CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Genetics & Breeding => Topic started by: Leo0106 on March 11, 2019, 08:43:49 PM
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So I'm looking for a bit of advice on where to look for a DNA test!
When we bought Leo we bought him as a purebred cocker spaniel. We saw mum and dad... We did a lot of research about the breeder to make sure he seemed reputable and we were given an 8 generation family tree.
When leo grew it became apparent he was not the 'standard' cocker look that I had certainly experienced in the past.
He is very tall (Springer size) with long legs.
My dog trainer thinks he has field spaniel in him, my groomer thinks he has Springer in him... Everyone else seems to think he's just not a cocker.
I'm really not bothered in term of being 'missold' as I love him not matter what he is but my curiosity needs feeding! And I would also like to ensure there are no issues with his insurance if it turns out he is a cross and he is insured as a pure bred.
Can anyone point me in the direction of a DNA test which is reliable but does not cost the earth?
Attached a photo for some expert opinions from you guys on here!! (And because I think he's a beaut!!)
(https://i.ibb.co/Tq1tHkV/IMG-20190216-103129.jpg)
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He looks like a cocker to me. Some are just leggy. What is his registered name? The test some are using for dna testing is by wisdom. It’s supposed to show different breeds in a few generations. I wouldn’t worry about insurance- he looks like a cocker and that’s what you believed you were buying. That’s as much proof as you need. He doesn’t look like anything else.
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It's not easy to judge size from a photo, but to me he looks like a working Cocker. They tend to vary in height and build much more than show types, so it might be that he's larger than the breed standard. But I don't see any Springer or Field Spaniel in his appearance.
Is he Kennel Club registered, or one of the other registration bodies that breeders can use where no checks are done? If he's KC registered, or if any of his ancestors were, you can use a free facility on the KC website, called MyKC, to look at the pedigrees and health testing of KC registered dogs.
I wouldn't worry about the insurance aspect. Even if he turned out to be a Cocker cross I don't think it would affect the policy.
He's a handsome boy :D
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Leo‘s gorgeous, whatever he is! ( just saying...... ;))
:luv: :luv:
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We had two working cockers at one point, Max had very long legs and was a tall boy. He was in perfect proportion. Bertie was more squat and stocky. If they had been people, Max would have been a lean 6 foot tall boy and Bertie a probably a foot shorter and heavy set! I think Leo definitely has a good bit of worker in there, and is just tall. Fortunately he is devastatingly gorgeous as well :luv: :luv: :luv:
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Minstrel, my oldest boy with some worker in his pedigree is quite tall, as was his daddy - it's a bonus when it is wet underfoot as he does not get nearly so messy as Branston the youngest and shorter.
Leo is beautiful.
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Lovely Leo......... :luv:
Ollie was a 7mth old rescue so, like Leo he has a white chest, but Ollie is small build and we have been told he is working/cum show, he certainly is not like Jay who was show cocker strain, I understand you interest and not sure how to help, was his pedigree highlighted on some of his breed history, that might indicate a name to search for.
Somehow a show cockers face is a little different and the jowls sort of hang a bit more....but to be honest like us humans we come in different shapes and sizes......hugs to Lovely Leo.
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Thanks all, he definately does look cocker to me but I have never seen another cocker like him :005: he is 18kg and in perfect proportion according to the vet so that gives you an idea of his size.
He is not KC registered but his parents and most of his ancestors are so I may well look at the KC website to see what that says!
I certainly don't mind him being a little different as he is unique in all other aspects :lol2: but now and again my curiosity gets the better of me and the views of others makes me query him haha
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Both my girls are 18 kilos and very solid. Working cockers do come in various sizes as they are bred according to what their breeders want in a working dog. When they were younger I was often asked what they were but working cockers are becoming more popular so more people know what they are now. They come from a very well known successful trailing pedigree but this didn’t stop some people questioning their background. The worst thing that was ever said to me concerning them was that they must be very poorly bred to look the way they do >:D. I have to laugh about it now though ;)
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Both my girls are 18 kilos and very solid. Working cockers do come in various sizes as they are bred according to what their breeders want in a working dog. When they were younger I was often asked what they were but working cockers are becoming more popular so more people know what they are now. They come from a very well known success trailing pedigree but this didn’t stop some people questioning their background. The worst thing that was ever said to me concerning them was that they must be very poorly bred to look the way they do >:D. I have to laugh about it now though ;)
Hi vixen, I completely understand what you're saying! I put a lot of effort into making sure I bought from a reputable breeder and it sometimes offends me when people look at Leo and assume I don't know what he is!
