Are you ready for a cocker spaniel?

LIFESTYLE:

Are you home for most of the day?

Cockers love attention & human company and do not cope well with being alone, even the simple act of the owner going to the bathroom is not an excuse to be left unattended, as far as they are concerned, they must go too! If you don't like a dog following you around and always wanting to be in the same room as you - Cockers aren't for you!

All dogs are pack animals - they want to be with their pack (you and the family!) but in our experience, Cockers seem to be more reliant on "their" pack than many of the other breeds. Please don't get a Cocker if you are looking for an aloof character or one that would be happy to live outside in a kennel.

It is probably best not to consider owning a Cocker if you work full time, or are out of the house for more than four hours per day (unless reliable & appropriate dog care arrangements can be arranged) as dogs do need human company throughout the day.

Most breeds but especially Cockers can become noisy (incessant barking/howling), destructive (chewing/scratching at furniture/door frames etc.) & dirty (soiling carpets/floors/furniture) in the home if they are left for long periods without mental stimulation, company and opportunities for exercise and ‘bathroom’ duties.

All breeds of dog can be prone to separation anxiety and this is miserable for the dog and miserable for the owners. The misery is so great that many owners relinquish ownership of their pet, as they are not able to cope with the behaviour their dog displays.

Puppies should not be left for more than 2 hours in any working day. They need regular training, feeding & frequent trips to the garden for 'bathroom' duties.

Work commitments

If you have a demanding job, you may be too tired to exercise a dog twice a day, to groom him and to train him. You will need lots of patience with a new puppy or an adopted dog for house and obedience training.

Before considering owning a puppy/dog, you should consider the following:

• Do you actually like walking? Cocker Spaniels are a busy, active breed originally bred to work all day as a gundog. They are not a "couch potato" breed and will do best with owners who can offer plenty of opportunities for regular exercise, a 10 minute walk around the "block" is not sufficient.

  Having said that Cockers are very adaptable and do not expect 6 mile hikes every day! Please remember though that young puppies should not be over-exercised and care should be taken to not to overdo walks to begin with (up to about the age of 9 months).

• Does everyone in your household want a dog? All members of the family (but especially all the adults) need to be 100% committed to the idea of having a dog. Having a dog in the family is a serious undertaking and it's not fair on other people if they have to be "talked into" having a dog and it's certainly not fair on the dog to find that he/she is soon re-homed because someone in the family feels the dog's been "foisted" upon them! Everyone (adults) needs to be willing to welcome a dog into the family, if not all the family are keen; adding a pet to the household can cause a lot of stress, resentment and friction. 

  Please don't buy a puppy at the request of your children! If you don't want a dog then say "NO.” Whilst it's true that dogs and children do and can get on well it's quite probable that your children will tire of the responsibility of having a dog in the household or indeed begrudge the change in your routine/lifestyle needed in order to accommodate a dog in your lives.

  
• Find out if any of your family is allergic to dog hair or dander before getting a dog, Cockers do shed coat, there are breeds that don't.
• Do you have a safe and secure garden? A securely fenced garden is very important as it provides a safe area for play and exercise while a puppy is too young for long walks. A garden is also essential if you want a house-trained puppy - it is so important to have an area where you can teach a puppy to relieve himself.

Your home & garden

• Cockers are keen "gardeners." You will need to be prepared for the fact that your beautiful garden could be reduced to a barren landscape in very quick order! If this worries you then you should either fence off a portion of your garden and make a "dog area" or perhaps get a different breed! You should also make sure any plants in your garden are not poisonous - see here for a list.

• If you are particularly house-proud and do not have time or the inclination to clean away dog hair (and muddy paw prints) do not get a Cocker! In addition, young puppies are also prone to the occasional nibble of whatever is close to hand - this could be your furniture and personal belongings!
• Do you own your own home? For would-be owners living in rented accommodation, the landlord’s permission must be obtained before purchasing a puppy. Most privately rented properties prohibit pet ownership. Most local authority landlords allow pets however; there may be a limit on the number allowed.

Children

• Do you have young children? Cocker Spaniels make excellent family pets because of their friendly, sociable natures and size. However, it must be remembered that puppies are hard work & someone who already has their hands full looking after young children (under 5's) may find they don't have the time or inclination to look after a puppy.
  
  Puppies are a full time 'occupation', they are demanding & time consuming. As with young children, their needs (frequent ‘bathroom’ trips, feeding, socialisation and daily routine) are not dissimilar to that of a human child, if you have young children could you cope with another ‘child’ in the family?
  
  Very young children must be taught that puppies are not play things, so they must leave the puppy to rest if asleep, they must not poke or prod or tease and they must not be left alone unsupervised with any puppy or adult dog. For further information, about children and dogs visit out 'Children & Dogs' page.

