Cocker Spaniels are high maintenance in the grooming department mainly because of the length of their coats. The require frequent daily grooming to keep knots and tangles at bay. They also benefit from being taken to a professional grooming parlour every 2 to 3 months so they can be clipped out or hand stripped which makes keeping their coats in good order that much easier.
Because Cockers are naturally drawn to water, they do have a tendency to get muddy especially during the wetter months. As such, regular bathing could be necessary although you have to be careful not to overdo it. Cockers are prone to allergies and too much bathing will end up altering the balance of natural oils found in their skin and coats, making an allergy worse or it could trigger one.
Cockers need to be given regular daily exercise that includes lots of mental stimulation for them to be truly happy and well balanced dogs. They are quite high energy dogs and they like nothing more than being out and about exploring the great outdoors with their noses to the ground following a scent.
Cocker puppies don't need to be given lots of exercise to begin with because they are still growing and developing which means they just need to have a play in the garden for the first few weeks. It's important however, for them to be well socialised which means they need to be introduced to new situations, people and other animals as soon as possible. A puppy’s bones and joints have generally developed sufficiently when they are around 6 months old which is when they can go for longer walks without the risk of them damaging their joints. With this said, walks should never be so long that a young Cocker is tired out. It's best to increase the time they are out a little at a time.
Older, more mature Cocker Spaniels enjoy a good 30 minute brisk and interesting walk twice a day and they like nothing better than to spend as much time in a garden as possible. Working Cockers need a lot more in the way of exercise and mental stimulation to be truly happy, but both show dogs and working dogs enjoy playing interactive games with their owners as often as possible. One thing to bear in mind, is that it is never a good idea to let Cocker Spaniels off their leads when they are around livestock.
Like all dogs, Cocker Spaniels need to be fed a good quality, nutritious diet to suit their ages and the amount of daily exercise they are given. Over-feeding a Cocker would result in them putting on weight and this can lead to all sorts of health issues. It can affect their joints, bones and heart which is especially true if a dog is still growing and developing. Carrying too much weight puts a lot of extra strain on their hips and backs too. It can also lead to a dog developing some sort of heart disease.
Puppies need to be fed good quality puppy food and you should always read the labels that well-known pet food manufacturers attach to their product to see how much a puppy should be fed on a daily basis. It's best to feed a puppy the same diet they were fed by the breeder and to gradually change this over a few weeks to avoid any sort of digestive issues.
The same goes for adult, more mature Cocker Spaniels, they need to be fed as per the pet food manufacturers guidelines whether you opt to feed a dog a wet or a dry diet. You also have to make sure a dog has access to plenty of fresh, clean water. If you share your home with a Working Cocker, they would need to be fed a higher protein diet because of the extra energy they expend on a daily basis.
