Are you prepared for a puppy?

BE AWARE:

• Puppies chew things, expensive things, dangerous things, strange things, precious things, funny things, old and new things. All puppies go through a chewing stage. Before bringing your new puppy home PUPPY PROOF YOUR HOME.

• Puppies are like cute little toddlers. EVERY THING IS NEW TO THEM. Every moment is met with the curiosity and wonder of an amazing new experience. Do not let your puppy have free reign of your home. Give your puppy a safe area to play and rest, and only let them roam the house when you can keep a close eye on them. You wouldn't let a one year old loose in your house all day with no supervision??

• Puppies explore their world with their nose and their mouth. As humans we process new things first with sight then hearing and then scent and taste. Dogs ARE NOT LITTLE HUMANS. Dogs process first with scent (nose). Watch your puppy, it will walk with it's nose to the floor constantly sniffing out something new. Then they process with their mouth. Give your pup a new toy, first it sniffs it then it tastes it. Lastly dogs process with their eyes and ears.  Try this, hide a squeaky toy behind your back, squeak the toy and encourage your dog to find it, they will sniff it out from behind you.

• Time...it takes time. Puppies need to adjust to their new home. Although they may come house trained, leash trained, crate trained etc. once they leave me and go to a new strange place, with strange people, strange smells and sounds, they go through a period of readjustment. Sometimes this takes a few weeks, sometimes a little more than a month. It all depends on how diligent you are with housetraining, leash walking and use of the crate.

• YOU are the single most important person to your puppy. You replace it's littermates, it's mother and me. If you do not establish yourself as the leader of his new pack, you will find yourself with a very naughty little puppy that will grow to be a big pain and rule your house. My dogs are pampered, spoiled and loved dearly, but they are obedient, sweet and know that when I say "NO" I mean it. I NEVER HIT my dogs. They can read my energy and understand that I mean business. You need to establish this right away with your pup. Take the place of it's mother and let it know what is appropriate behavior and inappropriate behavior.

What you should know before buying a Cocker Spaniel Puppy or our Hybrid ShiShi Spaniel since they are 1/2 mini cocker. Some of the cocker traits may be inherited and all of the training and grooming applies to both breeds.
I am not saying these things to discourage anyone from getting a Cocker or a ShiShi puppy. But I want every prospective puppy owner to be aware of what this wonderful breed needs to be healthy and happy. If you are looking for a low maintenance dog a cocker or a ShiShi  isn't the breed for you.

**A few words about puppies and parasites**

All puppies are born with parasites inside their intestines. They may never make your puppy sick, but mostly stress, new environments and change can make these bugs awaken and give your new puppy a tummy ache, diarrhea and possibly bloody stool. Don't panic if this happens this is not life threatening. A quick trip to your vet and they can assess the right course of treatment. Most common are Giardia and Coccida. Some puppies get these parasites because their immune systems are not yet mature and can not fight off the bugs. Puppies are more susceptible to it because their noses are constantly to the ground and they put everything in their mouths. Just a little insight into what "could cause" your baby to have an upset tummy shortly after you take it home.

1. Cockers need monthly grooming. You can do it yourself and I am always happy to help with any questions. But to maintain good health their coats must be tended to with frequent brushing and cleaning. This is time consuming and will be an added expense that you will have to allow for in your house hold budget. Cockers are prone to ear infections. In the grooming world this is known as cocker crud. Since they have long heavy ears, air doesn't circulate well underneath. Bacteria can grow, dirt and dust get trapped and bingo you have an ear infection. With due diligence, you can avoid ever having an ear infection with your cocker. Just simply wipe the ear canal with a warm wash cloth and a little peroxide and keep their ears clean. Shaving the inside of the ear also helps let the air in. Cockers also need their eyes cleaned periodically. The same thing applies, warm water wash cloth and a gentle swipe daily and you will avoid crusty eyes. Keeping your cockers face shaved close also helps with tearing. See my grooming your cocker page for all the info on keeping your cockers coat and body healthy.

