Prince William and Princess Kate made everyone squeal over a birthday celebration post on Instagram for their new puppy, Otto. The sweet working cocker spaniel puppy joined their family last summer from a litter born from their other dog, Orla. Since then, searches for “cocker spaniel” have reached 1.1 million in the past month, rising 5% year-on-year, according to trend data analyzed by fresh dog food brand, Years—proving that their influence has no bounds.
Despite making working cocker spaniels trendy, Darren Beale, CEO of Years, cautions repliKate-rs from rushing into a lookalike pup. “Cocker spaniels are wonderful dogs, but they are not low-effort dogs,” Beale explains. “They are affectionate, clever and full of personality, which is exactly why people love them,” he says, but explains that the breed favored by the Middleton family “need time, routine, training, mental stimulation, grooming and consistency.”
