Zephyr

Meet Zephyr, A Bundle of Fluff and Fun, an 8-week-old Cocker Spaniel who’s as soft and sweet as he is spunky. He arrived at foster care at just 6 weeks old with a belly infection, which has since cleared up completely.   

Puppies separated from their mothers and littermates too early miss out on critical social learning, like bite inhibition, play boundaries, and how to regulate frustration. While Zephyr is playful and people-focused, he’s still learning the doggy skills most pups pick up from siblings and mom in those extra two weeks. At his foster home, Zephyr has been learning how to interact with dogs of varying sizes and temperament, but this is still in progress. His forever family will need to continue supporting his development with positive reinforcement, structured training, and gentle socialization, especially around other dogs. 

This pint-sized adventurer is already mostly kennel trained and sleeps most of the night, waking up only when he needs a bathroom break. He’s eager to explore the world, but car rides are not his favorite yet. Zephyr travels in his kennel, and will settle if there is a person beside him to offer support.  Once settled, Zephyr is generally quiet, although he may have a nervous accident or two.  Be prepared to stop more often on longer rides to give him a chance to relieve himself and regulate his nervous system.  

Zephyr is playful and incredibly curious. He is curious about all things, people and animals alike. He’s learning the ropes of bite inhibition as puppy teeth are no joke! Families with dog-savvy kids over the age of 6yrs will be best suited to help guide him through his “land shark” stage. He adores other dogs and is eager to play, even if he’s still figuring out the doggy social rules. 

He’s already mastered going up stairs, though going down is still a bit intimidating as they are larger than him. He barks when excited, it’s part of his expressive little personality, so he may not be the best fit for apartment living. This is a pup who wants to be where the people are, all the time. Separation anxiety is common in his breed, so he will need a family committed to continuing his training to build confidence and independence. 

We will only consider homes for Zephyr  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.  Please keep in mind that if you work from home you need to have a plan in place for a crating schedule for the pup as puppies need 100% of your supervision when not in their crates; you cannot expect to work and have the puppy running around in the room with you as they won’t have your full attention.  We are also looking for a person or family that is 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 will be expecting his adoptive family to attend puppy socialization class with Zephyr immediately upon adoption, along with, at minimum, level 1 obedience school after. The guidance and lessons learned in puppy classes are very important to getting your pup off to a good start.  We handle this pup every day and will be offering him everything he needs to be the best puppy he can be when he leaves our care but we need the adoptive family to take over for us when they get him home.  We adore this puppy and will settle for nothing less than a dedicated, loving family that is well aware of the breed requirements and the needs of a Cocker Spaniel in regards to grooming, training and exercise needs.  If you have been thinking about adding a Cocker Spaniel puppy to your family and have the time and patience to properly raise a pup then he may just be perfect for you.  We know you will fall in love with him as deeply as we have when you meet him.  

Anyone interested in this pup  needs to live within 1hr of Cambridge, Ont as he must be returned to our vet later on to be neutered.  He will be adopted out on a contract that stipulates this and it is mandatory.  This is covered in the adoption fee.

Zephyr is the kind of puppy who will thrive in a home where he’s included, engaged, and guided with lots of love and consistency. He’s off to a great start, now he just needs someone to help him become the amazing dog we all know he’s meant to be.