Working Cockers? What are the differences?

[KateandPolly]

Hi All,

We have a black cocker spaniel called Polly.  She is now just over 4 and a half months.  She is adorable. 

Up until yesterday I did not realise you could get different cocker spaniels.  Two people came up to me whilst out for a walk yesterday asking me if she was a working cocker.  I said that I didn't think so!  Well how wrong was I !!!  I have since found out that she is a working cocker. 

I've been looking on the internet looking at the differences between the two and it doesn't really tell me a great deal.  Would be grateful if anyone could fill me in.  By looking at some of the pics on this site it appears that their ears are not so long and their coat doesn't appear to be quite as long.  Is there anything else? 

I am now going to attempt to post a pic.  No, can't do it, will try and find out how to use photo bucket and will post a pic. 

Kate

[bev6951]

Hi, yeah the obvious differences are the ears and the coat and I think the working cockers are more energetic and supposedly easier to train. I have 2 show cockers and thought they were easy to train but I have been told that the working type are meant to be a bit quicker on the uptake!!! not that show cockers are slow they are all just as gorgeous and clever as eachother!! 
Yours would probably love agility classes or even just playing stuff like hide and seek in the garden

[Nicola]

There are quite a few threads on the differences in working and show type cockers on the forum, if you do a search you'll find some of them. Basically the main physical points are that working cockers are generally longer and leaner looking than show types, have finer, shorter coats and less feathering, flat as opposed to domed heads and shorter ears which are set higher on their heads. Temperament wise they generally have excellent temperaments - friendly and outgoing. They are however, bred to work and as such have strong working instincts and drive and tend to be extremely active and energetic dogs who need a lot of physical exercise and also mental stimulation. I have 3 working cockers who I train and work as gundogs and I wouldn't have any other kind of dog now, I think they're fabulous - if you know what you are taking on. It is slightly concerning that your dog's breeder didn't actually tell you what kind of dog you were getting, any reputable working cocker breeder will make it very clear to prospective puppy owners that their dogs are from working stock. Your girl will definitely benefit from good basic training and maybe even some gundog training or agility when she's older to channel some of her energy and drive 

This isn't the best photo but on the right is a 10 month old golden show cocker and on the left a 10 month old golden working cocker (who doesn't always look quite so squinty!)...




ETA: This is an older thread but it's quite good on the differences between the two types...

http://cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=11804.0

[KateandPolly]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm quite surprised at the difference in looks. 

Polly is fantastic and I wouldn't change her for the world but I was expecting a show cocker looking dog with the long ears and hairy coat (may be thats not such a bad thing). 

I'm really interested in some agility training for her and will look into it. 

In a way I'm glad I didn't know the difference because I may not have chosen her.  She is absolutely fabulous, so well behaved (well, most of the time, she is a puppy after all  ) and such a loving and loyal little thing.  I can't imagine our life without her. 

I'm off now to have a search at some of the other threads.

Kate x

[Cazzie]

The only difference I find between the two are the looks, I look after many working cockers and many show cockers and to be quite honest they vary as individuals.  

I own a working cocker and have friends who have working cockers and look after working cockers that are so laid back they are horizontal. I also look after show bred cockers and have friends who have show bred cockers who would be ideal canidiates for workers as they have a high energy drive more so that some of the workers I know  

There is a falicy and stigma attached to working cockers that they must go to working homes and be owned by people who will give them hours of excersise and stimulation and so on and so forth but if you go for a well bred cocker who has been bred for temperment and not a field trial bred cocker then they make just as good pets as any other breed of dog out there imo  

[Mari]

In a way I'm glad I didn't know the difference because I may not have chosen her.  She is absolutely fabulous, so well behaved (well, most of the time, she is a puppy after all  ) and such a loving and loyal little thing.  I can't imagine our life without her. 

I know how you feel My girl turned out to be half working, half show. I had never heard of working cockers, but as my puppy got older I noticed she was different from the cockers I knew. Even more energetic and athletic than the ones i knew. Very slim with allmost no feathering, and people kept asking me if she was an irish setter puppy 

Funny thing is my breeder did inform me when we were discussing the pedigree. But we communicated in English because we are from different countries. English is my second language, and she was not used to speaking English at all. So when she said Laurië's father was "a working cocker and a very good hunting dog" I assumed she meant he worked as a hunting dog 

I feel I got the perfect dog, I love both worker and show type and I am so happy I have my Laurië!

[Helen]

Very pleased that you are so happy with your gorgeous girl 

It does surprise me that your breeder didn't explain what type of cocker you were purchasing....really annoys me actually    What did they actually sell them as?

