ADOPTED
Fudge, born April 5, 2023, is an American Cocker Spaniel. He is dark brown with big green eyes. He is an absolutely stunning puppy who charms everyone he meets. We have had so many people already comment on how they would love this gorgeous pup, but we are looking for truly devoted Cocker Spaniel lovers who are familiar with the breed and have the time and patience for a busy, happy, energetic puppy.
Fudge loves everyone and everything. He had a chance to be with a kitten, and thought that was fine. He loves people of all ages and sizes. He has excellent bite inhibition for a puppy, and his play time with smaller people has been mostly gentle. Typical to all puppies he does have sharp teeth, so he doesn’t mean to hurt anyone during play, but he can get a bit carried away. He will be fine with children over 8yrs of age living with him who are gentle children.
Fudge will be a moderate energy dog but as a puppy had bursts of energy followed by lots of naps. Generally he likes a good play in the morning followed by chilling for hours. He will happily flop on the closest human, who then becomes the favorite human. He has a warm little body, and sometimes when snoozing on someone his large cheeks will flop over their arm as he gently snores. He loves cuddling, and as he is expected to be somewhere between 25 to 30 lbs full grown, he will have some weight to his snuggles.
Fudge is generally very stable and confident. He slept through the last major thunderstorm. He has climbed up and down all forms of stairs, including wood, metal, and outdoor. Some of the stairways he can see through to the ground. All of them are just tools to use to get to the humans, so he is just fine with them. He’s a little unsure of cars that pass by him, but this will go away with a bit more exposure. He has a great temperament and will have an unlimited capability for learning so we are looking for a person or a family who will commit to his training and embrace the advanced levels. He is an intelligent sporting breed so needs the brain stimulation to be a happy boy.
Fudge is fine in the car and enjoys traveling. Given his age, he has only traveled in a small kennel. He’s generally a very relaxed dog, so in time, he will enjoy car trips as it is just about the next adventure. He does enjoy a solid walk every day with his foster pack. Even though he is young, he is keen to go much larger distances. We expect him to need a fairly lengthy daily walk. At the moment he is outside every 2 to 3 hours so that he can pee, but that is because he is a puppy. We are looking for a home for him where someone is home or has the capabilities to come home throughout the day. Puppies need to be taken outside for bathroom breaks very regularly when they are
small and will not be able to hold it for an 8hr work day. We are also looking for families that are fully aware of the time commitment of a puppy and the work involved. Puppies are a total joy and bring so much love and happiness into a home, but you cannot underestimate the work and time involved in raising a puppy properly. They need constant supervision while young to expedite the house training stage and to ensure they aren’t chewing on anything inappropriate. We are also looking for a family that will continue to crate train Fudge as we fully believe that this is the best for pups and offers them a quiet and secure “den” to call their own. A crate trained pup is a blessing as it offers a safe place to put them when you can’t be watching them all the time.
What we have discovered about Fudge is that he is an escape artist! So far he’s managed to climb out of his puppy ex pen, open a crate door, and undo a loose collar. His collars must be fitted properly, or he will remove them if he chooses to. Any barrier he can get his front paws onto is also just something to do a chin up on and throw himself over. This is merely so that he can be with his favorite people. Those people are the people that are on the other side. Given an opportunity, he would probably be able to climb ladders or playground equipment, and that could easily get him into trouble. He must have an enclosed yard, with a tall fence and be supervised outside. He is an agility dog in the making so if this is an interest of yours, this is your pup!!!
He will need regular grooming and brushing. His hair grows, so professional clipping will be required. Fudge has a few typical Cocker Spaniel issues to keep aware of. His ears will be prone to bacterial growth and need regular cleaning. He also has droopy lower eyelids which is normal for the breed. Both will need to be monitored as he matures and they are easy to look after. He has also managed to chip both of his bottom canine teeth. This is a minor issue that needs to be monitored, but will resolve when they fall out in about another month.
You will always know when he has a drink of water as his ears typically end up in the water dish. On the drool scale, he has more than many small dogs, although it is still pretty minor, until he has a drink. Then water goes everywhere he goes. There are lots of creative solutions that can be worked out, but having a towel handy post major drink is a good idea.
Fudge has the potential to be a lot more than just a family member. He will need to be stimulated to keep his houdini mind at ease. We can see the potential of him being an excellent therapy dog, sporting dog, or anything you wish to do with him. What he won’t be ideal for is someone who just wants a dog to hang around the house, and go for a simple walk a day. Fudge has an adventurer’s spirit and needs the stimulation of an active life with a lot of variety! He is going to be an excellent dog though for any active spaniel lover who is wanting a companion in all things fun!!