hi,
welcome to COL, im a newbie here myself and a newbie cocker owner. jack is my 1st cocker but not my 1st dog, he is my 5th dog.
i dont want to sound like i know it all because im far from it and i hope you dont take it that way and i dont want to offend anyone else on here either. but i have done a lot of training and i have had a 'problem dog' myself.
i had a mongrel dog that i lost in november last year and she had horrendous breeds in her (gsd, collie, boxer, staffie) not a good cross, she was very hard work! we had a lot of 'phases' to go through and we did a lot of training and if i am really honest it was well worth it in the end.
i dont want to sound like a cocker knowall, because as i said before i am a 1st time cocker owner, but i see a lot of dogs at the dog club where i volunteer and basic dog training fits all (or most!) dogs.
the main thing to remember is that your little pup is just trying it on with you, but you must not let him think he has won. you have to make him realise that when you ask him to do something he has to do it, whether it be getting off the sofa or whatever.
all puppies go through phases where they try it on, he is just testing you to see how far he can push. they will go through a teenage phase too which hits when you just think your pup is coming along nicely
the main thing to remember is that these are just phases (like the toddler tantrums in kids) and they will pass.
we always say to our owners that come to our training club that when it comes to dog training you get what you put in.
its great that you have already been intouch with your local dog trainer, they will be able to help to guide you. dont be afraid to ask questions and the people on here are well worth asking because they are all cocker pro's and will be able to give you lots of tips
some things to remember are that your pup is a working dog and it needs to be stimulated mentally as well as physical exercise. do you do much training with him? it is well worth getting that 'leave it' command in, it is very useful with lots of things
just simple things like making im sit before he is given things or getting him to move if he is laying in a doorway before you go through will make him realise that you are in charge
i have my dogs on the sofa, but only when i say they can come up (although my new cocker is still battling me with that at the moment! he thinks he can come up whenever he wants a cuddle and it is hard to resist! but i have only had him a couple of weeks
)
you can still be soft with him, im not saying you have to be mean and nasty, but any puppy will, given half the chance, try it on with their new owners.
remember, its not only you, i think most of us will or have experienced similar things. dont think that you have a bad pup or that you are a bad owner. he just needs some guidance.
i hope i havent offended anyone and have helped reassure your mind a bit.