TIME:

You will be responsible for the dog for the next 10-15 years.

• Dogs often like to get up and about early in the morning (especially if they go to bed early!), do you?

• Having a dog is like having a child! Can you cope with the responsibility? Are you prepared to sacrifice quite a lot of your "free" time to devote to a dog? Will you still want to do this when you are tired, ill or if and when you add a child to the family?

Puppies require more time than adult dogs. You will have to house train him/her, provide obedience training and play time. Adopted dogs may require further training and lots of patience.

Cocker puppies are lively and demanding of your time & attention. They need lots of company and are not suitable for people who are away from home for more than a few hours at a time, unless of course arrangements can be made for someone to look after the puppy for the duration.

Another factor to consider is your other commitments (not work related). If you are at home most of the day, how much "spare" time do you actually have - are you at home looking after a demanding family (young children, frail or elderly relatives etc.)? Do you have as much time in your day to devote to a puppy/dog as you think you have?

All puppies like to chew and a bored, lonely puppy will chew even more to relieve his boredom - this is why puppies left alone for long hours can become destructive and/or noisy. Additionally, unless 'house training' is undertaken whilst they are young & with consistency, (you need to allow a lot of time in the day for this) they can learn to be 'dirty' in the home. Once learned, this behaviour is hard to change.

In their first six months, puppies need 3 – 4 play sessions (approx. 30 mins at a time) per day; they need to be taken out to relieve themselves every hour and they will need 20 minutes or so of obedience training per day at home & an hours training per week at an obedience class.  Additionally they will require walking. Suggested walking times are 5 minuets per month of age e.g. a 5 month old dog will require a 25 minute walk daily.

From six to 12 months puppies require regular obedience training and at least two walks (minimum 30 mins) per day including some off lead exercise (minimum 1 hour) several times per week.

Adult dogs require lots of exercise - about an hour per day minimum. This should comprise a lead walk (30 – 40 mins) and an hour of free running through fields etc. Large breeds, terriers, herding and sporting dogs require 2 to 4 times as much exercise.

All dogs require grooming. Cocker spaniel will require grooming once a day as they have coats which can tangle and mat very easily. Short and medium haired dogs (clipped dogs) need to be groomed at least once a week.

COSTS:

Buying a dog:

Well-bred cocker puppies can cost anything from £750 upwards (prices are regional to some extent). If the price of a puppy is a struggle financially for you then you should also be aware that there are on-going costs associated with dog ownership and you should seriously consider whether your budget would accommodate these costs at the current time.

Health care:

All puppies need to be vaccinated with primary vaccinations. They will also need annual booster vaccinations (as appropriate).  Your dog will also have to be wormed & treated with flea prevention regularly.

Even with the best of care & attention, dogs can occasionally have accidents or suffer various illnesses, and as they get older, some may develop age related health issues.  A veterinary pet insurance plan can help with these costs as even a simple visit to the vets can amount to hundreds of pounds by the time a consultation fee is charged, any tests (blood tests/X-Rays) undertaken and medication prescribed.

Food:

Ideally, dogs should be fed a premium quality food (not supermarket brands) which are costly and remember the cost of feeding increases as the dog gets bigger! Older dogs may require special diets and medications.

Grooming:

There will also be grooming parlour fees (approx. every 6 weeks) or you will need to make time to tend to your dogs coat care.

Holidays:

If you do not take your dog on holiday with you and your family cannot take care of him while you are away, there will be pet sitting/boarding kennel costs.

Equipment:

You will need various 'doggy' items which will include a dog crate (for car travel/sleeping in when left unattended), a bed & bedding, feeding/water bowls, collar and lead, toys and grooming equipment. You may also need a dog run or modifications to your garden.  For approximate costs, visit our 'cost of dog ownership' page.

SELECTING A DOG

Think about how the dog will fit in with your family, lifestyle and other pets.

Get to know the general breed traits of dogs (our website will give you an idea about Cockers!) before you make a selection.

Once you have decided upon a particular breed, please do not go around every breeder looking at litters. By visiting several breeders, you will be transferring potentially harmful germs between "kennels" and this could pose a serious threat to the lives of the puppies you visit.

Conscientious breeders put a lot of time and effort into their litters and are busy people. Once you have made contact with a responsible breeder, go and view their puppies but unless you see something to cause concern, you should consider your search for a puppy over! Be prepared to contact a reputable breeder weeks/months in advance, they often have long waiting lists! Obtaining a good quality puppy from a reputable breeder is not as quick or simple as "popping to the shops for a tin of beans"!

