Teddy came to us when his time was up at a shelter. What a shame! He is a beautiful, black, purebred Cocker Spaniel. He is very playful and friendly, but is not too fond of his crate. Won't you take him home?

Foster Update:  Teddy is a great dog with a wonderful personality! He is very sweet and his tail is almost always wagging! He loves people and wants to always be with someone.  He is very loving and would love to be a lap dog, but he has very little interest in sitting still for very long. He sleeps well at night, and he is VERY energetic during the day, more like a puppy than a senior. He loves to play for hours in the morning, afternoon, and evening, with just a couple of 2 or 3 hour naps. He also goes on several walks during the day and would probably enjoy a fenced yard for running—he likes to run laps inside our house every morning--but he will sometimes try to dig if given a chance. He enjoys being with other dogs, and does fairly well with our cats. He wants to play with the cats and will try to show them his toys, but he will sometimes chase them if they don’t want to play. We are also working on his potty training and commands—he understands “no,” “sit,” and “off” most of the time, but we’re still working on “come,” “give,” and “stay.” He also enjoys making things into chew toys even when real dog chew toys are available, so he helps motivate me to keep the house picked up and desk chairs pushed in! He can also get a bit nippy when he gets really excited during playtime so I don’t know how he would do with small children. I’ve listed some things he has to work on, but he learns quickly and always has a happy attitude, even when being corrected!

Foster Update:  Teddy is doing well. He is making progress on the potty training. He sometimes signals by sitting by the back door, but he doesn’t signal very often so we take him out every 2-3 hours to help prevent accidents. He is getting along with our cats very well, and although he’ll sometimes chase them to play, he doesn’t act threatening towards them. We are also continuing to work on his commands.  Teddy would do best in a household where he can be with someone during the day. He is VERY energetic and needs a lot of indoor playtime. We time his walks carefully as he gets hot very quickly outside. He is a very strong chewer, both when bored and for pleasure, and he MUST BE CONSTANTLY WATCHED. We are working on this, but we have several chew toys always available to him, and he will still go for table legs, remotes, nightlights—basically anything he can find. He managed to chew a book when I walked into the next room for a minute. He will also interrupt playtime for a “chew break” when he sees something he wants to chew. He loves to chew leashes—all of his leashes (including leather) MUST be sprayed with vinegar or lemon juice mixed with a little bit of water. We have found a dog toy called a tire biter that he seems to like more than the other chew toys, and I will occasionally put peanut butter on a few treats to stick to the inside for a challenge. He also loves to fish ice cubes out of the water bowl.  He loves playing with our other dog and learns quickly by following her examples, so a house with a dog that knows the rules would be beneficial. Teddy requires a lot of attention, but he is a joy to have with his sweet and loving personality!

Foster Update:  Teddy continues doing well. His day usually starts by 7:30, he takes a 2-3 hour nap after lunch, and he usually goes to bed around 10:30. He eats about 2 -2 ¼  cups of Purina One Smart Blend Chicken & Rice Formula divided into 3 meals a day because he is extremely active when he is awake. He goes for a walk every morning, and most evenings when it cools off as he seems to get hot easily. Some of his favorite indoor games include “bobbing” for ice cubes in his water bowl after walks and potty time, playing with our other 85-pound dog, playing tag with our cats (he doesn’t hurt them, but he loves to chase them and have them chase him), indoor fetch, jumping for and chasing after a cat toy called a “Feather Boa Cat Teaser” (it’s a stick with a feather boa type thing on the end), cuddle time in my lap, having his bone or a kong half covered with water in a bowl and frozen so he has to lick it to get it out, and chewing. He is a strong and almost constant chewer, so we encourage him to chew his white unstuffed natural bone, his kongs, his tire biter, occasionally 1 layer of a pig ear, and his unstuffed soft animals, but he has shredded a few stuffed toys. However, he will quickly chew almost anything he can get his mouth on—he pulled up carpet behind me while I was getting a drink of water. Bitter Apple and a strong vinegar & water solution help if the items are heavily sprayed, but it is very important that he is supervised at all times. A regular marrobone upset his tummy when we gave it to him for about 20 minutes, but might be fine for a few minutes at a time until he can build up a tolerance for its middle.  Teddy knows most of his commands, but doesn’t always obey them, and he is still a bit nippy when he gets really excited. His potty training is also still a work-in-progress. We are working on getting him to signal so we take him out about every 3 hours to prevent accidents. Although he has things to work on, he is always good-natured and affectionate.  He would be very unhappy if he had to be crated most of the day, but he is a wonderful companion for a family that has a lot of time and energy to spend with him!

Teddy qualifies for our senior for senior program. If adopted by a senior person (55+) then his adoption fee is only $75.

According to www.dogbreedinfo.com, Cocker Spaniels are cheerful, sweet, and sensitive. The Cocker Spaniel is respectful of its master's authority without much challenge. Merry and endearing. A happy tail-wagger. Gentle and trusting, with average intelligence. They are lively, playful and devoted. Cockers will do okay in an apartment if they are adequately exercised, and are fairly active indoors. A small yard is sufficient. The American Cocker Spaniel is smaller than the English Cocker Spaniel and has a different conformation. The name "Cocker" comes from the woodcock, a game bird these spaniels flushed particularly well. Today, the Cocker Spaniel serves primarily as a companion and glamorous show dog. It can also be used for hunting, tracking, retrieving, watchdogging and agility. They have a life expectancy of 12-15 years.