choosing your Cocker Spaniel puppy
Mal
You are reading this section because you’ve decided to purchase your Cocker Spaniel puppy from a reputable breeder. Congratulations! You are contributing to the betterment of the Cocker Spaniel breed and refusing to be a part of the abuse and greed of backyard breeders, puppymills, petstores and the commercial dog breeding industry.
How do you know that the puppies you’re looking at have been bred by a responsible breeder? Well, first, you’ve read our section on this site explaining what a responsible breeder is and what to expect from one. Next, you’ve checked with your local breed club or the American Spaniel Club for a breeder referral. And you’ve read our section on Hereditary Disorders of the Cocker Spaniel so that you know what testing a responsible breeder will have done on the mother and father of the puppies you are going to consider. Finally, drum roll please, you now know what dog registries are and how to read a pedigree after reading our pages on understanding your dog's papers, and you are armed with knowledge!
What to look for in a Cocker Spaniel Puppy In any litter of Cocker Spaniel puppies bred by a responsible breeder, there are going to be puppies that are going to be destined to be show dogs, known as show quality puppies, and puppies destined to be pets, known as pet quality puppies. The puppies that we’re going to be talking about here are pet quality puppies. The puppies intended to be show dogs will be sold or co-owned by the breeder and another person, with the intention to show them in competitions and breed them when they’re old enough and have passed all of their health checks. Pet quality puppies will be released to pet homes at eight to ten weeks of age. Responsible breeders will never sell a puppy younger than this. Pet quality puppies will either already be spayed or neutered or they will be sold to you on a spay/neuter contract, which means that you have to spay/neuter them by a certain age that you agree to in a written contract. The breeder will most likely keep the puppies AKC registration papers until you provide proof that the puppy was spayed or neutered. This gives the responsible breeder the peace of mind that their Cockers will not be used for breeding, and they maintain the quality of Cocker Spaniels that they are breeding for.
It’s so exciting isn’t it. You might have been waiting months for these puppies to be born or you were lucky enough to find puppies ready to go into homes, in any case, you’re on your way to the breeder’s. How will you know the right puppy to choose when you’re faced with a choice like this?
Cocker Pups from
Celyn's Cockers
If you are not an experienced Cocker person, it’s likely that the breeder will choose your puppy for you because they will know the personality and traits of the puppies. The breeder will know the puppy that will fit into your family and lifestyle. If you want to be more involved in picking your puppy, or if you have a specific purpose for your Cocker, such as a therapy dog, or you want your Cocker to compete in obedience, rally, or field trials, there is a puppy test that you can study and give to the puppies to help you determine a puppy’s personality and what motivates them or their drive so that you can identify the best ways to train them. Wendy and Jack Volhard have developed The Puppy Aptitude Test. CLICK HERE for a printable copy of the Puppy Aptitude Test. You will have to purchase the book Dog Training For Dummies (For Dummies (Pets))