Tell me about cocker spaniels.

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Patchworkpony

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OK I've asked about King Charles spaniels now could you all be very kind and tell me about cocker spaniels. Love both breeds so would now like to know more so that I can make a choice.
 
I love them but I love active buzzy dogs, dirt and water does not bother me with regards to dogs, if kept mentally stimulated they are dogs that try so hard to please to the extreme that it can become annoying-my dogs have a kennel and run and when I have fostered cockers or springers the kennel is used for short periods of time. the working lines really appeal to me far more than the show lines but they can be fairly dominant if not excercised, trained and stimulated enough to wear them out. lots and lots of work, exercise and training make them happy little dogs but they will find their own entertainment if not given enough of any of the above and they will find trouble and often become destructive.
 
You can never be unhappy with a cocker spaniel around. We have a 'chaos of cockers' ie 4 of them 2 dogs and 2 bitches ranging from 18months to 12 years all of whom sulk in the summer (out of season) and make up for it by living life to the full oct to end of Jan picking up and beating. They are incredibly loyal and are pets until the whistle is out then they are so sharp to every nuance of body language and instruction. There is a saying that a cocker will catch a bus to retrieve a pheasant because they like to finish what they start! They are easy to do great around horses and sheep tho the 18 month old is still learning to distinguish between a warren and a pheasant although he is learning by the sound they make. Very intelligent great characters, super company who'd want for more! Having said that they love being trained, have a very low boredom threshold and I don't think I would like to keep one as a pure pet, perhaps that's where their slight reputation for being difficult comes from.
 
Thank you for that info - we've had springers in the past would you say they are as active if you didn't go for a working strain? Also I wondered what major health problems they suffer from?
 
We have a 15 wk old working girl, she is the most confident, happy go lucky puppy I have ever known. Super intelligent albeit a tiny bit gallus! Already has mastered recall, sit, stay, toilet trained etc, now working on some sniffer seek and other more interesting things to keep her brain engaged! Even being so young she still needs to both be exercised proportionately and her brain engaged to stop her bouncing off the walls.


She met the horse when I was riding him, she couldn't care less about him just wanted me to stroke her!
This is her :)

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But... I am just a noob cocker spaniel owner... just from my experiences of the puppy!
 
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We've always had cockers in our family. Brilliant, brilliant dogs. A chaos of cockers is a great description! If you could bottle the energy & the happy, you'd be rich! Our first two were show cockers, sisters, both absolute hearthfire sweethearts. The subsequent 3 are workers. F is very buzzy & a bit wilful; A & S, another sibling pair, are trainable, tractable, & very kind. We've got/had a red & two blacks, never had an issue re: temperament. They're all mad, mud-loving, little hooligans, but so clever & good-natured. And wanna-be lapdogs, the lot!
 
We have a show cocker and he is just gorgeous. Such a happy, playful and fun dog. Very trainable and lovely to have around, constantly wants cuddles. The only issue we have with him is that he barks a lot at strangers and not in a nice way. We're trying to formulate a strategy to deal with it as we are worried that one day he could be a big aggressive.
 
We have a 2 yo worker. Mad bundle of energy who is never happier than when having a cuddle. But you do have to be able to resist those eyes when eating. Jasper never has titbits but he seems to have decided I am the most likely to weaken and the eyes are fixed on every mouthful I take.
 
Thank you SO much everyone for all these helpful comments. Two things - no one has mentioned any real health problems (unlike the King Charles spaniels) and the other thing is can I see more photos please. Alainax your dog is simply beautiful.
 
alainax said:
We have a 15 wk old working girl, she is the most confident, happy go lucky puppy I have ever known. Super intelligent albeit a tiny bit gallus! Already has mastered recall, sit, stay, toilet trained etc, now working on some sniffer seek and other more interesting things to keep her brain engaged! Even being so young she still needs to both be exercised proportionately and her brain engaged to stop her bouncing off the walls.

……..

But... I am just a noob cocker spaniel owner... just from my experiences of the puppy!
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If everyone who owned a working BRED cocker, took the approach which you have, there would be no need for 'rescue' centres! Well done, she sounds like she's a little belter!!

