Hello All

[PeteQ60]

We have inherited "Poppy" a beautiful working Cocker female at a little over 5 months old just after Christmas. Although as a family we have been discussing dog ownership for a while and doing some planning this happened to us out of the blue. You know what they say, "If you want to give God a good laugh, tell him your plans". She's been through two owners already before us who both couldn't cope, so she was a little undisciplined and chaotic, but she is settling down a bit now, as much as puppies settle!

So, our first dog as a family and we are total newbies. I came by this forum in my mad panic getting as much info as I could over the holiday as I'm on the steep and sharp learning journey. Over the last couple of weeks, I've totally fallen in love and besotted with her. I do appreciate though that good intentions alone won't cut it. I've gotten some basic training underway with a local trainer and have an assessment session with a gun dog trainer this week. The local trainer says she is "a gem" and the training and assessment is more about us/me as it is her. After reading some of the puppy ownership stories here, I really think we have landed on our feet, she has a great temperament, loves everyone, socialises well, eminently teachable. Of course, she needs the physical and mental exercise typical of her breed, but she seems to have already got the hang of training me to make sure I supply those needs. She has what I call her "mad moments" I see it as her just telling me "Dad, I'm your priority right now" as long as I stay connected to her and focused, do some regular hide and seek in the garden those "moments" seem to be getting fewer.

So, I intend to post some journey milestones here and also will no doubt have times when some advice from those with experience will be very welcome.

Pete

[Jaysmumagain]

Hi Pete

Welcome to Cockersonline.  Seems like you have learnt the first lesson.  Cockers can wrap you round there little paws in no time

Enjoy and we are a mine field of info(most of the time)

[MIN]

Hi Pete and a welcome to you and Poppy. Spaniels are a breed to themselves. Busy, full of love, keen as mustard and so much fun. When we got our first  working girl at 10 months old ,we also were uninitiated into their world.  We wanted her to work in the field with us and trained her ourselves, by gleaning information from everyone and from all sources. We are a great fan of country shows, amazing how much help you can get from them. Gun dog training is a good way go go. It will get you the basics and control. You can also do the exercises in the home. Keep the training to short periods, they get overtired and lose concentration. Do not get cross or shouty, they are sensitive dogs.
We lost our Gemma in July, but next week Miss Molly will join the family at 10weeks old. Its over 30years since we went to puppyhood, so you are not alone in this new lifestyle.

[bizzylizzy]

Hi Pete, welcome to COL and the wonderful world of cockers!!
You‘ll get plenty of help and advice on here and the support is wonderful. I just want to second MIN‘s advice about sensitivity, its so true and I‘ve found that maintaining a sense of humour is by far the best strategy. 
Looking forward to hearing more about Poppy!

[PeteQ60]

Thank you for the responses. Yes, sensitivity, I can see that. I had another stroke of luck when helping someone out of the recent floods it turned out they were a local dog trainer and they offered to give us some training in return for me helping them, the trainer was very observant, particularly of me, they noted my lack of experience as coming across as lacking confidence and pointed out how Poppy was picking up on that and making her a bit unsure. The trainer told me to stand tall and proud of the "little gem" I have been very fortunate to have inherited! Re the "shouty" bit that too the trainer was telling me to be less "militaristic" with commands and use "baby talk" when praising, difficult for us blokes perhaps but I saw vitually instant changes to Poppy's reactions and connection.

[ejp]

Welcome to you and Poppy. Cockers are a joy, although you may find us a little biased in that opinion, on here.   Underneath the mayhem, they are sweet, gentle, loving souls. Poppy sounds like she has slotted right in and the trainer seems to know what they are talking about too.  Always important. I am chuckling at the 'baby talk' that will be second nature very soon.  Really looking forward to hearing how this all develops, relax and enjoy yourself and Poppy will too.

[PeteQ60]

Hi Pete and a welcome to you and Poppy. Spaniels are a breed to themselves. Busy, full of love, keen as mustard and so much fun. When we got our first working girl at 10 months old, we also were uninitiated into their world.  We wanted her to work in the field with us and trained her ourselves, by gleaning information from everyone and from all sources. We are a great fan of country shows, amazing how much help you can get from them. Gun dog training is a good way go go. It will get you the basics and control. You can also do the exercises in the home. Keep the training to short periods, they get overtired and lose concentration. Do not get cross or shouty, they are sensitive dogs.
We lost our Gemma in July, but next week Miss Molly will join the family at 10weeks old. Its over 30years since we went to puppyhood, so you are not alone in this new lifestyle.

I have to admit now we're a couple of months into ownership I'm not seeing "over tired" unless I'm not recognising it. Poppy has energy for days and weeks. I have heard that they become what you train them to be. The gun dog trainer told me to reel in the running and ball chasing over open ground as basically I'm training her to be an ultra-marathon runner and I would need to try to keep up! Also, as she gets greater confidence, she would be more likely to bolt and go missing, so I stick to hunt simulation in undergrowth, keeping her close by with whistle control. The gun dog trainer hates retractable leads and told me to bin mine, but I have found it useful when going to my son's football matches and when near roads, I'm hoping that in time Poppy and I will develop the type of connection that can replace the lead entirely, we're getting there I can see she watches me intently and my body language and where I'm looking and follows hand signals quite well but for now it lets her run close by and "quarter" and gives me the control failsafe. Now at 7 months she is really bulking up and being quite short haired with minimal feathering I can see she's all muscle, she's becoming quite a "unit".

[Mudmagnets]

Lots of trainers (and other people too) claim they hate retractable leads, but used properly I find them most useful .

[Finvarra]

The leader of our puppy group was dead against retractable leads, but I have used the. For years with no problems. The ones with the 'tape, type lead are better than the thing cord type, less chance of a leg burn! I really can't see why some trainers don,t like them. If you are in a strange new place the dog can sniff about and you know they won't go off piste.

[PeteQ60]

Lots of trainers (and other people too) claim they hate retractable leads, but used properly I find them most useful .

I think the "used properly" bit is key too. First rule don't grab the cord with your other hand, if you want to keep all your fingers! I don't just let her run wherever I maintain contact when using the lead and am learning judicious use of the lock/unlock button, certainly at the football matches where she's really distracted by the ball and I have to avoid pitch invasions. She never wants to just sit and watch the matches we always head over to the perimeters and bushes undergrowth etc to "hunt" here again with the retractable lead it's useful in forcing me to use body language and hand signals to avoid tangling and winding it around trees with the stop whistle and clear hand direction a lot of time I can get her to untangle herself. Doing the perimeter hunt at the match last Sunday something the gun dog trainer told me clicked in place, as we were going round at one point she really wanted to pull in one direction and I was wondering why then it hit me, wind direction, she was really wanting to head into the wind where all the smells were coming from!

[Mudmagnets]

ha ha nothing so complicated here, I use it - mainly in the garden at night, this time of year so I can govern how much time we spend out there and at the moment because he has just been castrated to avoid him running and jumping about  - he cannot play ball properly for a couple of weeks (but no one told him!)