cocker spaniel

[priyawarekar]

My uncle has got a cocker spaniel.He is golden in colour but we donno weather he is a american or english.I have a hunch that he is an american coz he has a short muzzle but he is only 5 weeks old and is diffecult to say what he is. The pet shop owner dint tell us.So how can we tell weather he is an american or english at this age

PS:It is not that important for us to know this difference as browney is adorable but just for the record sake can anyone tell me how to identify the difference

[Eels]

With all due respect I'd suggest the best way to know the difference is not to take a puppy from a petshop and absolutely not to take a puppy at only 5 weeks of age - 6 is the earliest I'd even consider it. It's likely that Brownley isn't even a pure cocker.

Here's hoping he's not had too rocky a start to his wee life. Please don't provide shops like these with business.

[priyawarekar]

by a pet shop what i ment is a breeder. Browney is a pure cocker but i stay in india so it is difficult to say weather it is a american or english. So i posted my question here

[woofgang]

so what did the breeder say he was? Did you get papers with him (registration form, pedigree?)

[woofgang]

here's the AKC page with all breeds of dog recognised by them. They call the American Cocker a Cocker spaniel and the english version and English cocker spaniel

http://www.akc.org/breeds/breeds_c.cfm

[woofgang]

not to pick holes but if you meant breeder, why did you say petshop?

[jake-the-peg]

Dont want to worry you unduly but you should take a look at this

http://www.cockerspanielrage.org.uk/

When I was young we had a golden cocker that suferred from this - could be nice as pie and then try to attack you in an instant for no good reason - I had 4 stitches

As the page says it's reasonably rare but does seem to be reported more with golden cockers than other breeds. I can only go by my experience.

Don't worry too much but be alert for any sign of sudden unpredictable aggression

[drgnrdr]

Any "reputable Breeder" would have given you papers or at least contact info if anything happened to him that way they could take him back if things didn't turn out. Where is your uncle if you are in India?

And 5 weeks is to young 6 weeks is too young, puppies learn mouthing inhibition and rules about being a dog from their mother and their littermates between 4 and 12 weeks of age, NEVER take a dog before 8 weeks of age. There is no GOOD reason to do so, all the bad reasons are there, breeder doesn't want to pay to get the dogs wormed or shots or feed them or take time to start socializing them, or the mother is rejecting them ie..growling (bad breeding stock) and the puppies will learn from her to growl when a dog comes up or if she's fearful of people, because they are getting that from her.

Skills not aquired during their first eight weeks may be lost forever.

This will not help you now but maybe educate someone else later. My point was, see if he has any contact info and call them, or if the "breeder" has a website maybe.

Or check the AKC website like woofgang says, and wait for the little guy to grow up.

[priyawarekar]

i can justiy my answer as to why i said a pet shop it is because there is nothing such as breeders in india we either get the pup from a pet shop or get it from a friend whose dog(female) has given birth to. I donno anything about the papper works. My uncle got the pup from banglore i suppose. But anyways it is not a crime as far as we take good care of him