs! Cocker Spaniels make very loyal, companionable and affectionate family pets. They also make excellent gundogs, as their original hunting instincts are never very far below the surface.  The Temperament Of A Cocker Spaniel Is Playful And Loving! Cocker Spaniels don't really make good guard dogs. They will most likely bark to let you know that there's someone coming to the front door, but that's as far as it goes. They make friends very easily and once your visitor has said 'hello', and your Cocker's had a good sniff, he'll probably go about his business. Cocker Spaniels are lively, and have a friendly, enthusiastic nature, which has earned them the nickname 'merry cocker'. Whenever you see a Cocker Spaniel, it's likely that he'll have his nose to the ground, his bottom in the air, and his tail will be wagging back and forth so enthusiastically that his whole back end will be 'wagging'.
Cockers are very 'busy' little dogs, who love nothing more than following scents and rooting around in the undergrowth. Cocker Spaniels are also very intelligent and, as they're always so eager and willing to please, they're very easily trained.  As far as the English Cocker Spaniel temperament is concerned, this breed can be quite strong-willed, that's why socializing your puppy and puppy training are very important if you are to avoid behavioural problems in your Cocker Spaniel later on in life. Very occasionally Cocker Spaniels may suffer from rage syndrome, also known as Cocker Rage. We'd like to point out that rage syndrome in Cocker Spaniels is extremely rare and aggressive dog behavior is often misdiagnosed as rage syndrome. Cocker Spaniels are very active dogs and will need lots of exercise to keep them fit and happy - around one hour per day should be enough, but more if you can manage it. English Cocker Spaniels love being around the family. They need a fair amount of attention and shouldn't be left on their own for very long or they may develop a condition known as separation anxiety in dogs. Cockers are miserable when they're left on their own for too long and can become very destructive and develop unwanted behaviours such as barking, howling, or weeing indoors. There are, however, many things you can do to help reduce your dog's separation anxiety.  Cockers like to go for long walks through woods, and love to run through fields and swim in rivers when they get the chance. Given the opportunity however, they'll also chase cows and sheep, particularly lambs, so even if your dog is well-trained, it's a good idea to put him back on the lead if you're entering a field with animals. Please be aware - a farmer has the right to shoot your dog if he's caught chasing livestock! The Cocker Spaniel is such a beautiful looking dog - their adoring brown eyes and pendulant ears, their silky soft coat, but most of all, it's their loving Cocker Spaniel temperament which makes them the most popular of the Spaniel breed. Yes, the English Cocker Spaniel temperament is second to none!
We hope you've enjoyed reading about the Cocker Spaniel temperament. However, if you weren't quite convinced that it's the dog for you, (and I can't believe it's not!) why not learn a little more about the Cocker Spaniel breed before you make that decision?
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More Titles In The Cocker Spaniel Breed Information Series
Learn more about the Cocker Spaniel Breed
Cocker Spaniel Information
Golden Cocker Spaniel Colours
Cocker Spaniel Health
Spaniel Breeds
History of Cocker Spaniels
Cocker Spaniel Characteristics
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