Cocker spaniel puppies are cute, cuddly, sensitive, playful, and are affectionate by temperament. While normally energetic and fun-loving, the Cocker Spaniel puppy’s personality is quite “soft”. Suffice it to say that these puppies do not respond well to harsh treatment and will become defensive or “snappy” when they feel hurt or fearful.
Also among the characteristics of Cocker Spaniels puppies is submissive urination (urinating when excited). However, when it comes to the general behavior of the Cocker Spaniel, these puppies are very affectionate and happy.
They are quite intelligent and eager to please you, so they will generally respond well to positive, gentle, and reward-based training. Cocker spaniel puppies may need a few repetitions to learn tasks and commands, but they usually learn things well. And because of this “soft” nature of these puppies, they won’t make very good watchdogs even after they are fully grown.
How Much Does a Cocker Spaniel Puppy Cost?
A Cocker Spaniel puppy is likely to cost between $600 and $1,200 with an average price of $800
How Often Can a Female Cocker Spaniel Have Puppies?
You should always allow at least a year between litters with Cocker spaniels and should aim for longer if you can. If the first litter is healthy and your dog is not having any problems during labor, you can reasonably expect other litters to be fine.
A maximum of 3 to 4 litters is suggested for female Cocker spaniels during their lifetime, with the average Cocker Spaniel litter being between 3 to 7 puppies.
Physical And Social Development Of a Cocker Spaniel Puppy
Physical Development
As a small to medium-sized breed, the Cocker Spaniel’s growth stages generally span 15 to 17 months from birth to full maturity.
For puppies, the Cocker Spaniel’s growth rate is rapid in height and length for about the first seven months, then those growth rates decline as the adolescent “fills out” with muscle and fat.
And at what age do cocker spaniels stop growing? These puppies normally reach their full adult size, an average of 15 inches in height and 25 pounds in weight, at 10-11 months of age.
Since the lifespan of a cocker spaniel dog is 12-15 years, an older Cocker Spaniel is 9-10 years or older.
Social Development
Cocker spaniel puppies reach adolescence at approximately six months, sexual maturity at 8-9 months, and full mental maturity at approximately 16 months.
Development milestone of a Cocker spaniel puppy to adulthood:
- 2 Weeks of age: Eyes and ears open, begins walking.
- 2 Months: Old enough to be separated from mother, housetrained, introduced to solid food, Obedience training and socialization can begin at this early stage.
- 3 Months: You can start exercising, necessary vaccinations/deworming.
- 6 Months: Adult coat growing, adolescence begins, characterized by increased independence, fear, nervousness, disobedience; important training/socialization during this stage.
- 8-9 Months: Sexual maturity, can be switched to adult food and you can start an “adult” exercise regimen.
Cocker Spaniel Puppies With Children
Do Cocker Spaniels make good family dogs? You can bet they are! A Cocker Spaniel puppy with children is a fantastic companion. What best makes a Cocker Spaniel a family pet is when the puppy is raised alongside children.
Regardless, however, due to the breed’s sensitive nature, a Cocker Spaniel puppy and children must be supervised at all times to prevent children from playing too rough with the puppy.
Cocker Spaniel Puppies And Other Pets
In general, these puppies are great with other pets, as long as they are both trained and introduced properly. As with children, cocker spaniel puppies will more easily socialize with other household pets if they growing up at the same time.
Are Cocker Spaniel Puppies Good With Cats?
Usually, a Cocker Spaniel puppy and a cat will get along well, but keep in mind that the young puppy has a high prey drive by nature, and can instinctively chase kittens and other small pets (but it won’t hurt them).
Alongside the cats, the Cocker Spaniel temperament with other dogs in the mix is usually fine.
Living Requirements
Owning a Cocker Spaniel puppy as a pet can be difficult, but owning a Cocker Spaniel, despite the pros and cons, is usually a wonderful experience.
Still, these puppies have a few issues that can make living with a Cocker Spaniel a bit frustrating: They are extremely sensitive and need a lot of attention.
Cocker spaniel owners can live in homes of most sizes (house or apartment), as long as the puppy gets some exercise outside every day.
Regardless of the puppy’s living situation, owners should be prepared for a bit of excessive barking, along with frequent submissive urination.
Are Cocker Spaniel Puppies Hypoallergenic?
In short, they are not. For an American Cocker Spaniel puppy, hypoallergenic tendencies are near zero; Although they do not shed profusely, these puppies leave enough hair and dander in the house that allergy sufferers will need to seek out another breed.
