new start

[karendorman13]

My Lucy was a BC and she is now my shining star in the sky. She was so loyal, loving and very intuitive and even now 8 years later i still miss her. Kol is only 16 weeks and he is my little shadow like Bo my staffie x. I honestly can say they are very different breeds but you get out what you put in. Yes Kol is a stubborn little pup but so was Bo. I chose a cocker spaniel because of their temperaments and the term a merry cocker is very true as my boys tail wags from the moment we get up until the moment he goes to bed and he loves people to make a fuss on him and he is such a big flirt for a little boy 

[maddy74]

Sorry to hear of your loss.  

Ive no experience of having a BC. Its mine and my OH's first experience of owning a dog together. I had two dogs whilst growing up a CKC spaniel and a lab cross. OH had BC's and a chow chow. For both of us now it would be a working cocker again every time.

We do both obedience and agility with Willow and she is quite focused.

Willow follows us everywhere at home, even to the loo   When we take to her to visit other people she follows us too. She is great fun and loves the to carry and ball and fetch a ball, when out her recall is good, weve put a lot of training in. She does sniff and sometimes loses focus but thats few and far between these days. We did have the odd blip during her puppyhood. We have whistle trained her. I am paranoid to let her run off too far in front and to be honest when she is off the lead she runs a little and will circle back to us or turn and wait for us to catch up. If she goes a little further than id like her to be then 3 pips of the whistle usually has her running back at speed. I always carry high value treats for recall, several tennis balls and a squeaky toy, all things that are going to get her attention should i need her attention quickly whilst out.

Both myself and my OH have a very strong bond with Willow. Ive no experience of owning a show cocker only Willow (working strain) she is lively and likes physical exercise as well and mental stimulation.However as an adult dog she is a lot calmer than she was. She likes nothing more than to snuggle up close to us on the sofa at night, she is asleep at my feet as I type. I find her very loving.  She oozes personality and has us in stitches with her little ways. Her tail never stops wagging, it been known to wag in her sleep too (strange doggy)   She has the nick name of 'Waggly Willow' when we are out and about locally.   She is everything we had hoped for in a dog and then so much more.  

[Carolynleah]

I had a border collie for many years, she was a joy to take out ~ didn't bother with other dogs or people, never wandered far from me and was always looking to see where I was ~ I never had a moments worry with her    I now have an elderly staffie, again he never wanders far from my side (inside or out).  Two years ago we acquired a cocker spaniel bitch, working/show mix ~ she is gorgeous, loving and gentle ~ but I can't relax while out walking, she is always looking for scent and would be off in a flash if I didn't call her back immediately.  She really is a totally different dog to my staffie and particularly to my border collie, far harder work to be honest ~ plus she needs to go to the groomers every couple of months, so you need to factor in the cost ( or learn to do it yourself, I did try but was not very successful!)

[cangrejo]

I grew up with border collies and my last collie, Bob, was a lovely dog once we'd got him past the terrible twos  .  Bob was so good off lead he could be trusted to walk with me as a teenager down the road as he knew to stop and sit at kerbs, he loved his ball and had to carry stuff, I'd pick up our Sunday paper and he would badger me till I'd rolled it up and he'd carry it home  

As an adult I've owned a chow chow, lovely dog but only wanted cuddles on his terms - very often he'd be lying somewhere in the house and I wouldn't see him all evening, which is nothing like my cockers.  They have to follow me everywhere, even in my local pub they accompany me to the ladies  

After my chow I researched many breeds as I wanted a dog who would like good walks, and would interact more. I had always wanted a spaniel and felt a cocker would be right.  I have 2 show type males and oh boy they just steal your heart.  From my experience they are the most loving little dogs - you'll often see them referred to on here as Velcro dogs, which is true - mine just have to be on or near me all the time. At home they love playing with their toys, balls, tuggy things and love carrying soft toys around.  Charlie used to love chasing his ball when out, but since I got Dexter they just want to run together and chase each other  .  They can be stubborn little wotsits and mine do "go deaf" occasionally when they spot a big fat pigeon and there is no way I could walk them offlead on the streets as mine have no road sense whatsoever.  I wouldn't be without them, Dexter is on my lap asleep now and Charlie is at my feet. They are funny, happy, busy, cuddly dogs with the most mental waggy tails  

