Content

• Steps
• Method 1 of 3: Crate Training the Cocker Spaniel
• Method 2 of 3: Teaching your Cocker Spaniel to keep his walls clean
• Method 3 of 3: Teaching your Cocker Spaniel to walk on a leash
• Tips

Cocker Spaniels are good-natured, cheerful and playful dogs that make wonderful pets. Fortunately, Cocker Spaniels are very easy to train, especially as a puppy. Training your Cocker Spaniel will require repetition, patience, and positive rewards. Over time, your dog will become a well-trained and well-behaved pet.

Steps

Method 1 of 3: Crate Training the Cocker Spaniel

1. 1 Find a cage for your Cocker Spaniel. An important aspect of Cocker Spaniel training is crate training.Done correctly, your dog will begin to view his crate as a personal refuge and resting place, rather than a place to be punished. Cages sold at pet stores come in a variety of sizes and are made from a variety of materials, such as plastic, fabric, and metal.
   • If your dog is still a puppy, consider renting a crate at an animal shelter as your puppy will eventually outgrow it. This will avoid having to buy new cages each time the dog grows.
   • Your dog should fit comfortably inside the crate and have enough space to stand and turn around. When considering buying a crate, take your dog with you so that you can choose the correct size and type of crate.
2. 2 Make the crate comfortable for the dog. The more attractive the crate looks to the dog, the more he will want to spend time inside it. Place the cage in a busy room in your home, such as a hall, and place a comfortable mat inside. You can also put some dog toys and treats in the crate.
   • Keeping the cage door open will make the dog appear more attractive.
   • It may take a few days for your dog to get used to the crate. Be patient and don't force your pet to rush to a certain point in time.
3. 3 Crate feed your dog. When it's time to feed your Cocker Spaniel, place it in the bowl of food in the cage. Position the bowl against the back of the cage so that the dog is fully inside when it needs to eat. If it is uncomfortable for the dog to fully enter the cage, move the bowl a little closer to the front of the cage, where it will be more comfortable for the dog.
   • As your dog gets used to the crate, you can push the bowl of food deeper and deeper into the cage. Eventually, the dog will be able to safely walk into the crate completely to eat.
   • When the dog is completely inside the crate to eat, close the door behind it. Initially, leave the door closed only for the duration of the meal. As you get used to the closed door, increase the closing time up to 10 minutes after finishing a meal.
   • If the dog wants to leave before opening the door, wait until he stops whining underneath. If you open the door while the dog is whining, he will understand that this behavior allows him to get out.
4. 4 Increase your dog's locked cage up to 30 minutes. Once your cocker spanel is comfortable eating in its cage, it needs to be taught that a longer cage (30 minutes or more) is also comfortable for it. To begin with, encourage the dog to enter the cage by pointing at it with your hand and giving the command “into the cage”. When the dog is inside, give him a reward and close the door. Stand next to the cage for 5-10 minutes and then move to another room so the dog cannot see you for a few minutes. When you return, stay close to the crate again for a while, and then release the dog.
   • Remember not to let your dog out of the crate when it whines.
   • Encourage your dog when you release him so that he knows that he was behaving correctly.
   • It can take several weeks for your dog to get used to staying in a crate for 30 minutes, especially if he cannot see you during this time.
5. 5 Leave the dog in the cage when you leave the house. Encourage your dog to enter the crate before leaving the house. When she is in the cage, reward her with a treat, close the door and leave her alone quietly. It is very important not to delay your departure or make it overly emotional. When you get home, stay calm as you approach the dog's crate to release it.
   • The calmer you are as you leave the dog and return, the more likely the dog will remain calm as well. You should not encourage your dog to see your departure and return as exciting events.
   • Begin leaving the house for a short time (20-30 minutes). As your dog gets used to being alone in a crate, you may want to try leaving the house for a longer time.
   • Continue introducing your dog into the crate while you are at home so that he does not automatically associate it with being alone.

