Tell me about cocker spaniels please

[Mynstrel]

We have one from working stock, they're awesome little dogs! We also have collies so teaching him to settle started one day one, currently he's asleep upside down on the couch showing the world what he's got ?

We'd heard of rage and we're told it's more prevalent in the solid colours so went for b&w to hopefully minimise the risk (don't know if it's true but it made me worry less).

The best way to describe them is a lovable force of nature, you won't know what's hit you if you get one but within hours you wouldn't give them back.

They're loving, so funny and won't let you be sad.

 

[druid]

They're jolly little energiser bunnies who need a job. Can be very clingy/run on nerves until they're hunting then they're tough as old boots

 

[ihatework]

They do good snuggles though

 

[JustWilliam]

I have a red cocker who I rescused from the gypsies, she was used for breeding and was kept in a wendy house! She is the most loving dog friendly with everyone and loves all other dogs. She is needy though and is what I would call a velcro dog ie she comes to the loo with me! I do agility with her which she loves and a good walk everyday, I think she would probably like more though. I have had to teach her to switch off and lie on her bed as she will pace around sometimes. I have heard of red cocker rage which sounds awful and very difficult to deal with.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

I too heard that reds are the ones affected. Is it as mentioned, the inbreeding for the colour? Does anyone have the co-efficient of their cocker?

 

[Clodagh]

I too heard that reds are the ones affected. Is it as mentioned, the inbreeding for the colour? Does anyone have the co-efficient of their cocker?

Aunts was actually 25% poodle, so inbreeding not the thing (actually might have been, who knows how close the parents were?). Apparently she’d be the friendliest little dog and then would just attack like a shark. Aunt needed surgery.

 

[gallopingby]

Cocker ‘rage’ has been around for a long time. I remember a school friends dog having it 60 years ago her parents very quickly replaced with a retriever. It does seem more prevalent in the red dogs. Many cockers are missing the ‘off’ switch but with plenty stimulation and lots and lots of excercise can be fab little dogs. There are of course lots of other spaniel breeds some now on the rare breeds list But a puppy from a known breeder is usually a better option as you can meet the relatives!!

 

[TPO]

Cocker ‘rage’ has been around for a long time. I remember a school friends dog having it 60 years ago her parents very quickly replaced with a retriever. It does seem more prevalent in the red dogs. Many cockers are missing the ‘off’ switch but with plenty stimulation and lots and lots of excercise can be fab little dogs. There are of course lots of other spaniel breeds some now on the rare breeds list But a puppy from a known breeder is usually a better option as you can meet the relatives!!

I was randomly speaking to my mum about this last night as 50+ years ago she knew a cocker with "cocker rage".

Apparently it was prevalent in black dogs around that time?

 

[P3LH]

It’s found generally in solid coloured spaniels of both varieties. One would think it’s apparent high prevalence in reds would be due to being a popular/classic cocker colour eg more of them bred for the colour so hypothetically more chance of it occurring as there’s more of them. Have known similar in certain springer lines too. Again, was told by a very trusted and experienced vet and breeder (of Welsh springers and deerhounds) that it is a form of epilepsy/complex partial seizures which leads to almost no realisation of actions etc.

 

[vhf]

I did a load of research on cocker rage before we got ours, we settled on getting a chocolate worker as they never seemed to be referenced. Everyone I spoke to said it hadn't really been a thing for years, and was most prevalent in red show types in the '80s and earlier. Then we ended up with a red worker/show cross anyway... sigh. I'm glad I hadn't heard of any current cases until this thread or I'd have been watching ours like a hawk for six years!
We couldn't have found a better dog for us.

 

[blodwyn1]

Our dog was inbred to chyknel goldstar.

 

[JoannaC]

My experience of cockers are stubborn, needy, likely to bite and find it hard to settle. On the plus side incredibly loyal and once they hit 8 far more relaxed I personally would never have another but to be fair she hadn't been well treated prior to her coming to us and she is absolutely lovely now at 10. My sister in law recently got one and they would never have another one either but again to be fair they were the wrong home for a working dog as whilst he is walked twice a day they need far more mental stimulation than just walking.

 

[maisie06]

They're jolly little energiser bunnies who need a job. Can be very clingy/run on nerves until they're hunting then they're tough as old boots

Yep! My bugger hunted clean through a balckthorn bush this morning....sod...

 

[evohicks]

Hi, I'm a new member here and we also had a working cocker for just over 7 years and just wanted to share our story and announce the passing of our beautiful brave boy Eric Archibald Bright from IMHA.
This condition can be devastating as it was in Eric's case but you may get more fortunate.

We realised Eric was off his food around 7am after appearing totally fine the night before, after taking him out for a wee I noticed blood, by 8.15am he was at the local vets as an emergency (on Easter sunday) he was diagnosed and stabilised for that day and the next afternoon we were allowed to see him, he was very quiet but we got to hold him while he was having a blood transfusion. The next morning he got worse to the point we were called in around 2 in the afternoon to be with him in his last minutes.

We had never even heard of this condition, it can be treatable but also acute as it was with Eric, which just gave very little time to treat, even though he was a strong, fit, recently turned 7 year old working cocker.

Eric was our life and we are truly heartbroken, I thought I should highlight IMHA for people so that they can research for themselves.

Please also take a minute to check out Eric's Facebook page tagged above, he's had some great adventures in his short 7 years but lived life to the full.

 

[Christmascinnamoncookie]

@evohicks, I’m so sorry. ?

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Evohicks I'm so sorry.

 

[evohicks]

Sorry to post such a sad story but I think this needs to get out there.
On Facebook there are IMHA groups and there are many similar stories to Eric, I researched when we got our baby boy 7 years ago but never came across this.

 

[rara007]

My show bred one was a right ‘plod’. Always on the go, but at the trot…! Was happy with a 20min plod round the block, not too fussed about ‘sports’. He’d walk all day (sniffing out ahead of you) but a totally different energy to the workers.