The Cockalier is a moderate maintenance dog and needs great efforts in grooming. Here are some of the indicators for you on how to maintain your Cockalier in the best way:
Ears: This breed is easily susceptible to ear infections. You can prevent this by regularly cleaning the ears meticulously and checking frequently for signs of problems.
Eyes: Their eyes need to be checked regularly. They need to be cleaned once in a while to clean the dirt.
Teeth: It is suggested to brush their teeth every day. Thrice in a week is also considered alright.
Nails: Occasional nail trimming is a must. You can schedule the trimming once in a fortnight to avoid scratches here and there.
Hair: Their coat will require to be brushed at least thrice a week or even every day. Dogs that have long and wavy coat will be at the higher need of brushing, while those with a short coat will have a lesser need of brushing. Their hair may easily get tangled and matted, so special care has to be taken.
Recommended daily amount: You can feed a Cockalier anywhere from ½ cup to 2½ cups of food every day, depending upon his size, digestion, and activity level.
What food to choose: You can provide your Cockalier with suitable canned food, and adjust the amount of dry food to maintain the right balance.
How to keep good shape: Just like their Cocker Spaniel, Cockaliers also have a love for food and tend to overeat when left on their own. Hence it is necessary to monitor their food intake and give them their due share of exercise to keep them in proper shape.
How many times to feed your dog: You will be required to divide your dog’s meal into 2 parts.
Just like all other hybrid dog breeds, the Cockalier might also be susceptible to succeed in the health conditions that affect its parent breeds. In general, these dogs are affected by diseases such as ear infections, syringomyelia, liver problems, obesity, hypothyroidism, skin problems, hemolytic anemia, to name a few. Here are some of the health issues faced by the Cockalier:
Hip Dysplasia:
Condition – In this disease, an abnormal hip socket takes place, which leads to chronic osteoarthritis. Due to this, the dog experiences limited movement, sometimes long-term pain, and inflammation in the hip. The dogs suffering from this disease are inflexible, slow, and have an irregular walk. The disease can be diagnosed using X-rays of the hip joints.
Treatment - Acute cases need corrective surgery. Mild cases can be treated through pain medication.
Patellar Luxation:
Condition - A luxation in the patella (also referred to as patellar luxation) is the medical term for a displacement of the knee-cap. It is a hereditary disease, which starts showing up its symptoms when a puppy is four months old. An affected dog will limp, or avoid the use of the affected leg altogether.
Treatment – For chronic cases, surgery is the only option. Monitoring the conditions periodically to avoid future complications is the best way to keep this problem at bay.
Epilepsy
Condition: Just like other animals including human beings, dogs also experience events of seizures and fits, which usually do not represent any noticeable underlying medical issue. Such episodes of seizures may occur at any time.
Treatment - Epilepsy does not have any particular treatment. The condition is treated using anti-convulsing medicines. These medicines help in controlling the episodes of fits or seizures without adversely affecting the dog’s health.
The Cockalier is naturally intelligent, receptive, alert, and pretty easy to train. Obedience training is not necessary for these pups. They don’t resist controlling, but they also love a little bit of their freedom. Their training sessions should not be very prolonged.
Despite the fact the Cockalier is easy to train, it is also very easily side-tracked. That is the reason why short sessions work well with them. Also, long and tiring sessions will only strain you and the dog. They work quite well under a positive and reward-based atmosphere.
The Cockalier is naturally gentle, patient, affectionate, and soft with children and other animals around it. The stage at which the socialization is being taught, they need to be supervised. As puppies, they are very soft and tender and may get hurt by kids or other animals that are too excited to play with.
The Cockaliers are never nasty or cruel and very tolerant of unacquainted situations. Even if they bark at strangers, they easily mingle with them quickly and in a very friendly way. They are highly attention-seeking and crave the affection and love of people around them. With the appropriate amount of exercise, diet, and attention, these pups can live practically anywhere, be it an apartment or a farm. The most crucial thing is to let them do what they adore the most—spending time with their people. They just want to be loved, and played with. They will be happy with any toy, as long as you play with them.
