When Is a Cocker Spaniel Fully Grown (Detailed Answer)?

If you’re planning to get a cocker spaniel, you might wonder when is a cocker spaniel fully grown.

Well, there is no exact answer to that question as every Cocker Spaniel will develop at its own pace. However, on average most Cocker Spaniels reach their fully grown stage at the age of  9 -12 months. They will still continue to develop as they require time to get to their full maturity.  Between the age of 18 – 24 months, a Cocker Spaniel become fully mature. 

One thing you should remember is that Cocker Spaniels is a hunting and they require proper playtime and exercise to fully reach their growth potential. 

In this article, we will discuss when a Cocker Spaniel becomes fully grown. We will also learn about their full journey from puppy to adulthood.

Types of Cocker Spaniel: American Cocker Spaniel vs. English Cocker Spaniel

There are two types of Cocker Spaniel dogs. This includes the English cocker and the American Cocker. You can find these breeds in the US, the UK, and other parts of the world.

A fully grown English Cocker Spaniel measures up to 43 cm in height and weighs 34 pounds.

A fully grown American Cocker Spaniel measures up to 33cm in height and weighs 30 pounds

The English cocker spaniel is also bigger compared to the American cocker. However, always keep in mind that working cocker spaniel puppies are typically smaller compared to dogs that people breed for shows.

Cocker Spaniel Growing Stages: Puppy to Adult

Before you answer the question, “when is a cocker spaniel fully grown?” You have to consider this.

Like all living beings on this planet, cocker spaniels also have growing stages. So, if you’re planning to get one, it’s best to know how your dog will grow.

Knowing its growing stages can also help you determine your dog’s current stage.

1. Newborn Stage

This is the first stage of cocker spaniel growth. As the name implies, this is the phase where your dog is born.

Typically, newborn dogs spend most of their time sleeping. They also spend their time with their mother for nutrition.

Newborn dogs don’t move a lot. They usually use energy to prepare their small bodies for survival and other important growth.

2. Transition Stage

At around 2-4 weeks, your cocker spaniel puppy should have their ears and eyes completely opened. This means that your dog can now hear sounds and see things.

However, you should keep in mind that their development isn’t 100% complete. These puppies usually collect intelligence by interacting with their mother and siblings.

Eventually, your dog will start to stand and move on its own.

During this stage, the first set of baby teeth also appears.

3. Socializing Stage

After 4-12 weeks, your cocker spaniel pup should start to socialize with its mother and siblings. They might also begin associating with your other pets that they might be regularly coming in contact with.

During this stage, your pup will understand things compared to the early stages. In addition, it might show interest in wet puppy food aside from its mother’s milk.

4. Sexually Maturing Stage

Though cocker spaniels are born with various reproductive organs, their sexual maturity isn’t fully developed during the infant stage.

Because of this, they will keep growing physically and sexually until the 16^th week. During this stage, the pup will have a lot of energy and be the most curious of all times.

This is the stage where your dog will be curious about everything around it. This is also the stage where your dog will always love to play.

5. Emotional Maturing Stage

Once your dog reaches 4-6 months, your cocker spaniel will sometimes show emotional maturity. Of course, you’ve got nothing to worry about during this stage.

Your dog might suddenly show aggressive behavior towards other animals. They might fight with their siblings to keep their territory.

Keep in mind that this is normal. Because of this, you should not interfere with them unless it appears they’re going to kill each other. However, this does not usually happen.

6. Peak Adolescent Stage

Cocker spaniels between 6-12 months might appear to have emotionally troubling episodes. If you have kids, it’s almost the same as their teenage phase.

During this stage, your cocker spaniel can be a bit problematic. Still, you should know that this varies from dog to dog. That is why it isn’t wise to categorize all as one.

A couple of female cocker spaniels might go into their first heat during this stage. Thus, you’ll notice that males will become more receptive toward the female dog.

Often, pups might even attempt to mate with each other. Because of this, you might want to separate your male and female cocker spaniel. You can neuter or spay them if you don’t want to do this. Though there are myths about spaying and neutering Cocker Spaniels it is indeed beneficial for your dog’s health.

