Bringing home a Cocker Spaniel puppy is an exciting and a fun time for the entire family. As a responsible pet owner you want to make sure you are doing the right things. The following tips will help you get off on the right foot with your pup.

1) This is the time when you should begin to bond with your pup by spending as much time as you can together. Getting your relationship off to great start with your new pup is important. By bonding and socializing your pup early you will be off to great start in developing the Cocker Spaniel personality we all love. Why not show off your new family member to friends and neighbors. The more you socialize your pup during the early stages of puppyhood the better.

2) Always keep a close eye on your pup. You may want to restrict the pup from roaming around your house. Use doorway gates or a crate whenever necessary to make it easier to keep track of your dog. When retiring for the evening, let your dog sleep with you or close by in a crate so it can see and feel close to you. The first few nights in a new home will be a little stressful for the pup. If you decide to let the pup sleep with you for the first few weeks it can then be encouraged to sleep in its crate.

3) Cocker Spaniel puppies love to be with their owners as you will soon find out. They look to you as the pack leader and want to please you. Your training should start from day one; to begin with, play as often as you can during the next few months. Children should be advised not to play rough games with your pup. Any game that leans towards aggression should be avoided. You don't want to encourage or develop an aggressive behavior.

4) Take your Cocker Spaniel puppy for walks and teach it to play catch and fetch. You will find that puppies like to sleep a lot. This is normal, especially after being exercised. So if you are looking to take a break, take your dog for a walk or let it play in your back yard with your children. After about, ten to fifteen minutes of running around your dog will gladly take a little snooze.

5) Puppies will be puppies and get into all kinds of mischief. You can expect your pup to get into the chewing mood once in a while. Teething can last up to a year or longer. Your socks, furniture, remotes and other belongings become open game. This must be dealt with immediately. Simply replace whatever the dog is chewing on with a doggie toy. Having a variety of doggie toys available will be a great aid to curbing destructive chewing. The trick here is to have eight to ten chew toys available. Your pup will soon find his favorite. Dog chews are good but you should monitor to avoid chewing on small pieces that may become harmful to the pup if swallowed.

6) Make sure your pup is getting the proper amount of food and nutrients to encourage a healthy growth period. Good nutritious foods and exercise are very important during the growing stages. Check with your vet for guidance and regular checkups.

7) Look into an obedience class. This will be the best thing you can do for your Cocker Spaniel. Proper training in the early stages will help set a solid foundation for future training you can do yourself. It's really all about people training and the rewards are so much greater when properly done.

You are on your way to an exciting journey with your Cocker Spaniel puppy. Training your dog will reward you and keep the dog mentally active with the desired behaviors. Always remember that a Cocker Spaniel does not respond well to yelling, shouting or hitting. The only time you should correct your dog is when you catch it in the act, otherwise it has no clue as to what you are upset about. Always praise or reward your dog when proper behavior is performed.

The best with your new pup!