Do I get a Cocker??

[Jojangles]

Hello everyone, I am currently the proud owner of a collie retriever cross called Joe. He is nearly 2 years old and has lots of eneregy. To get rid of the energy we regularly go hillwalking. I want to get another dog and am considering a Cocker Spaniel as I believe they will compliment eachother nicely. Joes nature leans more towards the retriever. He loves water! Can anyone advise me on this. thank you in advance.                    

[lizzy]

Hi there and welcome!

A cocker sounds like a perfect companion for you and your dog Joe! :wink: Cockers love water and enjoy a good hill walk ( when they are about 12 months and onwards ) they are very loving and have a lovely enthusiastic nature, they become very attached to their " People " , they are usually quite easy to train and fab with ( well behaved )children

They don't like being left for to long on their own, even when they have another dog for companionship and their coats need more attention than your average dog, but I would'nt swap them for anything!! :wink:  

I have 2, Molly a blue roan and Evie , a chocolate and tan!

Lizzy Molly and Evie                    

[Jojangles]

Thanks Lizzy,

That sounds ideal. You see i wanted a dog that is not too big but has plenty of enery. Joe is a very easy going dog both with other dogs and people so i`ve been spoilt in that repsect. And he`s intelligent and therefore reasonably easy to train.
Are there any major behavioural probs with cockers. ie I had to train Joe that sheep are not for chasing!!
I have friends with children who are pretty good with dogs so I can  socialise a dog using them?
How much grooming?

Rob                    

[PennyB]

Cockers can be stubborn and very strong willed, which can be hard work in training as is their need to focus on the ground a lot in search of some heavenly scent thus becoming very deaf to their owner.

Like any breed good socializing is what really counts so you get a happy outgoing dog.                    

[Jojangles]

Hi Penny,

thanks for that. So does that mean there can be an issue with recall?
My mate has a Springer and I know what you mean when she picks up a scent, but she reacts well to a whistle.

Rob                    

[lizzy]

Hello again,

As Penny  says  some cockers can be quite strong willed and bossy, I hav'nt found it to be a problem with mine, I think you need to be consistant in training from day one, ( they are not as stubborn as hounds)

Regarding recall I've found that to be one thing they are very good at, as soon as they come home  as a puppy , I call them many times during the day, for a treat, their food, to play with a toy or a cuddle! :wink: So they associate being called with something nice, and not because they are in trouble.

Don't get me wrong even the best trained dog will ignore their owner on occasion but personally I don't have a problem in this area with mine.

As regards to grooming, their coat is one that needs a daily comb and brush, paying special attention to the ears and feathering on legs, they will need to visit the groomers every 3 months or so for a trim, some people get their dog clipped all over, as it's easier to maintain, but I prefer to keep it fairly long, it's not that hard to look after as long as you keep on top of it,!

I would'nt let this put you of, unless you really don't have the time to look after it's coat, I quite enjoy giving them a brush and comb it's quite therapeutic!! :roll:


Lizzy Molly and Evie                    

[Anita]

Rob

From the description of your collie cross a cocker would fit in no problem. Phoebe is nearly 2 now and her recall is good and she ignores sheep. We took her to Tatton Park at the weekend and sheep were all over the place. Called her to heel and she was fine until we gave her the ok to  go on ahead.

She also enjoys the walks we do. OH took her to Kinder Scout the other weekend and the 13 miles  :shock: didn't worry her at all. Defintely won't do this until they are fully grown and developed though!!!

Cockers are also great with kids but they must have the socilisation to begin with.

The grooming does take time but as long as you keep on top of it,  its not a problem. I've started trimming her myself now and its ok once you get a feel for it. They suck water up like a sponge though so somewhere to dry them helps!

HTH - let us know if you decide a cockers for you.                    

[PennyB]

I don't think its as much for recall but it can occur with lots of things—try teaching them to walk to heel when they want to just have their nose on the ground and want to follow their thing at their pace! My two have quite good recall but it took some working on as with everything.

Cockers can be unpredicatable which is why I like them as they can be really frustrating little so and so's but then they'll surprise you with the fact that they were really listening all along. Basically they've got a sense of humor and expect you to have one also LOL

If you get a pup it'll be a while before you can take them hill walking but have you thought of a young rescue.                    

[Luvlylady]

I do find that cockers are willing to please , If you start your training early then hopefuly it will make training a little helpful  . recall is probably one of the hardest points  of training a cocker as they always have there nose to the ground and off they go  
I wouldent say there any harder or easyier to train and you have trained joe im sure there wont be any problem with you training a pup good luck                    

[watermelon0719]

Hi! I think that like other people have said, cocker spaniels are very sweet and love to please. However, if you bring home a puppy, be prepared to be very, very patient because they can be hard as rocks until they get to about the one year mark. Mine took a long time to potty train, he needed to settle down quite a bit before he would listen. But now he is very well behaved, and he is my precious baby! They are awesome with kids and other pets!!                      

[Jojangles]

Thank you for the advice. Though I`m sure you`re all a little bias It sounds like a cocker is going to be ideal.
Are there any signficant differences in working lines and show that I may benefit from?                    

[lizzy]

Hello.

My two are from show stock, so I can only really give my opinion on the show type Show stock ( most of them tend to go to pet homes ) are usually talller and heavier in build and they usually have longer ears! I think I'm right in saying their coat can be heavier too :? They have quite a different look to their wortking relatives :wink: Personally I prefer the show look but each to their own!

Personality wise the working cocker tends to need more mental stimulation and probably more physical exercise too ( don't get me wrong show cockers need a fair bit too! )

It's a personal choice at the end of the day, you would probably need to see both before you decide!

Good luck and let us know what you choose!

I found this on another thread, kindly put on by Jane, it's the number for the Field trial secretary of the cocker spaniel club,  01273 890701 ( mrs Rhodes ) it might be worth a call.

Lizzy Molly and Evie