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Original poster

Cocker Spaniels

57 replies

Millarkie · 10/04/2008 21:04

We are looking into getting a dog later on this year. I think acocker spaniel would fit the bill but would like to hear from cocker owners - how much walking do they need, are they daft as a brush, do they tend to be good with children (7yrs and 5yrs)..and is there any chance that they will get on ok with cats?

Thank you.

OP posts:
ChasingSquirrels · 10/04/2008 21:08

our never had much walking, more when she was young but for the last 4/5 years (she is 11 now) she gets a walk a week (at most). We have a decent garden that she has access to.
as a younger dog she was daft, but no where near as mad as a spring would be. She has her moments, but generally no she isn't daft (they were working dogs and are reasonably intelligent).
I grew up with cockers, and now have ours with kids (2yo & 5yo) and have only once had ANY problems (that was when I was about 11 and was teasing ours like mad and she snapped at me - a warning not massively accressive, I knew damn well it was my own fault and never told anyone).
No idea about cats, we trained ours to chase them out of the garden

hercules1 · 10/04/2008 21:10

Pretty much okay with kids but choose from a good breeder. Needs walking every day preferably 2 1/2 walks. We do it in one hour each day. There is a really good cocker forum. Think it's called cockersonline.

ScienceTeacher · 10/04/2008 21:13

We have a cocker spaniel, now 2 years old. Absolutely fab dog with little ones. She takes a fair bit of abuse from my 6 year old but the most she retaliates is a growl.

She gets two shortish walks a day where she is basically off-leash. She darts in and out of bushes and basically covers 10x the distance you walk. She always stays close and is friendly with other dogs. When I am off work, I take her out for 45-60 minutes which she loves, and then she spends the rest of the day conked out.

dizzydixies · 10/04/2008 21:15

we have a cocker/collie cross and she's brilliant. the collie part calms her down a bit and she is very intelligent and was very easy to train

my brother and his wife etc have just bought one and she is a wee bit wild, then again their idea of dog training is a bit different to ours

ingles2 · 10/04/2008 21:20

our cocker has been a fab pet...we got her when ds's were 2+3, and has taken soo much abuse wih a smile on her face(!) she's pretty lazy, needs an hour a day walking and a few tennis balls hit down the garden. She is stupid, no doubt but is very well behaved, always comes/ waits to command and our cat is her best friend (not sure the cat always feels the same!)
She's was also very funny with the ducks (before the fox got them) and let them lie next to and under her...funny dog
she's on my profile have a look....

sorkycake · 10/04/2008 21:24

Not the best breed with kids, you could try a Cavalier instead, nicer temperament imo

Original poster
Millarkie · 10/04/2008 21:27

Sounding good!

Next question - can anyone recommend a good breeder in Essex/Cambs/Herts area?

OP posts:
Original poster
Millarkie · 10/04/2008 21:29

Oooh - sounding good - except for the last post.
Dh says 'no' to cavs because they are too small and girlie (!)
We have been looking for a compromise as he likes labs/retrievers/collies/springers, and I think that they will need more exercise than we can offer (we live in the country with great walks on the doorstep but 1 hour a day is my limit really)

OP posts:
hercules1 · 10/04/2008 21:31

Go to the cocker club website and you can phone them and ask for names of breeders with puppies in your area. It's a good way to ensure good breeding. Havin researched them before hand we woudnt have bought one anyother way as they can be a bit tempremental.

ahundredtimes · 10/04/2008 21:33

We have a now nearly 20 week old cocker spaniel puppy. Perfect with kids - I can't understand the thinking that they are not. But they ARE very sociable, and you can't really leave them on their own if you work outside the home or aren't at home.

Two strains: working and show - look into that and decide what you want.

Not the brightest dogs on the planet - but mine is VERY trainable (for food) and just very amiable AND very characterful. I think I value character over advanced intelligence in a dog - also the brighter the dog, the more exercise, games and stimulation you need to offer.

i work at home - walk him first thing, then he sleeps under my desk all day. He plays outside (small garden) and gets another brisk jaunt in the evening.

The nicest thing is the waggling bottom and sheer overwhelming DELIGHT in meeting everyone and anyone. It is very winning.

Herewith ends my lesson on cocker spaniels. Oh - you could look on the Kennel Club website for a breeder perhaps? I did.

dizzydixies · 10/04/2008 21:33

do you not fancy a cross? we got Hollie from a lady who had a cocker and next door had a collie - for £50 and she's been fantastic

also a bit bigger than a cocker due to collie legs making dh not feel as if he is walking a midget dog

hippipotami · 10/04/2008 21:34

Absolutely fantastic breed with kids. We got ours when the dc were 6 and 2.5 years old respectively.

