Getting a Cocker Spaniel from a rescue or even a shelter can be a wonderful way to adopt your dog. When you visit a breeder with puppies, they are all adorable and sometimes it’s hard to pick the right one.
The nice thing about adopting an older dog from a rescue organization is that you will already know what kind of a personality the dog has as an adult, which you really can’t always tell with a puppy or younger dog.
Rescued animals usually come house trained or housebroken and have been up to date with shots. If there are any health or behavior difficulties, you will most likely be aware of them and maybe they are nothing more than something very minor.
Many Cockers make it to a rescue for all kinds of reasons, which are usually not due to their bad behavior or anything to do with the dog at all. Many times it is because an elderly owner is too old or too sick to care for them anymore. It could be simply that the owners have had a new baby, which is exactly how our beloved Jake came to be a part of my wife’s and my life.
Other times it could be that they are moving or even that they got new furniture. Then there are always some sad situations where some are taken from a horrible situations or have been mis-treated by the owner or have been severely neglected or abandoned.
Jake was actually found by the owners who ended up giving him to my wife, Donna. Originally he was wandering around a state forest in northern NJ when a prison guard saw him and took him in.
If you go to an ASC or ASCF (American Cocker Spaniel Foundation) affiliated rescue group in your area, you can be sure that the cockers have all been screened very thoroughly for their health and temperament as well as having all of the vaccinations and tests for heart worm done. They will also be spayed or neutered before being given up for adoption. We are working on a resource for this website for ASCF Affiliated Rescue Groups for different areas.