new start

[lilliegez]

hello to you all.  this year has been a difficult one for me i have lost both my beautiful border collies, one aged 13 and one aged 14.  i am gradually recovering and am looking forward.  i have decided that as much as i love border collies maybe i should look into getting a different breed of dog but know little of cockers.  my collies were hard work when i first got them, car chasing etc but overtime it all improved and they were great dogs.  could anyone advise me what are there cockers like as adult dogs.  i know they are an intelligent breed, most cockers i see out are great dogs but seem to run like around sniffing and there isnt a connection with the owner.  are any of your cockers say happy to play with tennis ball while out, i would love a cocker but its weighing up is the breed right for me.  i dont mind a dog that has a good run about but can you get the cockers attention when you call.  any advice on just what your dogs are like especially when off lead out and about, many thanks.

[ebony girl]

I'm so sorry to read about your two collies,, what an awful time for you xx

I'm Lucy and I have 3 show strain female cocker spaniels. The first thing I thought when I read your comments was that if you're looking for a dog that will have a bond/connection to you then a cocker would be marvellous, my girls follow me everywhere. 

I do competative obedience classes with all three of them even the pup who's only 5 months, they are focused, eager to learn and wanting to please. They also love treats which helps 

I also compete at agility with my two older girls who are aged 3 and 18months and they are great, fast learners and so quick and agile.

All my cockers love to play ball, tuggy and general games either in the garden or at the park. It's true that they are quite scent led but I have managed to teach all of mine a great first call recall no matter what the distractions are so it can be done, just takes alittle work.

Be careful though as cockers have a way of impacting upon your life like you'd never imagined and you'll find that you can't live without them and that one is never enough!!!

[lilliegez]

thankyou for your reply, thats great advice. i am wanting a connection to the dog and be able to do some obedience, so it is possible are thats great.  i think its its great when you have that connection to a dog, theres nothing like a dog walking at you side out of choice and their lovely eyes looking up at you.  cockers are a better size for me also when my border collie got old and needed help to get about it got hard work and took its toll on my back.  its hard to change to another breed of dog then you have always had the same.  i know all breeds have pros and cons, but im hoping a cocker will be a bit more chilled temperament wise.  i live in bedfordshire so will have to look out for good breeders.  also do you think getting a puppy during the winter is a bad idea, should i wait till spring for socialising issues.

[Homebird]

I may be able to give some pointers as I have just lost my cocker spaniel to cancer and used to have (30 years ago!) a rough collie.  The collie was easy to train and had a very close bond with me - when I was upset I could cuddle her and sit with her and she would just quietly comfort me with her presence.  She seemed to know what I was thinking - even closely following me the day I went in to early labour - she knew something was happening but I didn't!

My cocker spaniel was very different - we had a very close bond again but she was more like a child than an adult if I can put it that way.  If I needed a quiet cuddle she would often get excited and decide we needed a throw and fetch game instead.  She didn't seem sensitive to my moods in the same way but she was a very excitable dog.  I needed to be sensitive to her moods more and we did have a very loving relationship.

I loved them both but will be sticking with a cocker spaniel for my next dog as there is a close bond it is just different.  They love being with you and are always ready to play.  She wasn't good off lead - conveniently seeming deaf to calls but heard a movement of the dinner bowl at once.  I was also worried because other dogs would chase her if she was off lead (owners who insist dog is just being friendly as it chases yours and distresses it).  My other reason is that I have back trouble and I just can't lift a large dog when it is unwell and they all seem to come to that in the end.  Also my cocker could get lots of exercise with games in the garden but the rough (Lassie type) collie needed longer walks.

I hope this helps - please feel free to ask anymore questions of me.  Just reading your last post - I wouldn't consider a cocker to have a chilled temperament - that is the rough collie not a cocker - but then I have only had the one.

