As a rule, a Cocker Spaniel needs to be exercised twice a day for several hours. This should ideally be done in the forest or where he can run without a leash without any problems. The Cocker Spaniel needs to be exercised physically and mentally enough. Especially in the undergrowth the Cocker Spaniel can rummage around very well.
Your pet needs daily exercise. In addition, your dog can romp around in the garden or you can go to a fenced exercise area.
Your dog needs to go outside at least 2 times a day.
Beyond that, you can decide according to your dog whether you go more often and how long your rounds will be.
Walking – When does the dog need to go out?
The question of how often a dog should go out depends crucially on its individual needs. Some dog breeds need a lot of exercise due to their special urge to move, while others are content with smaller rounds.
When a dog needs to go outside is also very individual. Decisive factors include cleanliness and walk training.
As a rule of thumb, however, dogs can endure five to six hours before the next business is due.
This also tells you how often a dog should go out every day. According to this, you should plan at least four to five rounds per day.
Ideally, you should schedule your dog’s walks so that he does not have to go out at night. In this context, it is important that the most urgent walk is in the morning. The walk after getting up must be integrated into the daily schedule.
As a rule, a routine rhythm is established after a certain time, so that the morning round takes place at 6:00 a.m. every day, for example.
Dogs make themselves known when they have to go out
Normally, every dog makes itself known as soon as it has to go out. However, this only applies to dogs that have already completed their cleanliness training. It is not yet to be expected from puppies. As soon as the intervals between rounds become too long, dogs start whining, possibly barking, are restless and otherwise draw attention to themselves.
Some dogs may scratch at the door, others may put the leash at their master’s feet. Pay attention to how your dog makes itself known and don’t let it get that far in the first place.
Your dog will be in better health if you react before your dog even contacts you.
If you are going to be away for a long time and your dog has to wait for you at home, find out here how long your dog can be left alone.
Whether young or old – all dogs need to go out.
Puppies and seniors need more exercise
A puppy stays with the breeder until at least 8 weeks. At least with a good breeder. After that, you can take your dog with you.
Once you have arrived at your new home, the first few weeks are especially important. During this time, you must pay special attention to the walks. Everything needs to be explored, from traffic to the forest.
Experience shows that puppies need more walks than adult dogs. Until they are truly house-trained, it is recommended that you take your fur friend out at least every two hours.
This way puppies learn that they have to do their business outdoors and not indoors.
The time between each round can be extended individually over time. In addition to puppies, seniors also need to go outside more often.
Your dog is getting old and counts as a senior dog if your dog is over 12 years old.
With age, dogs get difficulties to control their urge for a longer period of time. It’s a good idea to cater to your dog’s individual needs.
You could take your dog out more often, but for shorter periods.
If the dog doesn’t get out – what can happen?
If your dog doesn’t get out enough, it will sooner or later do its business indoors.
However, what is much more decisive and to the dog’s disadvantage – lack of exercise leads to considerable limitations. Dogs that do not get out or only get out too rarely are often overweight, which has an impact on their health.
Moreover, in such cases dogs tend to behave destructively, for example by destroying things or starting to go berserk.
Among other things, shoes or furniture can be chewed up. Furthermore, the lack of exercise leads to aggression towards people and other animals in the long run.
This is how you can keep your dog busy in the flat
Some dogs begin to withdraw because they are not physically and mentally stimulated enough. In this case, the behaviour resembles a typical depression.
Other dogs, on the other hand, become hyperactive. Finally, the muscles of the affected dog can stiffen, which leads to considerable pain. Further illnesses of the four-legged friend are also possible due to lack of exercise and too few walks.
For example, bladder or kidney diseases can occur due to continuous stopping.
To prevent this from happening to your four-legged friend, make sure he gets enough exercise!
If you don’t have enough time, you can look for someone who will walk your dog for a small fee.
Typical characteristics of the Cocker Spaniel breed
- Character – affectionate, loyal, friendly, agile
- Size 36 to 42 cm
- Weight 12 to 14 kg
- Colour one to three-coloured from black, brown, white and tan
- Life expectancy 12 to 15 years
The Cocker Spaniel comes in two different varieties: One is the English Cocker Spaniel and the other is the American Cocker Spaniel. These two dogs differ in stature, size and origin.
Originally, the American Cocker Spaniel was bred as a show dog and the English Cocker Spaniel has remained a hunting dog.
While the English Cocker Spaniel has a narrow muzzle, a narrow chest and an instep height of 36 – 42 cm, the American representative of the Cocker Spaniel is a little broader, but also shorter built and measures 34 – 37 cm.
The variety of colours is abundant. The Cocker is available in solid black or brown with tan, as well as in bicolour black and white, brown and white, or in tricolour white with tan and brown.
The Cocker Spaniel is a friendly, affectionate dog with a calm temperament.
He is not a yapper, comparatively easy to train and wants to please. His cheerful nature immediately conjures up joy, for he wants to be occupied and offers a joyful disposition in return.
He is a very attentive dog if he is given plenty of variety to keep him occupied.
Keeping the dog busy indoors
Particularly common diseases of the Cocker Spaniel are hip dysplasia (HD), kidney disease and dilated cardiomyopathy (DKM).
Care and training
The Cocker Spaniel’s long coat requires daily grooming. For this reason, you should brush your Cocker Spaniel extensively at least once a day and trim out matting as well as tangles from the coat.
The best place to learn how much to trim is at a groomer. Your Cocker needs to be groomed because he is very agile and likes to roll around in the grass, for example.
As the Cocker Spaniel has hardly any hunting instinct and is very affectionate by nature, training is very easy. Of course, the Cocker Spaniel also requires loving consistency, but the Cocker Spaniel is not a breed that questions every command.
He likes to adapt and if you have a good bond together, consistent training is easier.
With the right amount of exercise, the Cocker Spaniel is a pleasant, contented and even-tempered companion.
Who is the Cocker Spaniel suitable for?
Do you like to be out in nature and are you looking for a companion to accompany you on your walks? Then the Cocker Spaniel is probably the right dog for you.
A lot of exercise is the best way to keep the Cocker Spaniel busy.
Due to its friendly and playful nature, the Cocker Spaniel is also an excellent family dog. He loves to be entertained.
If you have little or no experience with dogs, the Cocker Spaniel is an ideal breed for beginners. However, do not underestimate the hunting instinct, it depends on the Cocker how much he likes to hunt.
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