[lilliegez]

just to let you know i went back to the rescue center today, the female cocker i saw there last time i went, she been on my mind and i wanted to see if she was ok.  well she still hasnt been assessed and the lady there said there are lots of people asking about her.  she was no longer shaking, just sitting quietly and was eating a biscuit which was great to see as the last time she was very frightened.  she doesnt come right up to you but doesnt shy away either.  they said she is a pedigree but seems very dainty is that normal for a 12 month old female, she has lovely straight black silky fur and some white on her chest.  i am gonna ring again on tuesday to see if she has been assessed.

[Lily Freya]

I've never owned any other breed of dog....so I am really biased.

Cockers are wonderfully faithful, loving companions.  On the obedience side, I think a lot of generalisations are made by those who don't own cockers.  You get out of them, behaviourally, what you put in.  They can be trained really well, just like any other breed.

I have three......and each one is very different in character.  The one thing common to all though....is that cocker 'magic'.

I do hope you rescue the little girl.  Sounds like she will have a really loving home with you.

Good luck. Xx

[Helen]

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.  

I agree.

Cockers are a gundog breed and will use their nose.  Mine does check in with me and make eye contact when he's working but I don't expect him to be focused in the same way as a collie focuses.  They have entirely different jobs and a trained gundog couldn't differ more than a trained collie.  TBH I hate seeing gundog instincts 'trained' out of them so I would always recommend, and I mean this kindly, if you don't want a gundog with it's traits then go back to collies      Having said that through Jarv's gundog training he has fantastic recall and other skills associated with this.

[jak3]

My working cocker Alfie is the first dog iv owned so can't compare with other breeds, however I can't imagine having any other breed of dog, he is such a character and the bond is the strongest so much so sometimes forget he's a dog he's more like a child lol, we do obedience classes and starting to do competing he is a very very willing learner he has a very active mind and loves to learn he is very fast to learn picks things up really fast however the main fight we come across at training can be keeping him focused very easily distracted but bring out a ball and he is oblivious to anything else around him, his recall is good he can be off lead if we have a ball he is constantly running back and forth chasing it with a big grin on his face and if not he loves running around in and out of bushes and dont know how he does it but no matter where he is he seeks out every rabbit in the place lol, he will always come back when called and gets a panicked look on his face when ever he looses sight of us, in house he follows you everywhere and the love and affection is like no other! They are adictive creatures lol.

Good luck with your choices!

[jaybee]

The bond we have with Bingley is on a completely different level to any other dog either of us has had. He is so affectionate, gentle and intelligent. We have loved training with him, and like others have said you really do get out what you put in, same with any other breed I suppose.

I do agree with Helen though, as gundogs they will be different out and about that your previous BC. I just love watching Bingley run about, nose down, tail going at a hundred miles an hour out exploring and having fun. He will check back in with us every now and then, glancing over his shoulder to check we're still following behind.

[mollydubh]

So sorry to hear about your loss, i have had three cocker spaniels in the past, the first a show type, he was a delight, the second a working cocker, totally different temperment but still a faithfully friend, now i have a two year old show type cocker, she is definitely the best of the three, i do competitive agility and we have a very close bond, she is a total "bomb proof" & velcro dog.  My mum borrows her and takes her into the old peoples home and she just loves all the attention and the older ladies and gentlemen just love to see her sparkling eyes and constantly waggging tail. I can only talk from my own experience and that of my friends, some of whom have working cockers and they are fantastic dogs but completely daft, my dog is a half show half working, thankfully she has the best attributes of both. 

[LurcherGirl]

I have an American and an English (half show/half working) cocker. My American is much more attached to me when out and about and doesn't usually go far. My English is your typical sniffing zooming creature, however, get a toy out or do some training with food she is yours and pays full attention!    She also has good recall, isn't too interested in other dogs and always keeps an eye on you That is something that you can teach a cocker and that is vital to teach a cocker. Though she is an independent character which I like, she thinks for herself and doesn't always take your word for everything; but then I also have salukis which says it all     . (In other words, I personally prefer independent dogs to velcro dogs, though still expect good obedience from them).