A cocker and a pointer?

[Hornbeam]

Hello, we are thinking about getting another dog. We have a german shorthaired pointer and we would love a working cocker (however, I have fallen in love with Barbie at MT) My main worry is that it would be difficult to walk them together. With the GSP I do lots of blind retrieves, stopping at a distance, hand signals, quartering, jumping, live game, retrieves over water etc. We do a lot of gun dog stuff and although we aren't the best at it, he seems to enjoy it. I think what I am trying to say is, we seem to have Otto sussed and we know he likes his country ways would a cocker fit in or are we better off with another GSP? Advice would be gratefully welcomed.

[redlottie]

Hello, I dont have heaps of experience with cockers or other breeds but can safely say that my 2 working cockers would fit perfectly into that sort of life and routine in terms of the vast array of gun dog activities that you do.

[Hurtwood Dogs]

Welcome!

Simple answer is more than yes I have a (smallish) show type cocker and a (big) Weimaraner and they are a brilliant combination (2 yr age gap). They can both run all day, both enjoy hunting and similar activities on walks and similar training exercises including blind retrieves and other gundog exercises etc etc They are different, my Weim has a much higher hunt and prey drive but is a lot steadier (now!) than my cocker and a lot calmer in the home environment than the cocker - but she's had a good influence on him there. I have to handle my two in a different way but that's no great problem and could just be their individual personalities rather than a breed thing - the Weim likes very calm quiet handling and the cocker loves excitement and enthusiasm . IMO, big German HPR's and cockers compliment each other very well and 'can' bring out the best in each other too.

Good luck with whatever you decide

[SimonandMandy]

Another yes here too, we have a show cocker and he loves all the same activities your gsp does, especially blind and memory retrieves 

[terwish]

Another BIG YES from me too.

We have a GSP-Springer cross (Sparky-dog) - He looks like a GSP only a bit smaller and with vertical take-off & landing - and 2 cockers.  They are bestist mates. 

Sparky can outrun the cockers in speed and outstay them in terms of stamina but they absolutely love giving  him a run for his money and they are much smarter/ more savvy than he is.

Sparky is totally water-magnetised and the cockers have picked that up from him.  He was incredibly tolerant of them as puppies, hanging from his ears, chewing his nose etc Now if he gets fed up with them he just hoofs them with his nose!

We've never gone down the full gun-dog training route with Sparky - but it's incredible how much of his behaviour is instinctively GSP gundog.

One of the funniest things I ever witnessed was Pickle trying to imitate her big bro by pointing like he does .... it didn't quite go to plan..... Cockers aren't balanced in the same way!  So she ended up in a crumpled heap on her nose!


Trish XxxxX

[Hurtwood Dogs]

One of the funniest things I ever witnessed was Pickle trying to imitate her big bro by pointing like he does .... it didn't quite go to plan..... Cockers aren't balanced in the same way!  So she ended up in a crumpled heap on her nose!


Trish XxxxX

  Normy's 'point' can turn into a low stalk, I've only seen Dave try to do it once but he couldn't work out how to move his legs and stay low, or indeed why he was doing it so dropped it as a bad idea

[Bluebell]

Another YES here! I have a Hungarian Vizsla and two show type cockers, they compliment each other really well, though not worked we do agility for fun