Feeding
Cocker Spaniel puppies will start eating solid food around 3 1/2 to 4 1/2 weeks of age. Initially, make mush by mixing a milk replacer into water-soaked puppy food and placing this mixture on a flat saucer.
One of the best foods for cocker spaniel is premium dry kibble. This high-quality food, although more expensive, is much healthier and better at controlling the puppy’s weight.
The Cocker Spaniel puppy’s diet should include animal protein and carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals, and omega fatty acids, nutrients these puppies need to maintain their long-term health. This means that the best Cocker Spaniel dog food is premium dry kibble, as it has balanced portions of the ingredients listed above.
Caring For Cocker Spaniel Puppies
Exercise Needs
Cocker spaniel puppies are energetic and playful, and while their exercise requirements are not very high, they will need to be consistent. As instinctive hunters, these puppies will need a variety of activities that are physically conditioning (walking, fetching) and mentally stimulating (games, dog sports).
You can start exercising your Cocker Spaniel puppy when it is about three months old by taking it on short walks, then you can make the walks longer as the puppy grows. Don’t over-exercise puppies before eight months of age.
(Adult Cocker spaniels, depending on their age and general activity level, will need about 45 minutes of adequate exercise each day.)
A high prey drive means a leash is required in public. Yards must be securely fenced. Tendency to separation anxiety; should never exercise alone. Although it doesn’t need much, it’s important that you give your Cocker spaniel puppy at least some exercise every day after it reaches 3 months of age.
When indoors, give your puppy access to balls or toys that allow him to burn off excess energy. It is also good to have a regular exercise schedule for the puppy, such as walks after breakfast and dinner and playtime in the afternoon.
Coat Care
Cocker spaniel puppies have thick, medium-length coats that usually have a slight wave. And does a Cocker Spaniel puppy shed? Yes, it does, but not much.
Still, cocker spaniel puppies will need frequent brushing with a 2-in-1 comb and a slicker brush.
Brushing will minimize the shedding of the puppies and prevent the coats from tangling and matting. Hair cleaning (vacuuming floors and lint rollers on clothing and furniture) will only be necessary from time to time.
And for the Cocker Spaniel puppies, drooling is not a problem. If your puppy is drooling excessively, it could be a sign of a medical problem, in which case a veterinarian’s attention is needed.
Bathing
Frequent bathing is not necessary for cocker spaniel puppies. However, this breed is known to seek out water and mud. If this happens, then it’s time for a bath. Otherwise, a bath is only needed once every 2-3 months. There are many shampoos and conditioners for Cocker Spaniel puppies, so be sure to find one that you think is the best.
To bathe your Cocker Spaniel puppy, you will first want to comb and brush out any tangles and matting. Invest in the best shampoo for puppies. Have sponges, a chamois, and plenty of towels on hand, and place a non-slip bath mat inside the tub.
Bathing is also much easier if you have a long neck spray nozzle. Start with the top of the head almost behind the ears when wet and then shampoo.
Use a face and ear sponge to keep soap out of the eyes and mouth. Rinse off all shampoo and conditioner well afterward.
Don’t forget the feet and the area under the tail as well. Use the chamois to get as much water out of the coat as possible. Use towels after that to absorb more gently. Finally, blow-dry the fur while brushing.
How to treat if your puppy has smelly ears?
If your Cocker spaniel puppy has smelly ears, it may mean that it has a bacterial infection. While ear odors in Cocker Spaniel puppies can be unpleasant, it often means a little local hygiene is necessary rather than a full bath.
It’s easy to learn how to clean Cocker Spaniel ears with a cleaning solution along with a few cotton balls, cotton swabs, and paper towels. Wash your hands before this so new bacteria don’t get into their ears.
Use the cleaning solution on the cotton balls and gently clean the ears. Dip the cotton swabs into the solution and then wipe the edge of the ears.
Use lots of swabs if the first ones are very dirty. Once this is done, be sure to dry their ears.
Dental Care
Cocker Spaniels are more prone to dental problems and tears than most breeds of dogs. While many of these problems can be partially prevented with selective diet and daily manual care, they can sometimes be the result of problems that only a veterinarian can solve.
Cocker Spaniel teeth come in two basic stages: puppy teeth (or milk teeth) and adult teeth. At about 8 weeks, adult teeth begin to grow. Puppy teeth will get pushed out and the whole new set should be full by no later than 28 weeks. When they are teething, you should have chew toys with plenty of chewy snacks ready.