Perfect familly Pets (Cocker Spaniels)

Member Name: FingersXed

Product:	Cocker Spaniels
Date:	17/10/09 (632 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Small animal

Disadvantages: Takes a lot of grooming

Cocker Spaniels without question are the best medium sized dog around. So good infact that I own one. They give unconditional love to their owners and make excellent pets.

They require a great deal of excercise to try to burn off some of there excess energy (if they were children they would be deamed to have ADHD or hyperactivity). Spaniels are almost crazy if they are left without stimulous so constant attention is required. I would not recommend any dog for those who work full time or work away from the home but Cocker Spaniels are a definate no no!!

When you get a cocker spaniel puppy they are very easily trained. Hovever do not be surprised by accidents which involve chewing from anything from chairs to CD's. The breed has several querky traits which involve stripping the fur off objects (especially tennis balls) and digging - which is very difficult to stop even in adulthood.

There are two distinct types of Cocker Spaniels - Working and Show Type.
Working Cockers are smaller with shorter legs and ears bred specifically to work with hunters to collect game, so they have what is known as a soft mouth which makes them perfect for familys with children as the dogs do not bite with any force.
Show type cockers are larger with longer ears but also have the characteristic soft mouth, the breed standard requires them to leave the bottom of there coat long in what are known as feathers. The grooming reqired to maintain this style involves a great deal of skill so I would only recommend only experienced dog owners to keep a dog in this style unless you have the money for continuous trips to the groomers.

There are two genetic traits which Cocker Spaniels seem to suffer with, the first being the tendency to develop ear infections caused by the long ears - which can be reduced by regular cleaning, the second is a tendency to overeat and become obese which can be controlled with strict diet.

The spaniels make great guard-dogs as they hardly ever bark but when they do they sound like a much larger breed.

Summary: Working or Show Type are ideal for familys