Do not buy a dog as a surprise for someone else as they may not like your choice or be as ready for a dog as you think they may be. Reputable breeders would not sell you a puppy under these circumstances.

If you are adopting a dog, find out about its background. If you are selecting a new puppy, find out about the parents' and the breeder.

Before you bring a new dog/puppy home, make sure you have all the required food and equipment. Also, ensure that you have "cleared" your diary to allow time to settle the puppy, play with him/her and generally "get used to each other.” If you work part-time, it's a good idea to plan annual leave to coincide with bringing your puppy home. Getting off to a good start will ensure you lay good foundations for the relationship with your dog. Don't plan to get a puppy/dog when you know there are busy times ahead i.e. Christmas, house moves, changes in employment or when a new baby (human) is expected.

Put expensive items in safe places so the dog cannot break them in play or chew them and ask your children to ensure their toys are out of the dogs reach.

Dog proof your home and garden! Identify any hazards and deal with them i.e. household chemicals/cleaning materials, trailing wires etc.

Are you considering buying two puppies at the same time?

Many would-be owners have the idea that two puppies will be company for each other, but underestimate the hard work needed to train two puppies successfully & the chaos two young pups can cause.

Puppies the same age will tend to bond less with the owner and more with each other, this can lead to them being wilful and disobedient as they ignore you and concentrate on each other. Ordinarily when pups leave their mother and litter at around 8 weeks of age they are developmentally ready to bond with their new owners and are emotionally ready to leave the litter & develop as individual characters, however when they are with a littermate or another pup of a similar age this process does not readily occur.

Left to their own devises they can become dependant on each other and look to each other for company, security & comfort, this can mean they are unable to cope if separated (as is sometimes necessary e.g. for veterinary treatment or when one is in season and can't go out with the other). This can lead to separation anxiety issues and delayed emotional development which in turn can lead to behavioural issues. There is also another serious issue to contend with and that is one of 'sibling' rivalry.

As dogs are pack animals, two pups of the same age (especially of the same sex) will not have established a "pack hierarchy" amongst themselves. Pack hierarchy is normally established by dogs being bigger/older than other pack members i.e. the older dog in the household will automatically be alpha pack leader (amongst the dogs) and the new dog will be younger/smaller/different gender and will assume the role of follower.

When owners have two pups of the same age, arriving in the home at the same time the role of pack leader amongst the dogs is not established. Whilst they are young this will be fine, however at or around the time of puberty, one or other will seek to establish dominance over the other. This gives rise to the likelihood that they will fight! Neither will respect each other and neither dog has any obvious reason why they shouldn't be the dominant dog of the household & the fights tend to become more and more aggressive, each dog is literally trying to intimidate/hurt the other in order to capture dominance.

Once dogs start to fight for dominance it is almost guaranteed that there will be no clear winner & the fights can and do reach levels where the dogs risk seriously injuring themselves & in the process upset family life/harmony. Normally the only solution is for owners to re-home one of the dogs.

You will find that many reputable breeders will not sell two puppies (especially if they are the same sex as each other) from the same litter to one home for these reasons.

If however you are adamant that you want two puppies from the same litter or two pups of broadly the same age you need to be mindful that you treat each puppy as an individual. This means raising two pups as if they were only dogs - double the 'trouble' and double the work.

• Provide separate sleeping areas (beds or crates in different rooms)
• Feed them separately
• Exercise/walk them separately
• Play with them separately
• Socialise them separately
• Train them separately
• Attend training classes but on different nights, don't attempt to take them to the same class. They won't listen to you and they won't listen to the trainer!

Naturally they can have a playtime together for a short period in the day, but be under no illusion that you should raise them together on the basis that they will be company for each other & your own commitment to dog ownership/puppy rearing is on a 'two for the price of one' level. Two pups mean twice the work and is not a case of 'well if I'm caring for/training/walking one puppy I may as well do two simultaneously'!

Please think very hard about the possible problems associated with buying two puppies at the same time. Consider the view that it is better to buy one puppy & then add another to the family when the first puppy has matured & is trained to a level you are comfortable with and has settled into your family routine and that you have the time and resources to devote to another dog. It is not a good idea to add a second dog to the family if you are experiencing any training or behaviour issues with your existing dog, as you will likely find that you have two dogs with the same problems due to the tendency for young puppies to copy the example of other dogs in the family.

Owning more than one dog is a delightful experience, in general day-to-day terms having two dogs (adults) are not double the work i.e. if you are walking one you can easily walk two at the same time. However, there will be double the expense (in caring for them/vets bills/vaccinations/pet insurance/food/boarding kennel costs etc.) and double the work involved in training, grooming & bathing etc.