When it comes to their physical appearance, this is when a cocker spaniel’s height stops growing. At the next stage, your dog will increase its weight and thickness.

7. Final Growth Stage

So, when is a cocker spaniel fully grown? Once your dog reaches 12-24 months, it will stop growing its height. However, it will continue to expand its weight and thickness.

Your cocker spaniel’s muscles will build up. This will result in the regal and beautiful appearance of your dog.

In addition to that, their coat will have a shiny and smooth finish. Furthermore, they will replace their baby teeth with a permanent set of sharp teeth.

At What Age is a Cocker Spaniel Fully Grown?

As mentioned above, you can consider a cocker spaniel fully developed by the time it reaches 24 months old.

Always remember that growth happens in stages, from the newborn stage to the final growth stage.

Like human beings, your cocker spaniel will reach different emotional, mental, and physical markers at each stage of its growth.

Every growth step from newborn to adult will bring new challenges and skills. At an earlier age, your pup will reach the cocker spaniel average weight and height.

Once that happens, they will improve their behavior, emotion, and mentality.

If you’re a fur parent and love your cocker spaniel, you won’t experience any struggles at every stage of its development. It will be enjoyable and easy for you.

Factors That Influence the Growth of a Cocker Spaniel

One thing to remember is that not all cocker spaniels are the same. This is particularly true when it comes to their development and growth.

So, whenever you ask when is a cocker spaniel fully grown, the answer might be different from others.

You need to consider a couple of factors that can affect your dog’s growth. These factors are in correlation with each other. This means that a change in one aspect can also lead to a change in the other facet.

The most vital factors that affect the growth of your cocker spaniel are:

• Physical activity
• Health conditions
• Nutrition and diet
• Environment and genetics

1. Physical Activity

One factor that affects the growth of your cocker spaniel is physical activity and exercise. This is closely associated with nutrition and diet factors. Of course, there’s a reason for this.

You can make your cocker spaniel obese if you pair a lack of physical exercise with an imbalanced diet.

On the other hand, insufficient nutrient intake will make your cocker spaniel malnourished and underweight.

That is why if you want a healthy development for your dog, you must give it a proper diet filled with proteins and nutrients.

Furthermore, you should also incorporate regular exercise.

Cocker spaniels will greatly benefit from routine playtime and regular workout routines. Since cocker spaniels are small dogs during their early stages of development, it’s vital to ensure they won’t get hurt during physical activity.

It is not wise for your puppy to perform intense physical activity. Compared to human beings, the heart of your cocker spaniel beats faster.

That is why exposure to intense activity every day might result in some severe health conditions down the line.

Cocker Spaniels love to have fun. This also includes running with your dog. Regular running and walking will make their body more muscular. It can also help in developing immunity against different illnesses.

Aside from improving their muscles, routine walking and running can also help improve your dog’s bone structure.

That is why a cocker spaniel requires tons of activity every single day. As your puppy grows into an adult, some activities might be boring.

Still, it’s vital to exercise and walk your adult cocker spaniel dog for healthy growth. If you want to achieve a healthy cocker spaniel fully grown, make sure you integrate exercise.

2. Health Conditions

Health conditions are closely related to environmental factors and genetics. Aside from that, it can also be associated with proper nutrition and diet.

According to experts, one of the healthiest pure breeds is cocker spaniels. Unfortunately, they can still have a couple of health problems. Most of these issues are inherited genetically.

Though most cocker spaniels will not have a lot of health issues during their life, a couple of them will develop and show signs of an inherited illness.

That is why you should always monitor the health of your dog.

Some of the most common inherited health problems in cocker spaniels include hip dysplasia, glaucoma, luxating patella, epilepsy, cataracts, and progressive retinal atrophy.

One thing to keep in mind, whether you’re an experienced dog owner or a first-time dog owner, is that you’re responsible for the health condition of your dog.

This doesn’t simply mean treating your dog’s illness when it happens. It means you must ensure you do your best to prevent any diseases from developing.

If your pup suffers from illnesses, there’s a chance it won’t reach the average cocker spaniel fully grown size.

3. Nutrition and Diet

Aside from other factors, your cocker spaniel can’t live a healthy life without proper nutrition and diet.

