Betsy

Cocker Spaniels are equally at home chasing birds in the field or playing fetch in your living room. They take joy in almost everything they do and are always sniffing around for the next thing to get into. It’s important to work with a reputable breeder, but once you find the right one, this breed will capture your heart! Full-grown, they typically weigh 20-30 pounds and stand 13-15 inches tall.

Cocker Spaniels are generally excellent with children of all ages. It’s important that Cocker Spaniels are kept as inside dogs. They're moderate barkers — they'll alert you when something's up but aren't excessive.

Cocker Spaniels don’t need quite as much exercise as many other sporting dogs, but they still require daily playtime. They have a high prey drive, so if given the opportunity to hunt, they will do so. Cocker Spaniels enjoy activities like playing fetch, swimming, sniffing for trouble, and of course, cuddling. Overall, their exercise needs are moderate.

Cocker Spaniels have a soft, wavy coat that you can keep styled in one of two ways. The puppy cut is a shorter coat length that you’ll need to brush and trim about every two weeks. The famous, flowing show-coats take even more effort, including weekly bathing, brushing, and trimming. Grooming-wise, this breed is fairly high-maintenance.

Cocker Spaniels are best suited for apartments and smaller homes. It’s important that Cocker Spaniels are kept as inside dogs. The size of your house or yard is less important, and they can live just fine in almost any situation provided they get their exercise. They are fairly easy to train.