Differences between working and show cockers

[crunchie]

Thanks for all your replies.  I've attached 2 recentish photos of Pringle from back in the summer when she was about 8 months old.  When we got Pringle he had 3 other adult cockers - mum, dad and another little girl from a previous litter who was about 9 months old at the time (and completely insane !!).

Dad was very big, but her mum was quite tiny so perhaps she takes after her.  We don't care what she is as we love her to death anyway  .  It was just through seeing his advert and some of her latest antics  made me wonder

http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e15/AnnLewitt/priggermany007.jpg
http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e15/AnnLewitt/various044.jpg

[Jane S]

Crunchie's pedigree looks to be all show-type (a mix of show breeding and commercial/pet breeding) although I don't actually recognise the breeder's affix so she isn't a show breeder as such. Sounds like she must breed both types if she's currently advertising working puppies for sale.

[Tasha]

my ayla looks alot like miss poohs black dog. 

She is not a big dog which is good because a cocker was originally given its label based on weight and height.  In contrast to my springer spaniel she is about half his size so you can definitely see the difference when they are together.  Funny really my dogs go up in levels, ayla (cocker) daniel (spaniel) bonnie (weimaraner) Duchess (great dane) and Duke (great dane) so funny to see them all together

The working dogs that I have seen are definitely 'busy' and have such fun characters they are a real pleasure to work and have in the home but do need a job to do or something that will keep their minds occupied.  Pity the breed has split so much 

[mmathison]

My Elle and Ruben look very much like Harmy and Dash its uncanny.

Working cockers have endless energy distintive slinky short coats some have
fluffy belly,chest and legs,long in body and very athletic.

When i let Ruben off the lead he is like a greyhound chasing a hare at the
start of a race complete manic and noisy with it the word nutcase springs to
mind.He is 2 years old and no signs of slowing down.Such adorable creatures
full of love and bum waggles.

Michelle,Elle and Ruben

[Nicola]

From your pics Pringle most definitely looks like a show cocker. Alfie and Tilly in my avatar and signature pics are working cockers and I think you can see some marked differences in the shape of their heads/ears, Lisa 's(Supaspaniel) pics also show it really well. 

Alfie and Tilly are endlessly energetic when out on walks and could run all day but they are very laid back and lazy around the house. Currently Alfie is on his back on the sofa beside me, legs akimbo and Tilly is flat on her side on her blanket on the floor beside the radiator  so I really feel like I've got the best of both worlds with them 

[JaspersMum]

Louie is still only 5 1/2 months old and only 1/4 worker but he has the stamina and speed of worker, He outruns Jasper and most dogs he meets. So far his body is fairly short haired but his head and ears, and his legs are feathered and all more like a show type.   He has a mixture of SH CH and FT CH in his breeding.

I'm hoping he'll be a nice mixture of points of each and grooming will be so much easier than Jaspers thick long coat

[Shelley]

I don't know that much about Cockers, but I went for a pup from show lines as I presumed a working one would be more active.

I was talking to an old couple at the vets a couple of weeks back, they had a young working Cocker. They said they went for a working one as they thought it would be much quieter and calmer than one from show lines! I told them I thought it would be the other way round, but I don't think they believed me , I just hope their boy stays as quiet as he was, as I am not sure they would cope with him otherwise. From what they said he was their first dog!

Oh and the vet said how calm and well behaved my daughters Cocker was

[haziefantazie]

Well said, I think that is why they do end up in rescue.  No thought or research gone into what the dog needs or requires before getting one. Thats how I ended up with my Cocker, Bo.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q14/lezah04/Picture006.jpg

[charlie_jim_gem]

i think charlie is a worker although we have been told his dad was worker and his mum show hes very big allot bigger than many we have seen out and about on walks.