Picture taken from www.dogbreedinfo.com
Good day and welcome everyone!
This is Sharda with another Cocker Spaniel newsletter.
If you’re thinking of raising a Cocker Spaniel outside dog then here are some of the things that you may need.
Let’s start shall we?
Supply Pen for the Outside Spaniel Dog
Because of its history and predisposition as a hunter, the Cocker Spaniel is well-suited to be an outside dog. His coat will keep him cool in summer and warm in winter.
Shelter
Even the hardiest outside Spaniel dog will need a comfortable, dry shelter. You can buy one already built or if you’re handy with a hammer, you can build one. Whether you buy or build there a few basics to keep in mind.
- The floor should be raised several inches off the ground to keep it dry, help keep out ground-crawlers. It will also help keep the floor from becoming overly cold when the ground is cold.
- As with the crate, the Cocker Spaniel’s shelter should be sized so that an adult Spaniel dog can comfortably stretch out. If you’re not wiring the place with heating and air—as most of us don’t—don’t carried away with the size. Giving a Cocker a larger space than necessary will make it more difficult for him to maintain warmth from his own body heat.
- Full insulation at least equal to the rating of what is in your home, especially in colder climes.
- A flap of canvas or other heavy material over the doorway to help keep out wind and rain
- A divider “wall” to separate the entrance from the sleeping area to protect the resting Cocker Spaniel from wind and rain.
- In colder climates face the door opening to the south to protect against cold north winds.
- Other considerations include a hinged roof and linoleum flooring for easy access and cleaning. For added comfort, you should provide a dog bed or set up the floor as described in the section on Setting up a Crate.
NOTE
Having a shelter or doghouse should not be the end-all—be-all solution for your Cocker Spaniel. When weather is severe (rain, cold, or heat), he should not be left outside for extended periods of time.
Although hardy they are still living creatures and can catch colds or suffer heatstroke and other exposure-related ailments just like humans do.
Fencing
Unless you have the good fortune of living in the country with plenty of free roaming space, you’ll need a fence of some sort.
You can fence the whole yard (recommended height is 6 feet [2m]) to give as much running space as possible, or if this is not practical or desired for some reason, you should put up a self-contained fenced area called a dog run.
Granted, 6 feet is pretty high for a Cocker Spaniel but the other goal of a fence is to protect your pet from other animals that may have a vertical jump like Michael Jordan.
The minimum size of your run should be 4 feet by 12 feet (1.3m by 4m), and 6 feet (2m) high. If you can go bigger, do. This is one case where extra space is welcome as your Cocker Spaniel will use this space for play and elimination.
There should be a pad made of stone that makes up the slab (like that of a house) to keep the ground from becoming a mud pit when it rains.
You shouldn’t use a concrete slab as this will retain the smell of urine. If possible, you might try to keep a portion of one end as grass for elimination.
By nature a Spaniel dog won’t eliminate in his living quarters so having a distinct “bathroom” area may help. You will of course want to pooper scoop to keep it clean.
I hope that you learned a lot from today’s Cocker Spaniel newsletter
All the best and take care
Warmly,
Sharda Baker