Cocker Spaniel Lifespan – How Long Do Cocker Spaniels Live
Whether you have a Cocker Spaniel at home or looking to bring one home, you must be wondering what the Cocker Spaniel lifespan is.
The Cocker Spaniels life expectancy depends on lifestyle, genetics, health conditions, and diet.
The Cocker Spaniel life expectancy also depends on whether your dog is an American or an English Cocker Spaniel. On average, Cocker Spaniels live anywhere between 10 and 15 years.
This article will give you more information about the lifespan of Cocker Spaniels and how you can help them live healthier and longer life.
Cocker Spaniel Life Expectancy
How long do Cocker Spaniels live? The average life expectancy of Cocker Spaniels is between 10 and 15 years.
Proper health care, physical activity, mental stimulation, good diet, and dental hygiene can enable your Cocker Spaniel to live up to 15 years or more.
However, accidents, unexpected diseases, genetics, and improper breeding can lower the number of years your dog lives.
How Can I Extend The Life Of My Cocker Spaniel?
The following are the ways you can help your Cocker Spaniel extend their lifespan:
Feed Him Healthy Diet
Cocker Spaniels have a real love for food and since they easily develop a close bond with the person feeding them, therefore, it is important that you monitor their weight.
It is recommended that you feed high-quality and nutritious dog food. Consider your Cocker Spaniel’s size, age, and activity level when determining their food portions.
Stick to the guidelines of the food packaging when weighing the food of your dog.
If they are a working dog, let your vet give you the appropriate amount of a high-protein diet that you need to feed your Cocker Spaniel to ensure that they are getting the right amount of energy.
Pay attention to the ingredient list to ensure that they are organic, good-quality, and do not cause allergic reactions in your dog.
Dog food with chicken and rice is a good starting point for your Spaniel’s food trials, but also you need to consider their needs, likes, and sensitivities.
A well-balanced and complete diet should contain lean protein, healthy fats, complex carbs, vitamins, and minerals.
This will ensure that the immunity of your Cocker Spaniel is enhanced and maintained so that your dog can stay away from health problems related to nutrition.
Exercise & Training
Cocker Spaniel is willing to learn and intelligent dogs making training them highly enjoyable. They respond well to positive reinforcement and obedience training.
To ensure that your Cocker Spaniel is safe when off the leash, start recall training when they are younger as well as other puppy training to help them develop good behavior.
Cocker Spaniels can be sensitive to heavy handling and loud noises but socializing them as early as possible will make sure that they are familiar with unexpected events such as attention from young children and busy environments.
For the first six months of their lives, Cocker Spaniels need to be gently exercised then after this period you can add more exciting walks to their daily routine.
Start slowly by introducing extra activities in manageable and small steps. Your Cocker Spaniel should get around 1 hour of exercise per day as an adult.
Since Cocker Spaniels are intelligent, energetic, and inquisitive dogs, they need lots of mental stimulation playtime to keep them away from mischief.
When bored, Cocker Spaniel can resort to destructive or unwanted behavior such as scratching, whining, and chewing, as a way of releasing unused energy.
The best activities to keep Cocker Spaniel busy include interactive games such as fetch as well as walks so that they can explore the different smells.
Visit The Vet Regularly
A regular health care regimen goes a long way to ensuring that your Cocker Spaniel stays healthy and lives longer. This involves taking them to the vet regularly. Some diseases can be treated or prevented when identified in the early stages.
Taking your Cocker Spaniel to the vet for regular physical exams and lab tests will ensure that any health condition is caught at an early stage and that the necessary treatment is administered.
The vet can also give you advice on when to spay or neuter your Cocker Spaniel.
You can also ask the vet to give you a guideline on the appropriate food that your dog needs to achieve optimal growth as well as how to exercise your dog to keep them active and healthy.
Visits to the vet mean that your Cocker Spaniel gets all the vaccinations they need so that they can stay protected from any infections.
During the visits, the vet can do a physical exam to check whether the measurements of their height and weight are ideal for their age. This ensures that they are not experiencing any growth or weight issues.
Brush Your Cocker Spaniel’s Teeth
Brushing your Cocker Spaniel’s teeth regularly will prevent the build-up of tartar and plaque keeping their gums and teeth healthy.
If you do not brush your dog’s teeth, they may experience dental issues such as tooth decay which can lead to infection and increase the risk of heart disease for your dog.
Use a dental spray or a small toothbrush to brush your dog’s teeth for only 5 minutes. Starting at an early age will ensure that they get used to the process as adults making it an easy grooming task. You should brush your dog’s teeth three times per week.
Raw meaty bones and raw vegetables such as carrots can also help clean your dog’s teeth and gums keeping them healthy and strong.
English vs American Cocker Spaniel Lifespan
On average, the English Cocker Spaniel lives longer than the American Cocker Spaniel. Both Cocker Spaniels have been known to reach their late teens with proper care.
The life expectancy of the American Cocker Spaniel is between 10 and 14 years while the life expectancy of an English Cocker Spaniel is between 12 and 15 years.
Both Cocker Spaniels are cheerful with big eyes and lush, long ears. They have loving and friendly personalities and form great bonds with their owners. This makes them prone to separation anxiety when left alone for long.
However, the English Cocker Spaniel has a higher prey drive and is more energetic because of their origins while the American Cocker Spaniel is more relaxed.
Overweight Cocker Spaniels Live Shorter Lives
Overweight Cocker Spaniels are likely to live shorter lives compared to those with ideal body weights.
This is because the excess weight in dogs is associated with health problems such as joint issues, heart disease, diabetes, and breathing issues which can shorten their lives and reduce their quality of life.