Funnily enough on spaniels aid UK today they shared a post about an RSPCA rescue who is a golden working cocker and looks identical to Leo in shape/size etc. 1. This has reassured me that he might not be so odd! 2. It's made me want to rescue my dogs identical twin! :005:
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I have noticed more and more the different sizes and leg lengths in Cockers, I used to be confident in spotting a Cocker V's a Springer but sometimes I question myself, now if I'm unsure I call them a Spaniel as I do not want to offend anyone and I am no expert :005:
To make things worse, Bea is a very little Cocker at 10.8kg so most tower over her anyway :005:
All spaniel are beautiful no mater their size :luv:
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Another funny thing that was said about my two when they were younger - I have 2 litter sisters, one solid black, the other blue roan. Someone looked at Marley (black) and said very seriously that she looked as though she had a bit of spaniel in her :005: They looked at Stevie (blue roan) and didn’t even comment :005: presumably she didn’t have anything in her :005:
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Vixen :lol2: :lol2: you do have to laugh don't you!
People are always so shocked when I tell them what Leo is. I believe all that gives Leo's breed away to some people is his behaviour
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I have noticed more and more the different sizes and leg lengths in Cockers, I used to be confident in spotting a Cocker V's a Springer but sometimes I question myself, now if I'm unsure I call them a Spaniel as I do not want to offend anyone and I am no expert :005:
To make things worse, Bea is a very little Cocker at 10.8kg so most tower over her anyway :005:
All spaniel are beautiful no mater their size :luv:
The cockers I have met have always been around 10 kilos. So when leo hit 8months old and was 12 kilos I decided I would just wing it and see what he got to! :lol2: I was taunted by my vet as she said I was feeding him too much :( but he's always had a lean shape to him.. it's just because he's a big boy!!
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Now Ollie had a vet who took one look at him and said he was the smallest cocker male he had seen. :P
Another vet said he felt he needed his teeth cleaning and possible extractions, this was when he was on antibiotics to heal an abscess on his rear end, after a check up 2 weeks later I mentioned it to the lady vet, she looked at his teeth sold me a toothpaste
Me thinks some vets are obsessed with size, teeth and castration
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Leo looks like a working cocker to me and very handsome too :luv:
I have had two show boys both vastly different in looks. Ben's pedigree was top notch in terms of loads of show champions and really good well known breed lines, but although he was my completely adored boy, to my eyes he never really looked like a 'proper' spaniel and the number of people who asked what sort of dog was he :lol2: I used to have all sorts of fun telling people he was a Russian boghound or something ridiculous !! Naughty I know but I got fed up of people saying he didn't look like a cocker
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Leo looks like a working cocker to me and very handsome too :luv:
I have had two show boys both vastly different in looks. Ben's pedigree was top notch in terms of loads of show champions and really good well known breed lines, but although he was my completely adored boy, to my eyes he never really looked like a 'proper' spaniel and the number of people who asked what sort of dog was he :lol2: I used to have all sorts of fun telling people he was a Russian boghound or something ridiculous !! Naughty I know but I got fed up of people saying he didn't look like a cocker
:005: :005: :005:
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Now Ollie had a vet who took one look at him and said he was the smallest cocker male he had seen. :P
Another vet said he felt he needed his teeth cleaning and possible extractions, this was when he was on antibiotics to heal an abscess on his rear end, after a check up 2 weeks later I mentioned it to the lady vet, she looked at his teeth sold me a toothpaste
Me thinks some vets are obsessed with size, teeth and castration
Our vets are definately obsessed with size! But they get out this generic size chart for dog breeds. Look at cocker spaniel and say 'oh he's 5kgs over Weight!' last time they said it I asked them to judge his weight on a visual check and they agreed he was a good weight instead!!!
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It's amazing how they forget to just look at the Dog in front of them >:(
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Hi at a glance without reading the other comments I thought working cocker prob ears being brushed to perfection!. But definitely looks cocker to me. Well today I took my show cocker pup to vets who is KC pedigree etc I did my research and a couple asked me if he was a springer. Last week someone asked me if he was a Jack Russell. My last show cocker looked like the lovely troubadour shch and people asked me if he was a springer! He was perfect show cocker specifications etc.
Enjoy your dog looks v happy.