ADOPTED
Meet Merle! A Blue Merle Cocker Spaniel, who embodies her name with her distinctive coloring. Merle is full of sweetness and comfort, and she’s ready to find her forever home.
She weighs about 20 pounds, on the small side of average size for a Cocker Spaniel of her age at 5 years old. Her coloring is in her name, and has the body familiar with her breed, she also has heterochromatic eyes, one brown and one blue. Merle is sweet as pie, loves a snuggle, is a happy tail wagging girl, with a small streak of sneakiness. As I write this bio, Merle is napping peacefully between my partner and I on the couch making the cutest sounds of a snore. She will be your favorite cuddle buddy, never wanting to be too far away from you at any time.
The first few years of Merle’s life were spent breeding. Being in foster care has been her first experience in a home, and she has fallen into the role of loved pet easily. Merle loves people and she will always search out any chance to be held or pet. She is a complete suck and will melt for anyone willing to give her a scratch behind the ears or share their warm lap for a nap.
Merle isn’t all snuggles however! The American Kennel Club describes Cocker Spaniels as merry and frolicsome and that is Merle to a tee! Merle is excited to get out of her crate every morning and will let you know she’s ready for it! She has no fear of her foster siblings and will get in the way of their playing or running around without being bothered or joining in when we’re all outside. She will tend to hover around the humans more than join in the doggy fun. Merle welcomes her foster owners with happy wiggling butt every time we come home, and pretty much any time you look at her when she’s not being held or pet.
Though she is crate trained and happy in her safe place, Merle is quite vocal when she wants something. She will bark
from her crate in the mornings when she thinks its time to get up, generally around 6 am but this varies both earlier and later. She responds to verbal correction when it is not time to get up, though her responses are also not reliable as she may bark again in 5 minutes or go back to sleep for an hour. She remains quiet the rest of the day once she has had breakfast and been outside. That being said, she is happy to enter her crate for sleeping, meals and while we are at work.
Those cocker ears do put her at risk for infection and can have a build-up of yeast. Her new owners will have to be diligent in checking her ears and knowing the signs of irritation. She’s up to date on her vaccinations and is a healthy girl! Merle has had dental surgery to remove large build-ups of tartar and had 5 teeth removed. Her teeth will require continued attention to keep her smile healthy and bright and the vet has said she will require another dental procedure in the next year. Good quality food and chew bones will help keep her teeth healthy in the meantime.
Merle loves treats, pets, and praise! Her tail is always going when she’s excited even when she’s sitting or laying down. Treats are a good motivator for Merle when it comes to training, along with repetition, praise and appropriate patience. She doesn’t have much concern when it comes to toys or chewing on things she shouldn’t. If she does get out of sight however, her owners should be concerned about her having an accident in the house. She is mostly house trained when she has frequent access to outside as she does with her foster siblings. She has yet to show obvious signs or hints to her foster parents that indicate she needs to go outside. She has the odd accident in the house without warning, she will sneak out of sight to do this though, so a good eye on her actions is beneficial. Constant supervision when not in her crate is essential for successful housetraining.
Merle is an excellent companion when on walks. She is the perfect amount of curious and obedient, as well as friendly. She needs some focused leash training, something she doesn’t get on walks with her foster siblings but will likely come around quickly.
An ideal home for Merle is pretty open as Merle is a very easy-going pup. The interactions she’s had with children (from small and shy to big and energetic) have been very good. She is not bothered by kids of any age, and is not bothered by higher energy, large, playful dogs. Mostly, Merle wants to find her people and attach herself to them daily. We do have to be cognizant of the fact that, as a mill dog who up until a few months ago never experienced the world outside of a barn, she is a flight risk, so a home with young children who cannot be trusted to ensure doors and gates are closed securely every time and not left open for the dog to run out, will not be a good fit for her. She would prefer a home with adults only, or teens, but will be a dog that will tolerate visiting children well.
If Merle could write this, she would ask for a family with someone retired or who works from home who is ready to dote on her, and who will let her cuddle on the couch. She would ask for someone with lots of treats, time for walks, and someone who doesn’t expect to play fetch or wrestle in the yard. Merle wants an owner who will be diligent with her health care, especially her ears and teeth maintenance. But most importantly, a person, couple, or family with a warm lap ready to love her.
If you are ready to open your heart and home to a loving, low-energy companion, Merle is waiting for you. Give this adorable Blue Merle Cocker Spaniel the chance to become a cherished member of your family.