Show cocker - possibility of training them to work ?

[Clover]

Hope I've put this in the right place.  Has anyone any experience of training a show cocker to work (ie flushing, retrieving on shoots) ? Thanks

[spanielcrazy]

Certainly! I showed Crackers for two years before starting her on birds. There are several people here in the US that put both bench  and field championships on their dogs.

It's a huge leg up if the dog is "birdy"--very interested in birds--and/or a natural retriever to begin with. (I did have one dog who had no aptitude for it whatsoever, she'd circle wide and cautiously around a dead bird, she seemed to be saying "Eew, dead thing, watch your step"

You might want to check out this thread too  :http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=24903.0

[Helen]

I know Katina works her show cockers and they do brilliantly well in the field and in the show ring.

it's certainly not unknown - cockers are gundogs anyway, but does help (as spanielcrazy says) if the dog has a natural 'bird' tendancy.

[Black Angel's]

In our country-Croatia we must have working test if we want them to become a champions.And of course it's possible to work with show cocker,but not at the same time(because of coat)

[spanielcrazy]

In our country-Croatia we must have working test if we want them to become a champions.And of course it's possible to work with show cocker,but not at the same time(because of coat)

Oh yes, forgot to add, you might want to get rid of all that coat before going out in the field!

I always did kind of like that idea of having a working test as a requirement of championship.

[Helen]

In our country-Croatia we must have working test if we want them to become a champions.And of course it's possible to work with show cocker,but not at the same time(because of coat)

so this is what you do with your cockers Black Angel?  Would love to see pics of them doing their working test

[Black Angel's]

O,they're first for showing but we have to do working test when it's time for it...
unfortunately I don't have pics with ducks or something like that,only where they're swimming...

[Clover]

Thanks for your replies(the thread was interesting too).  Given me something to think about. 

[Helen]

O,they're first for showing but we have to do working test when it's time for it...
unfortunately I don't have pics with ducks or something like that,only where they're swimming...

sorry black angel, i'm a bit clueless about this and find it really interesting.  Have i got it straight that they are shown throughout their lives but have to at some stage pass a working test? 

[Black Angel's]

that's right!

but it's necessary to start practising when they're puppies...

[Helen]

that's right!

but it's necessary to start practising when they're puppies...

i bet it is!  I'm also pretty sure my adult working cocker wouldn't be able to pass the test...yet

[Katina]

In our country-Croatia we must have working test if we want them to become a champions.And of course it's possible to work with show cocker,but not at the same time(because of coat)

In Finland we have the same rule, you need to pass a working test in order to become a champion.

But, with the coat part, I disagree strongly. When the coat quality is right, you don't need to worry at all. Just have to add a photo here. On 2nd of september 2006 my Emma was at a goosehunt for the whole day. This is her on the 3rd of september, winning best bitch with CC.




All my dogs have full coats, they are both shown and worked. And I think they are brilliant hunting dogs(and most of my hunting friends seem to think so too, as they constantly want to "borrow" one of my dogs  ).

[Jan/Billy]

But, with the coat part, I disagree strongly. When the coat quality is right, you don't need to worry at all. Just have to add a photo here. On 2nd of september 2006 my Emma was at a goosehunt for the whole day. This is her on the 3rd of september, winning best bitch with CC.




All my dogs have full coats, they are both shown and worked. And I think they are brilliant hunting dogs(and most of my hunting friends seem to think so too, as they constantly want to "borrow" one of my dogs  ).

ooohh wow Katina . What a clever and beautiful your Emma is 

[Annette]

WOW! Katina.

Very impressed, not only with your dogs and their all-round ability, but with you too. Do you have time for anything else at all in your life? Your dogs always look perfect.

[supaspaniel]

My OH is a keeper and has his own working cocker Dash, but my guys help in the summer with 'dogging in'. We walk round the boundry of his beat and push the birds back in off the boundary. They love it, but they are not trained to the gun or anything, so I wouldn't take them on an actual shoot. However I think they would've been ok had they been trained