Cocker Spaniel puppies and dogs in Oakley, California

One of our volunteers has been spending time with Inky and we’ve decided to let him tell you all about 32-pound, Inky. “Inky is a wonderfully low maintenance dog who is affectionate on his "own terms"; you just have to read the signs. He had a busy Sat evening, where he got to socialize with a cat, check out an open air rock concert at Jack London Square, and people/dog watch while sitting on the grass. He also was the leader of the Sat afternoon pack walk, leading all the littles through a walk to Hacienda Peralta park and back. He even got a bath in the evening, his back legs and coat were caked with poop and I could not have him jumping on couches without a bath. He was very patient with me as I shampooed him in the shower, i avoided his head and face, but gave his coat a good scrub. He let me towel him off afterwards, since he has hair and not fur, it was hard to get him fully dry. This is when his patience with me ran out and let me know to lay off with a snarl. I let the rest of him air dry, but he was excellent letting me work with him for 30+ mins without a complain. He did very well with my partner’s cat, he actively ignored it and when the cat jumped on the couch, he got up and went to the other end. He is the same way with other dogs and kids in the park and when out and about. He loves to people watch. He could not quite figure out the doggy door at my place and preferred to pee on the outside walls and posts, rather than the grass. He got spooked in the night by his own reflection in the mirror and barked at it, I had to take him up to the mirror to reassure him. He slept soundly during the night switching between the floor and the bed and was snoring as soon as he hit snooze. He woke up early in the morning and waited patiently for me to get up and let him out. He is an excellent car rider, hops right in and settles down. At home, he checked out the yard, but prefers to be a home body. It was a hot day on Sat and he preferred to sleep on the cool wood floor on my kitchen. He jumped on the couch a few times, when he wanted hugs and cuddles and then once he was done he jumped off and headed back to the kitchen. He likes his space and does not hesitate to let you know with a lip curl and snarl, when he does not want to be bothered. It is usually after a walk, when he just wants to chill and does not want to be pet. Once he is recharged he came right out and jumped on the couch to cuddle. Sunday morning, we took a trip to Lake Merritt, and he lay down on the cool grass and spent nearly an hour just watching people and dogs walk by. When he was done he got up and was ready to walk back. He prefers to stay in and did not explore the yard. He is a really easy low maintenance dog, who was a willing trooper on walks and hikes and knows how to chill once he gets back home.” Inky is looking for an adopter who is dog-savvy without children. Will you open your heart and home to this boy?

Bella is back! Bella thought she’d found her forever home but it wasn’t the match she had hoped for so she is back with her foster family. Bella gets along great with her foster family’s dogs and four cats. She wouldn’t mind another dog sibling in her new home. She loves hanging out in the backyard and snuggling at night. She loves walks but needs to work on pulling on the leash – she is so excited she wants to charge ahead. She likes toys and is learning how to fetch. Bella’s main challenge is meeting new people. She barks and gives a growl if they want to pet her before she is ready. Once she feels safe, she happily accepts guests even if they haven’t been over for a month or two. It may take an hour of steadfastly ignoring her while Bella decides her “stranger danger” instincts were an overreaction. Bella’s foster mom instructs people to just ignore her and wait until she is ready for a pet or two. With patience you will get a really sweet little dog. Bella is about three years old, 19 pounds and is completely housebroken. She looks to be a spaniel mix. A calm, patient household would be just the right fit for this little girl. She looks to be a spaniel mix and around 2.5 years oldMarch 8, 2026, 12:21 am

You won’t need a Ouija board to make contact with Captain Howdy; although he has some devilishly good looks, this sweet cocker spaniel is a total angel. Long, golden blond locks are softer than your favorite cozy sweater, and nothing would be more comforting than curling up beside him in front of an autumnal fireplace. He’d love to say Howdy to all of your friends and neighbors, as he’s a charming chap, but he’s perfectly happy to stay at home if you want to keep him all to yourself. You’ll be possessed by a feeling of family as soon as you meet Captain Howdy, so we’d like you to control yourself…form an orderly queue to come adopt this friendly spirit! Here are some notes from the Foster: Captain Howdy is really quick to warm up to people. He likes to follow you around and be in the same room as you, but he's not too clingy. He doesn't mind sleeping in the corner while you do your own thing. He's very affectionate and gentle. He doesn't have any problems being left at home alone, but does the cutest little perk up and tail wag when you come home. He makes a great match for someone looking for a go with the flow companion to be beside them all day.

