hi I'm new here I just got my cocker sunday

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Just a quick question how long are ur walks and how many a day is best. I do a 20-30 min walk after I take my kids to school I come home and take him. Then depending on what I need to do during the day I either clean house do school homework or take a nap for hour and half. Then I do lunch and play with him in our fenced back yard ball for about 30 mins I then brush him and then come in sometimes I fit another 20-30 min walk in if I have time. Otherwise we were letting the girls 7&9 play fetch outside when they got home from school sametime frame about 20-30 mins. Then I get ready for me going to school and babysitter comes over and I leave a half hour later my husband comes home an hour and half later and plays fetch with him for sametime frame then dinner and kids in bed. While I clean yesterday good example I kicked the balls around while I swept or vacccumed which he didn't mind and played tug of war when I was taking cleaning breaks. Is this enough play time and walking time or do I need to up it and when would be best time to up it. I also noticed when he poos in our area it is firm but when he is for a walk it is looser and a different color at homd its brown and out its yellow. That is odd to me. I'm calling around and getting prices and scheldues for help training him obedience and behavior at sametime I found one place that my daughters aid in her class her daughter went to and loved it and they covered everything. Other thing I'm not sure I think I'm suppose to tell my home owners insurance I have a dog now is this true or not?
 
Oh forgot to ask is it normal for him to not want to eat in the morning I had the food down from 7-12:30 when he finally ate oit yesterday this morning my cat started eating it so I had to pick it up I put him and his food in a separate room for 30 mins still didn't bother eating it. He ate fine last night and night before both within 20 mins. What can anyone suggest.
 
Great to go on lots of walks. I am all in for bringing a professional behaviorist in the mix. Yes absolutely bring the kids in as well. Charlie needs to see all the humans as pack leaders. Crates are very good, sorry he was locked in one for 12 hours. I do like the wire crates I have a very large one in the family room. Amelia is in there when I leave the house. She has water I there as well as a crate pad, I sometimes will put a long in there. Baby steps, everyone I. Learning. I would pick up the food give Charlie a time. Whatever he does not eat in a certain time pick it up. My 2 eat heartily. I had one that was with me for training. Classy was one who was not really a big eater. She did eat better for me after I adjusted her food a little. Plus she saw my others eat, she would. When she was shown it was a different story. She did not want to eat much= stress. I gave her up to 10 min if she did eat no problem I picked it up. She got fed again at the normal time. It could be food, Charlie adjusting to a schedule. The handler had a hard time with Classy, so she gave her treats, as a result she did not want to eat her food. Good luck with everything, there are lots of great books out there as well as training videos. Look on amazon. I like the site "clean run". Yes it is an agility site but there are a lot of great training books as well as training aids.
 
Kristina, maybe start by having your daughters feed Charlie. Help them with the food preparation and have them put the food down. Also include the girls when you go on walks let them walk him some of the time.
 
I third (or is it fourth or fifth?) the behaviorist. My daughter lived with us when she adopted buff female cocker spaniel, Eloise, from an animal shelter. We already had our two cockers Dylan and Riley. Although over all Eloise fit in well with them there were still a few issues and Eloise was aggressive with other dogs. Even though Eloise and my daughter were only going to be with us a few months, we brought in a behaviorist. It was money well spent. We learned how to deal with a pack of three and my daughter got lots of help learning how to dear with a dog who was fear aggressive with other dogs.

You appear to be giving your dog great exercise and attention. I'd still recommend an obedience class. It's a great bonding experience and it helps your dog learn the rules. Dogs really like having boundaries and knowing the rules .
 
Nicole said:
Kristina, maybe start by having your daughters feed Charlie. Help them with the food preparation and have them put the food down. Also include the girls when you go on walks let them walk him some of the time.
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I like Nichole's suggestion....I would like to add that having Charlie learn to sit and stay before he is allowed to have his food is another way for you and your children to establish yourselves as pack leaders. You might start this with a leash if need be. My three have to sit and stay with the food on the ground in front of them. When they sit for at least a minute without figiting then they are "released" to eat. A rule Audra is learning quickly! In our house this works to keep them from being agressive with one another about food and we don't have to cage to eat...but it also helps to establish who is in charge.
 
My dogs know the "wait" command and will sit in front if their food bowls until I use the release word "ok". That one they learned quickly. I started this on Amelia since I brought her home as a puppy.
 
So far today I decided to keep him in one room its the room that the back door is in. Its like a pantry kinda but a little bigger. So I bring him with me to the back door and I shut the door dividing the kitchen and it then I tell him stay and he does while I leave. The down side is the back door is glass and he can see into back yard and see us coming home or me leaving. I'm thinking of putting him in the back room is what we call it and then go out the front door and come in front door so only he goes in and out back door to back yard. As far as food goes I normally measure it out and say Charlie food and wait for him to sit and then I put it on the floor. Today and yesterday he smelled it and walked away so I am thinking put him in back room and have girls tomm morning say Charlie food and let them put it down since I know for sure there are no issues there. The other thing with the walking him is he is a puller when he wants to go see a dog barking he will go and he doesn't stop so I'm going to have girls walk him around back yard today this way he is contained. I was also thinking letting them let him out to go potty I haven't seen cues yet but it maybe cause I let him out whenever and make sure we have no accidents. This way he sees them open the door and hears them tell him to go potty and then they can pet him and say good boy when he does go potty. Question for bathing what type of shampoo is best I wanted to try myself to bath him and if he does good with it have that be something else the girls help with. I only have cat shampoo which I don't think I can use on dogs. Any other suggestions are welcome thank u all for all the support and encouragement it helps a lot when I feel unsure of my decision. Thank u
 
As far as bed time him and the cat both sleep in our bed he's at my feet and my cat is either on my husbands side or my head area. No problems there. He is a great sleeper doesn't move very much.
 