They have superb, funloving, funny personalities. They are daft in a cute way.

Our Cocker gets a 45min off-lead walk in the woods every other day. (This invariably includes a swim in the lake too ) The rest of the time he has unlimited access to our large garden and gets taken to the local football field where ds will throw a ball for him or kick a football about.

Incidentally, my SIL has a cavalier which is awful with children, growls if my youngest so much as walks near her, and has no personality other than couch potato. (But we love her anyway, the dog that is...)

The only thing to be prepared for is that Cockers are members of the gun dog group. This means that when a pup they will 'mouthe' more than other breeds. (mouthing being chewing and nipping your hands/feet/trouserlegs/pull the socks off your feet etc.
I was told they do this in order to learn to be 'soft mouthed' so that when they work as gundogs they don't bite the birds to pieces when retrieving them.
No idea if this is true or not, but for 6 weeks or so we were all being nipped continually and dd even took refuge on the back of the sofa once

But I can wholeheartedly recommend them as a breed. There are 6 (belonging to different families) at the school gate every morning, meaning they must be good family dogs

ahundredtimes · 10/04/2008 21:37

Also cavaliers do have those weird poppy eyes and no nose. That is not a good look.

Beauregard · 10/04/2008 21:38

First and only dog i ever had.

Barked constantly and bit us a few times and was neurotic and was severly ill from the age of 2 until he was 9 when we had to have him put down as we/vet had done all we could for him.

When he was none of the above he was lovely(my 1st baby really)

hippipotami · 10/04/2008 21:54

Have added picture of ds and Daft Dog as a puppy to my profile pictures page.

Feel free to look and go 'awwww' because I still do even though they are both now nearly 3 years older!

hippipotami · 10/04/2008 21:55

I know ahundred, those bulgy eyes are a bit freaky... (my sil's dog always looks like she has just sat down on something painful and is experiencing that 'wtf is that up my bum' moment....)

hippipotami · 10/04/2008 22:00

But, before we offend all cavvie owners on here, they are cute in their own little way.

But a Cocker is a 'real dog' in a slightly smaller body.
Cockers used to be working dogs, Cavaliers were bread purely for company / lap dog duties.
As such they just lack the 'get up and go' purpose which Cockers have in spades!

Daft Dill is nearly 3. And he is the funniest, cutes, grumbliest (he actually thinks he is talking ) most sociable dog I have ever come across. The tail wagging when he sees one of us (even if we have only popped to the loo) is second to none. His enthusiasm for belly rubs, ball games, tug of war, food, treats, a cuddle, the post falling on the mat, and a hundred other things is contagious. You just cannot be sulky and grumpy when in the company of a Cocker.

floaty · 10/04/2008 22:10

Hippotami are you the person who got their cocker from a breeder in Essex ,he sounds like he has a lovely temperement and we have def started to look .

Original poster
Millarkie · 10/04/2008 22:16

LOL Hippopotami!

Ahundredtimes - do you never leave your dog alone in the house? Dh and I both work (although I'm part-time) but we will have an au-pair in the house most of the day, (and my mum sometimes, and we have a dogwalker who lives on our lane if we need one) - after the first few weeks 'dog' will need to be left for an hour or two by itself though....is this not possible

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hippipotami · 10/04/2008 22:16

Yes, that is me
He is lovely, utterly lovely. His only vice is that he launches himself on any guest coming through the front door. Great if that guest is a doggy person, not so great if they are not.
Daft Dill has not yet learnt that not all people love him

ChasingSquirrels · 10/04/2008 22:17

lol - my 11.5yo cocker hasn't learnt that either

hippipotami · 10/04/2008 22:18

Ah Chasing, I was hoping it would come with age...
Never mind, it is one of his vices I can live with

floaty · 10/04/2008 22:21

Was it the person called Terri?!

ahundredtimes · 10/04/2008 22:27

Mill - oh I don't know. I work here, so does DH we are pathetically housebound and boring and drink too much coffee and talk to the dog too much. But yes, we do go out without him for an hour or two.

I'm sure an hour or two is fine. Ask the others about it - I just remember lots of people saying to me Cockers are not dogs that can be left on their own all day, which is different to an hour or two.

[drinks coffee]

hippipotami · 10/04/2008 22:28

Floaty, yes she was! How do you know???