Cocker Spaniel is one of the most popular dog breeds in America. While the dog is popular, you should not keep him in your house without knowing about him. To guide you through, here are a few things you need to know about him.

History

The dog belongs to two breeds of the Spaniel dog type: the English Cocker Spaniel and American Cocker Spaniel. He was originally bred as a hunting dog in the United Kingdom.

Characteristics

The Spaniel is sweet, obedient, and friendly which makes him easy to live with especially in close-knit communities such as apartments. He also easily adapts with both new and old members of the family.

While he is friendly especially to children, you should avoid leaving him with smaller children. This is because the smaller children tend to handle him with little care and often injure him.

When he is injured, he often becomes shy. He also tends to result to self-defense and he can easily injure the child. To be on the safe side, you should only leave the dog with smaller children only under your supervision.

Needs

Since he was originally used as a hunting dog, he is usually very energetic. You should engage him in regular walks and exercises in order to ward off the negative behavior that comes as a result of boredom. Exercises also aid in preventing dangerous weight gain.

If you live in an apartment and you don't have space to exercise the dog, you should consider taking him on a walk. You can also run with him around the house.

Training

Since he is intelligent, he is easy to train. Just like when training other dogs, you should avoid being negative in your training. You should always be positive where you reward your dog whenever he does a positive thing.

When he does the wrong thing, you should let him know that he has done the wrong thing. You should do this without hitting him or shouting at him.

For him to respect you, you should ensure that you let him know that you are the leader and he should follow what you say.

Health

The most common infections that affect the dog are: ear and eye infections. These infections are brought about by a number of factors such as parasites, foreign bodies, tumors, and microorganisms. To protect your dog from the infections you should take him for regular checkups. You should also regularly clean his ears and eyes.