About the Breeder
How We Got Started
Maria, who is based in Melbourne, has owned and loved dogs since she was 12 years old when she was given the responsibility of training the family’s first dog, a beautiful GSD.
Maria learned how to be calm, firm, loving, and committed to another living being. She has always loved animals but dogs have a special spot in her heart.
Her dogs are cherished parts of the family and live inside and by her side in everything she does.
Maria was first introduced to the English cocker spaniel in 1999 when she began looking for a smaller breed to have while raising her young family and was delighted with the gentle fun-loving dogs.
With a new phase of her life, Maria has the time and the commitment to help a new generation of cocker spaniels into the world. Being able to fully commit to raising puppies and using up-to-date information, as well as utilizing programs such as puppy culture Maria strives to make sure that Rivers Pride pups have the best start to life.
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Our Program
The first 16 weeks of a puppies life are the building blocks to everything that comes after. What we do in this time helps mold the dog this pup becomes.
In the first eight weeks a puppy goes from fully dependent on their mother for everything to a boisterous puppy ready to go home to their new families and the next adventure.
We feel it is our job as breeders to do everything we can in the first 8 weeks of our puppies lives to help them to become healthy, well adjusted and happy dogs. We do this in a number of different ways,
Startle response
Introducing different noises to the pups helps them to become desensitised.
We introduce them to the vacuum, fireworks, wheely bin, lawnmower and more.
They have the tv on as background noise to introduce them to many different sounds as well as an app that has alarms, babies crying, power tools etc.
We blow the hair drying in their direction slowly brining it closer to the pups to get them used to the sound and feel long before we give them their first bath.
All this helps the pups to become use to these noises but also to adapt to new noises and situations.
ENS and ESI
Both ENS (early neurological stimulation)
Are exercises we do from day 3 - 16. We expose puppies to minor stressesf to help their development, resilience, and coping mechanisms.
Benefits of this are:
Boost brain development
Improve circulation and immune system
Stimulates the neurological system
Improves stress responses in later life.
ESI (early sent introduction)
Helps puppies with their nose awareness and confidence.
It enhances their ability to identify and react to scents. Similar to ENS
Benefits of this are:
Improves scenting ability in later life
enhances confidence and stability as adults
reduce behavioural issues in the long term
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Through Play
By introducing our pups to different textures and sensations, we help give them a well-rounded start to the world.
We give them a slide to slip on and learn to master. We introduce them to a large round swing so they get used to uneven and moving surfaces. As they get older and more used to navigating the swing we raise the height to allow for more movement when the pups jump onto it.
They have a tunnel that is made of crinkling fabric that makes noise as they navigate through it.
All these things may seem like simple toys but all are there to help the pups to navigate new things easier as they get older. As they get introduced to more and more things throughout their lives the hope is that this introduction to so many novel sensations helps them to cope with things that are different.
We also introduce them to the crate, toilet training, and various people. We get them used to being brushed, using a soft brush on their coat daily. We touch their feet and ears to get them used to being handled. All of this is designed to help them in their development.