*Cockers can be prone to "Cherry Eye", where the inner eyelid pops out causing a large red cherry like bulge in the eye area.  However cockers are predisposed to it and it can happen no matter how careful your breeder is. It is easily remedied by your vet doing a simple eye surgery and is not life threatening in any way. Now many vets are using laser surgery, this is an amazing procedure. There is no e-collar needed, no stitches, no infections, it is amazing!!

*Cockers can have skin allergies. None of my dogs have any allergies. However I believe that with proper nutrition and feeding quality premium dog food you will not see any type of allergies with your dog. This is why I keep all my dogs and puppies on the NUVET SUPPLEMENTS.

2. Cockers need exercise. They are not high energy dogs, but they are dogs that need to use their energy or they can become destructive or overweight. A nice walk for 30 minutes around the neighborhood is a perfect thing to do daily with your cocker. It also helps with socialization. If you have a yard, go out and play in it with your cocker pup. They are great retrievers and love to chase balls, toys and just run and romp. Cockers are PEOPLE dogs, they need to be paid attention to and loved. If you aren't going to be home a lot with your dog or your aren't going to take them with you then a cocker isn't for you. Normal work day schedules are fine, but be sure you spend time before and after work with your dog. If you work long hours and are often away from home, you should rethink having a  puppy at home all alone.

3. Cockers need to be socialized. They are normally wary of strangers, so the more strangers they meet the less shy they will be. Daily walks, trips to the dog park, trips to the pet supply store all are great for socializing your cocker puppy. Just be sure your pup has all their shots before venturing out with your puppy. Before they have all their immunizations a great way to socialize is to ask friends and family over to meet your new family member. Just remind them not to make a loud fuss over the pup when meeting it, a quiet and respectful greeting makes meeting strangers much easier to adjust to.

4. Cockers can be piddlers or puddlers which ever you prefer. The correct term is submissive urination. Which means when they are very excited or frightened they will urinate. Not all cockers do this but some do and you need to be aware of it. It can go away as your pup matures, but with proper training you can break this cocker behavior. See my training your cocker page for more information.

5. Cockers thrive on routine. They love it when they know what is going to happen next. Feeding on a schedule, walks on a schedule and playtime on a schedule is best for your cocker pup. I don't mean that if you are a little late with the walk your cocker will turn into a raging mad dog, but if you don't follow a routine with your pup, it will be much harder to train. Cockers are extremely smart. They will learn words and commands very quickly. They are also easily offended and shouldn't be treated roughly during training. They are also treat motivated. You can get a cocker to do almost anything for a treat. Training your pup should be a combination of repeated words, healthy treats for obeying and a routine that they can look forward to.

6. I subscribe to the Cesar Milan method of dog psychology. First you exercise, then you discipline then you give affection. Dogs are like humans in many ways, but a dog is still a dog. Dogs are pack animals and need to know their place in their pack. Dog are followers, and if there is no leader to follow they will assume the role of leader. If you do not want the head of your house to be the dog then you must take early steps to prevent an unruly pet. Cockers like any other breed of dog can be nasty if you do not train your pet to know what is good behavior and what is unacceptable behavior. You can read more on my training page.

7. Your puppy will cry, whine, howl and give you the saddest eyes you have ever seen in your life when you put it in it's crate. That is why you have to be strong and resist the urge to take the puppy out when it does this. Crate training your puppy is an essential part of learning where your dog sleeps, eats and can go and have some quiet time. Once your pup is old enough to have free reign of the house, if you want it to sleep in your bed with you, then go right ahead. You can read more about crate training on my training page.

8. Finally, I want you the prospective puppy owner to know that a cocker spaniels and Japanese ShiShi's are  fantastic breeds, with all their shortcomings. It is a breed that takes work, time and energy to maintain, but it is so worth it in the long run. But if you are willing to do what it takes to raise a happy healthy dog, then you should have no problem at all with getting a pup. You should also know that I am always here to help you with any questions you may have through out your dogs life. I believe that the breeder and owner should keep in contact for the well being of the dog and the new family that adopts it.