Why so negative?!

[stuffster]

I get this from MY DAD!! He was against me getting a dog in the first place and every time I speak to him on the phone he has got yet ANOTHER anecdote about how much hard work cockers are, and "Mrs X down the road has a cocker and she says you must be mad getting one when you have two small children" and "Mr Y had a spaniel and he says they are very hard work"!!

Crikey - you would think I was 5 not 35! I spent months doing research and especially lurking on COL before making the decision to get one, and have been the proud owner of my pup for 5 weeks now, and love every minute of it.  

Also the teacher at puppy class says Purdey is very well behaved "FOR A COCKER" !!! If cockers are such terrible dogs, why are they used as sniffer dogs, police dogs, and gun dogs! Because they are intelligent and so very eager to please, I would imagine, which is what makes them such wonderful dogs!

All hail the cocker spaniel!!

[Hurtwood Dogs]

I used to get that all the time particularly as I owned a 'killer rage golden cocker' he wasn't a killer but absolutely exhausting to live with... so they were half right 

I don't get it at all anymore as I moved to a place where pretty much everyone owns gundogs of some sort so our conversations are more along the line of 'don't walk up by so and so as there is a dead deer up there at the moment and you'll be clearing up in the morning if she gets a sniff of it' or 'do you want to borrow my spaniel to wear yours out on Wednesday?'  :Lol2:

I'd forgotten how bad it can be though... used to drive me totally nuts!

Hannah x

[JerryBerry]

I get this from MY DAD!! He was against me getting a dog in the first place and every time I speak to him on the phone he has got yet ANOTHER anecdote about how much hard work cockers are, and "Mrs X down the road has a cocker and she says you must be mad getting one when you have two small children" and "Mr Y had a spaniel and he says they are very hard work"!!

My dad was like that aswell! He loves Jerry know though but it really upset me at first!

Its funny though because at the same time as we got Jerry one of our friends bought two labs, a friend bought a yorkshire terrior and my auntie bought a jack russell and I can honestly say we arent having any of the problems they are having!!! The labs are literally running riot! the yorkie 'crys' constantly and my auntie cant turn the lamps on at night cos the jack russell goes WILD if it sees a shadow!! Shes knocked mirrors and pictures flying jumping at the walls to 'get' the shadows!!  Again, I'm not generalising about any breed but just commenting that none of them are without their challenges!! They all comment on how easy Jerry is to train, he was by far the quickest to be house trained and learn sit, stay, down etc.  But, he's a cocker - so obviously he must be a nightmare!!! 

[Cob-Web]

Some breeds/types have more distinctive personalities than others - and spaniels seem to evoke a love'em or hate'em reaction (the Marmite effect  )

This is one of the reasons why I tend to avoid "recommending" a cocker to a novice dog owner; as a breed they are so distinctive that they differ quite markedly from many new owners limited experience and expectations of a family dog   

I know a few collie people who actively dislike spaniels........I wouldn't have a collie myself, but I recognise that they have breed traits that suit some people, just not me, and accept that Spaniels are the same 

[merry]

My sister got me to ring her friends sister who owned a cocker spaniel, so that she could tell me how much hard work they are, how they are prone to ear infections, how much they cost for grooming, how mad they are etc but when I spoke to her she just said she had a lovely gentle dog, who was affectionate, had cost them a bit more than they expected at the vets due to ear infections (I should really tell her about Thornits , now I come to think of it  ) and after speaking to her, I only wanted one more.  Mind she convinced me to get a grooming set, but I've never been able to use it and I love him coming back from the groomers all lovely a couple of times a year - but at the end of the day, aren't all dogs okay with regular exercise and control

[Cob-Web]

but at the end of the day, aren't all dogs okay with regular exercise and control

It is the type of control and exercise they need that varies from breed to breed (and dog to dog) - a spaniel which is trained and stimulated in a way that suits a different type/breed/group can become very stressed and confused 

[Hurtwood Dogs]

I was told by a walker in the area yesterday that Dave was thick... have to say he was behaving in a very odd way at the time but he obviously went on to generalise and told me that all spaniels are stupid and all Weimaraners are 'impossible to deal with'...  I laughed and walked off he was a bit right

Hannah x

[Victoria Plumb]

I get it all the time when Im out walking mine. Mine do act quite mental though when they are out. but my usual answer is 'I wouldnt have another breed of dog ever'!     

