What spaniel puppies look like: description of varieties and rules for caring for pets

The Russian spaniel is a domestic breed, originally bred for hunting birds. Recently, especially in large cities, they have begun to be kept simply as pets because of their friendliness and easy-going nature.

Like all mammals, this breed develops health from an early age. In order for the dog to grow up active and have good immunity, it is important to feed the Russian spaniel puppy correctly, as well as take into account the recommendations of dog handlers for care and education.

Types of puppies and their descriptions with photos

Spaniels are smart, quick-witted, loyal, sociable and friendly dogs that are quite easy to train..

There are many varieties of this breed, but the most common are English, American and Russian spaniels.

English

The first representatives of this breed were much larger than modern ones . To reduce their size, these dogs were mated with Japanese spaniels presented to the Queen of England.

This is how English spaniels were bred, distinguished by their more compact size, mobility, endurance and developed sense of smell.

These dogs are distinguished from American and Russian spaniels by their body proportions, as well as the size and shape of their heads.

“English” - owners of a dense physique with well-developed muscles, a short body, strong strong limbs and a slightly convex and flattened head in front.

Representatives of this breed grow to 34-41 cm at the withers and weigh 12-16 kg. Puppies of this breed reach their maximum height at about one year of age.

These dogs have a long, silky and thick coat, without curls, waves or curls. From time to time, these dogs need a haircut.

American

This variety is the descendant of the English spaniel, so their appearance is quite similar. “Americans” are slightly smaller in size, growing at the withers to 35-39 cm with a body weight of 12-14 kg.

These dogs have large expressive eyes, a shorter muzzle and a clearly defined transition from the forehead to the muzzle..

The coat of American Spaniels is longer, thicker and more luxuriant, with curls of hair on the ears, belly and chest.

These dogs have a developed hunting instinct, but are now more often used as a decorative breed.

Russian

Russian spaniels have collected the blood of different types of spaniels..

The goal of Soviet breeders was to develop a breed that would be most suitable for hunting in Russian conditions, therefore representatives of this breed have a slightly longer body and limbs - this makes galloping easier in difficult places.

The height of Russian spaniels at the withers is 36-44 cm, weight - 13-18 kg . They have a light, slightly convex head at the sides and an almost rectangular profile. The coat is of medium length and density. The color can be varied - black, red, brown and others.

Minuses

Can natural food have any disadvantages? It is of high quality, well prepared, and the owner selects the best products for the pet.

They can, no matter how it sounds. And it’s not about the quality of the products, but about a poorly balanced diet. No matter how hard you try, you cannot achieve the perfect balance. This is the advantage of expensive premium and holistic food over the best and highest quality natural products.

Basic rules of care

Despite the fact that newborn puppies are completely helpless, their eyes and ear canals are closed and they lack their own thermoregulation, caring for them requires minimal effort on the part of the breeder, since the main concerns fall on the bitch.

IMPORTANT!

All that is required from the owner is to ensure that they are well-fed, supplementing them with a bitch milk substitute if necessary, and also control their temperature, which normally should be 34.5-36 °C.

If the litter is separated from the bitch, the temperature in their bed must be maintained at least +30 °C, otherwise the puppies may freeze and die.

How to bathe properly

Spaniels cannot be bathed until the quarantine period ends after the last vaccination. The exception is cases when the puppy is very dirty, but it is better to try to minimize the likelihood of this.

During the first bath, you should lay a rubber mat on the bottom of the bath so that your pet’s paws do not slip, and cover your ears with cotton swabs, eliminating the possibility of water getting into them..

The coat of representatives of this breed should be brushed 3-4 times a week, or better yet, daily. This will help get rid of dead hair and avoid the formation of tangles.

Claws

For the first time, puppies' nails need to be trimmed around the 8th day after birth to prevent them from scratching their mother's nipples, then repeat the procedure weekly, cutting off sharp edges.

Adult dogs' nails should be trimmed once every 3-4 weeks..

Eyes

These dogs are prone to eye inflammation. To avoid this, you need to wipe the puppies’ eyes daily with a cotton pad soaked in chamomile infusion or boiled water.

If there is increased lacrimation, purulent discharge or photophobia, you should contact your veterinarian.

Ears

Spaniels have long, drooping ears, which helps protect the ear canals from foreign objects entering them, but at the same time causes poor ventilation and, as a result, increases the risk of developing inflammatory diseases.

Ears should be cleaned once a week using cotton swabs and a special product that helps soften and remove wax, and ventilate daily, minimizing the risk of pathologies..

Water

In addition to a properly selected and balanced diet, the dog needs a sufficient amount of fluid, otherwise the risk of dehydration increases.

The main rules for watering a puppy:

• keeping the bowl freely available;
• cleanliness of the liquid;
• regular water renewal;
• compliance with the temperature regime – 20-25 degrees;
• systematic cleaning of dishes.