Bad feeding habits and lack of physical activity can contribute to your Cocker Spaniel gain unnecessary weight. Feeding your dog more food than they need means that they store the extra in form of fat.
Also not having a feeding schedule allows your dog to eat whenever they want which can be hard to monitor how much they eat.
Helping your Cocker Spaniel maintain a healthy weight will help prevent obesity and ensure that the life of your dog is not shortened.
Feeding recommended amounts, skipping on table scraps, and providing adequate exercise are some of the ways you can help your dog keep a healthy weight.
Do Mixed Cocker Spaniels Live Longer Than Purebred Ones?
Generally mixed Cocker Spaniels are healthier than purebred Cocker Spaniels, therefore, they tend to live longer. This is because mixed Cocker Spaniel has a stronger genetic diversity.
However, breeders can improve the bloodline of purebred Cocker Spaniels by using genetic testing tools.
During breeding, the genetic material is passed down to the puppies, half from the father and half from the mother.
After decades of mating for purebred Spaniels, the chance of passing down genetic disorders increases. Meaning that purebred puppies are likely to develop genetic health conditions which can shorten their life.
On the other hand, introducing a new breed to an existing bloodline means that the defective, unwanted genes are naturally left out.
However, genetics is not the only variable that determines the length of a dog’s life. Other factors such as exercising, nutrition, and socialization can affect the lifespan of a dog regardless of whether they are mixed or purebred.
Cocker Spaniel Age Groups Explained
The following are the life stages of Cocker Spaniels:
Puppy
Cocker Spaniel is considered a puppy between the ages of zero and six months. During this age, your puppy goes through all the basic growth and development such as teething, learning how to stand, and their eyes and ears opening.
This is the age to socialize them as they easily accept those in their world as family and friends.
They can be adopted at this stage and can start life with their new families. At around the ages of four and six months, they will start showing aggression, fear, and territorial issues, that is why it is important that you show them you are the leader.
Juvenile & Teenager
Between the ages of 6 and 12 months, your Cocker Spaniel is in the Juvenile stage and is considered a teenager.
At this stage, your dog is riddled with emotional immaturities and the females go into their first heat. This is the time to talk to your vet about spaying or neutering your Cocker Spaniel.
The energy levels of your dog are high and are focused on testing boundaries and socializing. Therefore, ensure that your dog is physically and mentally stimulated through activities such as games and playing with toys.
Adult
Your Cocker Spaniel will reach their adult height at the age of twelve months and their adult weight at the age of 24 months.
Once they have attained their adult weight and height, your Cocker Spaniel is now considered an adult. The main goal when your dog is an adult is to provide them with sufficient nutrients according to their activity level to prevent any excess weight gain.
Their nutrition changes as they have a different nutritional requirement from when they were puppies. This is because the focus now is to support energy restoration and consumption.
Senior
When your Cocker Spaniel turns eight years, they are now seniors. As your dog ages, their level of performance reduces because of a decline in the capacity to carry oxygen.
At this stage, it is important to monitor the amount of food as well as the exercise your Cocker Spaniel is getting.
Sometimes your dog may experience joint issues as a senior and may need special attention. The joint function can be improved by giving them suitable nutritional supplements.
Does Neutering & Spaying Affect Cocker Spaniel Lifespan
Spaying or neutering your Cocker Spaniel can promote a longer, happier, and healthier life. This is spayed or neutered dogs have fewer behavioral issues and are at a lower risk of degenerative diseases, infections, and traumatic causes of death.
Females spayed before their first heat cycle are protected from mammary cancer while males neutered have a low chance of getting testicular cancer.
Spaying and neutering should be done at the right time to avoid growth issues, therefore, speak to your vet before doing these procedures.
Cocker Spaniel Common Health Issues That Can Affect Their Lifespan
Several health problems can affect the Cocker Spaniel which may contribute to a shorter lifespan if left untreated or managed. Some of the conditions are genetic while others are caused by poor diet, improper breeding, lack of exercise, and not visiting the vet when needed or regularly.
The following are the common health issues that can affect the lifespan of a Cocker Spaniel:
- Eyes – cataracts, eyelid issues, glaucoma, and cherry eye.
- Ears – narrow canals and infections.
- Mouth – halitosis, and lip fold dermatitis.
- Cardiovascular – murmurs, dilated cardiomyopathy, and mitral valve disease.
- Nervous – epilepsy
- Gastrointestinal – live issues, irritable bowel disease, and food sensitivities.
- Musculoskeletal – hip dysplasia and arthritis.
Cocker Spaniel Lifespan FAQs
What Is the Longest Living Cocker Spaniel in The World?
The longest living Cocker Spaniel is known as Uno from Sherman Oaks in California. He was believed to have lived for 22 years even though there are no official records.
Indoor vs Outdoor Cocker Spaniel
Cocker Spaniels enjoy spending time outside and have strong instincts to hunt even though they are designed to be indoor dogs. Cocker Spaniel is a great option if you live in an apartment and want a pet.
They should not be kept outdoors because they thrive living inside and they will try to make their bed and couch their own.
Does A Cocker Spaniel Live Longer Than A Springer Spaniel?
Both the Cocker Spaniel and Springer Spaniel live for about 10 to 15 years. Some factors can determine the lifespan of either dog such as exercise, diet, genetics, and grooming.
Final Words
Providing a balanced diet, adequate exercise, regular visits to the vet, and maintaining dental hygiene will ensure that your Cocker Spaniel’s life is extended.
There are health conditions that can reduce their lifespan if left untreated, therefore, taking your dog to the vet regularly will ensure that any illnesses are identified at early stages and treated.
It is important that you maintain the health of your Cocker Spaniel throughout their life stages so that they can live longer and happier.