From the early stages of their life, newborn cocker spaniels begin receiving milk from their mother. One vital factor in their development is nursing.

When cocker spaniels reach 5-6 weeks of age, they stop nursing. During this stage, they will begin to eat puppy food and adult dog food down the line.

Make sure you follow a diet plan. That’s the ideal way to keep track of your dog’s growth progress. As it grows, ensure that you measure your cocker spaniel’s size and weight.

You must write down the cocker spaniel weight by age of your puppy. It’s also crucial that you offer your cocker spaniel nutritious dog food. You shouldn’t settle for cheap dog food.

If you want your cocker spaniel to grow strong and healthy, you must give it high-quality dog food. Unfortunately, these dog foods don’t come cheap.

In addition to that, you can also find a cocker spaniel size chart online that can help you determine how much and what type of food your dog should eat.

Another thing to remember is that some food can be bad for your cocker spaniel, even though it’s safe for humans.

Thus, it’s important to research thoroughly to determine what food to avoid giving your dog.

4. Environment and Genetics

In every living being on this planet, genetics play a huge role. The size and weight of your dog are drastically affected by environmental factors and genetics.

From the tiniest Chihuahuas to the biggest Rottweilers, genes that control your dog’s growth are the primary reasons why a couple of them stay small or grow big.

To determine your dog’s growth, you need to check the size of its parent breeds. Then, you have to compare their sizes with the cocker spaniel growth chart KG.

With this, you can also check if your cocker spaniel has a chance of being affected by genetically inherited illnesses.

Reliable breeders take growth factors and genetics extremely seriously. They can easily achieve quality and healthy bloodline if they cross the same purebred.

One of the key factors that affect the development and growth of your cocker spaniel is Genetic predisposition.

To make things simple, professionals use genetic predisposition to determine the vulnerability of a dog to some particular illnesses.

However, one thing you need to remember is that environmental factors greatly influence genetic predisposition.

FAQs About When Is A Cocker Spaniel Fully Grown

Frequently asked questions and answers about when is a cocker spaniel fully grown:

How Big Does a Working Cocker Spaniel Grow?

Cocker spaniels are beautiful dogs. A lot of people like them because they are moderately sized.

A female cocker spaniel fully grown can reach up to 14 inches tall. On the other hand, male cocker spaniels grow 15 inches tall.

If you give them a proper diet and physical activity, a healthy working cocker spaniel fully grown should not weigh more than 30 pounds.

At What Age Does a Cocker Spaniel Calm Down?

One thing to remember is that cocker spaniels do not usually slow or calm down. As they age, they only become more and more active.

Whether they’re 15 years old or 5 months old, cocker spaniels will always show excitability.

Cocker spaniels are the type of dog breed that is always ready to go for a walk, play, and cuddle. They’ll do anything you want them to do.

In nature, cocker spaniels are energetic. If you’re not ready for this, owning one might find it extremely exhausting.

So, if you don’t know how to make your cocker spaniel calm down, you’ll have a hard time.

Are Cocker Spaniels Smart?

The simple answer to this question is yes. Cocker spaniels are one of the smartest dog breeds out there.

According to research, the English cocker spaniel is the 20^th smartest dog breed. This is particularly true when it comes to working intelligence and obedience.

Cocker spaniels are easy to train. That is why most owners don’t have any issues teaching them new commands.

How Much Exercise Does a Cocker Spaniel Need?

As mentioned earlier, your cocker spaniel will require regular exercise to stay healthy. So, how much exercise does it need?

Well, most professionals recommend at least 1 hour of exercise every day. You should also spread this activity throughout the day.

For example, you can split the 1-hour exercise into a 20-minute walk in the morning, 20-minute playtime at noon, and a 20-minute walk in the evening.

How Do You Relax a Cocker Spaniel?

There are a lot of ways you can relax a cocker spaniel. One thing to note is that not all of them are the same. Because of this, methods for calming your dog vary.

However, the most common and effective one that people use is playing games and fun activities with cockers. Traditional catch and fetch games can work wonders in relaxing a cocker spaniel.

You can also give them something to eat or chew.