[Snoo]

Hi, so sorry to hear about the loss of your dogs this year. That must have made you feel really low but it is good that you feel you can look to the future now and another little dog companion.  Just wanted to say that I  had a cocker before my current one (who is called Clover). The previous one I felt no connection to at all, though I have to say she was more my husband's dog anyway, than mine, but with Cover it is completely different. I think you get out what you put in - and by the way, Clover's most favourite toy of all is a lovely yellow tennis ball - in fact, hubby bought up a good deal of Morrison's packs of three yellow tennis balls when they were on offer there and we have a carrier bag full of them now for when the occasional one goes missing. We have to play in the house and garden with them and we have to play in the fields and woods wth them! She is totally focused on me if I have a tennis ball in my hand but if I don't she is still focused on me and has been easy to train, is very loving, full of fun and mischief and incidentally actually has a sense of humour with which she teases us, believe it or not! It is true they love to sniff but my dog will ignore sniffies and take no notice of other dogs at all if there is a chance of a game of ball! Clover is trained to come to a whistle but she stays so close (apart from when dashing off to jump into a trough to cool down) I rarely have to use it.  We have also just started agility class (4th go today!) and she is quick to learn and has earned some praise for being willing to have a go and not show any reluctance on the equipment. I will say she is rather food oriented however, and will do anything fora titbit if there is no tennis ball around! I am totally addicted to the breed, totally connected to my cocker, and can't imagine life without her. On the practical side, she is big enough not to tread on or trip over and small enough to be able to pick up for a cuddle easily, or to put into the back of the car! Can even just about, at  a push, bath her in the kitchen sink! (Sorry, not very hygeinic is it!!)

Seriously, I hope coming on here will give you an insight into the breed and help you make a decision as to what dog you choose next! Good luck!

[PennyB]

i know they are an intelligent breed, most cockers i see out are great dogs but seem to run like around sniffing and there isnt a connection with the owner.  are any of your cockers say happy to play with tennis ball while out, i would love a cocker but its weighing up is the breed right for me.  i dont mind a dog that has a good run about but can you get the cockers attention when you call.

Like a lot of dogs you have to work on recall as none of them will do this without training.

Mine all have a 'connection' with me while I'm out walking - they're busy but I'm as much a part of their walk as them being able to sniff around. Mine adore tennis balls but again its all about how you go about it - again you have to interact with them its not always about them being naturally into them.

Cockers aren't always as easy to train as collies though - in that they're stubborn and interested in lots of other things (can be easily distracted) + you sometimes have to work hard to get them to focus on you

re socialising it doesn't matter what time of the year you get a pup its up to you as to how hard you work at it - ie, being a proactive (going out of your way to socialise a pup) rather than reactive (just letting them come into contact with what might happen to be around you on that day) socialiser

[Neon]

Can even just about, at  a push, bath her in the kitchen sink!
 

   I envy you Sue, wish Toby would fit in mine, it would save my poor back bending over the bath or kneeling on the hard floor.  Do you have a Belfast sink by any chance?

(Sorry don't want to go off topic).

[lilliegez]

I went to local dog rescue centre a couple of days ago.  there was a 12 month old beautiful black and white female working type cocker there.  while all the other dogs were jumping up and down barking, she was just sat there shaking.  it was awful to see her frightened.  she had only been there for 1 night and hasnt been assessed for rehoming yet.  all they knew was she wasnt fully house trained and was nervous.  makes me so angry for a 12 month old dog to be so frightened what sort of life has she had.

[Neon]

I went to local dog rescue centre a couple of days ago.  there was a 12 month old beautiful black and white female working type cocker there.  while all the other dogs were jumping up and down barking, she was just sat there shaking.  it was awful to see her frightened.  she had only been there for 1 night and hasnt been assessed for rehoming yet.  all they knew was she wasnt fully house trained and was nervous.  makes me so angry for a 12 month old dog to be so frightened what sort of life has she had.

I'm sorry you lost your other dogs.  It is so sad to see them in this state isn't it.      Could she be a possibility for you? although workers do have more energy than the show types, most of the time.

[lilliegez]

we are going over sunday to see her again and ask if they have any more info on her.  it pulls the heart strings big time, but i have to be sensible at the same time.  anyone on here rescued before.

[Neon]

we are going over sunday to see her again and ask if they have any more info on her.  it pulls the heart strings big time, but i have to be sensible at the same time.  anyone on here rescued before.