Just be prepared for a lot of stimulation, exercise and training.  I don't think my working cocker would be happy with less than 2 hours off lead a day, or a good hours walk and a good training session 

[KateandPolly]

[/quote]
 So when she said Laurië's father was "a working cocker and a very good hunting dog" I assumed she meant he worked as a hunting dog 
[/quote]

Sorry dont think I can quite work out how to do the quote thing.  Anyhow, I was told that Polly's mom was a working dog and assumed the same as you, I thought she went out with the owner working  .  Perhaps its my fault for not realising. 

Polly is actually very laid back and if its a day when I can't let her off the lead but has a good walk she is quite content.  She doesn't appear to have high energy levels but most days she has a good run around the local field.

Kate x

[Cob-Web]

There is a falicy and stigma attached to working cockers that they must go to working homes and be owned by people who will give them hours of excersise and stimulation and so on and so forth but if you go for a well bred cocker who has been bred for temperment and not a field trial bred cocker then they make just as good pets as any other breed of dog out there imo 

But surely a reputable and ethical breeder will only breed the best examples of the breed - and in the case of working cockers, that is the ones that have the keenest working drive? no good breeder will be deliberately breeding any breed/strain for the pet market, will they? 

[Rhona W]

I have two working cockers and I think they must be the exception to the rule.

My boys will keep going for as long as we keep going.  (Except when we were in the Lake District on holiday, when they lay down and refused to go any further.  ) But if for some reason we can't get out for a day (like this week end when I was ill); then they are perfectly happy to curl up next to me and sleep. 

[Rhona W]

But surely a reputable and ethical breeder will only breed the best examples of the breed ................ no good breeder will be deliberately breeding any breed/strain for the pet market, will they? 

Perhaps not. But surely all reputable breeders recognise that some of their puppies will inevitably only be suitable for a 'pet' home? 

[Cob-Web]

But surely a reputable and ethical breeder will only breed the best examples of the breed ................ no good breeder will be deliberately breeding any breed/strain for the pet market, will they? 

Perhaps not. But surely all reputable breeders recognise that some of their puppies will inevitably only be suitable for a 'pet' home? 

It is inevitable that some puppies that are bred for working or for show are destined for pet homes - but each those puppies from working litters will have the genetics of it's parents, and if those parents have been selected as outstanding examples of working cocker spaniels, then the puppies will still have a higher than average working drive 

[Rhona W]

if those parents have been selected as outstanding examples of working cocker spaniels, then the puppies will still have a higher than average working drive 

Would that explain why Reuben caught a pheasant on this morning's walk then?   

('Tis alright though - it didn't go to waste!  )  

[Cazzie]

There is a falicy and stigma attached to working cockers that they must go to working homes and be owned by people who will give them hours of excersise and stimulation and so on and so forth but if you go for a well bred cocker who has been bred for temperment and not a field trial bred cocker then they make just as good pets as any other breed of dog out there imo 

But surely a reputable and ethical breeder will only breed the best examples of the breed - and in the case of working cockers, that is the ones that have the keenest working drive? no good breeder will be deliberately breeding any breed/strain for the pet market, will they? 

Not every working cocker breeder breeds power rockets, these working cockers that are bred for trials are highly and sometimes in bred, giving them the drive they need to win trials and are way to hot to handle for the average inexperienced person.

Working cockers are owned by 1000's of people who like me have them as pets 1st and foremost and use them to participate in a hobby they love, therefore breeding for temperment and stability as well as working ability is paramount.  

[CarolineL]

I have posted this loads of times before but here we go anyway!  

A typical working cocker is on the go all the time, it has been bred to work and as an adult worker will require hours of stimulation on a physical/mental basis. They can take as much exercise you give them, and then some!!! Increasingly working cockers are being sold as pets and it is not unusual for them to be in a home environment. On the whole the are extremely bright - give em an inch and they'll take a mile!!  

Show cockers, although also very busy and on the go probably dont need as much mental physical stimulation. Again, the same applies with them, they can be exercised as much as a worker but will probably flake out at the end of the day whereas a worker will still want more. They too - are in the main clever dogs and will take a mile too!!!  

A working cocker's coat tends to be shorter than a show cockers coat and there are physical differences too.... show cocker have more of a domed head, whereas a workers is slightly flatter, and working cockers are longer in the body.

Obviously this describes the general characteristics between the 2 and there will be exceptions to the 'rule' in both show and working cockers

xx