Don't You Just Love Cocker Spaniels?

I love Cocker Spaniels, don't you? 

I love their long floppy ears, their soulful, brown eyes and their ever-cheerful curiosity. For me, that's what makes the cocker spaniel so adorable and so irresistible!

And, I'm not alone, judging by the number of visitors that arrive on this website every month! 

My passion for Cocker Spaniels is the reason I created this site. I wanted to share my love and knowledge of these gorgeous creatures.

The photo to your right shows my faithful companion Max, and we'd like to welcome you to our comprehensive online guide to caring for Cocker Spaniels.  

We can help you through those first few scary weeks of your puppy's life with valuable tips and advice.

As your pet's needs change when he reaches adulthood, we'll be here for you, and when your Cocker Spaniel is in his senior years, you guessed it, we'll still be here for you with lots of tips and advice on how to care for your senior Cocker.

This website will give you everything you need to help your Cocker Spaniel grow into a happy, healthy, well-mannered adult dog, from puppyhood right through to his senior years. 

Feel free to dip in and out as often as you need to!

So You Want To Buy A Cocker Spaniel Puppy?

Commitment

Let's face it, getting a puppy is a big commitment. Your Cocker is likely to live up to 15 years, so it's a commitment that shouldn't be taken lightly.

There are many things to consider before you buy your Cocker Spaniel puppy, but the main ones are cost and time.

The Cost of a Cocker Puppy

Cocker Spaniel puppies are not cheap! 

Aside from the initial price (which can run into thousands!), you must be able to afford the essential extras and ongoing expenses associated with owning a dog. For example, your puppy will need a bed, perhaps a crate, a couple of warm blankets, a collar and a lead, a food and water bowl...just to mention a few!

There are also ongoing expenses, such as food, vet bills, pet insurance, boarding kennels, and the cost of a regular groomer, should you decide to use one.

Puppies Can Be Time Consuming!

You also need to be confident that you have enough time to spare. Cocker Spaniels need to exercise every day for at least one hour. 

As with all dog breeds, they'll need some training to help shape them into well-behaved puppies. That's at least another 30 minutes each day!

Socialization is vital if your Cocker is to become a happy, confident adult dog that can fit easily into our human world and one that can mix well with other dogs. Before you know it, socialization can eat into an hour each day during his first few months.

Then there's the time needed for potty training, feeding, cleaning up little puddles (or worse, small deposits!), playtime, cuddles and so on.

Need I say more?

Dog and Puppy Care for Cocker Spaniels

Are you still convinced you're up for getting a dog? Yes? 

Good, now the excitement begins!

Bringing a new puppy home can be nerve-wracking, especially if this is your first time owning a dog.

There's just so much to learn about being a puppy parent, and I'm sure you'll have hundreds of questions to ask! This is where I can help.

Puppies are a little like babies. They can't do anything for themselves and will need your care and attention for many months. 

They'll also need lots of love (now that's the easy part!).

My new puppy care guide covers all areas of puppy ownership. It includes essential help with the basics such as feeding, potty training, and bath-time. It also covers grooming, as well as playtime, crate training and obedience training.

You'll also find a step-by-step article on how to set up your puppy's daily care routine. 

This guide will help you take good care of your new little boy (or girl!) during those all-important first few weeks.

Training Cocker Spaniel Puppies

Potty Training Your Puppy

Your Cocker Spaniel will likely be partly housetrained (and, if you're lucky, fully housetrained!) when you bring him home. Either way, potty training is going to be one of your top priorities when your puppy arrives in his new home.

Your next priority will be to teach him a few simple obedience training exercises, and it will be your first step to having a well-mannered little Spaniel.

Obedience Training for Puppies

You love your new pup, and you want him to be a well-mannered, obedient, happy little boy, right? 

Right! But it's not always that simple, is it?

An untrained puppy can (and usually does!) get up to all sorts of mischief, and if left to his own devices, can develop some pretty unsociable behaviours! 

So the sooner you begin his training, the better.

Although puppy training is fun, it can sometimes also be frustrating, especially when it's obvious your puppy is struggling to understand what you want.

It's up to us to help your pup understand how you want him to behave right from the start.

Your goal will be to teach him what type of behaviour is acceptable to you and what's not!

You'll find plenty of tips on training your puppy to help you to get the best from him.

They'll also save you lots of time and heartache!

How To Give Your New Puppy Confidence!

Socializing your puppy is the process of exposing him to everyday sounds and sights, helping him become familiar and comfortable with many different experiences.

Give your new puppy the confidence he needs and help him to become the best he can be by socializing him every chance you get! You only have a small window of opportunity, so begin as soon as you bring him home.

I cannot over-emphasize this point!

Socialization is a vital part of your puppy's development and will help him grow into a well-adjusted, confident Cocker Spaniel. 

If your pup doesn't get the socialization he needs, he may grow up to be nervous and timid, jumping at the slightest noise or sudden movement. 

He may be so timid that he shies away from human contact of any kind. 

This fear and anxiety could go on to cause temperament problems in your dog, such as unacceptable behaviour, or worse, aggression. 

An under-socialized puppy will usually grow up to be an unhappy dog. 

If you need further persuading, here are the main reasons why socializing your puppy is so important.

Grooming Your Cocker Spaniel

Naturally, you'll want your Cocker's coat to look clean, healthy, and in good condition (and you'll also want him to smell nice!). 

A good diet always helps, but if you check his coat regularly and brush him daily (paying extra special attention to those feathers when they begin to grow in), you'll get the results you're looking for!

Professional dog groomers can work out quite expensive, so if money's tight, why not learn how to groom him yourself and save some hard-earned cash in the process? 

If you decide to use a professional groomer, this article will help you choose a good one. 

You'll find lots of helpful tips and advice on all aspects of grooming your dog. You'll also discover which grooming tools will help to keep your Spaniel's coat looking healthy and in tip-top condition.

Cocker Spaniel Health Problems

Your Spaniel's health is a priority, and as loving Cocker owners, we do our level best to make sure our dogs stay healthy.

Cocker Spaniels have beautiful pendulous ears, but they're prone to infections, so it's vital to keep them clean to help keep bacteria to a minimum.

And let's not forget dog fleas and ticks - just hearing those words makes me itch!

Using a regular flea treatment will help to keep your dog free from fleas, which in turn will help to keep your home flea-free zone!

Many illnesses can befall your pet at some time in his life (too many to list here!), but there are steps that we can take to keep them to an absolute minimum.

A regular exercise routine, and good grooming habits, are essential for your dog's well-being. You can help boost your dog's health with a diet that is wholesome and nutritious.

Learn more about your Cocker Spaniel's health needs.

How To Find What You Want

There's much more to this website than I can mention on this homepage.

If you'd like to explore further, click the navigation buttons at the top of each page, or those in the column to your right.

If there's something you're looking for but can't seem to find, you can try running a site search using the search box at the top right-hand column of every page. It's that simple!

To see a list of links to all the web pages, you can browse the Site-Map. 

I'm always adding new material, so please come back and visit us often to find out what's new.

If you've any ideas for additions or improvements to this website, please use the contact me link at the bottom of the page. Alternatively, you can visit our Facebook page.

I hope you come in for a while and enjoy browsing through my website!

Pauline

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