Getting ready for a new spaniel begins before you bring it home.
Choosing which breed of spaniel is sometime difficult as their are many traits in the spaniel family to look at.
All dogs belong to the same species, called the Canis familiaris. All dogs come equipped with the remarkable blend of high intelligence, fierce loyalty, human-like emotions, boundless love, and the ability to smell leftover meat two blocks away.
Here are a few common traits for different spaniel breeds:
American Cocker Spaniel average height is 13.5-15.5in average weight is 26-34lb bred for Small game retrieving Now mainly used as Companion dog and family pet.
Sussex Spaniel average height is 13-15in average weight is 35-45lb bred for Game Tracking Now mainly used as Companion or family pet.
Welsh Springer Spaniel average height is 17-19in average weight is 35-45lb bred for Game Flushing and Retrieving Now mainly used as Companion, or gundog.
Field Spaniel average height is 16-19in average weight is 35-50lb bred for Game retrieving Now mainly used as Companion or hunter.
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel average height is 12-13in average weight is 13-18lb bred for Companion Now mainly used as Companion for retired hunters.
Choosing the trait you would like in your spaniel pup should be foremost in your mind. You don't want to end up with a lap dog when you really wanted a hunting companion.
A puppy means a big change in your life and it helps, as the Boy Scouts say, to be prepared. Taking time now to plan and get things in order will make a big difference in the long run.
Here are a few Tips
While at the breeder's kennel go through the following steps
1. Hold each puppy up so that its feet are a few inches off the floor. Watch what he does: Most pups wiggle around a bit then accept it. This mean he may not like it but will accept your authority. A dominant puppy will continue struggling and may howl and bite. A submissive puppy will just dangle passively and accept the situation or in severe cases, panic and submissively urinate.
2. Lay the new pup on its back. Comfort it by stroking its belly and talking to it softly. Observe its reaction: A normal puppy will struggle briefly, then settle. This is the response that most buyers should look for. A dominant puppy will struggle constantly, howl, and perhaps try to bite. A submissive puppy will succumb and perhaps urinate or, in an extreme case, panic.
3. Set the puppy on its feet on the floor. Then a crumpled piece of paper or a small stick away from the puppy and observe its reaction: A normal puppy will chase the object, play with it, and perhaps bring it back to you if you call out to it. It will allow you to take the object away without much fuss. A dominant puppy will chase the object, take it to a corner, and ignore you when you call out to it. It may growl at you if you attempt to reclaim the object. A submissive puppy may not react at all to the object or may actually be afraid of it.
4. Crouch down a few feet from the puppy and encourage it to come to you by clapping and calling out. Observe its reaction: A normal puppy will happily come over to you in a confident, playful manner. A dominant puppy will either charge you and jump up on you recklessly or completely ignore you. A submissive puppy may come over cautiously and expose its belly, perhaps even urinating upon being touched.
Let us consider extremely submissive behavior to be far left of center, normal to be at the center, and extremely dominant to be far right of center. Most buyers who are looking for a loving, trainable family pet should consider a puppy that performs as close to the center as possible.
When dealing with a dominant breed such as the Rottweiler, Mastiff, or German Shepherd, you would do well to consider a puppy that is slightly left of center. When dealing with a submissive breed such as the Pomeranian, Beagle, or Yorkie Terrier, you might wish to consider a puppy that is slightly right of center. In all cases, avoid the extremes.
Start out with the right attitude. The first weeks of your new puppy's life with you will be busy and demanding. There may be times when you wonder if getting a puppy was such a good idea. Things will go better if you have patience and keep your sense of humor. Remember that puppyhood only happens once. The extra effort you put into it now will pay off in the future.
A note on discipline:
Physical discipline should be reserved for serious dog crimes only, and not to be used for every episode of bad behavior. Verbal correction will suffice for many dogs, but you should know more than one method of discipline before the unfortunate necessity of using one arises.
For an extreme situation the best and I feel the only method of physical punishment is the shake down.
The shakedown is simply grabbing with one hand the scruff of the neck and giving it a good shake. This method approximates the technique a mother of a litter uses to keep order in the litter, to stop fighting between litter members, or to help wean her pups away from her to solid food. Discipline methods that reflect instinctual canine behavior will communicate displeasure in ways a dog can understand. Other corrections like throwing or hitting the dog with objects, spanking with newspapers, or simple pleading only serve human, not canine, ends, and do not communicate displeasure clearly to the dog.
