Vari-Kennel Crate- English Cockers usually use a size 200 which is about 20" x 30"

A crate is essential for training your new puppy. Used properly, your puppy will enjoy his/her crate. Dogs are not like humans. Humans get stressed in confined spaces. Dogs get comfort from confined spaces and are stressed in open areas. Dogs in the wild dig dens and in fact, even our domestic dogs who are raised as pets often dig dens in the backyard if allowed to. A crate gives you a place to put your puppy while you run to the store or to do another errand. A crate trained dog travels easily and can go on vacation with you to places an uncrated dog may not be welcome. Once your puppy is an adult, you may not use your crate often, but the fact that your English Cocker is comfortable being confined to a crate will be nice when you do need to travel with your dog or perhaps send him to someone else’s home overnight.

Baby Gates or Exercise Pen if needed to puppy proof your living environment.

Bedding- don’t spend a lot of money on puppy bedding as your puppy may chew bedding up until he/she is trained or is done with teething. Old baby blankets or towels work well at this age. 

Food/Water Dishes- we recommend a bowl called The Water Hole available at www.jbpet.com Great for keeping cocker ears out of their water bowl. There is also a metal version of this which is much more chew resistant called the Chum Bowl available at www.jefferspet.com

Collar and Leash

Retractable Lead- Great for taking walks. Your puppy gets more exercise with this type of lead. Please be careful not to use a retractable lead near a busy road.

No Chew Spray- we recommend NaturVet YUCK! No-Chew Spray

Odor Removing Cleaning Spray such as Natures Miracle- great for cleaning up those puppy potty spots while housebreaking.

ID Tag for Collar- Your puppy comes microchipped, but we still recommend an ID tag attached to his/her collar.

Chewies- Nylabones, bully sticks, etc.

2 Medium Kongs- One to freeze with canned food and kibble and one to use at the time. Leave both with your puppy if you will be away from home for a while. A puppy’s entire dinner can be frozen into two kongs if he/she is displaying symptoms of boredom.

Stuffed Toys- The wider variety of toys you provide for your puppy the easier it will be to teach him/her to leave human items alone.

Tennis Ball- great for teaching your puppy to retrieve.

Treats- Bite sized biscuits or small chewy treats for training. Small pieces of cooked chicken work well.

Puppy Shampoo and Conditioner (We recommend Show Seasons Aminoflex shampoo, which is not available at pet superstores. You can find it at a few online retailers or at some dog shows. Please do not use human products for long term use.) If you want something you can purchase locally, try Buddy Wash and Conditioner or the Petco SPA brand. Using conditioner will help prevent matting.

Ear Cleaning Solution

Toothbrush and Canine Toothpaste

Nail Clippers

Quickstop

Slicker Brush

Pin Brush

Metal Comb

If you are planning to groom your puppy yourself, here is a list of items I recommend. Please plan to purchase these items before you get your puppy or soon afterwards, as you will want to start getting your puppy accustomed to being groomed from an early age. If you wait until your puppy is 6 months to a year old before grooming him/her you will have a very poorly behaved dog to groom. Training good grooming behavior will be much more difficult. If you plan to have your puppy professionally groomed, plan to make your first grooming appointment before your puppy turns six months old.

You can order a show grooming video from http://www.kabree.com/tape.htm

I send home a pet grooming instruction sheet with each puppy.

Here is a great website with English Cocker pet grooming instructions:

http://ecspuppies.tripod.com/grooming.html

Clippers- I recommend the Oster A5 or KM Wahl. If you only plan to use the clippers for face and throat, consider the cordless Speed Feed trimmer. I have one and *love* it.

#10 blade for shaving faces and ears

#7F blade if doing a complete shave down

Straight Scissors

Coat King - Fine or Extra Fine

Stripping Knife - Classic style stripping knives with the flat wooden handles work great. These are usually less than $10.00. You can also use the Mars medium stripping knife.

Thinning Scissors - I recommend Geib or 44/20's

Hair Dryer - a human hair dryer will work fine.)

Grooming Table With Noose- You can also use a counter or table with good traction that gets your EC off of the ground. It is very difficult to groom with your dog on the floor. I really recommend investing in a grooming table with an arm and noose if you plan to groom yourself long-term. The backache it saves you is worth the investment of $150.00. Here is a great table at a reasonable price: King Wholesale Table