Now you have your little charge in its new home, it has to adapt to its new environment and you have to introduce it to its new routines gradually and gently. Feeding is one of the situations where it is good to provide some continuity for your puppy. Most reputable breeders will either provide you with a supply of the food that your puppy is used to or will let you know the type/brand in advance so that you can have a supply of this food ready for the new arrival. It is possible your puppy may go off their food when they first arrive at their new home, but appetite will soon return once they begin to settle in.

Your puppy should always have access to cool, fresh drinking water. This is especially true if you are feeding your puppy on a dry complete food as these foods contain very little water. It is advisable to provide a fresh clean water bowl each day for your cocker as they the bowls tend to get a coating of saliva and muck which could be a breeding ground for bacteria. Bowls should be washed between use, rinsing is not enough in itself. With your new puppy you can reduce the amount of water available overnight if you feel it will help with toilet training.

You should give your puppy their meals in a sturdy non-tip bowl. Stainless steel bowls are hygienic and easily cleaned. It is possible to get specially shaped "spaniel" (long eared) bowls from most pet shops; these have a narrowed opening to allow the mouth in but help to prevent your puppy's ears from dipping into their water or dinner.

As a general guide an eight week old puppy should be fed four small meals daily. Between the ages of four and eight months you can reduce this to three slightly larger meals. From eight months onwards you should be feeding your puppy two main meals a day and once your puppy is around a year old you can feed just one main meal, although many cocker owners prefer to continue feeding two daily meals.

Dogs appreciate routine and you should try to feed your puppy at the same times each day. Some people believe that it helps establish your puppy's place in the family if the family always eat before the puppy. However this is not always possible, or convenient. What is most important is that you find a routine that suits your family and your puppy. Needless to say, if puppy is treated from the family table at meal times, you'll have a dog that expects food every time you sit down to eat for the rest of their lives. Making this association is not a good idea.

It is important that you stick to the initial brand/type of food until your puppy has had a chance to settle into his or her new home. Sudden changes in diet can upset your puppy's digestion and cause diarrhoea. If you want to change the food you feed your puppy you should do it slowly over a period of a week. You should mix a small proportion of the new food with a slightly reduced quantity of the old on the first day and gradually increase the amount of the new versus the old and so on until after about 7 days you will be feeding all new food. This gives your puppy's body time to adjust to their new food. Your breeder can also give you a supply of the water that your puppy has been used to. A sudden change of water can also upset your puppy's delicate system. Just remember to bring a suitable container to transport the water home.

Young puppies often suffer from a little case of diarrhoea, especially when they first arrive or after a change in food or water. You can treat this by adding a spoonful of live plain yoghurt to their usual food, or feeding a bland diet like cooked chicken and boiled rice for a few days and then gradually re-introduce their usual food.

A puppy that has diarrhoea can quite quickly become dehydrated so make sure there is plenty of water available. If your puppy is also being sick or if there is blood or mucus in the diarrhoea you should take your puppy to the vet to be checked over.

It is important not to over feed your puppy otherwise you risk them becoming overweight. An overweight dog will have more health problems and reduced life expectancy. Start as you mean to continue and remember this time is a learning curve of good habits for both your puppy and yourself.

Your puppy should be well-covered, but not fat or skinny and you should be able to feel each of your puppy's ribs but not see them.

If you want to give your puppy treats there are plenty of branded treats available from pet shops and supermarkets but you can provide your own using the food that you have in your home - small pieces of cheese, unsalted peanuts or cooked chicken breast meat are a healthy alternative to processed treats. If you do choose to give your puppy treats you have to reduce the amount of food given at mealtimes so your puppy doesn't become overweight.