Good luck but you will need the outcome of the rescue's assessment before considering rehoming her.  Lots of members on here have rescued dogs and will be only too happy to advise you.

[Max X 2]

Hopefully Holly will see this as she can give advise comparing the 2 breeds.
We had a BC when I lived at home who was a great dog & I always thought that's what I'd have, but then I was introduced to cockers 

Just my opinion - but I think it's rare to see any other breed quite so ball obsessed as border collies.

I heard someone once say if you see someone walking along with a lead & no dog in sight then they have a spaniel 
I have to agree, mine are happy to be in & out of bushes, exploring etc, but we also interact on our walks.  I don't throw balls/frisbees anymore, but mine would do it for a short while but then get bored.
You do see cockers having a good game of ball etc but I think the going off exploring is part of their nature, whereas BC's I find are more demanding. (maybe demanding isn't the right word, but the BC's I see & know aren't interesting in anything else if their mum has a ball).   My cockers aren't interesting in anything else if someone has food 

Cockers are working dogs so of course can be trained, obviously you see them doing what they were bred to do, but I believe that is mainly the working rather than the show type, you also see alot now in competitive agility, I think again more the workers than show, but obviously you have to have a level obedience to be able to do either of these disciplines.

Good luck in your choice

[praia]

I have a few friends with herding breeds (mainly BCs and Australian Shepherds) and there is a definite difference in the degree of "focus" these breeds have versus spaniels, but that really is down to genetic breed traits. They BCs I know that play with balls act nearly obsessive compulsive in my eyes, but again, that is along the lines of what the breed is about.  My spaniels, and even my young show type Cocker are mad about retrieving and both often retrieve nonstop for an hour or two at a time.  However, this behavior was nurtured by me and is also very dependent on the fact that the both of them are natural retrievers and are very driven dogs. 

You have to understand that Cockers are a breed that are more dictated by their nose than anything else while out and about, but ultimately, off-lead behavior is dictated by the amount of training you put toward the dog.  My two spaniels always have their noses to the ground, but they are whistle trained and know when to change directions and recall.  Honestly, their eyes are only on me if I use the whistle or a yell, but I get much joy out of watching them trotting around with their noses planted to the ground and crashing through water and brush.  That's really what they should be doing while out on a walk.  This breed is never going to have the intense focus on the handler while walking off-lead like you see in most BC's. That's not what this breed was bred for so of course they're going to exhibit very different traits.  I would never expect a Cocker to be glued by my side and watching me adoringly while there are miles of open land to explore. Just because they're not focused on you like a BC would doesn't mean there isn't a strong connection. 

My Cocker was an autumn puppy and we didn't have any problems socializing. We took her everywhere and she got to experience many new things even in the dead of winter.  We didn't encourage her to interact with other dogs so no puppy classes or play dates at parks, but we have polite adult dogs at home that she learned proper behavior from. 

[sharonmansfield]

So sorry to hear of the awful time you have had of late. I too changed breed as we had always had german shepherds who when out on walks always gave me total focus. I made mistakes with my first cocker Bella training wise and her recall was appalling. Totally my fault as I had never had to teach recall before as my German Shepherd would never go off and leave me. It came as a shock when my cocker preferred to be sniffing in the bushes than walking by my side. However I learned from my errors and we now have 2 cockers. Jasmine will play with and fetch anything you throw for her she adores her toys. Bella is not really a dog that plays but then she is a bit idle to be honest but she will run after a ball but her no 1 preference is to be sniffing. I can get their attention when I call, even Bella now will come back when I shout her. They are such a loving breed I am so glad that I had one and as you can tell I so totally fell in love with the breed we had another. Jasmine can get a bit obsessive about balls on walks so I do leave them at home sometimes. Good luck with your decision its hard finding another breed. I never believed I would fall in love with a smaller breed of dog as I have always been a big dog person but these pair stole my heart and I would have another one tomorrow if I could.

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

Charlie is glued to me, so there is definitely a connection.

When out he's not bothered about playing fetch, however give him a ball inside and he loves it.

He's always helping me as well, everything takes longer to do as I'm being helped...however it's lovely he helps and I either change it for the world.