Any info on buying a Cocker spaniel for my family

[myflower22]

Hi All,
I'm new to this forum, and have no idea what I'm doing 

I wondered if you could help me. I'm looking to buy a dog for my family home. I have 3 children. age 10, 7, and 2. We are an active family that love walking, biking ect. I'm looking at the cocker spaniels. Please can you tell me if you think the cocker would make a good family pet? Also i know there is a working cocker and show cocker. Which one would suit us better? And this there anything i should watch out for? We are looking to buy one next year when my younger son turns 3 years. This will be June. I'd like to do as much research as pos, as I'd like to get the best dog for my family. As much help and info would be a great help.
Thank you

[JohnK]

Whilst I am on my 6th & 7th Spaniel I feel I may be able to help.

Cocker Spaniels are great family dogs who love to please and love to run and play.

Show cockers in my opinion are easier to train for normal family times and particularly with young children, though the children must not be allowed to treat them as toys.

Working cockers, whilst still great family dogs do require more mental stimulation and exercise.

I am sure there are many COL'ers on here who would be happy to let you and your family meet their babies, if you let us know which area you are in.

I hope my little bit was helpful, but I am sure there will be loads more advice flying your way. I have a 2 year old working cocker bitch and a 21 week old orange roan show boy.

[myflower22]

Thank you for your help.I was thinking show type would be better too Your cockers are beautiful. I'm very keen on the Orange cockers!! I live in Milton Keynes. Also would be very interested in any breeders on here that will be having puppies next year.  oooh this is making me all to excited

[sarahR]

Hi If you scroll down to the breeders part of the forum there are a couple of posts about buying a pup.

[piph]

Unfortunately, we are all a bit biased and will say YES    because this is CockersOnline, and we are all crazy in love with our cockers  

They are gorgeous, lovable, lively dogs, but probably not for everyone. For example, we, as cocker lovers, tend to not mind when our dog clambers all over the sofa with muddy paws to get to us to give cocker kisses - as far as cockers are concerned, sofas are for cuddles not for humans to sit on!  There are hundreds of other things that cocker lovers 'don't mind'.

Ozzy is my first cocker, and is only 19 weeks old so I'm still discovering how different he is to our last two dogs which were Golden Retrievers.  Although I did research, I'd already decided that I wanted a cocker, and nothing was going to deter me from it.  Don't get me wrong, I love Ozzy to bits and don't regret getting him for a second, but he's not easy!

Do your research carefully and well, ... decide what you want from a dog, and what you can give a dog, what type of behaviour you will or won't tolerate, and find a breed that fits your lifestyle. That may well be a cocker, but don't expect a cocker to conform to your idea of a well behaved dog.  They are loving, intelligent and very trainable, but mostly stubborn, as you've probably already found out if you've been reading this forum for long.

I'm sure someone will be along soon who can advise you far better than I can.  Good luck with your search.

[dipsydoodlenoodle]

I've only ever had cockers so I can't compare really, my OH has a lurcher at his parents and he has said that Charlie (cocker) is more affectionate and 'needy' - not needy in a proper pest sort of way, but needy as in he likes to play, have attention and give attention.

Charlie is my shadow - I do nothing alone, he's always there but I'd miss him if he wasn't always under my feet nosing at what I was doing.

I vote for show spaniel

[Rowan Liver Roan]

I also always had golden retrievers before getting Rowan (bitch show chocolate roan type). I loved my retrievers to bits and never thought any dog could match up but she is everything the retrievers were, loving, funny, intelligent and stupid at the same time. Two differences I've noticed is that cockers are more stubborn (retrievers are so biddable) but this gives added character and also you get all the gundog nature traits at a more manageable size. My retrievers weren't allowed on sofas as they were just too big, dirty and boisterous but as others say, the sofas are now Rowan's and we squeeze in where we can! Now I've had a show cocker I know I'll never have any other dog. She is perfect for us, two teenagers plus visiting/neighbouring young children. Outside she's active and would run for miles but inside very much a gentle loving pet happy to play and snooze or our laps. Do your research thoroughly as we did, take recommendations from others, go to shows/events to see the different strains. Most of all find a breeder who breeds for temprement and is health checked.

[piph]

I also always had golden retrievers before getting Rowan (bitch show chocolate roan type). I loved my retrievers to bits and never thought any dog could match up but she is everything the retrievers were, loving, funny, intelligent and stupid at the same time. Two differences I've noticed is that cockers are more stubborn (retrievers are so biddable) but this gives added character and also you get all the gundog nature traits at a more manageable size. My retrievers weren't allowed on sofas as they were just too big, dirty and boisterous but as others say, the sofas are now Rowan's and we squeeze in where we can! Now I've had a show cocker I know I'll never have any other dog. She is perfect for us, two teenagers plus visiting/neighbouring young children. Outside she's active and would run for miles but inside very much a gentle loving pet happy to play and snooze or our laps. Do your research thoroughly as we did, take recommendations from others, go to shows/events to see the different strains. Most of all find a breeder who breeds for temprement and is health checked.

Couldn't agree more with every point you make - except that at the moment Ozzy is too much cockerdile pup to be 'gentle'    Hopefully that will come in time. 

