how much food?

Question
I just got a 5 year old female cocker spaniel and i want to know, how much food should i feed her? (she's aprox. 22 pounds), at what time it's better to feed her?

Also, sometimes when my husband and I play with her, she grows, and she doesn't like when people touch her paws, why do you think that happens?  

Answer
Pamela, is she a small girl?  This is a low weight.
How does she look?


Now first..good food...I strongly advise NOT feeding kibble since it's too high in carbs for cockers.  A premium canned food like Canidae (my personal favorite) is much better.
How many times a day to feed?  Depends on your schedule.
If possible, I advise 3x daily..but 2x is okay. 1 1/2 cans per day.  But every dog is different.

If you switch food..do it slowly so you don't get an upset tummy.  What is she eating now?

The paws:  Well, I don't know. My own dogs just don't like it when you touch their paws.  They'll immediately pull away.   However, the growling is something to address NOW.  Whenever she growls...get down on her level and stare right in her eyes and say NO quietly but firmly.  Do not lose eye contact until she turns away. Count to 3 and say NO again.
Continue until she turns away.  You win!

Never yell or raise your voice.  People do this thinking they're being "authoritative" but the result is simply to raise the level of excitement/aggression in the room.

Give her a little time to adjust - walk her twice daily and feed her on schedule.  And don't hesitate to write with any issues that arise.

Oh..and sometimes a dog will "grrrr" and it means they're playing & happy...but you can tell the difference between that and a "warning growl".  For instance, they will "grrr" if you're playing tug of war.  Is that what she's doing?
Is she only growling during playtime?
Delores