Simbee came to us as a 3 month old puppy when my nine year old son and I were asked to help out a family who was struggling. She is healthy, cuddly, smart, energetic and fun and would benefit from a regular routine and basic training. She is not a picky eater and loves her chew toes, playing catch, going on walks or just snuggling up with my son. Due to some intense family challenges we are unable to keep her and would love to see her go to a loving forever home.

We have a transport leaving between the 1st and 3rd of November 2026 from where we are located in Southern California to NorCal, OR, and surrounding states as needed for our adopting families where we bring our dogs all the way to their homes 💗 For peace of mind we never ask for anything up front. The adoption fee along with your share of travel costs will be due the day we arrive in person ultimately finalizing the adoption then and there with you. We would love to add Birdie to our trip for the right family 😊 Meet Birdie 🩷 Some dogs come into our lives carrying a story we wish we could rewrite for them. Birdie is one of those dogs. Birdie is a beautiful 5-year-old American Cocker Spaniel, currently weighing 12.3 pounds, with the gentlest spirit and a sweetness about her that makes her name feel almost too perfect. She is quite literally sweet as pie. 🥹🩷 And after everything this little girl has been through, I am so grateful that we have finally reached the point where our veterinarian is comfortable allowing her to find a family of her very own. Birdie’s person passed away, and with that loss, the life she had always known disappeared too. We don’t know how long her owner had been ill before passing, but we do know that Birdie’s veterinary care had unfortunately been delayed during that time. What happened afterward is harder for us to understand. The remaining family did not want to keep her and told us that if we couldn’t take her, she would be taken to the shelter. I don’t particularly like telling stories like this because I never want someone’s worst chapter to become the thing that defines them. But Birdie lost her person, her home, and everything familiar to her at once. She deserved to have the people left behind protect her mourning little heart until she found somewhere safe to land. Thankfully, she landed here. 🩷 Birdie came to us severely underweight, with teeth in terrible condition and a little body that had clearly been struggling for some time. We couldn’t immediately determine how much of her weight loss was related to the discomfort of eating with unhealthy teeth, how much was connected to her overall physical condition, or how much may have been influenced by the stress and grief surrounding everything she had experienced. What we did know was that Birdie needed help, and we were going to make sure she received it. Our veterinarian began with a complete head-to-toe examination, bloodwork, and X-rays before proceeding with the dental care she so desperately needed. Her X-rays looked wonderful, and although her initial bloodwork showed mild anemia, our veterinarian was comfortable proceeding with anesthesia. And what an eventful appointment that turned out to be! ❤️ Birdie had originally been scheduled for a spay and dental, but once she was sedated, our veterinarian discovered a previous spay scar, indicating that she had already been spayed at some point in her life. Thankfully, there was no need to put her through an unnecessary surgery, and she will go home with a sterility certificate from our veterinarian confirming her prior spay. Her dental, however, was extensive. Birdie needed 11 teeth extracted. Eleven. As awful as that sounds, I am so thankful those painful, unhealthy teeth are no longer in her mouth. Every remaining tooth was thoroughly cleaned and polished, finally giving her the opportunity to eat without the discomfort she had been living with. Both of her ears were also examined and treated, a small mass on her back leg was removed without concern from our veterinarian moving forward, and fecal testing identified an intestinal parasite requiring treatment. And through every appointment, every treatment, and every uncomfortable moment, Birdie remained the same incredibly sweet, trusting, affectionate little girl. Following her original procedures, Birdie experienced some complications that required additional veterinary attention. She became dehydrated, and subsequent bloodwork revealed elevated kidney values. Our veterinarian continued monitoring her closely through repeat bloodwork, urine testing, treatment, and nutritional support. Her urine testing was reassuring, and her kidney values initially showed improvement. And now I finally get to share where our beautiful girl stands today. ❤️ Birdie’s most recent bloodwork, completed October 21st, shows that her kidney values remain stable, although still slightly elevated. While we certainly hope to see continued improvement, these levels may remain where they are for the foreseeable future. Birdie is currently receiving daily medication to support her kidneys and