Alec.
 
health wise they don't have anywhere near the issues that ckcs can/do, there is a condition called rage syndrome sometimes referred to as red rage syndrome as it is more common in the reds-it is however a rare condition within the breed.
there are a couple of conditions night blindness and a kidney condition that are noted in the breed, hip dyslasia does occur but again is not common, the working cocker in particular is noted as being a healthy breed.

one thing the two breeds you have asked about as as different as they can be, do you want a dog that will require a lot of training plus couple of hours per day of running/training and active input EVERY day and then it still may be retrieving stuff to you all evening and looking for a job to do or do you want a dog that will pootle about with you at your speed and happily take a few days without much input just lazing about by your side?
 
They are very varied - especially the working types, which range from essentially rocket-propelled to more laidback types (although they ALL need stimulation and training!). So it's important to meet the parents of your puppy and talk to the breeders honestly about what you want - a potential field trials dog, or an active family pet?

Mine is a show type, and although he lacks the level of drive of many of the workers he is still not the sort of dog who would take kindly to a boring life - he also needs his stimulation and training and in fact he really enjoys his gundog training even if I'm not always totally convinced he has quite twigged what he's meant to be doing :p He does enjoy a day out beating though!

In general I would say they are very characterful little dogs, they can be quite sensitive souls and they will fall out with you should you offend them :p They love to be with their people in all weathers, and they love doing things with you - hide and seek of toys is a favourite game for us. They love to use their noses so it's good to get that into your training early, so they're using them for you, rather than against you. Mine also loves carrying things around - he must have a toy to present to you, or you will get something else (a shoe, a slipper, a sock, a pair of pants from the washing basket, his entire bed....).

They can be quite talky dogs too, mine has always been vocal, with a wide range of special noises to communicate his feelings, and he's definitely getting more so the older he gets! I'm told that is a blue-roan thing, come back to me in a few decades time and I'll tell you, as I can't imagine being without one of these little blots now :)
 
Thank you all - certainly food for thought. I was hoping they may be a little less active than springers but it sounds as if their energy levels are the same. Would like a King Charles but 2 year waiting lists in Devon for what I seem to want - from a good breeder.
 
In July I sold a very well bred 2yo bitch to a man. He wanted her for shooting and as a companion. I warned him that even though she was (and still is!) a delight, that she was a Cocker! She has been grouse shooting and she's been pheasant shooting too. Belle is now 'finding her feet'!! She snapped at the Vet, and she's none too keen on others (two legged as well as four), having too much to do with 'Her' owner. Understandably, he's worried about her reaction with his grandchildren. I suspect that Belle's been allowed to make her own mind up and that she's probably got the upper hand. In other ways, she's progressed as I would have hoped.

What to do? I've suggested that he reaffirms his position as pack leader, with care, and if that fails as it probably will, that when they have visitors then she either goes in to her kennel, or that she is relegated to her other favourite place, the back of his estate car. Failing all that, she can come back here! Belle is a little corker of a cocker!

Alec.
 
Most show-bred cockers I've met have had less drive and energy than a working bred dog. Personally I'd get a cocker over a KCS just because of the health issues. If you are prepared to go smaller I can recommend a papillon- they are known as toy spaniels and mine is a joy. Full of character, but doesn't need endless walking- 45 minutes plus playtime is fine and she can go a day or two without a walk if necessary- she just wants to be with you all the time! She's very smart though and needs her brain engaged.
 
we had a lovely little working x show cocker pup, Bella. she was a hyper mad little thing that needed a good long run at least once/twice a day plus a lot of training. but she was very very sweet and very clever.

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sadly we lost her at the tiny age of sixth months due to peritonitis .. they think she picked something up in the woods or in the garden and it perforated her gut, she was forever - as a gundog ought to- picking things up and guess she just swallowed a bit of one. so that was a downside and v traumatic for the whole family .

now 2 years later we have a lovely lovely golden retriever pup who is honestly one of the most handsome, sweetest kindest dogs I've had to fortune to meet. He also suits our lifestyle much better; active but gentle and willing to lie at my feet as i work.
 
Just to add: cockers definitely are less loopy than springers in general, but most ones that I know, definitely not all, do still need a lot of stimulation and exercise. CKCs are quieter, but they're not really to my taste and the health issues hugely put me off.

Have you considered a Welsh Springer? I only know one so obviously my experience is limited, but I have to say she is probably one of the nicest dogs I have ever met. Very kind, not too energetic and lovely to have around. Does anyone else know anything more about them?
 
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The show bred type seem to be a lot less loopy in terms of exercise requirements. This one is super dippy, all coat and ears, no brains! :p Health wise I would want to see a few generations of eye tests and hip scores.
 
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