by Dr. G. A. Anderson

Created on: May 30, 2009   Last Updated: July 18, 2009

I have a very old dog of 13, but a puppy at heart. He's an adoptee, retrieved from the SPCA at the beginning of May, 2009. I was looking for a young black cocker spaniel. What I found was a honey-colored neutered male, 13 years old, who is also a deaf but very keenly sighted cocker spaniel. Needless to say, I wasn't leaving him in the pound to be put down within the next few days. He came home with me.

In his favor, he has a very gentle temperament - a sweet old guy. He has absolutely no aggressive behaviors. He's lovable, and likes to play with other dogs. He's taken aback and his feelings are hurt when he encounters other dogs who aren't so easy-going and sociable. He has a lot of life in him for his age, and also loves children. He does chase our cat, but that's because the cat runs. Spaniels like to chase things that move, and our cat surely can do that.

All his energy and his typical cocker spaniel desire to be where others are, gave me an idea. I needed to find a companion for him. Since I have an upstairs office and he doesn't come upstairs, he often gets lonely and wants me to come down and play or take him for a walk. It can be any reason, but he's learned that if he whines long enough at the foot of the stairs, I will come to see what he needs. So I've been thinking seriously about getting another cocker spaniel, a bit younger, and hopefully, not deaf. This would provide company for him and perhaps allow longer lengths of time between walks and playtime with me.

Finding a companion for this pet could be problematic. First, I do want a black cocker. Our first two spaniels after we got married many, many years ago were black - retired show dogs. With the breeder, trainer, and owner of the kennel being a cousin of my husband's, his entire family had black cocker spaniels! So another spaniel for us would ideally be black.

The next requirement would be a house-broken dog, so not a young puppy. Anywhere between 2 and 6 years old would be fine. It could be a male or female, as long as it's neutered or spayed. It must be good with children and other pets.

Cockers have specific illnesses and disorders that can almost be guaranteed, so I would want one to be free of those to start out. They tend to get bad eyes, infected ears, bad teeth, and back and hip problems. Frequent grooming and daily brushing is a must because of their long, flowing fur. They love to chase, but can be good on a leash when they understand you are the boss. When raised from a puppy,

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