Cocker Spaniel Coat Brushing

Most Cocker owners take their dogs to a local groomer every 4-5 weeks. The great scent and clean coat start to fade after about 2 weeks. You could take your dog back to the groomer or do some simple things to make it last longer. Brushing your dog's hair is the easiest way to do it. All you need is a "pin brush".

The best time to brush your dog is in the late evening when it is tired and less likely to resist. Start a routine where you have the dog lay on the couch next to you while you pet it. After a few evenings, start to brush their back. Praise the dog as long as it is cooperating. The dog will look forward to the next session. Slowly extend the area you brush to include the sides and chest. Encourage the dog to let you rub its belly. Then begin to brush the chest and belly. Finally, work on the legs and armpits. If done properly, the dog will look forward to being brushed and you will learn how to do it while watching TV. If you do this every 2-3 days, the dog will stay cleaner and look and feel better.

Cocker Spaniel Bathing

Sometimes Cockers will get very dirty and require a bath. It might be a bit awkward the first few times but it will get much easier with practice. The bathtub is an ideal place to bathe your Cocker. A hand-held shower massage with a long hose makes it easier. You will need dog shampoo, conditioner, towels, a human hair dryer and a pin brush. 

​Wet the dog's coat while trying to avoid getting water into their eyes and ears. Work the shampoo into their coat, starting with their face and working your way to the rear. Rinse the shampoo off and apply the conditioner. Let it soak into the coat for a few minutes before rinsing it off. Wring the excess water out of the coat with your hands. Then use the towels to dry the dog as much as possible. Use the dryer to finish the job and brush the coat either while drying or afterwards. 

Caring for Cocker Eyes and Ears

If you look down on a Cocker head from above, you will see part of their eyeballs sticking out. They pick up more debris in their eyes as a result and deal with it by shedding more tears. These tears will turn into mucus at the corner and below their eyes. It can smell and possibly become infected if not wiped away with a tissue on a regular basis. You can also clean the area with a little dog shampoo on a washcloth.

Cockers are one of the breeds with hanging ears. The ear flaps fold down and cover most of the openings for their ears. This creates another situation where dirt can accumulate and become infected. You can help avoid problems by keeping water out of their ears and cleaning them on a weekly basis. You can put Malacetic Otic or other ear cleaning solution on a cotton ball and swab the inside of their ears with it. Ear cleaning solution is available from your veterinarian and pet supply stores.

Dental Care

​Dogs' teeth have a lot in common with human teeth. If left unchecked, plaque will start to form on the teeth. It is the primary cause of stinky "dog breath". Over time it will lead to gum disease and tooth decay, which is painful for the dog and can require significant medical expense for you. The way to avoid these problems is to brush your dog's teeth and have them checked and cleaned by your veterinarian.

Keeping your Cocker's teeth clean starts with feeding dry dog food and giving them crunchy treats like Milk-Bones. These will help scrub the teeth. You will need a toothbrush and toothpaste made specifically for dogs. The brushes that slip over your finger tip work well in a Cocker mouth. Dog toothpaste comes in different flavors (we haven't verified this personally). You may want to experiment to see what flavor your dog likes the most.

The best time to brush your Cocker's teeth is when your dog is tired and winding down for the day. You can do it right after your brush their hair. It is easiest when the dog is laying down on the couch next to you. If you haven't brushed their teeth, you and your Cocker need to get comfortable with having your fingers in their mouth. Start by lifting their lips and touching their teeth. Then explore the teeth at the back of their mouth. Like most training for dogs, persistence, patience and praise are the keys to success. Once this is going well, you are ready to start brushing.

Put a small dab of toothpaste on the toothbrush, pull back the lip and begin to massage the teeth and gums using a circular motion. Start with the outer portions (lip side) of the teeth. Then move on to the inner portion (tongue side). If the dog becomes too irritated, you can stop and pick it back up the next night. Don't give up! Be lavish with your praise after a successful brushing. Your dog will appreciate it and look forward to the next brushing.

Trimming Cocker Toenails

A Cocker's toenails are constantly growing. If they become too long, it becomes painful for the dog to walk. It is best to clip their toenails every week. There are two common styles of dog toenail clippers: a scissors-like style and a hand-held guillotine style. Both styles work well on Cockers. You can pick up a pair at any pet supply store.

The best time to clip your Cocker's toenails is at the end of the day when they are tired. Lay them down on the couch or the floor next to you. Hold a foot with one hand and use the other to find a toenail. It is easier if you find one that is a translucent white. You can look at it from the side to get an idea where the quick ends. The quick contains blood. You want to clip the nail just beyond the quick. It is more difficult to know where to clip a black toenail. All the nails on a foot tend to grow at the same rate. If you find the quick on a white toenail, you should clip the same amount off a black toenail on the same foot. Another way to find the best location to clip is to look for the new growth on the toenail. There will be a notch in the underside of the toenail between the new and old growth. You can clip where the new growth starts.

