Cocker Spaniel

Cocker Spaniel - Small Dog Breed

Quick Facts

OriginUnited States

Height: F: 13.5″-14.5″, M: 14.5”-15.5”

Weight: F: 20-25 lbs, M: 25-30 lbs

Color: Some combination of black, brown, buff, red, silver, tan, and white, potential for roan and/or merle markings

Lifespan10-14 years

Temperament: Easy-going, affectionate, lively

 

Overview

The American Cocker Spaniel started out like many Americans, British. Once they came to America they were bred smaller with the intent of becoming bird hunting dogs.

They also gave up their accent when barking (just kidding).

With their trademark luxurious wavy coat, these little beauties require quite extensive salon time. They love to be around people and make wonderful family pets. They happily cohabitate with other pups becoming best playmates.  

Celebrity Owners

Bing Crosby, Oprah Winfrey, Richard Nixon, Joan Bennett, Ashley Judd, Brittany Murphy, Agnes Moorehead, Oscar de la Renta, Brigitte Bardot, Marilyn Monroe, Fredric March, Charlize Theron, Prince William & Kate Middleton, JFK, Lauren Bacall, George Clooney, Roger Daltrey, Esther Williams, Naomi Watts, Elizabeth Taylor, Lucille Ball & Desi Arnaz

Fun Facts

  1. Lady from Lady and the Tramp was a Cocker Spaniel.
  2. A Cocker Spaniel traveled over on the Mayflower.

Health

Whenever you search for the perfect pup, you should always ask the breeder for a comprehensive list of all the screening of the parent pups. Cocker spaniels are prone some hereditary issues including:

  • Ear infections: Also known as swimmer’s ear, this condition causes inflammation of the external ear canal.
  • Allergies: Histamine, which is a chemical in the body associated with immune responses, is released during allergic reactions.
  • Seborrhea: This very treatable skin condition causes scaley patches and red skin.
  • Ectropion: In this condition, an eyelid, typically the lower one inverts away from the eye.
  • Corneal erosion: This condition occurs when the outer most layer of the cornea is lost to some degree. This most likely occurs from a scrape or injury.
  • Phosphofructokinase deficiency: Leading to anemia, lethargy and weakness, this genetic condition prevents the metabolization of glucose into energy.
  • Cataracts: A dog develops a cataract when the lens in its eye clouds. The clouding is caused by changes in the water balance or proteins in the lens.
  • Progressive retinal atrophy: Atrophy is a wearing or wasting away of a body part. In this case, it is the retina in the eye, which eventually leads to blindness.
  • Hip dysplasia: This condition is when the socket joint in the hip isn’t large enough, or more often too shallow, for the femoral head.
  • Von Willebrand disease: Caused by a deficiency of von Willebrand factor, a protein in the blood that helps platelets, this disease is a bleeding disorder.
  • Hypothyroidism: The thyroid gland, sitting at the top of the windpipe in the back of the neck, is controlled by the pituitary gland at the base of the brand. Hypothyroidism would cause the metabolism to slow down.

While you always hope your pet will live a long and healthy life, it is always a good idea to invest in pet health insurance.

Keeping your dog’s mouth clean and problem free goes a long way to your pup’s overall health. Dental hygiene can be the cause or can be the byproduct of other serious health issues.

Visual inspections can be performed to keep track of the signs of potentially waning oral health. These signs can be anything from bad breath to abnormal chewing to loss of appetite.

Keeping ahead of these warning signs can pay dividends. A preventative approach can delay and stop many of the common dental problems from arising.

Oral health can be tackled in five basic steps:

  1. Brushing your dog’s teeth to prevent an undesirable buildup of plaque
  2. Feed your dog a diet where the high quality dog food has dental benefits
  3. Regularly give your dog dental toys and treats
  4. Use mouthwash, to help where brushing misses
  5. At the sign of any abnormalities, consult a vet. You can even do it virtually, from the convenience of your home.

Dogs are just like humans in that they can experience anxiety. The degree to which they are susceptible to anxiety and how they deal with anxiety is breed specific. Left unchecked, initial signs of anxiety could give way to an anxiety disorder. The symptoms of anxiety disorders can lead to a myriad of behavior issues.

