Hello Michael and Family
You have come to the right place for guidance on the merry cocker breed
You of course have lots of questions and as a potential new owner thats great to see, doing your homework on the breed you are considering is the first step in becoming a responsible owner
I guess that everyone will have a different view of the breed as no two dogs are the same, however I think for a general overview of the breed, you will find them to be loyal, merry, eager to please yet also willful at times
The cocker obviously requires more time with the grooming etc and also trips to the grooming parlour (or have a go yourself) for haircuts to keep on top of the coat, it can be hardwork and many people opt for their cocker to be clipped, especially if they love water and mud like mine does
Some cockers require lots of exercise and some will be happy to have an hour a day as Colin has said, this can be split into two separate sessions of 30 mins, if that fits in with your lifestyle better
I have had a few different breeds of dogs in my lifetime and I have found cockers to be very adaptable in terms of a busy household, but she has certainly been harder to train than my GSD's were
My mum has a lab and I can't honestly say that I see much difference between the two breeds, except of course size and coat, mums lab is a little easier to train than Indie (but thats probably my fault) I have found both breeds to be wonderful family pets
Wishing you luck with your decision making and research