[Rowan Liver Roan]

That's a good point. Cocker pups are definate cockerdiles but thankfully do change and grow out of it to be lovely gentile pets. Retrievers are gentle even as puppies - that caught us out a bit. Again though, as experienced dog owners we could laugh it off as "character"! Glad she grew out of it though, but it is worth knowing about for the puppy stage and knowing it's not forever. Our cocker wasn't a cockerdile to young children funnily enough, but us and teenagers were fair game! She was very gentle with little ones. I've been following Ozzy's story on here, he's one of my favourites due to him being so gorgeous and naughty and I think his cocker character will all stand him in good stead. He's an amazing wee dog.

[GLORIA]

I have had this lovely breed, as pets, for over 40 years. I have also shown them and done Discover Dogs at Crufts. Mine have never been allowed on our sofa, they don't attempt it so it's not a given that they share your sofa ! Yes they come back from a walk often wet and muddy and again it's how you deal with it. Mine are confined to our lobby on an array of old bath towels till  they are fit to come any further into the house. Cockers either have to be groomed, by you, regularly and trimmed from time to time, by you if you want to tackle it or at a groomers so this something you need to consider. I feel that they are a breed which has to know the boundaries so you will need to start off moulding your puppy into your lifestyle, not the other way round. Please get your puppy from a reputable breeder not from a commercial source. Can I suggest that you go to some cocker spaniel club shows, there is one coming up at Roade, just a few miles from MK. Check out the Solid Colours website for details of this and the Coventry Cocker website as they also have a show coming up . Both would be well worth a visit and would welcome someone researching the breed

[sarahm2008]

I cant add anything to be honest, im a first time owner of a beautiful 19 week old orange roan show cocker. We have a 4 year old daughter and they get on like a house on fire!! He is the most wonderful, crazy little dog ever and I wouldnt change him for the world!
I did so much research into different dogs I even went on those crazy websites where you can do a questionnaire to tell you the ideal dog for you!! Cockers never came up but I was determined like most and I think if you fall in love with a cocker its hard to consider anything else! yes there is lots of grooming (I have this all to come) and yes at 19 weeks they are total cockerdiles (but what puppy isnt) but they have such wonderful temperaments and are everyones friends (definately no guard dog!) .

I would agree definately do your homework about where you choose to get your pup from - whatever the breed, we spoke to lots of people on the phone and after having numerous conversations with a lovely lady we decided to go over and meet her and her dogs. We ended up in the middle of no-where in a horrendous place which im pretty sure was a puppy farm. Make sure you meet the parents if possible, definately the mum and see them in their home environment. Most of all GOOD LUCK! If you decide to go for a cocker, do keep us posted, we love to hear about your new pup and I have found COL invaluable I have asked soooo many questions (many daft im sure) and there have always been so many replies which has really helped!!!

[karendorman13]

Kol is 15 weeks old and I too am a first time show cocker owner.I will also second what dispydoodle said about them being needy it is like having a toddler in the house he is always behind me. But then again he is so affectionate and he makes us laugh at least once a day. I would do your research it took me 12 months to research and find a good breeder.

[SophieBlueRoanLover]

We are now on to our 4th family blue roan show cocker spaniel, but my first (with my husband). There is no way that I could ever have any other kind of dog (seriously - never!), much as I adore many others. All of our dogs have been different, but all share the wonderful cocker traits of being beautiful affectionate companions. The description in the books of them as merry companions is so true.

My puppy hasn't been all that hard work - not as cockerdile-ish as some, I think, but he is quite needy in some ways, a bit barky, and doesn't sleep all the way through the night yet (mostly - he went through a stage where he did, and now it's intermittent - he's 19 weeks). We keep him in a cage overnight, which means that he has to make a noise in order to go out when he needs to "go" - previously we'd left puppies in the kitchen with paper down for them to go on and they didn't need to wake us up in the night! If you have a big enough house, with somewhere to put the dog over night or where you're out then I wouldn't bother with a cage.

I would totally recommend them as a breed - they really are the most wonderful little things in the world! Looking down at my sleeping puppy (sleeping on his blanket beneath my feet) now reminds me of Jerry Maguire - "you complete me"!! Sorry, that's really corny, but true!

[piph]

That's a good point. Cocker pups are definate cockerdiles but thankfully do change and grow out of it to be lovely gentile pets. Retrievers are gentle even as puppies - that caught us out a bit. Again though, as experienced dog owners we could laugh it off as "character"! Glad she grew out of it though, but it is worth knowing about for the puppy stage and knowing it's not forever. Our cocker wasn't a cockerdile to young children funnily enough, but us and teenagers were fair game! She was very gentle with little ones. I've been following Ozzy's story on here, he's one of my favourites due to him being so gorgeous and naughty and I think his cocker character will all stand him in good stead. He's an amazing wee dog.

Haha, thanks for that - he does seem to be making a remarkable recovery, but still looks very evil!  I'm sure when the scar has flattened out and his facial hair has grown back he will again be gorgeous!  Yes, he is definitely a 'character', and certainly keeps me busy, mostly removing something from his mouth, or trying to stop him chewing the garden wall (?) 

[myflower22]

Thank you for all your replies. I'm needy so we should get on just fine