Cocker spaniels can make wonderful pets when they are calm.
Cocker spaniels are the smallest specimens of the spaniels and the sporting group, according to the American Kennel Club, but don't let their size fool you. This is a high-energy breed purposely bred to cover territory speedily, flush game and retrieve. Fail to provide this breed with enough exercise and a job to do, and you may end up with a hyper and annoying pet to live with. If you are having difficulties controlling your cocker spaniel, the right tools and appropriate training methods will likely yield a much calmer and more obedient dog.
Instructions
1. No more leash pulling from your hyper cocker.
Invest in a harness, such as the Easy Walk dog harness. to give you more control of your cocker spaniel. The Easy Walk dog harness is designed to gently discourage your hyperactive dog from pulling. Fit the harness on your dog and attach the leash to the front ring.
2. Use rewards to train your cocker spaniel with positive reinforcement.
Clip the treat pouch onto your belt or pocket. Fill it up with treats your Cocker Spaniel is particularly fond of. To make training easy, invest in small-sized treats that are soft and easy to swallow.
3. Praise your cocker for staying calmly besides you.
Pull the leash to the side turning your dog towards you the moment your cocker spaniel forges ahead of you. When the leash is slack, praise and reward your dog with the treats. With time, your cocker will learn that walking calmly besides you brings a slack leash along with praise and rewards, whereas forging ahead causes tension in the leash.
4. Put Your Cocker Spaniel's nose to work.
Teach your cocker spaniel to use its nose. Take a tasty small treat and hide it somewhere easy to find and then tell your Cocker to search for it. Gradually, hide the treats in more challenging places. Your cocker spaniel as a good hunting dog, will love the game, and nose work is surprisingly tiring for dogs, explains dog trainer Pat Miller in an article for the "Whole Dog Journal."
5. Have your Cocker sit nicely before tossing the toy.
Play a good game of fetch together. Since cocker spaniels were used to flush out and retrieve small game such as quail, pheasant and woodcock, she may enjoy this game. To teach her self-control, do not toss the toy until she is nicely sitting or laying down, then toss the toy and tell her to fetch.
6. Teach your dog to switch on and off its arousal state.
Introduce your cocker spaniel to the ''Chill Out'' game. This game will train your dog to turn on and off its arousal state, ultimately teaching self-control. Get your cocker very excited by making him chase a toy; when he is aroused by the game, freeze suddenly and quietly ask for a sit. Once your cocker is sitting, start the game all over. This game teaches that the calm sit is ultimately what gets the game going again, explains dog trainer Dee Ganley.
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