Method 2 of 3: Teaching your Cocker Spaniel to keep his walls clean

1. 1 Choose a place outside where your dog can relieve himself. Teaching your dog to cleanliness is easy when it is already crate-trained, since the pet will instinctively not want to go to the toilet in the place where it spends most of its time at home. When taking your dog for a walk on a leash, give him some freedom so that he can choose where he needs to go to the toilet. Remember that the location the dog chooses does not have to be on the grass, for example, it could be an open patch of soil.
   • Move your dog away from places where it is undesirable for him to go to the toilet, for example, from a neighbor's yard or from your favorite plants.
   • If you have your own fenced-in yard, it may not be necessary to take your dog out on a leash. She will understand that she can go to the toilet in this courtyard.
   • Once your dog has chosen a place to rest, start introducing him into that place every time you go for a walk with him on a leash.
2. 2 Give the command to the dog to go to the toilet. When the dog is in the place designated for the toilet, give the command “to the toilet” and wait until the dog has relieved himself. This may take several minutes, as the dog will not immediately understand the meaning of your voice command. After your dog completes the task successfully, praise him and give him a treat.
   • If after a few minutes she still does not go to the bathroom, take her back home and wait about 15 minutes. If the dog was on a leash, do not remove it from it during these fifteen minutes of waiting. Then take the dog outside to the same location again. Repeat the process until the dog goes to the bathroom outside. When she does, reward her with a treat.
   • Make sure that the dog does not go to the toilet at home during the waiting period. This is more likely if you are dealing with a Cocker Spaniel puppy.
   • You may need to re-practice this skill many times before the dog learns to go to the toilet outside in the same place.
3. 3 Do not punish your dog for oversights in the walls of the house. Cocker Spaniels are very sensitive to punishment, so you shouldn't punish them verbally or physically if they go to the bathroom at home. If you notice that your dog is trying to go to the toilet at home, try to interrupt it and get the pet's attention with loud claps of your hands. Get the dog outside as quickly as possible, either by picking it up or on a leash.
   • When you get home, clean up the mess behind the dog without any punishment.
   • Cocker Spaniels may use the toilet at home due to health problems such as kidney disease. If your dog stubbornly goes to the toilet at home, despite being trained to cleanliness, take it to the veterinarian so that he can check its health.
4. 4 Learn to understand the signs that your dog wants to use the toilet. It is very likely that your cocker spaniel will try to tell you that he needs to relieve himself. While at home, he may whine or howl to let you know when he needs to use the toilet. As soon as you notice this behavior, take your dog outside as soon as possible.If you are outside with your dog for a walk and want to use the toilet, it may start running in circles and sniffing the ground to find a suitable location for the toilet.
   • If you are on a long walk with your dog, remember that it may not be practical to return with the dog to its normal litter spot by a certain time. If so, let your dog go to the toilet where he wants to and clean up after him if necessary.
5. 5 Feed and take your dog for walks on a regular schedule. Regular feeding is very likely to result in your dog having to go to the toilet at the same specific times of the day. Cocker spaniels have small bladders, so they may need to walk several times a day (approximately 4 to 5 hours apart). If your schedule does not allow you to take your dog for a walk that often, consider hiring a dedicated person to walk your dog at the right time when you are not at home.

Method 3 of 3: Teaching your Cocker Spaniel to walk on a leash

1. 1 Find a leash and collar for your dog. If you don't already have a leash and collar for your Cocker Spaniel, you can get one at your nearest pet store. The leash should be about 1.2-1.8 meters long. A regular collar with a leash buckle will do. Harnesses, choke collars and choke collars are not suitable for training the cocker spaniel on a leash.
   • The leash you purchase must be non-extendable. The lengthening leashes actually help keep the dog pulling on the leash and not walking next to the owner.
2. 2 Introduce your cocker spaniel to his collar. This is important if you have a spaniel puppy that has never worn anything around its neck. This is probably not necessary for an adult dog. Put the collar around your puppy's neck when he is passionate about something else, such as when feeding or playing. Leave the collar on your dog even if he tries to remove it. Removing the collar while your dog is trying to get rid of it on his own will only reinforce this misbehavior.
   • Remove the collar when your dog is into feeding or playing. If you are crate training your dog at the same time, remove the collar before putting your pet in the crate.
3. 3 Let your cocker spaniel get used to the leash. Your dog may not immediately react to the leash attached to its collar, especially if it is a puppy. If this is the case, start by attaching something shorter to the collar, such as a piece of string or string. As with the collar, attach and remove the leash (or other object) when your puppy is distracted by something else.
   • Regardless of whether your cocker spaniel is an adult dog or a puppy, do not leave it unattended when it is on a leash. The leash can catch on something that could potentially cause serious injury to the dog.
4. 4 Walk your dog on a leash. The goal is to teach your dog to walk on a leash and not pull you on it. If the dog tries to come forward and starts pulling on the leash, immediately stop walking (“turn on the red light”). When the dog realizes that you have stopped, it is very likely that it will turn around and walk back to you. As soon as the dog is next to you, give the command to “sit”. When she sits down, reward her with a treat and start walking again (“give the green light”).
   • Continue walking with the dog. If she pulls the leash again, use the red and green signals. You will probably need to walk your dog for a few walks before he realizes that he should not pull on the leash. Whenever the dog walks alongside you calmly and doesn't pull you anywhere, give him treats.
   • Do not reward your dog if it reaches out to sniff something or go to the bathroom.
   • When walking the dog, the leash should not be taut even when the dog is walking next to you. If you pull on the leash too much, the dog will instinctively pull in the opposite direction.
   • Also, do not pull on the leash yourself to steer it where you want it to go.

Tips

• Cocker Spaniels are active and energetic. Consider enrolling your dog in agility courses or teaching him the fetch command to give him more exercise opportunities. These dogs are intelligent enough to enjoy mental and physical stimulation as a result of proper training.
• It is recommended that you start training your Cocker Spaniel as early as possible, preferably as a puppy. However, even an adult dog can be trained as well. Only in this case, more time and repetitions may be required.
• Repetition is the key to the success of your Cocker Spaniel training. Be patient with your dog if it takes several tries to complete a specific task.
• If you are having trouble self-training your Cocker Spaniel, consider enrolling in a professional training course.
• After the dog has mastered the basic training course, it can be taught various tricks, for example, pretending to be killed.