If you fall behind, you can't catch up all at once. The quick will grow further out with the toenail. If you clip a very small section of the toenail at a time, the quick will pull back and you can gradually return the toenail to a better length. If you cut the quick and the toenail starts to bleed, use a tissue or paper towel to collect the blood and use a styptic pencil on the end of the toenail to help stop the bleeding. Your dog will be upset and may resist clipping in the future. You can use praise to help them overcome their hesitation.

Cocker Weight Management

An overweight dog will not live as long and will have more health problems related to their excess weight. The two main factors that control weight are the food they eat and the exercise they get. You should feed them a well-known brand of dry dog food at the rate specified on the bag for their ideal weight. You can feed a diet version of their regular food to give them more volume with fewer calories. Your Cocker shouldn't get any people food and only an occasional dog treat.

Walking is great exercise for you and your Cocker. Stop along the way and talk with your neighbors. Explore the nearby neighborhoods. A half mile in the morning and evening will help both of you and your Cocker will love it!

Socializing Your Cocker

Cocker Spaniels are, in general, very social. They thrive on contact with others. They can become anti-social if they are not exposed to a variety of people and situations early and often enough. Include your Cocker when you visit with family, friends and neighbors. Take them with you when you run errands. Walk them through open-air malls to meet all the strangers. Go shopping with your Cocker at the local pet supply stores. It will help them overcome reservations they might have and fulfill their need for a variety of human contact and situations. Be very, very careful with your Cocker when it comes to contact with other dogs that are not on a leash and not under good control by their owners. Anything from a large aggressive dog to a small frightened dog can do a lot of harm in the blink of an eye.

Be Observant With Your Cocker Spaniel

It is good to examine your Cocker Spaniel closely on a regular schedule to look for things that require further attention. If you make it a fun event for your dog, they will participate eagerly and enjoy the attention. It is good to look for:

• Sudden change in energy level, eyes, gum color, movement (i.e. limping), loss of appetite, diarrhea, sores on skin, bleeding. These things warrant a visit to your veterinarian as soon as possible.
• Redness on the inside of their ears. This likely means they have been scratching and either they have a bug bite or dirt in their ears.
• Fleas or ticks on body. These are small black or dark brown bugs that like to hang out on dog bellies and between their back legs. They move fast across the skin and will dive into longer hair or jump suddenly. There are treatments available at pet supply stores and your veterinarian's office.
• Mats (knotted hair). These tend to form in the armpits but can occur anywhere on their body. Brushing their hair is the primary way to avoid and remove mats.
• Mucous discharge around the eyes. If it has begun to accumulate, it needs to be wiped away or the face needs to be washed.
• Excessively long toenails. If you can hear their nails click on hard surfaces, it's probably time to trim them. 
• Bad breath and yellow teeth. That yellow stuff is tartar (aka plaque) and it stinks. You should brush your dog's teeth and scale (scrape) them to remove the plaque. Your veterinarian can perform a very thorough dental cleaning.
• ​Can't find their ribs easily. It's time for a diet and more exercise.

Health Issues to Discuss with Your Veterinarian

We highly recommend you take a new puppy to a veterinarian within a day of bringing it home with annual checkups to follow. The veterinarian will conduct a physical exam to assess the overall health of your dog. The young veterinarians are up to speed on the latest advances in medicine (and about $150,000 in student loans). The more experienced veterinarians are more "street smart" and can recognize things not necessarily described in the textbooks. In either case, you want an expert to perform that physical exam on your dog every year to help detect a problem early.

Distemper, Parvovirus, Bordatella, Rabies, Leptospirosis, Adenovirus and Corona are some of the most common health issues that can be prevented with vaccinations from your veterinarian. They can also advise you on Heartworm & Flea preventative medicines. The schedule for vaccinations has changed in recent years. It would be good to ask your veterinarian if they are following the most recent recommendations from the American Animal Hospital Association (AHAA). You can read it, print it out and take it with you to review with the veterinarian. These are the AAHA vaccination guidelines. There is a state law in Georgia that requires you to have your dog vaccinated against rabies every year.​

Shout outs

Thanks go to Jackie Cavallin, Susan Roman, Jan Epting, Scott Sikes, Marsie Ziesmer, Frank Martinez, Ann Smith-Martin and Sue Kelly for their help with the content on this page!