Cocker spaniel

[Whisperquietly]

We want to get a dog. We have been waiting until DS (now 5) is old enough to be (reasonably) responsible around a dog. Having done some research, it seems that a cocker spaniel would be a good fit for our family.

Neither DH nor I grew up with dogs so it is going to be a steep learning curve. Please give me any advice, or tell me your stories (good and bad) of owning a cocker spaniel.

[BiteyShark]

The are two types, show and working. In theory the show ones shouldn't require as much exercise but I am not sure in practice if that is true as my working cocker is quite chilled and happy with a run once a day whereas I have read about people struggling to settle their show cockers.

Spaniels are lovely dogs but they can be very bouncy and I would say the worst trait is that they are hunting dogs so unless you manage that urge correctly you may have issues where they pick up a scent and off they go into the distance (I was warned about that by a farmer that works them so was prepared for that but it has been hard work and you can never fully relax on a walk as you always need to keep an eye on them to make sure they don't go hunting).

[ChilliMum]

I don't have a cocker (my db does though) but I have a springer (and had one growing up) and I think they are fairly similar.

You need to give them a lot of time and attention. If you work full time they are not the dog for you. They need plenty of walks and proper walks in the woods not just to school and back.

But they are more than worth it. Mine have had great personalities, very playful (amazed I have not broken my neck as my house is a landmine of tennis balls), very child friendly, so loving and always so happy to see me (even if I just leave the room to go to the toilet she is waiting with wagging tail on my return ).

I love the walking (for me it's a bonus), even if the bathroom needs cleaning etc dog must be walked as a priority

Only downside is we have no-one nearby to dog sit so non dog friendly day trips are out and we haven't taken a holiday that you can't drive to in the last 10 years.

No regrets though she is the most awesome dog ever IMHO

[Cabawill]

We have two Cocker Spaniels. They are now 9 and 10 and apart from a couple of ear infections and recently some teeth out, they have both been really healthy and fantastic additions to our family.

They hate being left alone for more than a couple of hours at a time so I wouldn't recommend them for anyone who is out of the house all day. They are wonderful with my children but do need two good walks every day else they get very bouncy.

[missbattenburg]

My parents have a cocker.

As a puppy she suffered separation anxiety terribly and up until a year old would howl and defecate whenever left alone. It was very distressing for all. She grew out of it and is now the most laid back dog when left - happy to spend time alone in the house, caravan or happy to be left with strangers for the weekend, Really chilled about it.

She suffers with ear problems and has pretty much all her life. She has also had intermittent mouth problems. Spaniels ears (and mouths, often) need dedicated care to keep them in tip top condition.

She is very hairy and needs a good daily brush to keep on top of tangles.

Like almost every spaniel I know, she steals socks. This is adorable when she steals an old sock and infuriating when she takes the sock you want to wear. Being a spaniel she can get lost on a walk by following her nose so needed lots of work when young to keep her following her owner. She still couldn't be totally trusted if a pheasant walked by her.

She took constant and patient training. She would never respond well to being told off or corrected in anything but the calmest manner. She remains strong willed and stubborn so needs coercing into doing what you want. She loves food so coercion is rarely difficult.

She is affectionate and loving and you can bank on there being a waggy tail when she sees you.

In her younger years she was energetic and loved nothing more than being involved in whatever her family were doing. A real adventure dog.

She was left in a military dog kennel when young (the thinking was that she would be happier in there than home alone). I think the other dogs were too much for her and she learned to bite first, growl later. This habit has never left her. The dogs she likes, she loves. The ones she doesn't, she hates.

She also barks at the postman and always has, despite them trying to stop her.

She stinks when wet. The car never really loses the smell of wet cocker.

She is one of the best footballers I have ever seen and loves nothing more than a kick about. Her ball control is truly marvellous. True story.

In short, she is funny and friendly and loves her walks and has coped very well with a full life in which she can never be sure what the day will bring. She is barky, stinky and grumpy to other dogs and a bit stubborn.