[sabrino]

I know this story too. My Dad is also always giving it "blurry spaniels, I wouldn't have another" (he has a gawjuss springer and 3 labs who he actively prefers  ) and "why don't you get rid of him (Milo) and I'll find you a good dog" (following one of Milo's dissappearing acts back in Feb and him dancing like a dollally dog on the end of his lead as he was over excited).. all of which is based on the fact that spaniels arent like labradors.  Now theres a turn up for the books.  Bless him, he's a funny man.

I agree with Cob-web they do seem to provoke the marmite effect...

[Sarah.H]

I was told by a walker in the area yesterday that Dave was thick... have to say he was behaving in a very odd way at the time but he obviously went on to generalise and told me that all spaniels are stupid and all Weimaraners are 'impossible to deal with'...  I laughed and walked off he was a bit right

Hannah x

Spaniels have special kind of intelligence that just confuse certain types of people 

[JerryBerry]

I was told by a walker in the area yesterday that Dave was thick... have to say he was behaving in a very odd way at the time but he obviously went on to generalise and told me that all spaniels are stupid and all Weimaraners are 'impossible to deal with'...  I laughed and walked off he was a bit right

Hannah x

 

[emilyjw]

We seem to have been quite lucky that none of my family had preconceptions of cockers. Both my aunty and grandad always had springer - grandads were trained gun dogs, my aunties latest one is lovely but a bit loony...

Jasmine is also probably more highly strung than Bracken as well, so she seems calm in comparison 

Most people we meet comment more on Brackens colouring than the type of dog that she is. Around here there are loads of gund dog types so maybe people are more used to cockers...

The vets we have always been good with her and have never given us negative comments.

[merrysmum]

Yep, agree with Cobweb about the marmite affect.
The comments we get are of one extreme or the other - never anything in the middle. We meet some lovely people regularly on our walks who adore Merry but have also met some silly people who make totally tactless comments 
I even had negative comments at puppy training about him being a spaniel (needless to say, haven't been back!).

I also get it from my Dad (why is more hurtful then??). My Dad's never been a big fan of dogs (but my sister does have 2 Boston Terriers and my Mum's got 2 labs and he likes all of those) and we don't get on too well but when I told him we were getting a cocker he looked like I'd gone mad and gave me a lecture about what a big mistake I was making!
He's only met Merry the once, has avoided our house like the plague since we got him and Merry isn't welcome at his house!
It's funny isn't it? I really wonder why such a gorgeous breed of dog divides people so much?
We wouldn't change him for the world and whenever I see a gorgeous spangle out I always make a beeline to say hello 

[JerryBerry]

Yep, agree with Cobweb about the marmite affect.
The comments we get are of one extreme or the other - never anything in the middle. We meet some lovely people regularly on our walks who adore Merry but have also met some silly people who make totally tactless comments 
I even had negative comments at puppy training about him being a spaniel (needless to say, haven't been back!).

I also get it from my Dad (why is more hurtful then??). My Dad's never been a big fan of dogs (but my sister does have 2 Boston Terriers and my Mum's got 2 labs and he likes all of those) and we don't get on too well but when I told him we were getting a cocker he looked like I'd gone mad and gave me a lecture about what a big mistake I was making!
He's only met Merry the once, has avoided our house like the plague since we got him and Merry isn't welcome at his house!
It's funny isn't it? I really wonder why such a gorgeous breed of dog divides people so much?
We wouldn't change him for the world and whenever I see a gorgeous spangle out I always make a beeline to say hello 

This is a really sad story! Its like someone not accepting one of your children!

[Supa cocker doppers]

I think its great that every tars spaniels with this negativity. It means those of us who know the truth can have more all to ourselves...