Puppy Love Holiday Edition

December whispers silent snowfall, crystal lights as illuminous as the evening moon, cold that warms the heart, and a sparkle in forever eyes.  December whispers glittering magic in the name of the holiday season.  Puppy Love wishes all forever families and little ones loving memories in the 2010 season.

Today's daily puppy is a special one.  In this Holiday Edition, I feature the Cocker Spaniel. 

Lady -



- was a Christmas gift to her forever family when she was an infant.  Her puppy litter was an addition to the family in the last Christmas scene in the forever classic Disney film, Lady and the Tramp.  Lady is the Holiday Edition in Puppy Love.

The Cocker Spaniel has been recognized since the late 1800s and has been a popular breed since.

The Spaniel breed derives from the term Spanyell coined in the 14th Century.  Cockers are the smallest of the breed and are in fact part of the Sporting Group.  The formally recognized Cocker Spaniel is the English Cocker Spaniel.  The English Cocker Spaniel is a formidable hunting dog with surprising speed on land and ability in water.

For more history on the Cocker Spaniel, visit the American Kennel Club at http://www.akc.org/breeds/cocker_spaniel/index.cfm. 

The Cocker Spaniel is known as well for its loving and gentle nature.  This breed is trustworthy and respectful of authority.  The Cocker Spaniel is naturally shy and should be socialized well early in puppyhood.  The Cocker Spaniel is an excellent fit for families with children and other animals.  Strong leadership and authority in training will make housebreaking easier.

The Cocker Spaniel does require authority.  If this breed senses any hesitation or weakness in its owner, behavior issues will arise.  When a dog is adopted, they must know their place in the family.  The family is the dog's pack.  Humans in the family - adults and children - must lead and must call the rules.  If a dog senses otherwise, their behavior will rise into dominance.  This dominance will lead to viciousness, exicted urination, excited energy that is not able to be expended, aggressiveness, uncontrolled barking, hyper activity, and much more.  Human leadership and authority is critical to appropriate behavior.  Love is the reward of appropriate behavior.

The Cocker Spaniel is prone to cataracts and glaucoma.

The Cocker Spaniel requires daily exercise.  Walks must train the dog to heel beside or behind the walker - or leader - or human.

The Cocker Spaniel fairs okay in apartments settings as they can be just as active indoors, with the condition though that they still go for walks.

The Cocker Spaniel lives a fairly long life, with average life expectancy at 12 to 15 years.

The Cocker Spaniel litter is relatively small at 1 to 7 pups, with average 5.

To learn more about the Cocker Spaniel, visit Dog Breed Info Center at http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/americancocker.htm.