Have you ever asked yourself why hundreds of Britons head down the local "Caff" every Sunday morning in order to treat themselves to a slice of fried pig's bottom in lard whilst being surrounded by alcoholic, chain-smoking grannies with rollers in their hair ?
So have I !
This rather erratic behavior is usually followed by a day of "telly" (also known as the electronic income reducer),"footie", shopping, more coffee at some sort of coffee chain, and an evening out at a "nice" restaurant. Out comes the credit card, up goes the debt, and yes, we have had a marvelous time !
By the way, the diet starts on Monday...
It seems to have become some sort of weird social obligation to dine out at least three times a week.Cooking in one's own kitchen is now being regarded as boring, tiring, stressful and unnecessary. On the contrary, sitting in an overpriced restaurant next to a bunch of random estate agents with clicky heels and cheap suits who spend half of the evening on their mobile phones is now seen as cool. Hello???
Furthermore, the times when one would just visit a restaurant because the food was particularly good seem to be over, too. When I was recently served a single "Raviolo" on a "bed" of two lettuce leaves in a well respected London restaurant, I quite frankly had to ask myself whether this meal had been prepared by a genuine chef or a florist coming down from an ecstasy trip.
I keep wondering whether it had all been an evil plot, secretly designed by my weight watchers leader Terace. Surely a meal of one "Raviolo" and two lettuce leaves would make me lose weight more quickly?
Hmmm...suspicious...but I am losing the plot here - what was the subject ?
Aaahh...eating out. It now is as fashionable as fashion itself. Got it.
Let's look at an example:
My flatmate Fred recently spent ?1000 in just a week - yes, that's right, ?1000 in ONE week - on wining and dining an apparently "fit" female lawyer at "cool" restaurants (his words not mine)- she certainly wasn't fit enough to head down the local supermarket and buy her own pasta!
Gone were two thirds of his monthly wages. He then proceeded by wasting more of his money on some sort of on-line gambling nonsense - a great strategy if you want to end up broke, busted and disgusted.
The poor boy is now trying to save some money by buying Easy 4 Men aftershave and Easy 4 Men styling gel - Easyjet's home brand by the way - which I in my snobby ignorance didn't even know existed !!
But a girl has got to learn...unfortunately it smelled like a rather sickening mixture of toilet duck and cider vinegar.My friend Reetan made matters even worse by suggesting that Fred should convert to the Ryanair range.
But why go through all the stress of having to downgrade to Easyjet toiletries?
It's totally unnecessary. And let's face it:
Eating out five times a week is the same as declaring yourself socially and emotionally bankrupt.
What on earth is wrong with having people round your house and having a bowl of Spaghetti or a salad, combined with a bottle of wine and some good, inspiring conversation?
The answer is nothing!
I have made it a habit to have one dinner party a month at my house - all my friends absolutely love my parties and think that I am the greatest hostess on the planet. And I can't cook THAT well ! Plus it doesn't even matter - we eat food to stop ourselves from being hungry ( have you ever tried that ? It works!!!), and it's all about the company.
Therefore, the focus isn't on some weird food such as "ragout of giraffe a la hairdresser", but on real conversation with real people.Even though my flat is on the small side, I have successfully entertained Brazilian artists, Scottish diplomats, Austrian geologists, as well as work colleagues, family members and more.
It's great fun - and it doesn't cost a lot of money. There are no credit cards involved, and I certainly earn a lot of interest - spiritually, emotionally and intellectually.
Above all, it reminds me of the fact that I am alive.
And incredibly lucky.
Lucky to have such great and interesting friends.Lucky to have a nice home to invite them to. And bloody damn lucky to know what really matters in life.
Both Darin Lawson Hosking & Vanessa Bsirsky are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Darin Lawson Hosking has sinced written about articles on various topics from Trucks, Pets and Divorce and Infidelity. The best info at Animaroo.com the Secure Animal MarketPlace Where the best breeders market their animals.. Darin Lawson Hosking's top article generates over 2900 views. to your Favourites.
Vanessa Bsirsky has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pets. Vanessa Bsirsky is a life coach and the author of the new book "Happiness Secrets Revealed."Vanessa has got great leadership skills and is a natural motivator.She is particularly interested in creating abundance on all levels.To read more and obtain your. Vanessa Bsirsky's top article generates over 2400 views. to your Favourites.