is on a veterinary kidney-care diet (K/D). Both are important parts of her current treatment plan, and her adopter will need to be prepared to continue them unless her new veterinarian recommends otherwise. Her future family will need to establish care with their own veterinarian and have her kidney values monitored as recommended. Depending on her future results, her veterinarian may choose to continue her current treatment, make adjustments, or recommend a different approach altogether. Those decisions will be left entirely to the veterinarian overseeing her care moving forward. We cannot promise that Birdie’s kidney values will eventually return to normal, nor can we predict how long she may need medication or a prescription diet. We simply ask that her future family be financially and personally prepared to provide whatever ongoing veterinary care she may need. Our veterinarian is comfortable with Birdie’s current stability and feels she is ready to find her forever home with a family who understands and accepts these responsibilities. Her veterinary records, including her most recent bloodwork, will accompany her so her new veterinarian can review her history and guide her care moving forward. 🩷 Seeing Birdie reach this point has been such a blessing. She now weighs 12.3 pounds, and watching her gain weight and grow stronger from the severely underweight little dog who first arrived here has been incredibly rewarding. But what I love most about Birdie has nothing to do with what a laboratory report says. It is who she is. Somewhere before all of this, Birdie knew love. You can see it in her. A dog this incredibly sweet, trusting, affectionate, and comfortable loving people learned somewhere along the way that people could be good to her. I truly believe her person loved her before circumstances changed, and I hope wherever they are, they can somehow know that their little girl is safe with us now. 🩷 And Birdie really is an extraordinary little girl. Birdie is deaf, but please don’t mistake her deafness for an inability to communicate or experience everything life has to offer. This girl is SMART. She watches her person closely and has learned to navigate her world beautifully through her eyes, her nose, and her connection with the people around her. If her eyes are on you when it’s time to go outside, she’ll happily follow you right out. Hand signals and simply being intentional about getting her attention are wonderful ways to communicate with her. There is something so special about watching a dog who cannot hear a single word you say still understand so much of what you’re communicating. Birdie doesn’t need to hear your voice to know you’re happy to see her. She doesn’t need to hear you tell her she’s loved to recognize affection. She feels it. She sees it. And she responds with the sweetest little expressions and that happy Cocker Spaniel tail. 🥹🩷 She is house trained and goes outside throughout the day to use the restroom. She is also crate trained and will sleep peacefully in her crate, although if you’d rather put a little bed beside yours, Birdie would be perfectly happy with that arrangement too. She’s wonderful in the car and rides phenomenally on road trips. She does beautifully for the groomer as well. She’s a little nervous about being left there without me, but the second I return to pick her up, I’m greeted by smiles and happy little tail wags. And yes, Birdie does have a docked tail, but what she has left of it certainly knows how to express happiness. 😂🩷 Birdie is incredibly quiet. She isn’t a barker and has such a peaceful, serene temperament in the home. Outside, though, that little Cocker Spaniel nose gets to work. 😂 She loves wandering around the yard, sniffing everything she possibly can and taking in her surroundings in the way that makes the most sense to her. Being deaf doesn’t make Birdie’s world smaller. If anything, watching her reminds you just how much of this world there is to experience without sound. She wants to explore, accompany her person, and be included in everyday life. Most of all, she simply wants to belong again. Because Birdie cannot hear approaching vehicles, other animals, or someone calling her name, her future family will need to be especially mindful of her safety outdoors. A secure yard, supervised outdoor time, and using a leash when exploring beyond the safety of home will be important for her. Birdie is wonderful with other sweet dogs and does beautifully with cats as well. She loves the people she meets and has remained remarkably openhearted despite everything that has changed in her life. There is no hardness in this girl. Just gentleness. And a beautiful little heart that somehow managed to hold on to all the love it had to give, even when life became so incredibly unfair. I would love to see Birdie find a family who appreciates a quieter, more peaceful companion. Someone who enjoys having a little shadow nearby, who will happily include her in everyday life, and who finds as much joy in the simple moments as she does. Someone who understands that