I was raised with dogs cats cows chickens and even goats. My mom has been obsessed with Irish setters since I can remember. They were always outside dogs and never more than leash trained. They came in once in a while and hardly got groomed tell there fur was a matted disaster. I've seen how not to be to the dogs and so I'm trying to do differently just like raising my kids differently than I was. The dogs never had more than a rabies shot either they didn't take them to parks just walks around block for the calmer dogs other wise it was the fenced yard they stayed in. They were crate trained to be feed and sleep in there but that was it. So I'm going off no skills and doing what I think a dog would want or need. Thank u all for the suggestions and help. It does help mame me feel I'm doing good when I am uncertin.
Charlie is an amazing dog and I love him. He lays on the bath mat when I show he follows me around when I clean or go to the bathroom he is just a sweetheart at heart and I'm glad I'm doing what I can to get into classes to make our bond stronger.
 
The other part of separating the cat and Charlie I have a basement couch and we have a divider door from dining room and kitchen old fashion swing door and another way I think would work is if cat is in kitchen and basement area and door closed neither and push door open so Charlie has couch which he sits on anyway. So I have a couple of different ideas for the time being. Ideas suggestions on if these ideas work keep them or what would be helpful.
 
As far as the pulling. Fenway pulls. So I use an easy walk harness, it is a great tool, really helps with the pulling. I was using a gentle leader, like a halter on a horse. He did ok but it was not his favorite. By the way on the easy walk cockers usually take a small-medium ordered on line. Amelia walks well on the leash she knows heel. I started teaching her at 4 months old. In your previous question. I told my home owners insurance company because I did have a dog( Fenway) when I bought my house. Cockers are not a big deal the only dogs that are, are the pit bulls, rotts, Dobermans etc what they claim are "dangerous". Maybe try a new food for Charlie. As for the barking at other dogs what I did whith Fenway is use the clicker. I got him used to it first click and treat. When he was familiar with it, I went outside, him on leash when another dog would walk be and he did not bark, I would click and he got a treat. Of course I made sure dogs are far from us and I try not to bring in stressful situations with lots of dogs. It does take time and for me it is still a work in progress. Maybe to soft stools could be stress? But worth checking out with a vet. The separate rooms are ok when you leave the house when you are home. Dogs do the best when they are with you. Part if the family. Bed time Fenway sleeps on a large dog bed in my room. Amelia is in my room as well in a wire crate.
 
He has only been on the dog food since sunday night the vet said to give it a week and if it doesn't go away then I will change foods I didn't know why its hard at home and not on walks. Seems like could be stress. He does nipple his front paws often but I don't know what is normal for a dog either. He so scratches his ears off and on they are normal color each time I check no smell nothing on that. I'm guessing maybe getting use to our stuff couch blankets my soap I use to wash things etc. I am scheduling a vet check here in the next few weeks. Need to get paid again first.
 
I am using Authority dog food for adults lamb and rice I think I will check that and I the treats name ill post later when I get back home. I got the dog food at petsmart.
 
Dog bones are from grreat choice and reg food is authority lamb and rice formula adult
 
Cockers are Family dogs. Meaning as long as your boy is with the family, he will be happiest. Sorry to hear that he bit your daughter, but did he give any kind of warning before he bit? As in raising his lip, or growling? I find usually that cockers will give some kind of warning before biting. A lot of cockers depending on how they were raised are very nervous with people touching their feet/ears. I deal with quite a few that don't like having their feet touched at all. I am a groomer, and the way I deal with that is to hold the foot, and play with it. When the dog stops pulling away, treat them for it. Hopefully he works out for you because the love of a cocker rivals nothing else.
 
I can play with his ear and feet no problem I bet there was a cue but my daughter didn't pay attention to it. She is healing well ill post in profile pic her stiches. Shes seven and was to antsy to wait for the ball to be ready to paly with it was between the paws where his face was still facing down towards it. She understands it was a misunderstanding between them and things are working on getting better. It wasn't the fact she touched his paws it was the ball. Now I know just cause I can touch his paws and ears doesn't mean my girls can my husband can and the babysitter we have does too.
 
The under of her hand was just scratches they did sterre strips and glue for that part. Other wise she can move it and use it somewhat. Shes on an antibiotic just to prevent infection.
 
Good to hear she is on the mend. Cockers have a pretty hard bite, I know from experience. If he is possessive with toys, is he that way with his food dish also?
 
So far no possession issues with food I can pick it up and move it but yet again that doesn't mean my girls can too
 
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