Knowing the signs and symptoms will best equip you to keep ahead of it and to nip it in the bud at the earliest signs. There are options available to help with anxiety.

Are You Covered When Your Pup Gets Sick?

Grooming

Cocker grooming is not for the faint of heart. Grooming should occur 3-4 times a week. Using a metal comb with small and medium spaced teeth, methodically comb through the entire coat.

When combing the ears be delicate and mindful of fragility of the fine skin. When encountering tangles, slowly work through releasing them. Yanking to remove them will only hurt your pup. When bathing it is essential to rinse thoroughly twice to remove any lingering shampoo. Dry your pup with a blow dryer on a warm but not hot setting.

Regularly check your pup’s eyes and keep them clean. As with all dogs, check the ears to make sure they are clear of debris. Keep your pup’s nails clipped and brush their teeth several times a week.

Exercise

Cockers love to be around the family. Long walks, playing games in the park or hiking will make your pup happy if you are there. About an hour a day should satisfy their need for exercise. If you have multiple dogs in the house, playing with each other will also expend lots of energy.

Nutrition

On average your pup will eat around 2 ½ cups of food per day. The exact amount required will depend on the size, age, and activity of your pup. Cockers are very food motivated, so be mindful how often you are doling out treats, so your little buddy doesn’t overeat. Make sure to give your pup premium food to help stave off potentially avoidable health issues.

Are You Feeding Your Dog The Best Food?

Training

Be sure to socialize your pup with humans and other dogs early. These pups can become quite timid in the company of others. They are eager to please and take to positive training methods. Harsh correction can make this breed shut down which is counterproductive. Some of the breed has difficulty house training, so be mindful to make lots of extra trips outside in the beginning.

Proper training is essential to ensuring the safety of your dog and those around you. Having your dog come when they should, and in general having them listen is something you want to address early in your pups life, as it will pay dividends down the line. There are many tried and true training programs to accomplish this training – faster and better than you might think!

Unless you’re living on a farm, or have the space, a yipping dog, or one that barks all day when you are gone could be an issue with the neighbors and/or landlord. Historically, dogs would bark to communicate with the rest of the pack when hunting and bark as a warning shot to predators eyeing up their flock. Barking is deep rooted in dogs and manifests itself in many ways and for a variety of reasons.

Just like any habit or instinct, there are effective ways you can train this issue away.

The Best Dog Vitamins and Supplements To Keep Your Pup Healthy. Period.

Supplements

A solid Glucosamine Supplement for hips and joints will go a long way to helping your furry friend.


Other helpful supplements include full-spectrum hemp oil or CBD oil. Fish oil skin and coat supplement.

Ensuring a comprehensive preventative vitamin and mineral plan is essential to keeping your dog healthy. Truth is, there are vitamins and minerals that your dog needs, but doesn’t produce naturally. While many of these vitamins and minerals can be found in your dog’s current diet and dog food, the question becomes, are there enough vitamins to ensure they aren’t deficient.

Poor nutrition can lead to some of the most common health issues, such as weak joints, compromised immunity, increased allergies, and low energy.

Vitamins play a vital role in your pet’s health and overall life expectancy. Here are some multivitamin and joint relief options.

As regulations around marijuana have eased, the emergence of CBD oils for humans and dogs have sprung up.

Just to begin to dispel the negative stigma, CBD extract comes from Hemp, marijuana’s cousin. Unlike its cousin, there are no psychoactive qualities in CBD oil. An emerging number of clinical and institutional studies have shown the wide variety of healing qualities in CBD, including pain management, and the containment of seizures and epileptic episodes.

Explore this remedy further to see all the health benefits that have transformed the lives of so many dogs to date.

Have You Tried CBD For You Dog's Health?

The Good

  • Good with children
  • Low requirements for exercise
  • Easy to train

The "Ruff"

  • Very involved frequent grooming
  • Can be timid with other dogs

Annual Vet Bills: $1,500+

Be Prepared for the unexpected.