Thoughts on working cocker spaniels please.

[SallyBear]

Thinking of getting another dog. We have a 9 month old yellow Labrador (field) and were thinking about a cocker as a companion for him. I'm a SAHM and DH works from home. Our lab gets walked three times a day, so isn't short of exercise. We wondered about a cocker because of temperament and size, though if our breeder has another lab litter we maybe tempted! Opinions please about cockers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

I would wait another year before getting a second dog in your position. 9 months is too small an age gap IME.

Have a look on this forum. It's fab.

www.cockersonline.co.uk

I have a 5 month old cocker and an 18 month old springer, both working. They are fab dogs. Our cocker is the most gentle little thing you could imagine.

Be prepared to to a good couple of long off lead walks per day, and they would still do more! We do a lot of training and mental stimulation too. Lots of scent work and the springer does agility too.

They are chilled and laid back in the house, I love spaniels but they are not for everyone.

Brilliant to train and very quick to learn, very food orientated.

We have a working one year old lab and 22 month old show cocker, the cocker keeps up with the lab no problems, the lovely thing is the cocker will sleep after, the lab would like to carry on thankyou very much!

I won't be getting another dog until the late summer after our holiday. I want to be able to house train in dry weather!

I wouldn't get a working cocker, no need as the non working ones can go all day!
We have two show cockers, can do tricks, great off lead (bad on lead) great with our two year old, loves everyone.
May be a different temperament to a lab though?

Yes temperament is something that is very important to us. Toby is the most gentle boy. Very patient and affectionate. Doesn't jump up or get on the furniture. Plays beautifully with my 8yo DS. They are inseparable.

Our cockers do jump and love playing they are very gently with our toddler, but I'd say they were on the run up and down the hall, spin round and chase a sent kinda dogs. Very affectionate but different to a placid lab.

my 6month show type has bags of energy so goodness knows what a working type is like!

Well my two working cockers are curled up on their beds fast asleep, they like to conserve their energy for a dog walk!!! Our old working labs were more bouncy in the house :).

My boy is a working cocker. He's a lovely, clever, affectionate little thing. Easy to train, well behaved and a nice size to have in the house. Just bear in mind that spaniels are closer to the ground than labs and have a shaggy coat in the winter and are a pain in the arse to keep clean!

Needs a good couple of walks as said above, or a long walk and some training at home. They like mental stimulation and are very quick to learn. A few minutes bouncing around with a ball in the garden is as good as a wall to my boy.