Breeds / Small
Cockalier puppies
The Cockalier is gentle, sociable and eager to please, generally easy with children, visitors and other dogs. A moderate daily walk plus games suits them, and their long ears and coat need regular attention.
The facts
- Size class Small
- A cross of Cocker Spaniel and Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- Country of origin Not published
- Adult weight 4.5 to 12 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 10 to 26 lb
- Adult height 30 to 38 cm
- Energy level Moderate
- Grooming High
- Coat type Long silky with feathering
- Typical lifespan 12 to 15 years
- Good with children Usually good
- Good with other dogs Usually good
About the Cockalier
The Cockalier crosses the Cocker Spaniel with the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, two spaniels of similar type, which makes the cross more predictable than most designer crosses. Adults are 4.5 to 12 kg and 30 to 38 cm, with a long feathered coat that mats readily behind the ears and under the legs. Temperament is soft, sociable and eager to please, and most are easy company with children, visitors and other dogs.
A moderate daily walk plus games suits them, though the spaniel nose means a lead or a fenced garden wherever there is wildlife. Grooming is brushing several times a week, regular trimming and routine ear cleaning, since both parents have long hairy ears that hold moisture. Ask for heart testing on the Cavalier side. Mitral valve disease is common there, and it is the single most useful question to put to a breeder.
A cross, not a breed. No registry recognises the Cockalier, so no standard exists and the ranges here describe typical dogs rather than a benchmark. Both parents are spaniels of similar build, which narrows the variation, but litter mates still differ in size, coat length and ear set, and either the Cocker Spaniel or the Cavalier can dominate an individual puppy. American and English Cocker Spaniels are both used, which shifts the adult size, and later generation crosses vary more than a first cross does.
What to expect at eight weeks
At eight weeks a Cockalier puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A small breed puppy at eight weeks is light enough to carry everywhere, which is exactly how you get them socialised before the vaccination course finishes. They will still need four meals a day. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming needs are high. Start daily brushing and short, positive handling sessions at eight weeks, well before the adult coat arrives, or the first professional groom will be traumatic. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.
Health worth knowing about
Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.
- Mitral valve disease from the Cavalier side, detected as a murmur on auscultation and graded by echocardiogram
- Syringomyelia and Chiari like malformation, diagnosed by MRI scan
- Hip dysplasia, screened by hip scoring radiographs
- Chronic ear infections in the long feathered ear, found on otoscopic examination
- Progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts and dry eye, detectable by DNA test, eye examination and tear production testing
- Von Willebrand disease from the Cocker Spaniel side, detectable by DNA test and a clotting factor assay
- Patellar luxation, graded on orthopaedic examination
Your Cockalier puppy's first six months
- Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
- Worming and parasite schedule.
- Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Small for a Cockalier.
- Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 4.5 to 12 kg adult range.
- Puppy names and the first week checklist.
Kit sizes: crate 30 inch (30 x 20 x 23 in, 76 x 51 x 58 cm) for an adult of up to 12 kg; chew toys made for small breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.
Buying guides for this
Other small breeds
More on the Cockalier
Previous: Clumber Spaniel · Next: Cockapoo
Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.
Sources
- purina.co.uk for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming and the temperament ratings and coat type
- petmd.com for health notes
- Health notes from Cockalier breed information at https://www.petmd.com/dog/breeds/cocker-spaniel. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
No published figure for country of origin, so nothing is shown rather than a guess.
Photo: Marley2003, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.