Exciting News. We have a litter of puppies due in September 2011, for further details please visit Cookies Litter Pages or her blog
Puppies
There is so much to learn about having a puppy. Before you even
consider which breed of Dog you would like to own we would recommend
that you read  Before
and After Getting Your Puppy by Dr Ian Dunbar ISBN 1-57731-455-7
from cover to cover. If you then decide you would still like a puppy
you need decide on which breed. English Cocker Spaniels are a very
popular breed of dog and one which we would highly recommend provided
you have got the time and energy to put into training and are well
prepared before the puppies arrival.
PREPARING FOR YOUR PUPPY
Once you know there is a puppy coming to live with you
it is a good idea to think ahead and make arrangements that will
suit you all. These pages are designed to help that process.
There are several essential issues to think about
i.e. house training, general training and sleeping arrangements.
Your Tangtini puppy training has already begun with
us. We encourage puppies to "empty" in the garden and when
they are successful they are highly praised and rewarded with a
suitable treat. It will be some weeks before your puppy has full control
and could be several months before "accidents" become
a rarity (although I found with Tango that we only had a few accidents
indoors, however, we religiously took her out every hour of the
day and waited for her to empty). WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND the use
of a crate for training, sleeping & safety when pup is left
unattended or you are not at home. Many pet stores now stock these
or you can look in a doggy paper such as Our Dogs or Dogworld. The
cheapest I have found is Argos. Kongs and other food toys are well
worth the investment as they will prevent your puppy getting bored
and chewing other items that are around.
 Your
Tangtini puppy will have used a crate before and be very happy with
it. We place Vet Bed inside the crate one end and a dog loo the
other for overnight use (a small puppy will not have a large enough
bladder to go the whole night without a wee). Vet Bed is readily
available in pet stores or for a larger amount, so you have spare
for washing, visit a local dog show or check out a doggy newspaper.
Vet Bed allows any moisture to soak through leaving your puppy dry
and is easily washed in a washing machine and rarely stains or holds
too much fur, an added bonus is it lasts a very long time.
At night I cover the crate with a lightweight sheet
and say "sleepybyenights" as a sign that it is time for
rest. I do not then return to the crate unless there is a problem.
Remember that at first your puppy will have sudden bursts
of energy but like a human baby will still require a lot of rest.
A crate is ideal for this and it is important that other family
members realise that a sleeping puppy should not be disturbed and
that your pups crate is not for anyone other than your puppy. It is
their space where they can feel safe and sleep peacefully.
Where to put your crate? Food/ water bowls?
 Ideally
you will place the crate in a place where your new baby can get
some undisturbed rest and not be in your way. Your puppy can be fed
in the crate if you wish. Remember water should always be available
during the day but may be  restricted
at night. Supervision may be required with some puppies when there
is water around as they can have a tendency to fall asleep in the
water bowl so please exercise extreme caution.
We also have a puppy pen where puppy can play safely
and run around without having free run of the house until training
has progressed. Obviously when we are playing/training the pup she
would be allowed out but when left to amuse herself lots of food
toys etc. are left in the pen for him/her to play with.
OTHER TRAINING
We try to train our puppies to sit on command and to
have had a lead and collar on for a very short time. Usually puppies
pull in the opposite direction when on a lead so it is a good idea
to start training your puppy to walk on the lead long before she/he
is allowed out on proper walks.
The collar should be firm but not too tight and it is a good idea
to walk the puppy in your garden for 4 to 6 times per day for 5 minutes
each time or until he/she gets fed up. Good behaviour should be rewarded
with loads of praise and cuddles and possibly a treat. Do not pull
your puppy on a lead.
I would NOT recommend the use of an extending lead on a young puppy.
MOST IMPORTANT
Before ever taking your puppy out recall training is
ESSENTIAL. We have always allowed our puppies off lead on their very
first "big walk". A very stressful time but we train them
to come back to us in the garden and usually find that on first
walks they tend to walk under our feet anyway.
We ask new puppy owners to tell us their chosen pup
name so we can use this as soon as possible and begin recall training
very early. You will have an assessment of this and any other training
in your take home pack to give you an idea of how things have been
going. Do remember some puppies are braver than others and more curious
so this may take longer with them.
FURTHER TRAINING
Train your puppy with kindness and understanding and
you will be rewarded. The tone of your voice should be enough to
tell your puppy if they have done wrong. You will definately find
that your puppy will respond to praise and rewards but will very quickly
become scared of you if you shout or scold it. Never under any circumstances
should you ever hit your puppy, this will just teach your dog aggression
which is totally unnecessary.
Ask your local vet to advise you of further training
classes. Most vets provide free puppy socialisation classes and
on completion your baby gets a certificate!
GARDEN SAFETY
 Before
taking your puppy home do check for holes in the fence and potentially
dangerous plants. Some plants are poisonous to dogs & some merely
dangerous due to thorns, others which you may love will be susceptible
to being eaten or trampled!!!! Best to cordon these off with plastic
netting before your puppy arrives. If you require a list of dangerous
plants please let me know a we will provide a list.
HOUSEHOLD SAFETY
Check everything you would for a baby learning to
walk: electrical wires, household chemicals, rubbish bins. Remember
a cooked chicken bone can KILL a dog although an uncooked one will
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