[Adarajames]

Need to be very careful considered, especially as a first dog. We get countless numbers of them into rescue at around 14months when they hit teenage horror time, are no longer so cute, fluffy and willing as when pups, and haven't been very well and consistently trained and so are somewhat out of control / snappy / shadow chasing / lacking stimulation and mind work as much as physical exercise. Having said all that, they are lovely dogs (in the main, come across a few very bitey / aggressive ones that can't be rehomed as so unpredictable, but can get that on any breed) as long as you are prepared to put in the hours of training which is ongoing, and find them a job (agility / flyball / trailing work etc) to keep them happy.

Oh and be careful where you get one from, are a popular breed from awful puppy farmers! Look at breed rescues, plenty of pups even in rescue.

[Imjustagirlwhobakes]

Cocker Spaniels are amazing. We got our first cocker spaniel as a family dog when I was 13, he was only 9 months old and we were his second home. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into, but luckily he settled in well and really became one of the family. When we lost him at 15 and a half years old there was a huge hole left in our family.

We couldn't live without a dog for long and in March 2017 we brought home a 10 week old blue roan cocker spaniel. She has been a handful from day one, so mischievous and even now will steal socks and tissues! But we would not be without her.

Definitely enrol in some puppy obedience classes, I don't think we would have coped without ours and we still attend weekly. There was a point that we thought she was untrainable and we were really worried but we persevered and eventually she started getting better. Also, crate training, it gives the puppy a place of their own and is brilliant for overnight and popping out for an hour or so as you can be sure they aren't getting into anything they shouldn't be!

Our cocker is not overly fussed on going for lots of walks, she is quite happy with a couple of short walks and a game or two of fetch in the garden. When she is out for a walk her nose is permanently stuck to the ground so even short walks can take a while.

As well as physical exercise they also need mental stimulation as well, so lots of find the treat games and practicing what we learn at puppy class.

They say red coated cockers are more crazy than black or blue roan but there are 2 red cockers in our puppy class and our blue roan is definitely the crazy one!

Make sure if you get one from a breeder that you see the mum, and that she is in good condition and see her interacting with her puppies.

They are a lot of hard work but oh are they fun!

[Whisperquietly]

Thank you so much for all the responses (and gorgeous photo!). It sounds like we’ll have our work cut out but I’ve found a local training class so hopefully that will help. I’ve looked on the KC website to find a breeder, so just waiting for a litter to come up in my area.

I’ve read that certain colours have different characteristics - does anyone know anything about that?

[Adarajames]

Be aware that even puppy farmers can register pups with KC, it doesn't mean they're coming from a good home!

[BiteyShark]

I forgot to mention that I struggle with getting mine to loose lead walk as do a lot of spaniel owners. They want to put their head down and zig zag about picking up the scent.

I haven't seen anything on colours other than personal preference. You should also research into the medical conditions they can suffer from although the parents can be dna tested to exclude a lot of them (be careful when breeders say they are health checked as that often means that a vet has done a simple check up rather than 'health checked for genetic conditions etc' which is different).

[GrimDamnFanjo]

I love spaniels. We had a working cocker who looked more like a springer.
I would say they are an energetic breed, they were hunting dogs and need a lot of exercise. They are Clever and very trainable, but can develop "cocker deafness" when a scent comes along.
Regarding colour issues, red/golden cockers can carry "cocker rage" so I'd do a. Bit of research on that if you are planning that colour.

[SwimmingInTheBlueLagoon]

Presuming you want a show cocker (which in my experience are far more laid back than the working type and don't have the same degree of hunting desire), then don't just go through KC Assured Breeders (there are some dodgy ones even on that assured list) and definitely don't wait for a litter to actually be advertised. Call the breed club (there are loads of area clubs, as well as the two national ones) and speak to them. They will know good breeders and which have a litter planned. Generally you need to pick a breeder first and (once they've decided your an acceptable buyer) get on their waiting list for their next litter.