JackJoe

Why. Lots of dogs are spayed within unknown vacc history. At his age if your not completely sure just get a parvo only booster the rspca are going to do the desexing and they require proof of second vaccination!

I have a 7 month old cocker spaniel and his favourite chew food is a natural bone from the butcher. He eats them outside, of course, and looks very content lying in the sun, front paws anchoring the bone while his tongue and teeth get a workout! I buy a beef shin bone and the butcher saws it into four pieces for me. Each piece is full of meat, juicy marrow and a nice hard bone and George gets at least three days out of each piece.

I am in Sydney's eastern suburbs I have looked at two sites which have been sent to me (thank you!) and I feel my husband and I will be fine. He grooms our rough collie each week and I am sure you know that is a job and a half!!!!!!! Last week he put George up on the table after finishing Rosie the collie (she takes at least 45 min, normally more) and put George through his paces!!! Lie down, sit still, etc etc and George was much better than we expected. He has obviously been brushed before but I imagine not regularly and not shown how to lie etc. So, my husband will be taking over the grooming of George too and I have shown him the pix on the sites on the net. After finishing George's session last week he said 'that was a piece of cake after the collie!' For your interest, George is an Amscel cocker, name Amscel Golden Flame and I have contacted his breeder to let her know he has changed owners. As an aside, before I married (a long time ago!) I had a samoyed who used to be regularly groomed and he used to come back with a blue ribbon round his neck... very fetching! I won't be breeding or showing George and I am still trying to get a reply from his original owner re did she second vaccinate or not... I can't have him desexed without the second vacc. Are there cocker spaniel meets in the Sydney area where cockers get together and have fun? I realise I can't do anything until I get him desexed (and second vacc by the look of it).

could you please tell me where I can find this thread?? Thanks!

OP said neighbour was an ex-breeder which is why I suggested they ask them. If they are unable to help, then they may be able to suggest somebody locally. the neighbour is down at my holiday house so when I go back down there in a month's time I will ask her to demonstrate the hair plucking on the head procedure.. I still find it hard to think about doing! Besides Collies we have always had short coated JRTs and foxies so this cocker boy is going to be a total change. I hope I haven't taken on more than I can handle. I will try and find the cocker group thanks again folks!

I will wait for the warmer weather to come around and then take him to a dog groomer (will have to find one who is skilled in cocker spaniels or do most dog saloons know this art?) and watch what they do..

thank you! We have a rough collie who needs regular grooming ..... have to say I was unaware that a cocker needed the head work.

thank you! We have a rough collie who needs regular grooming ..... have to say I was unaware that a cocker needed the head work.

High peak is the warmer months, Sept through to March, but the little buggers can be an issue the whole year round. Look out especially after rain fall. Another tid bit to add is remember to avoid having your yard bushy. Trim back over grown areas, especially if your dogs like to hang out in those spots. Actually it really depends on where you live as to the higher peak times for paralysis tick,in our area ticks are around all year and are worst from march onwards they tend to die off a bit around sept/oct and its pretty quiet up until march again,in the last week we have had 4 cases. Also if it rains and then is humid the next day you can almost guarentee ticks being active. certainly depends on where you are. On the NSW south coast - Jervis Bay area - we have noted that we get ticks all year round now, no break from them during winter months. Rotten things.

Excellent tick prevention ideas! A question..... I go to a tick infested area once a month on average. Now we will be taking our six month old cocker spaniel. What do others suggest I do with Proban? Start it on the morning we set off on our drive, or a day or two earlier? I have never heard of Proban before reading this tick stuff so it is great to learn about it. I use Frontline for flea control and understand I can still use this in conjunction with Proban... which is good because Pup loves to swim and frontline protection gone when he does that!

Hallo, I have recently taken on a six month old male English cocker spaniel from living in an apartment (no balcony, home alone 6/7 days). Lovely lovely dog. A neighbour who used to breed cockers (her son was Junior Champion handler at RAS Sydney a long time ago supposedly) told me I had to do two things: 1 pull out the whispy bits of fur on the crown of his head otherwise it will grow down over his face (she suggested I use rubber finger stalls to pull it out) 2 get rid of the fur between his toes otherwise he will get splayed toes I have looked at a number of cocker websites and haven't seen these mentioned.... should it be done??