Dog trainers recommend choosing bottled or filtered water for your puppy. It is better to refuse boiled, raw is strictly prohibited.

How to toilet train

The puppy cannot be taken outside during quarantine after vaccinations, so it is important to accustom him to the toilet in the house so that he does not shit in inappropriate places.

The most effective way is to limit the pet’s space by allocating it a separate room or part of the room, where the floor will be completely covered with sanitary diapers or newspapers..

This will not allow the puppy to relieve itself by. Gradually you need to reduce the number of diapers, leaving only 1 at the end, which over time can be moved to the place reserved for the toilet.

If it is impossible to limit the dog's space, it is necessary to spread diapers throughout the apartment or house, especially near doors and windows.

It often happens that a puppy, despite all the diapers, goes to the toilet in a certain place that, for some reason, he chose on his own; in such a situation, it is important to lay the diaper there, even if it is not entirely convenient for the owner.

When the pet gets used to relieving itself on the diaper, it can be moved to another place.

CAREFULLY!

The puppy should be taken to the diaper after sleeping, eating and active games and should not be allowed to leave until he relieves himself.

You can use special sprays, the effect of which is aimed at toilet training your pet - they need to be sprayed on a cloth or piece of paper and placed on a diaper.

The spray emits a specific aroma that is captured by dogs' sensitive sense of smell, indicating the correct place for the toilet..

After the end of quarantine, your pet can be trained to use the toilet outside. To do this, the dog needs to be taken for a walk in the morning and every 40-60 minutes. after feeding and wait until he goes to the toilet.

What is forbidden to give

It is strictly forbidden to give your dog tubular bones.
Adults and puppies are strictly prohibited from feeding the following categories of products:

• tubular bones (chicken and rabbit)
• pasta and baked goods
• pork
• smoked meats
• fried, spicy, pickled food
• River fish
• onions, garlic (large quantities)
• millet cereal
• mushrooms
• unheated white cabbage.

In addition to the products described above, dogs are strictly prohibited from eating avocados and raw fish.

In this article we looked at feeding options for a spaniel. When choosing a feeding diet, you need to take into account many factors that influence the daily energy expenditure of a puppy and an adult dog. Proper and balanced nutrition is the key to a healthy, active and cheerful pet.

What to feed for the first 3 months?

For at least 2-3 weeks, and preferably 30-40 days, the main food for puppies should be mother's milk.

The exception is when this is impossible for some reason, then the breeder needs to feed the entire litter himself, using unsweetened and lactose-free infant formula or, better yet, special bitch milk substitutes, for example, Royal Canin Babydog Milk.

After the main lactation period, i.e. about a month after the puppies are born, they need to start giving complementary foods in the form of ground vegetables, fermented milk products or soaked dry food.

NOTE!

The amount of complementary feeding should be gradually increased by adding new products, including boiled ground beef, low-fat broth, some offal (heart, lung, liver) and porridge cooked in broth.

At 2 months, the puppy should be familiar with most of the foods allowed for spaniels in order to be as prepared as possible for moving to a new home.

New products must be introduced into the menu gradually, observing how the puppies’ bodies react to them and whether there are any negative reactions.

Optimal wet food for spaniel

1. Grandorf Natural and Healthy. It has a hypoallergenic composition
2. Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets Gastrointestinal. Used in case of gastrointestinal diseases.
3. Go! Grain Free Turkey Stew. Canned food based on natural ingredients.
4. Belcando. Made from meat.
5. Royal Canin Medium Adult. They differ in the ratio of cost and quality.

How to feed correctly and how often

The main thing to remember when choosing food for a puppy is that the diet should be balanced and contain all the vitamins and minerals necessary for healthy growth and development.

As the puppy grows up, not only its diet changes, but also its diet and the number of feedings per day, replenished with new products.:

• up to 2 months of puppy – 6 times;
• 2-4 months – 5 times;
• 4-6 months – 4 times;
• 6-10 months – 3 times;
• after 10 months – 2-3 times.

Improper feeding, deprived of essential macro- and microelements, often causes the development of dangerous pathologies.

Weekly menu for a 4 month old puppy

Types of dry food for spaniel

1. Go! Natural Holistic Carnivore 4. It features a balanced composition and a favorable quality-to-cost ratio.
2. Acana Heritage Adult Small Breed. It has a suitable composition and thoughtful balance of minerals and vitamins.
3. Now Fresh Small Breed. Made from 100% meat.
4. Purina Pro Plan Optidigest. Used in case of problematic digestion.
5. Monge Specialty Line Mini Adult Salmon and Rice. Suitable for animals with allergies.

Vaccination schedule

The benefits of natural food

We found out what to feed a spaniel puppy. Either feed or natural food. What are the benefits of "human" food?

