Are you curious to know if Cocker Spaniels have webbed feet? Well, wonder no more! As a result of many inquiries on this topic, I decided to do some research.
So, do Cocker Spaniels have webbed feet?
You betcha! As one of the water breeds, Cocker Spaniels have fully grown webbed feet. This is because they were originally bred for water-related activities, which means that webbed feet help them swim, walk, dig, maintain stability, and especially during the winter.
With all these advantages of webbed paws, it’s important for every responsible owner to be aware of this unique trait in their furry friend. So, the next time you see your Cocker Spaniel paddling around in the water, take a moment to appreciate their webbed feet and all the benefits they provide!
Cocker spaniels’ webbed feet are much helpful for walking.
The Cocker Spaniels initially bred to hunt game birds. In fact, they are good at duck hunting.
The webbed feet are one of the main characteristics of a hunting dog. So Cocker Spaniels have to go through different types of surfaces while doing their job.
When walking above different kinds of surfaces
I have visited 11 different Cocker Spaniels before writing this article.just to gather some data. (And for future articles too)
So what I found was that about 5 dogs are not just domestic dogs. They usually go hunting with their owners.
So many of those owners have mentioned that these dogs are talented for walking over muddy or slippery surfaces.
In fact, they have mentioned that these Cocker Spaniels can easily navigate through those surfaces without sinking and falling with the help of webbed feet.
How? In such cases, their paws get more extensive, and at the same time, it works as a powerful grip.
In general, this ability is slightly higher than in other normal dogs. Because the Cocker Spaniels are one of the water breeds, and they have fully grown “webbing” between their toes.
Cocker Spaniels’ webbed feet are much helpful during the winter.
Here I would like to ask a small problem. Can you walk through snow without using wearing snow boots?
It’s not about cold. I’m asking, can you able to do that without sinking too much?
When we consider these dogs, they cannot go through snow without Sinking unless they have proper grown webbed toes.
So here, their more extended paw pads exactly work as our snow boots.
Well, I think you got the point. But here I wanna mention another point which is very important for Cocker Spaniel owners.
Important
Whenever you go out with your Cocker Spaniel during the winter, don’t forget to clean inside their paws once you returned.
Why?
Because there might be stucked snow inside their paws. It can be extremely painful for them. So once you return home, separate their toes apart and clean the webbing of each paw.
Tip.
Use Dog snow boots, and it will be so comfortable for them.
Cocker Spaniels’ webbed feet are extremely beneficial for swimming
As you understood, this breed bred initially for water-related activities. Most time, they used to hunt, birds, and ducks.
They have an excellent talent to swim secretly and hunt them.
Each Cocker Spaniel is a very talented swimmer. ( According to Cocker Spaniels, I have visited. All the owners were satisfied with their dogs’ swimming ability.)
When we compare these dogs with other average dogs, these dogs have much higher swimming ability.
How? Since the Cocker Spaniels have fully grown webbed feet, they can easily navigate through water by paddling their paws. In fact, these feet work just like the oars.
But many people keep them just as only domestic pets. Some of them live in apartments. So they are not actively associated with hunting or water-related activities.
So those Cocker Spaniels might be excited when they put into water. Because most of them how to swim.
Don’t think they have proper webbed feet and their body also much helpful for swimming. It’s just like you have a Lamborghini in your home and don’t know how to drive.
So training them to swim is crucial. So responsible owners must train their Cocker Spaniels to swim when their puppyhood.
As my experiences, you can start these training sessions once they turned at least 12 weeks.
Don’t worry if your dog how to swim. It doesn’t matter if the dog is a mature one or a puppy. You can train them.
But the mature dogs can take a little bit longer. But it’s a totally doable thing.
Remember the consistency is the key to success.
Consistency is the key to success.
Dog Breeds Experts
Your dog has to overcome the fear of water before starting the swimming sessions based on my experiences.
But how to overcome the fear of water?
Let me tell you something that is really practical. Go for a hike with your dog. A long walk is also possible. Then find a shallow water body.
But be mindful, the water level should be less than one-third the height of your dog.
Then you need to cross the shallow water body. But don’t give a hand to your Cocker Spaniel. In a few time, he will find a suitable path to reach you.
Then call him nicely from the other end.
So without overcoming the fear of water, he cannot cross it. So this is the most appropriate way to do that. In fact, do this several times more.
So now you are about to start the swimming training sessions.
How to train Cocker Spaniels to swim.
As we discussed above, these dogs have the most suitable body which is suits for swimming. So they haven’t any obstacles.
So take your dog whenever you go swimming. It is better if the place is not too deep. But don’t put your Cocker Spaniels into the water suddenly.
You have to do that nicely and slowly. Meanwhile, give a small push upwards through his/her belly. Then let them feel the water.
Since you give a little push, they will have good confidence in that.
Here normally, the Cocker Spaniels start to paddle using their webbed feet. You will feel they start to float. So gradually decrease the weight that you being giving upwards.
Give small support them to keep their head above the water level.
Pro tip: Buy a Dog swimming pool. So they can play with water whenever they want throughout the day.
Cocker Spaniels’ webbed feet are beneficial for digging the ground.
Actually, this is not a huge advantage for them. But these dogs have a somewhat long coat. So they might feel too warm during the summer.
So they tend to dig holes in cold places in the backyard. Then they lay on it. In many times, my dog likes to sleep in such a hole on hot days.
So if Cocker Spaniels do not have webbed feet, they cannot dig.
What if your cocker spaniels don’t have webbed feet?
If your cocker spaniel doesn’t have webbed feet, that’s an important question. Because they are absolutely one of the water breeds. So, they should have.
We no need to worry if a Pitbull bull doesn’t have webbed feet. Because their primary purpose is different.
If you own a Cocker Spaniel for some time and recognize it later, don’t worry about too much. Because probably they may get used to it.
But you should be mindful of some points. If you hope to use it for hunting, it can be complicated work for them. Because cocker spaniels need webbed feet in order to hunt. The reasons I have discussed above.
So, if you think to buy cocker spaniels for hunting, make sure to check their feet. If you keep them as only house pets for cuddling and hoping small protection, then you no need to worry about their feet too much.
Sometimes it can be challenging to get through the snow during the winter season. Go and meet a vet and check whether everything is okay.
Overall, cocker spaniels should have webbed feet. The reason they do not have it is because of the irresponsibility of people. Because in most cases, people tend to breed dogs on their own. As a result, dogs become distorted.
So, it’s mandatory to buy a purebred cocker spaniel.
How to identify purebred cocker spaniel?
If you hope to buy a new dog, there are several things you should consider. It’s not enough to check whether cocker spaniels have webbed feet or not.
| Male height | 15-17 inches |
| Female height | 14-16 inches |
| Male weight | 29-35 lbs |
| Female weight | 26-33 lbs |
| Eye | dark and round |
| Feet | webbed |
The first loveable thing people notice is the cocker spaniel’s long, low-slung, feathered, floppy ears. If you examine their body, it is sturdy and compact. These are the essential characteristics of cocker spaniels.
CONCLUSION
Most people love to cocker spaniels and gather information about them. So, it’s fair to have a problem like “Do cocker spaniels have webbed feet?”. This article is an in-depth review of that problem. Below is a quick overview of what’s in this article.
- Introduction
- Cocker spaniels’ webbed feet are much helpful for walking
- Cocker Spaniels’ webbed feet are extremely beneficial for swimming
- Cocker Spaniels’ webbed feet are very helpful for digging the ground
- What if your cocker spaniel doesn’t have webbed feet?
- How to identify purebred cocker spaniel?
