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Cocker Spaniel

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The Cocker Spaniel Pet Guide

● Key Characteristics Of Cocker Spaniels
● How Can I Take Good Care Of A Cocker Spaniel Puppy?
● Most Asked Cocker Spaniel Questions
● Similar Dog Breeds

More Information

Temperament

Big, dark eyes, long lush ears and a sweet-natured personality make the Cocker Spaniel one of the most lovable creatures. And though they are pretty small, these dogs remain capable hunters at heart.

More Information

The Ultimate Guide to Cocker Spaniels

● Key Characteristics Of Cocker Spaniels
● How Can I Take Good Care Of A Cocker Spaniel Puppy?
● Most Asked Cocker Spaniel Questions
● Similar Dog Breeds

Big, dark eyes, long lush ears and a sweet-natured personality make the Cocker Spaniel one of the most lovable creatures. And though they are pretty small, these dogs remain capable hunters at heart.

 

Cocker Spaniel Origins

Cocker Spaniels were developed from Spaniels – one of the oldest dog breeds in history. Legend has it that Spaniels were brought to England during Caesar’s invasion.

These dogs are believed to have come from Spain. There are two schools of thought that give credence to this theory.

One, it’s assumed that Spaniel is derived from the word Hispania meaning Spain. Two, Spaniel is derived from French “Chiens de l’ Espagnol”, which translates to “Dog of Spain”.

Generally, Spaniels were developed to help in retrieving and flushing out game. By the 1600’s, these dogs had been divided into two groups: water and land breeds. The English water Spaniel, which is now extinct, was mainly used to retrieve fowls.  

The land Spaniels were further classified into two groups. These are the Springer and Cocker Spaniel. Cocker Spaniels were so named because they were used to hunt a game bird called the Woodcock. Springer Spaniels got their name from their technique of flushing or “springing” game.

In 1930, the Cocker Spaniel became a popular breed throughout Britain. On the other end of the Atlantic, Americans were using the same dog to create a different breed of the Cocker.

In 1940, the Kennel Club of Great Britain decided to split the two breeds. These are the American and English Cocker Spaniels.

During World War II, a pair of American Cocker Spaniels were brought to Australia. These dogs are still very popular today as they make excellent companions. Also in the United Kingdom, they are simply referred to as Cocker Spaniels.

Key Characteristics of Cocker Spaniels

Are Cocker Spaniels Family-Friendly?Lively, playful and polite to everyone. These attributes make them ideal family pets.
Daily Exercise Needs?At least 1 hour of exercise each day.
Common Health Issues & ConsiderationsThey can be prone to these conditions:
● Eye problems.
● Autoimmune haemolytic anaemia.
● Hypothyroidism.
● Primary seborrhoea.
Lifespan12 to 15 years.
Nature / Temperament
Gentle and loving personalities. They are also smart and trusting of their owners.
SizeWeight:
Male: 13 - 16 kg
Female: 12 - 15 kg

Height:
Male: 38 - 43 cm
Female: 36 - 41 cm
Suitable EnvironmentSuitable for most living environments as long as sufficient exercise is given.
GroomingDaily brushing and regular trimming.

Other considerations:

● Cocker Spaniels are very social and love nothing more than following their owners around.

● These are physically sound pets that can live for as long as 15 years. But, they might be susceptible to different types of allergies.

● Due to their loving nature, they make excellent therapy dogs.

● Cocker spaniel puppies that are 6 months or younger should not be exercised to the point of exhaustion.

● A short 20 minute walk is adequate exercise.

How can I take good care of my Cocker Spaniel or Cocker Spaniel Puppy?

Nutrition

These dogs love their food. Therefore, their meals should be portion-controlled to prevent obesity and other weight-related problems. In particular, puppies should get approximately 150 – 250g of dog food per day. When older approximately 175 – 260g of food daily.

Of this amount, at least 25% should be made up of proteins. And, if you have a working Cocker Spaniel, they need a much higher amount of protein.

Grooming

When it comes to the Cocker Spaniel, grooming is a somewhat intense and pricey affair. They have long hair, which needs frequent grooming. That is, daily brushing and bathing every 6-8 weeks.

On the plus side, well-groomed Cocker Spaniels are some of the most attractive creatures.

Recommended Grooming Tips:

● Trim their nails once a month.

● Check the ears for dirt and redness weekly.

● Use deep and narrow dog food bowls. This way, they won’t end up getting their ears damp as they drink water.

Exercise

These dogs are full of energy. They were originally hunting dogs before they became companions. As such, they need at least 1 hour of exercise each day. Apart from taking walks, these dogs enjoy playing and running around in the yard or garden.

Training

On a scale of 1 – 10, we rank Cocker Spaniels at a 9 on how trainable they are. These dogs are highly-intelligent and they are always ready to learn new tricks.

As with other breeds, Cocker Spaniels should be taught obedience commands. This way, they’ll be well-aware of their boundaries.

Most Asked Cocker Spaniel Questions

Are Cocker Spaniels aggressive?

This dog is prone to aggression. But much of its character depends on its environment. A Cocker Spaniel that is well-socialised and trained is not aggressive.

Ideally, owners should train their pups from when they are between 6 – 20 weeks old. This can be achieved by socialisating the dog to a variety of circumstances, people and pets.

Can Cocker Spaniels be left alone?

The short answer to this is No they shouldn’t be.

If you’ve had the pleasure of living with a Cocker Spaniel, then you understand how affectionate and sociable this breed is.

However, their jovial character is, to a great extent, reliant on human companionship. These dogs become very attached to their owners. So when left alone for a long time, they can suffer from separation anxiety.

How much is a Cocker Spaniel?

Cocker Spaniels for sale cost between $1500 – $3000 approximately.

When are Cocker Spaniels fully grown?

Every Cocker Spaniel is different. Therefore they won’t have identical height when fully grown. But generally a male Cocker Spaniel is 38 – 43 cm tall while a female one is 36 – 41 cm tall.

Do Cocker Spaniels make good watch dogs?

These dogs bark if they see a stranger approaching your home but that is as far as they’ll go. Cocker Spaniels are sweet-natured and gentle to everyone however these attributes make them poor guard dogs.

This is general information and should not be relied on as adoption or purchasing advice.

Similar Breeds

● Spoodle

● Cavoodle

● Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

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