• The owner sees what he gives to his pet. Natural food is of higher quality.
• It is cheaper than super-premium or holistic food.
• A puppy needs 60 grams of meat per day. With age, the proportion increases to 300 grams.
• If you strictly follow all the rules of feeding your dog, then your spaniel is unlikely to gain weight.
• Food tastes better than feed. Probably because I didn’t have to try the last one.

How to train correctly and what commands to teach?

Spaniels are intelligent dogs that are easy to train . Puppies quickly adapt to new conditions, adjusting to the rules established in the house and the owner’s lifestyle.

However, they need proper upbringing; you should not expect that the pet will learn everything on its own.

There are several basic recommendations that need to be taken into account when raising a spaniel.:

• It is best to start training when the puppy is 5-6 months old, this is the optimal time until the dog’s character is fully formed;
• It is necessary to work with your pet regularly - this is the only way to achieve positive results in the shortest possible time;
• The spaniel should be provided with sufficient physical activity and training should begin when the pet is reasonably tired, so as not to be distracted from activities;
• It is better to conduct training in a playful way;
• you cannot shout at the puppy or hit him;
• For correct execution of a command, the pet must be rewarded with praise and treats.

Representatives of this breed are friendly towards everyone, so it is necessary to show the puppy that he needs to behave with restraint with strangers, do not allow him to jump on passers-by or sniff them.

It is also important to teach your dog at least basic commands . First of all, you need to accustom your pet to its nickname, saying it out loud as often as possible when addressing it.

After the puppy begins to associate himself with the chosen name, you need to teach him the “Come to me” command, calling the spaniel by name and treating him with a treat when he comes.

You should also call him by name before feeding - this will help reinforce the dog’s positive associations with this command.

Place training is another important command . You should arrange a personal place for the dog where it will sleep and take the puppy there, saying the command “Place”.

When the baby remembers this and clearly understands where exactly his personal place is, this command can be a little more complicated: you need to leave the pet in any other place, say the command and leave, making sure that the puppy does not follow.

It is also important to master the commands “Fu” and “No”, pronouncing them loudly and clearly when the pet does something forbidden; at the same time as the command, you can take it by the withers and shake it slightly.

For the “Sit” command, you need to show the puppy a treat so that he raises his head and sits down; you can easily press on his croup and clearly pronounce the command.

Using the same principle, the “Lie down” command is mastered, only the puppy’s position changes..

In addition, it will not be superfluous to master the commands “Give me your paw”, “Nearby”, “Show your teeth”, and hunting dogs also need to be trained in fetching.

Feeding an adult dog

After the Russian Spaniel turns one year old, he is transferred to two meals a day. Usually food is offered to the dog in the morning and evening after a walk.

Dry food

Owners who have switched their dogs to dry food must constantly monitor the quality of the finished product. It is best to buy drying powder packaged in small bags. Food sold by weight quickly deteriorates and can harm your pet.

Deciding on the brand of food is not difficult, since there is a wide choice. The main thing is to buy a product of the highest quality from the premium or super premium series. It is best to choose food from a line designed specifically for spaniels. They are enriched with all the nutrients and vitamins necessary to maintain health and performance.

Popular nicknames for boys and girls

When is a puppy separated from its mother?

Newborn puppies depend on their mother to not only feed them, but also to keep them warm and lick them, stimulating defecation and urination..

Over time, the connection between the puppies and the bitch weakens - already about 14 days after birth, the babies’ eyes and auditory canals open and they begin to explore the world more independently.

Until about 30-40 days, the only food for puppies is bitch's milk, but already at the age of one month it is necessary to begin gradually introducing complementary foods gradually.

This means that small spaniels finally cease to depend on their mother and become completely independent.

Once the puppies reach 8 weeks of age, they are ready to go.

At 8-12 weeks they are independent, do not depend on their mother, but they have not yet developed behavioral habits, and their psyche, character and behavior are quite flexible, so babies adapt as easily as possible to a new home, easily remember the rules of behavior and are amenable to training.

Optimal food for spaniel

Do not assume that this breed is very whimsical in its choice of food. But she has an excellent appetite, so overeating should not be allowed.

It is more profitable to provide a balanced diet and control portion sizes.

• To provide energy, it is recommended to concentrate on carbohydrates.
• To maintain muscle tone, the proportion of proteins should be at least 20% of the total nutrition.
• It is recommended to use premium or super premium level of ready-made food.
• We rely on holistic principles, since the spaniel loves meat and vegetables, which are usually added to such food along with microelements and vitamins.
• But, the main thing is that they do not contain preservatives or other harmful additives.

Important: The American, English and modern types of dwarf spaniel differ in character and body structure, but identical nutrition is expected. Diets for long-haired, medium and small breeds of dogs or a specialized version are suitable accordingly.

Now let’s take a closer look at what food to feed your spaniel. Let's consider suitable dry and wet ready-made food.