Workers v. show types - similarities and differences?

[phoenix]

MIne is 100% show type, but still with a huuuge instinct for pursuing anything with fur, feathers, wool or hair. How can they they track down a squirrel, know which hole a mouse is in, know the difference between a pheasant and pet chickens.
He is not as hyperactive as a worker and not fussed about missing walks, a boon when I was recuperating from an op. Instead he specialises in staring, watching and deep thought! (planning how to ambush the cats?How to monopolise my fleece jacket). His concentration span is long and he learns tricks with a clicker instantly. I am  trying agility with him if he's small enough for the little jumps, but at the moment he trots round perfectly, thinking we're bonkers screaming and geeing him up whilst thinking that all border collies are mad or psychotic.. My boy just wants to play and have his own space! Then beddy-byes by 8.30

[stormer]

Hello all, i have a working cocker hes 3 and a show cocker whos 18 months ,they are both lovely dogs really good natures and great personalities the working cocker jovi is lovely on walks and in the house except for his mad shadow chasing but he is good all round. and the show cocker alfie also has a lovely nature and gives the best cuddles but still have to watch him for chewing things ,only now and again thou, but  walks well he is one huge mud magnet he just lays in it the muckier the better for alfie . they make a really good pair thou ...love um ...xx

[daisy16feb]

I have one show type girl whos coming up one and a worker boy who is coming up 3, they are very different!!!!

My boy at the age of one was mad - still is at times,I had to give him 3 good walks a day otherwise would be doing laps of the lounge.

Mabel has been the easiest puppy ever she was toilet trained very quickly and will spend all day just sat at your feet watching you. I am glad I had Milo first as I think if he was easy like Mabel I may have more!!!

[CrunchyMand]

Okay I don't want to stir up any emotions here, but I was talking to an owner of a working cocker and she said the reason she went for a worker is that show types are bred for their looks and she wanted an intelligent dog that was biddable.

Is this true? Are workers more intelligent and easier to train than show cockers? I am still undecided which type to get!

[Nicola]

It's really impossible to generalise like that, some workers are bright and/or biddable (often one does not necessarily mean the other) and some aren't so much, some show types are bright and/or trainable and some aren't so much. Intelligence comes in different forms and it doesn't always mean that they're easy to train, often the more intelligent the dog the more challenging they are.

[Jane S]

I have just merged Crunchymand's thread with this one as her question is relevant to this thread and there seems no point in having two similar threads running

PS I agree totally with Nicola

[SkyeSue]

I agree with Nicola too. However, I don't have the breadth of experience to make comparisons really so can only draw on my personal experiences with Chloe. She seems to be an incredibly intelligent dog and WANTS to learn...she loves to play, she's incredibly affectionate, but when she's in learning mode, you can really almost see her little head working out what she's supposed to be doing. I'm not saying that show cockers aren't the same...my friend's dog is a 6 month old show cocker and is faaaar better at long distance stays than Chloe is.....I suppose whatever strain they are, they are all intelligent dogs and its about how the owners tap into that.

[Cob-Web]

Okay I don't want to stir up any emotions here, but I was talking to an owner of a working cocker and she said the reason she went for a worker is that show types are bred for their looks and she wanted an intelligent dog that was biddable.

Is this true? Are workers more intelligent and easier to train than show cockers? I am still undecided which type to get!

I often wonder why this question causes a stir, tbh 

IMO - in an "ideal" world, working strain dogs would be bred with their ability to learn and work a higher priority than their appearance, and show dogs would be bred with their conformity to breed standard a higher priority than their ability to learn complex behaviours (while at the same time still demonstrating the characteristics of the breed and able to learn the skills required in the show ring).

Unfortunately, very few cockers are actually bred by people with these considerations in mind - and sadly, the majority are bred based on the convenience of the dog/bitch, or the chance of the puppies being "fashionable" colours    This means that the origional characteristics that the different strains were bred for become diluted and mixed - and without careful research into ancestry before picking a litter, a new owner can be surprised by their puppies characteristics and appearance as they grow up 

Even then, it is not an exact science  I have two show strain cockers, 2 years apart, with generations of well know show lines in their ancestry and they share the same dam.  Molo is all show-dog - he conforms to breed standard and is definitely not the brightest of dogs (he loses a ball when it rolls underneath him and has never learnt how to push open a door to get in/out of a room) - he has never been shown, but he does enjoy agility and after a long time while he got quite good at it 
His sister Bonnee deviates significantly from breed standard, and is as bright as a button, will learn things in a flash - she is training to compete in Canine Freestyle with my daughter 

[Helen]

It's really impossible to generalise like that, some workers are bright and/or biddable (often one does not necessarily mean the other) and some aren't so much, some show types are bright and/or trainable and some aren't so much. Intelligence comes in different forms and it doesn't always mean that they're easy to train, often the more intelligent the dog the more challenging they are.

couldn't agree more