Arlo
Hi! We are Rachel and Arlo. We are based in Cheshire and love to share adventures and discover new places together.
Arlo came home on the 12th November 2023 after I persuaded my partner to ‘go and look at the litter’… with all the essentials already bought and in the car, of course! It is safe to say he was won over as Arlo chose us by bounding over and trying to climb our legs! I fell completely in love with the wriggliest little brown spaniel who was obsessed with biting our ears and licking our faces. Arlo still very much enjoys giving kisses, particularly after you’ve had a drink. And, in the meantime, he has discovered obsessions for shoes, anything fishy and tennis balls.
Day to day life with Arlo
Arlo is a people pleaser and just loves to learn. So teaching him new things is always fun. He can get frustrated and zoom off. But he will always come back for a head scratch and try his hardest to learn again.
My favourite thing to do with Arlo is to take him out on walks. It sounds very simple but seeing him leap around with ears blowing in the wind is the best feeling! Our favourite places are wooded areas where he can sniff to his heart’s content and I can enjoy the snuffling noises between the birdsong.
Why did I choose a show cocker spaniel?
My childhood dog was a spaniel. Sally was the sweetest girl. She made me laugh, offered comfort and loved unconditionally for 14 years. From having Sally, I knew the first dog that was fully my own had to be a spaniel too. She made me love the breed, and Arlo’s fun loving, goofy nature continues that love everyday.
If anyone is considering adding a show cocker spaniel, my advice would be that enrichment enrichment and variety are key. Keeping them happy, both mentally and physically, is important. We missed the ball in this with our family spaniel, Sally. Arlo can be tired out from 15 minutes of using his nose to sniff out his breakfast in the garden but will have bonus energy still after returning from an hours walk. I’ve researched a lot of enrichment and training methods to meet Arlo’s breed needs and to keep him happy and healthy. Not everything will work for everyone as every dog is unique. But finding what your spaniel loves doing is important for combatting that boundless energy they have.
Our Favourite Woof and Snout Product
I have a special place for Arlo’s first Woof and Snout collar. Being indecisive, I ordered a mystery one-colour Biothane waterproof collar from their Pure Adjustable range. And then this gorgeous little sage collar arrived not a few days later! It fit Arlo beautifully and matched the green theme I have for him. It took the element of having to choose away and was a lovely surprise to open. He has had many compliments on the vibrancy of it and how well it’s kept. Those who own spaniels will know they will find mud anywhere. But our Woof and Snout collar wipes clean easily after every adventure, ready for the next quest to go back out and find more dirt.
Our Best Adventure Yet!
This might be cheating as it’s not one specific place. But, our favourite adventure so far is our trip to Scotland. Our first of many holidays with Arlo. I cannot fault how well-behaved he was on the drive. And he was great in new places and encountering new challenges. We shared some breath-taking views of waterfalls and mountain ranges. We explored some caves and experienced the beach for the first time. I think Arlo’s favourite of them all was the beach. Plus, meeting another family who entertained him for ages throwing sticks in the sea. This in turn built his confidence to take a dip and shake the salty water all over everyone there! There are too many words to truly sum up how wonderous Scotland is - but breathtaking, friendly and memorable all come to mind.
We recently bought a van to convert to a camper, and cannot wait to share more adventures with Arlo and to expand his world.
Our top dog-friendly places to visit in Scotland:
- Inchnadamph Bone Caves
- Balloch Castle Country Park
- Ullapool
- The Black isle (Fortrose, Cromarty, Fairy Glen Falls)
- Balmoral Castle
As we are based in Cheshire, we also adore Eastham Woods and Wepre Park for our regular adventures!
Follow along with Rachel and Arlo's adventures
Rachel and Arlo are Woof and Snout Ambassadogs. You can keep up to date with their adventures through their Instagram (@cocker.arlo) and their TikTok (@cocker_arlo).