her deafness is simply one part of who she is and that communicating with her may look a little different, but loving her certainly won’t. I don’t believe Birdie needs someone to feel sorry for her. I believe she needs someone who sees how much she has to offer and is willing to love her through whatever the future may bring. She needs consistency, kindness, companionship, and someone who will continue making her health and happiness a priority. ❤️ Birdie is already spayed, microchipped, and current on her vaccinations. Her extensive dental care and other necessary veterinary treatments have been completed, and she will go home with her veterinary records, sterility certificate, and information regarding her current medications and prescribed diet. Birdie’s adoption fee is on our website at the bottom of her adoption listing at https://www.breadoflifek9refuge.org/post/birdie Her adoption fee helps offset the extensive veterinary care, diagnostic testing, dental procedures, medications, specialized nutrition, grooming, and daily care that have gone into helping Birdie recover and reach this point. Birdie came to us having already lost so much, and while we couldn’t give her back the person she loved or erase everything she had experienced, we could make sure she received the care, patience, and kindness she deserved. And that is exactly what we have done. 🩷 Now, after everything this beautiful girl has endured, she is ready to take the next step toward finding a family of her own. I don’t want Birdie spending the rest of her life being known as the little dog who needed so much help. I want her to be known as someone’s beloved Cocker Spaniel. Someone’s little shadow. Someone’s favorite companion for quiet mornings, afternoon strolls, and evenings spent curled up together. I want her to have a person who learns her little hand signals, understands her expressions, and smiles every time that tiny docked tail starts wagging. Someone who looks at her and sees everything she IS, rather than everything she has been through. Because Birdie is so much more than her medical history. She is intelligent, affectionate, peaceful, trusting, and one of the sweetest little souls you could ever hope to meet. We can’t give Birdie the person she lost back. But somewhere out there is someone who can become her whole world again. Birdie has spent so much time learning that she is safe again. Now it’s time for her to learn that she is home. 🩷🐾

We have a transport leaving between the 1st and 3rd of November 2026 from where we are located in Southern California to NorCal, OR, and surrounding states as needed for our adopting families where we bring our dogs all the way to their homes 💗 For peace of mind we never ask for anything up front. The adoption fee along with your share of travel costs will be due the day we arrive in person ultimately finalizing the adoption then and there with you. We would love to add Sadie to our trip for the right family 😊 Meet Sadie, our beautiful Cockapoo girl, born June 6, 2024, weighing 13.7 pounds of sweetness, quiet devotion, and a heart that has so much love waiting to be given. 🩷 She is fully grown, at a wonderfully healthy weight, and has a beautiful coat with a soft wave and gentle curl to it, reflecting a little more of her Cocker Spaniel heritage while still having the lovely non-shedding qualities that make Cockapoos so special. There is something incredibly beautiful about a dog who doesn’t give her heart away to just anyone. Not because she doesn’t have an abundance of love to offer, but because she wants to know who you are first. She wants to understand the world around her, feel safe in your presence, and discover for herself that the person standing before her is someone she can trust. And that is our sweet Sadie. 🩷 Sadie is naturally observant, thoughtful, and wonderfully intelligent. She is the kind of girl who notices everything, from the people entering a room to the other dogs moving around her, and even the little sounds that most of us wouldn’t think twice about. She likes to understand her surroundings and the individuals who share them with her. Rather than immediately running up to someone unfamiliar, she prefers to take a moment to observe, allowing herself the opportunity to become comfortable at her own pace. But what makes Sadie so incredibly special is what happens once she decides that you are her person. That little barrier she keeps around her heart begins to disappear, and in its place emerges one of the sweetest, most loving, affectionate companions you could ever hope to know. She looks at you differently. She seeks you out, wants to be close, and begins inviting herself into the little moments of your day. There is a certain admiration in her eyes when she looks up at someone she loves, and I cannot begin to explain how meaningful it feels to be on the receiving end of it. I see that look from her every single day 🩷 Sometimes it’s when I’m sitting at my desk, working through the responsibilities of the day, and I look down to find Sadie quietly resting nearby. She doesn’t demand my attention or make a fuss about being noticed. She is simply happy to be close. Other times, when she realizes I have a free moment, she’ll make her way over, gently place her little paws on my lap, and look up at me as if to ask whether she might be included in whatever comes next. And of course, how could I possibly say no to that sweet face? 