"He's a cocker spaniel" !

[Poppy W]

Just a quick question. You can get working cocker and show cocker, can you get show springer??

Yes. Working springers are generally shorter legged and stockier. A show springer is generally taller and more 'elegant' and in my experience slighter more hyper - but I fully expect to get shot down in flames for that last remark 

I had a show springer before having cockers. He was tall and completely gorgeous. I have to say that both my Cockers have been more hyper though!!!  Maybe I just had a calm Springer?!

[JaspersMum]

Took baby Louie to dog training last week and was pounced on by another cocker owner who asked why I'd clipped him!

I tried to explain "working" cocker and she said hers was from working lines - he's from the same lines as Jasper (Same breeder) so I know that breeder does take them shooting but couldn't quite get over the point that show types were developed with more coat and still pedigree shorter coated "worker" types.  Sure she still thinks I clipped him...

He is only 14 weeks anyway..

[scooby's mum]

Am collecting my black and tan "show type" pup on Thursday and the breeder has warned me about the question other dog owners will ask, "Hasn't that Rottie got long ears?"    and the question other cocker owners will ask "Didn't know you could get black and tan cockers" (obviously cocker owners who don't read up on the breed  ).

Talking about owners that don't read up, I bumped into a lady today who had a beautiful black working cocker and got talking as I commented on how gorgeous she was.  She said "she's a cocker spaniel", so I said, oh yes, I know, I have one at home myself and am getting another pup on Thursday, but mine are the show type".  She replied "what do you mean, are there different types", so I said "yes, and yours is definetly the working type".  She was absolutely clueless    She then began to complain about how much exercise the dog seemed to need - I felt like telling her that if she had bothered to read up on the breed beforehand she would have known.

It gets me how people can own a breed of dog and not even pick up a book or bother to find out a bit about it.  Should have told her to come on here 

[JaspersMum]

Talking about owners that don't read up, I bumped into a lady today who had a beautiful black working cocker and got talking as I commented on how gorgeous she was.  She said "she's a cocker spaniel", so I said, oh yes, I know, I have one at home myself and am getting another pup on Thursday, but mine are the show type".  She replied "what do you mean, are there different types", so I said "yes, and yours is definetly the working type".  She was absolutely clueless    She then began to complain about how much exercise the dog seemed to need - I felt like telling her that if she had bothered to read up on the breed beforehand she would have known.

I know, I don't confess to knowing that much, but the lady who asked about me clipping the puppy wants to get a bitch so she can breed from her pair.  The dog she has was born with a throat problem which may not be genetic, but she was a bit put out when I queried why she'd want to breed from him.  He's a lovely natured dog but IMO don't see that that is good enough reason..  especially as clearly she doesn't know that much about the breed!

[ali]

i must also confess to be completely ignorant about there being different types of cocker spaniels until we met a working-type at the seaside in devon.

we were wondering about what type of dog we might like to have at the time and so were paying very close attention to every dog we saw. walking along, we came across this absolutely gorgeous blue roan spaniel who just made my heart melt she was so keen to make friends. i think i then asked her owner what type of spaniel she was as i had no clue and i must have looked surprised when she said that willow was a cocker spaniel. i remember thinking 'oooh, i must rethink cockers' as (i must admit) i wasn't such a fan of the look of show cockers (don't hate me- i've now seen the error of my ways as i've met so many gorgous ones whilst out with barkers). the owner clearly registered this and patiently elaborated that she was a working-type and therefore looked different.

i went home, did lots of research, and am now happily educating most dog walkers that i meet in west sussex. so far, i reckon 95% of the people we've met have asked what type of dog barkley is, or assumed incorrectly that he is a springer, or a dachshund (when he was ickle), or a retriever, or most often a cross-breed. 3 people have told me i must be mistaken and that he can't possibly be a cocker. only 1 person has known for definite what he is. that was a magical moment, especially as she absolutely gushed over my boy and said what a wonderful example of the breed he was.  i was one proud mummy!

you definitely have to just be patient and try to take the attitude that it's quite fun to confuddle people who like to think they know their dog breeds.

[Joelf]

Domino is a show-type but has been mistaken for a collie (perhaps because he's B&W?!) & the other week a lady said to me "Oh,what a beautiful Cavalier Spaniel" I replied "Yes,he is beautiful but he's actually a cocker!"

[Jan/Billy]

  and the question other cocker owners will ask "Didn't know you could get black and tan cockers" (obviously cocker owners who don't read up on the breed  ).

I get this a lot although they often call Billy Brown and black 

[ali]

the other week a lady said to me "Oh,what a beautiful Cavalier Spaniel" I replied "Yes,he is beautiful but he's actually a cocker!"

beautiful domino does have markings that are so common in cavalier king charles' that i suppose it's a little understandable that someone might get confused - never seen a collie with such long ears though! 

[cazza]

I'm quite lucky here then, most people know she is a cocker but ask where all her coat is I then explain she's a worker and most say they didn't know there were different types

On Tues as I got to the start of the hill walk, 2 working cockers came running down, I was making a fuss over them when the owner appeared. Fern was out of sight but Jock was with me. ' what lovely cockers you have, how old are they?' I asked She stood and looked at me shocked, so I looked again at the dogs thinking I haven't got it wrong what's the matter with her

She said' You're the first person I've met that know they are cockers and not asked what breed they are or jumped in with the wrong breed' at that moment Fern decided to show her self and she burst out laughing and said'Ah so you also have a working cocker' We spoke for about half an hour in the end 

[lyn]

i wish there were other working cocker owners here.it would be great for my two to have some same company. paddy tends to want other dogs to chase him,problem is he outruns them all and of course his stamina is much better than most of the other doggie friends round here.

[Jan/Billy]

paddy tends to want other dogs to chase him,problem is he outruns them all and of course his stamina is much better than most of the other doggie friends round here.

  Lyn this is sssooooo Billy too. He steals other dogs Balls so they will chase him  , he'd let them chase him for hours if they could keep up. Don't know where he gets his energy from 

[sleepymarie]

this is Sonny, hes a 5 month old springer who often gets mistaken for a working cocker

[debbie321]

this is Sonny, hes a 5 month old springer who often gets mistaken for a working cocker

He is lovely    I think I may have made the mistake as well    I have to say that for a town, Gosport has it's fair share of working cockers!  I was amazed one day earlier in the year when I bumped into 3 workers (different owners) all the same colour as Ben!

The average person though still doesn't know what breed he is 

[Nicola]

People ALWAYS think that Alfie is a springer, I think it's because he's quite big and sturdy. When I say that he's a working cocker I invariably get a puzzled look and asked 'so what does he do?' or they think that I mean that he's a 'normal' (show) cocker who happens to be used as a gundog

There's a little kid up the road from us who is convinced he's a dalmatian though because of his spotty legs and sides 

[crazyspaniels]

hmmm, Bilbo has been called an afghan cross on many occassions, but normally its a flatcoat cross, Dobbie is just a mutt