How vocal are your cockers

[Rottiemom]

Hi all, new here

I am considering a cocker spaniel (show type) as my next dog. I currently own a 3yr old Rottweiler who loves other dogs and is a big goof ball and a softie.

I have done a lot of reading on cockers and want to hear from owners of there experience on 2 things.

1) how vocal is your cocker , by vocal im only asking about barking. The reason i ask is i suffer from tinnitus (ringing in ears) and be exposed to a lot of dog barking on a regular basis can make it worse ( louder). By a lot i mean more than 30 minutes of constant barking. How barky is your cocker and is barking something i can control with training? My Rottie hardley barks he only barks if he hears or sees something but as soon as i say thank you he stops. I read that you can increase the chance of a quiet cocker if i get a pup from a breeder were mom and other dogs are not barky then pup wont be vocal.

2) what are the main pros and cons to owning a cocker?

I know they need grooming and luckily my sister is a groomer so will do it for free but she will also teach me for free as I'd like to learn myself.

[Emilyoliver]

Hi Rottiemom,

In answer to your question re. noise in show cockers - they can be quite gobby!  Although I've had both silent and gobby ones.  So it's a bit of a lucky-packet in terms of what you may get...  i wouldn't list them as one of the quieter breeds, however my noisiest one wasn't an incessant barker - more of a panicky sort that got wound up quickly and then 'expressed' himself very loudly  .  With careful training i don't see why one couldn't be trained to be quieter.  Quiet parents would be a good place to start.

As for pros and cons of owning them...  well they are quite simply the most fun, affectionate, smart little dogs who want to be with their people every second of every day  .  (This could be a negative if you don't like velcro-type dogs and value your privacy  ).  Cons i would say are the coat maintenance (particularly in the UK in winter with all the mud...), and the fact that they can be quite manipulative.  Be aware that they are smart little dogs who quickly take advantage if allowed.  Many end up in rescue due to guarding behaviours (which aren't all genetic - they are often due to inconsistency in dealing with their need to carry things around and people chasing them/ confronting them over this).  Please remember these dogs were originally bred to flush and retrieve and still have a desire to do this so need careful management around these behaviours.  (Oh yes - another con - they pinch shoes all the time  )

[Mari]

Can only answer for my own cocker, but she only barks if she gets scared or extremely excited. And usually only one "wowowooo", loud, but short. The only times she has made a lot of noise was when she suffered from separation anxiety and if she is scared and can't get away from a situation. She is very good at quieting down when I ask her, so for guarding the house I only get the very occasional "wowowoo" that I can stop with a "thank you" or a pet. She does talk a lot though, not loudly, but all tones and pitches imaginable. She has in her old age started to whine at the dinner table, but let's be honest and admit that we sort of asked for it by letting her beg and eat with us 

Pros and cons were very well described by Emilyoliver  They are hunting dogs at heart, have a need for carrying and collecting things. Good to be aware of so one can respect that need and be proactive when it comes to resource guarding. They are the happiest, bounciest, eager-to-learn little dogs you will ever work with. The flipside being that they want to be close to you and part of the action all the time. They are very cuddly and sweet, but like mentioned that know how to manipulate us using their cuteness. They respond well to positive reinforcement training, can get insecure with old fashioned methods. They want to learn, but do tend to need many repetitions before a behaviour sticks, the learn quickly and forget quickly. They are clever and sneaky, they will want to please you, but they may want to steal your food more. Humour is needed when owning a cocker spaniel 

[Mudmagnets]

Both mine can be quite noisy, particularly the older one Minstrel who is now 7 and believes he owns the joint and wants everything his own way. Branston on the other hand is a bit quieter except when he sees a cat (we have a few neighbouring cats who delight in sauntering over the top of the back fence, stopping for a minute or two to make sure he is visible  )

Let just say I could never do a moonlight flight while they are about  Having said all that I  to bits and cannot imagine having a quiet house/life.

[bizzylizzy]

Hi,
I can also only speak from my own show type cocker who  very rarely barks unless there‘s a cat or something else in the garden. None of my previous dogs   ever barked either (GSD and GSD Mix) but none of them have ever been really been exposed to other barky dogs and I do think sometimes it can be learned habit which could be controlled with training. As cockers go, mine is fairly laid back anyway, the breeder‘s priority was temperament rather than looks and I do think that plays a major role.
Pro‘s and cons? Well I‘ve just spent the last hour trying to get all the velcro seeds (no idea what the proper name is,) out of his ears, feet and undercarriage! - they definately are quite high maintainance in that respective, a groomer in the family is a huge plus but you‘ll still need to brush/comb etc at least every couple of days, not forgetting rinsing muddy feet after every walk in the winter! I don’t find that a chore, but we‘re retired now so time isn‘t an issue, I‘ve invested in some decent tools and groom him myself.
Cockers have loads of  enthusiasm and are very eager to learn but as already mentioned, they can be infuriatingly stubborn at times and do need a degree of consistent, positive  training.  They just ooze with happiness, want to be included in everything, will follow you to the moon and back (including all the loo stops ) but are also adaptable, if you just want a lazy Sunday on the couch, they‘ll be happy with that as well. They’re cheeky, happy, fun loving, and have  a sense of humour , 
The last Pro is ofcourse that we have a wonderful forum here just devoted to cockers, so if you do decide to go for one, then you‘ll get lots of support from COL!

[Neil]

Bobby, who is 6 now, is generally quiet indoors. The days around November 5th are an exception as he barks at the fireworks.

Unfortunately he tends to run around barking his head off, and his bark is very loud, if I let him out in the garden. I think this is partly because there are dogs in neighbouring gardens, so barking starts off a chain reaction, and partly because he's convinced there are creatures living in my laurel hedge.

[ejp]

You wouldn't know Daisy is in the house until there is someone at the door and then she lets rip!  Other than that, generally quiet.

[ips]

You wouldn't know Daisy is in the house until there is someone at the door and then she lets rip!  Other than that, generally quiet.

Same, eze goes bonkers if anyone even comes in the yard, i never been able to train it out of her

[bizzylizzy]

You wouldn't know Daisy is in the house until there is someone at the door and then she lets rip!  Other than that, generally quiet.

Same, eze goes bonkers if anyone even comes in the yard, i never been able to train it out of her

Just doing her job!

[ejp]

You wouldn't know Daisy is in the house until there is someone at the door and then she lets rip!  Other than that, generally quiet.

Same, eze goes bonkers if anyone even comes in the yard, i never been able to train it out of her

Just doing her job!

Agreed, it sounds like we have a houseful of Rottie's with attitude, instead it is all the work of one crazy cocker!