I can't accept that I have just been unlucky: seventy-five per cent of my Cockers have had serious health problems. I don't know what the underlying causes are. I also had a Beagle, before I got my first Cocker, and he lived to the ripe old age of twelve, which is about average for Beagles, and he had no health problems at all.
When I was a youngster we had two crossbreeds. Toby was killed in a road accident when I was fifteen and I carried him home, in tears, waiting fore the vet who put him to sleep. I was given my next puppy by one of my customers on my paper round, unbeknown to my Mum, but she accepted him. Timmy lived to a ripe old age without any problems whatsoever. I appreciate that pedigree dogs have far more health problems than crossbreeds, but Cockers seem to have more than their fair share.
I won't be getting another puppy until next year as I will be going into hospital on 19th October and want to be fully fit to look after him. I'll probably get another Cocker, but I'll have to do a lot of research into lines, and only hope I can find a breeder who has puppies whose parents are in no way related.