🩷 Those are the moments when you realize just how much love she has inside her. She doesn’t need grand gestures or constant entertainment. She wants companionship, reassurance, and the comfort of knowing that she belongs somewhere, with someone who understands her. One of the things I love most about Sadie is the trust she has developed in us. Because she is naturally cautious with unfamiliar things, there are moments when a new sound or something she hasn’t encountered before will catch her attention. She isn’t a barker and doesn’t react by making a scene. Instead, she’ll quietly observe, and if she’s uncertain, she will come back to the person she trusts, almost as though she’s asking them to investigate whatever has caught her attention. It’s such a sweet quality, and one that speaks volumes about the relationship she builds with her person. Once Sadie trusts you, you become her safe place. The one she looks to for reassurance, comfort, confidence, and guidance when the world feels a little unfamiliar. And as she continues to learn that she can rely on you, those moments of uncertainty become opportunities for her confidence to grow. Sadie is still a young girl with so much of life ahead of her, and I truly believe that in the right home, with the right person, she will continue flourishing just as beautifully as she has here with us. She has already made wonderful progress during her time in our care. We have watched her become increasingly comfortable, affectionate, and willing to experience the world around her. She is a happy, loving little girl beneath that initial caution, and with patience, consistency, and gentle encouragement, her beautiful personality continues to reveal itself more and more. She does wonderfully with other dogs and cats alike and offers lovely companionship to the animals around her. She is comfortable sharing her space and has shown us that she can coexist beautifully with furry friends. However, I want to emphasize that Sadie does not need another animal in her future home to be happy. While she enjoys their company, the relationship she builds with her person is what truly makes her feel secure and fulfilled. I could easily envision her thriving as someone’s one and only, receiving the individual attention and companionship she so deeply appreciates. I would especially love to see Sadie in a home with a calmer, more predictable atmosphere, where she can settle into a routine and continue building her confidence without feeling overwhelmed. That doesn’t mean she needs a life without adventure or new experiences. Quite the opposite! I would love for her to continue discovering all the wonderful things the world has to offer. She simply needs someone who understands that confidence is built through positive experiences, patience, and trust rather than being rushed into situations before she is ready. And once she knows she can count on you, I believe there will be very little she won’t eventually be willing to experience by your side. Sadie is house trained and has been wonderfully consistent with our daily routine. When we ask her to go outside to use the restroom, she understands what we’re asking and does very well. She has established good habits here, and I would encourage her future family to continue communicating with her and maintaining a consistent schedule as she settles into her new surroundings. She is also crate trained and sleeps peacefully in her crate throughout the entire night. She settles in comfortably and has no trouble resting until morning. While she does beautifully with this arrangement, I can certainly imagine her enjoying a little bed beside yours, or even sharing your bed if that’s something you prefer. I have a feeling she would be more than happy to agree to any arrangement that allows her to be a little closer to the person she loves! 🩷 Her leash training has been coming along beautifully, and she genuinely enjoys going for walks. It’s one of the ways we have been able to help her experience new things while continuing to build her confidence. She enjoys exploring alongside someone familiar, and with each positive experience, she becomes a little more comfortable with the world beyond what she already knows. I would love to see her future family continue those walks, allowing her to explore and discover new surroundings while always knowing she has someone she trusts beside her. She also does very well during her grooming appointments. Our groomer has gotten to know her sweet personality, and Sadie seems to believe that grooming appointments should include plenty of affection along the way! She enjoys being loved on so much that our groomer makes sure to give her little snuggles between the different parts of her appointment. 