Now you have adopted your new Cocker Spaniel puppy it’s time to make sure they remain healthy and happy. Having a well-adjusted Cocker isn’t just about their physical wellbeing. Taking care of their emotional health is also vital.
You can give your puppy the best start in life by avoiding these common pet owner mistakes. Some of these tips relate to your puppy’s social behavior and temperament, while others are related to their physical health.
Avoiding these mistakes will help your puppy to grow up to become a loving and healthy member of your family.
1: Never Leave Your Cocker Spaniel Puppy Unsupervised around Children.
When you are introducing your puppy to children always stay in the room with them. Cockers are a particularly sensitive breed of dog. They take many of their cues from their owners. Children who are rambunctious or overly active may trigger anxiety in your puppy. This anxiety can manifest itself as biting when in the presence of other family members. Show your children how to behave with the puppy. Don’t allow them to pick up or cuddle your puppy if it is exhibiting signs of nervousness. Other puppies may become shy and withdrawn if they are regularly exposed to high levels of children’s behavior.
2: Don’t Lash Out Or Scream At Your Puppy.
Cocker Spaniels, like most other breeds, take their behavioral cues from humans. If you lash out or shout at your puppy, they will take this to be acceptable behavior and can act aggressively towards you or other members of the family. One of the main reasons Cockers are put up for adoption or placed in shelters is because of aggressive behavior. Use a gentle, but firm NO when your puppy has done something wrong such as chewing on furniture or rugs.
3: Don’t Let Your Puppy Go Without Regular Grooming.
One of the reasons people are attracted to the Cocker is because of their long, beautiful coats. As well as being lovely to look at, it is also one of the softest coats in any dog breed, but this does come at a price. Regular grooming is not only essential for the look of their coat but also for your puppy’s health. Grooming by a professional should be carried out every 6-8 weeks. You should brush your puppy’s coat daily. Brushing helps to stimulate natural oils which help to keep your puppy’s coat in good condition and helps to prevent their skin drying out .Daily brushing will also help to remove and prevent knots and tangles which can be painful for the puppy. Introducing your puppy to daily brushing and regular grooming will ensure that they don’t find a trip to the groomer too stressful.
4: Never Leave It Too Long Between Vet Visits.
Cocker Spaniels are generally a healthy breed, but they can be prone to skin allergies as well as eye and ear sensitivities. You will need to wash and clean their ears regularly to prevent wax build-up and to make sure there is no mite infection. Make sure you begin to get into the routine of cleaning their ears, so they become accustomed to the process and don’t develop an anxiety about bathing and ear cleaning.
5: Don’t Let Them Go Without Regular Exercise.
Cockers need at least two walks of at least twenty minutes per day, one in the morning and one in the evening. Without regular exercise they can develop behavioral problems such as chewing on furniture which they do out of a sense of boredom and frustration. Make sure you set aside time to take your puppy for a walk before and after work or school. To help them cope with your absence during the day, make sure they have plenty of toys to play with.
Many owners buy toys with squeakers in them, but Cockers are quite capable of chewing through toys to get at the squeaker inside. Swallowing this could prove fatal for your puppy. Ask your vet or breeder to recommend a quality brand of dog toy.
Now you know some of the most common mistakes that new Cocker owners make, you’re in a much better position to raise a happy and healthy new puppy.
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