1. Is someone home during the day or do you have someone who can come home to let the puppy out to potty midday? House breaking is very hard if your puppy is forced to soil in his crate or in your home because he/she can not go outside to potty. In addition, English Cocker puppies have a lot of energy and can be destructive if left alone with no mental stimulation.

2. Are you prepared for counter-surfing, food stealing, and antics that make you laugh but also pull your hair out at the same time? English Cocker are very smart dogs and as such, they can get themselves into trouble. This breed requires a lot of supervision as they are intelligent enough to do things you wouldn't think possible. Most of them are very food driven and will not stay out of food unless they cannot get into it. If you like a well behaved dog who doesn't cause much trouble, this is probably not the breed for you.

3. Can you commit to brushing your dog out every other day and have professional grooming done every four to six weeks? English Cockers need regular grooming. They can have health problems if they are not kept reasonably well groomed. Professional grooming can be expensive, so you may want to call around and check prices to make sure you are interested in a breed that requires grooming. If you plan to groom your English Cocker Spaniel at home, realize that it is a commitment of about $200.00 to buy reasonably decent grooming tools and it will take you several hours to groom until you become more practiced at it. You are also unlikely to be happy with the results until you have practiced several times.

4. Do you realize that although English Cockers are a small breed, they are sporting dogs that require exercise? Most younger English Cockers are not couch potatoes and they need daily exercise with human interaction. If you need a couch potato, consider an adult or perhaps look into another breed. Young English Cocker Spaniels do best in homes that are prepared for daily walks or fetch in the yard and have fenced space for their English Cocker to run. This could be a dog park or a fenced back yard.

5. Are you looking for a house pet that will live indoors and will usually want to be where you are? English Cockers are not "backyard" dogs. They will dig, chew, bark, and do whatever they can to make a nuisance of themselves if left outside alone. English Cockers love their people and want to be with you all the time. They like traveling and visiting new places and are great dogs for a family prepared to treat a dog like another child. For families looking for a "low maintenance" dog, this is not the right choice in breeds.

6. Do you plan to attend a puppy training class and spend time socializing your puppy? English Cockers NEED to be socialized. If you want them to be good around strange children, they need to spend time around them while young. If you want them to be happy and outgoing in new places, you have to take them places while they are young. A reputable breeder will do his/her best to send you a well socialized puppy. Is is your responsibility to take that puppy and spend the next six months continuing with training and socializing.