😊 It’s another beautiful example of how affectionate she becomes once she’s comfortable with someone. Sadie’s journey to us began when her previous family experienced a change in their living circumstances. They had moved into a smaller apartment and, unfortunately, found themselves unable to afford the additional pet fees required to keep her there with them. As much as they would have loved to continue sharing their lives with her, the financial responsibilities associated with their new home made that impossible. They made the difficult decision to entrust her to our care, hoping we could provide her with the stability and love she needed while finding a family who could offer her a permanent place to call home. Sadie has now been with us for approximately two months, and during that time, we have had the privilege of getting to know the wonderful little soul behind those thoughtful eyes. We have given her the space to become comfortable, encouraged her through unfamiliar experiences, continued her daily training and socialization, and most importantly, allowed her to discover that she is safe, loved, and understood. Her veterinary care has also been completed, and she has received a wonderful overall report from our veterinarian. Sadie has been spayed, is current on her vaccinations, and has been microchipped. She underwent a thorough veterinary examination and was cleared to begin looking for a home of her own, with a health certificate issued by our veterinarian. During her examination, our vet noticed some very mild redness in her ears consistent with a possible allergy flare-up. There were no other visible signs of allergies elsewhere, and her ears otherwise looked very good. As a precaution, she received an allergy injection, along with Posatex, a medicated ear treatment applied to both ears to address the remaining irritation. The redness resolved following treatment, and we have not experienced any further flare-ups during her time with us. Sadie has been doing wonderfully on her lamb-protein diet, and while we suspect her previous diet may have contributed to the irritation, we cannot say that with certainty. At this time, there are no ongoing symptoms that have caused us concern, although I would encourage her future family to remain mindful of her history and monitor for any recurrence, as allergies can sometimes be seasonal or related to environmental or dietary factors. Aside from that mild episode, her examination went beautifully, and she has been doing wonderfully. At 13.7 pounds, she is fully grown, maintaining a healthy weight, and ready for the next chapter of her life. What I hope most for Sadie is that someone will read her story and recognize the incredible gift that comes with earning the trust of a dog like her. She may not be the little girl who runs into your arms the very first moment she meets you. She may need a little time to understand who you are, to become familiar with your voice, your routine, and the way you move through the world. She may quietly watch you for a while before deciding that you’re someone she can completely let her guard down with. But when that moment comes, when she looks at you with those beautiful eyes and you realize that she has chosen to trust you, I promise there is something about that kind of love that stays with you. I know because I have experienced it with her myself. 🩷 I have seen the admiration in her eyes, felt the love behind those little paws resting on my lap, and watched her confidence grow as she has learned to look to us for comfort and reassurance. And I cannot wait for someone else to experience that same beautiful connection with her. Sadie doesn’t need someone to change who she is. She needs someone who will appreciate her for exactly who she is while gently helping her discover all that she is capable of becoming. Someone who will celebrate her little victories, offer encouragement when she needs it, and understand that the most meaningful relationships are often the ones that take a little time to grow. She is sweet, affectionate, intelligent, beautifully mannered, and has so much love waiting to be shared. All she needs is a person willing to meet her where she is and walk beside her as she continues to blossom. Her adoption fee is on our website at the bottom of her adoption listing at https://www.breadoflifek9refuge.org/post/sadie-2 It helps cover her completed veterinary care, including her spay, vaccinations, microchipping, allergy injection, medicated ear treatment, comprehensive veterinary examination, and health certificate, along with the months of daily care, training, socialization, and grooming we have invested in her throughout her time with us. Some dogs enter your life and love you immediately. Others take their time, quietly learning your heart before offering you theirs. Sadie is the kind of girl who reminds us that sometimes the most beautiful love stories begin with a little patience, a lot of understanding, and one very special soul who finally realizes she is home. 🩷🩷🩷