Meet the Other Phone. Protection built in.

Meet the Other Phone.
Protection built in.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

The doghouse

If you're worried about your pet's health, please speak to a vet or qualified professional.

Working cocker, labrador, flat coated retriever, golden retriever

64 replies

Han23 · 11/01/2016 09:17

Any thoughts on these breeds would be much appreciated as thinking of getting a puppy for our family with 3 youngish kids. Plenty of outside space. Although beautiful, slightly off the GR now due to malting. Many thanks

OP posts:
Thread gallery
10
ExitPursuedByABear · 11/01/2016 11:55

What is this malting of which you speak?

villainousbroodmare · 11/01/2016 11:56

Flat coats are gorgeous but the three I've known have died of cancer by the age of ten.

Gliblet · 11/01/2016 12:01

Golden retrievers are lovely beasties but, yes, very hairy potentially. If you get one it'll need daily careful/thorough grooming particularly when moulting. That said, our old daftie used to enjoy being hoovered (gently, on the 'soft furnishings' setting) so that made it easier Grin They're also absolute piglets and will eat anything, but this can help with training (food as a motivation/reward). Intelligent, loyal, gentle.

Be careful to look out for any history of hip dysplasia in the pedigree line (a good breeder will know about this and be able to reassure you).

DramaAlpaca · 11/01/2016 12:05

I'd have to go for the working cocker, but that's because I'm a spaniel person to the core.

I have springers, and by god do they moult. I have to get the hoover out every day even though the spoilt little darlings get brushed regularly.

TheoriginalLEM · 11/01/2016 12:47

i didn't know that about the flatties :( that was most definitely on my shortlist for next dog.

a working cocker is definitely high energy though. which with three kids may well be just great.

if shedding is an issue.....shhhhh. come over here and let me whisper. don't tell anyone i said this but what about a labradoodle (they do tend to be huge though) or a cooker poo? no garuntees but ive heard they aren't malted. if you try to get a second or third generation dog (££££) they are more likely to be non shedders but cant be 100%.

kelda · 11/01/2016 12:53

We have a wonderful cocker spaniel (working variety). Also three children under 12, one with special needs. She absolutely adores children. We met her when she was 1 month old and got to know her before bringing her home at 2 months. She is lively and wants to play all the time, although when ds isn't feeling well, she does settle down and doesn't bother him. We take her out for plenty of walks also dog school, although she is hard to train! She's not stupid, but if she thinks she can get away with it, she will try.

lavendersun · 11/01/2016 12:54

Gliblet - I have a brush that I attach to my dyson for my Lab - she loves it ...

www.dyson.co.uk/vacuum-cleaners/accessories/groom-tool.aspx

Very satisfying to see the cylinder full of blond hair.

Noitsnotteatimeyet · 11/01/2016 12:54

Can I throw another retriever into the mix? We have a Toller and he really IS the best family dog in the world Grin

Tollers are the smallest retrievers - about the size of a small collie - fox red, very energetic when out but chilled at home. The breed standard demands a playful temperament - and ours certainly conforms! They do shed but nothing like the amount coming from labs or goldies- their fur is very different, much softer and less oily and they have much less of a doggy smell.

The only downside is they're quite rare so you'd have to wait a while for a puppy

Working cocker, labrador, flat coated retriever, golden retriever
Working cocker, labrador, flat coated retriever, golden retriever
Working cocker, labrador, flat coated retriever, golden retriever
kelda · 11/01/2016 12:55

This is the first year with our working cocker, and she is starting to malt a bit but so far barely noticeable.

cashewnutty · 11/01/2016 12:59

I have a 4 year old yellow lab. After the puppy madness she developed into the loveliest, calmest dog. We all adore her. However she needs two good walks each day and we can't go away for very long unless we have someone to come in and check on her, walk her and feed her. I don't really notice the hair as i have decorated my house in shades of lab!

MooseAndSquirrel · 11/01/2016 13:00

My black lab is lush, hes 3 now so pretty chilled - great with the kids (7 &1) but omg the hair!! I hoover twice a day, brush him dailey but its still everywhere....ive been tempted to veet him many times if I'm honest....hes still worth it though, daft buddle he is Grin

cashewnutty · 11/01/2016 13:00

Here she is.

Working cocker, labrador, flat coated retriever, golden retriever
MooseAndSquirrel · 11/01/2016 13:00

Any excuse to share a pic ;)

Working cocker, labrador, flat coated retriever, golden retriever
banff82 · 11/01/2016 13:26

All gorgeous dogs in the photos; teatime your boy looks amazing, I forgot about Tollers - OP you should definitely consider them as a potential match for you. They aren't common but not super-rare either. Nice size, good temperaments and lovely to look at.

BeachysFlipFlops · 11/01/2016 13:53

My working cocker doesn't moult at all Confused she's got a bit of Springer in her, but can't see that helping! She's 8 and lively, but not nuts either..... There were all sorts in her litter, but we went with the middle of the road one. All the nuts ones went off to properly 'work' on local farms or hunts!

Han23 · 11/01/2016 13:58

Helo -Toller looks great - beautiful pictures!!! - so any more information would be perfect! Moult less than a working cocker?! It is the first time for me to have a dog so would the Toller be a good recommendation? Thanks so much

OP posts:
Madblondedog · 11/01/2016 14:02

Lavender that dyson tool looks brilliant! Do you have to do any other grooming on top of that?

Sorry for the hijack OP

I LOVE my labrador, he's cuddly, gentle and incredibly lazy (no idea why I have the only lazy labrador!) but he makes a hairy mess everywhere he goes and somehow even in places he doesn't go

Han23 · 11/01/2016 14:03

Helo -Toller looks great - beautiful pictures!!! - so any more information would be perfect! Moult less than a working cocker?! It is the first time for me to have a dog so would the Toller be a good recommendation? Thanks so much

OP posts:
Kingfisherfree · 11/01/2016 14:10

I have a working Cocker and she is pretty hard work. I walk her about 1.5 a day + training and making sure she works on walks. She has a switch you have to teach her to switch off otherwise she would keep scooting around all day.

I wouldn't have another working Cocker.

I also have 6 month old Standard Poodle, I can't recommend this breed more highly. He is calm, gentle, intelligent, courageous, fun and loving. A totally stable dog and he is only a pup!

Dibaba · 11/01/2016 14:18

Why is everyone saying 'malting'

It's 'moulting'

AlpacaLypse · 11/01/2016 14:29

As a pro dogwalker and carer I have experience with all of these.

All dogs are different, however as a very big generalisation Labs are brilliant family dogs. However they do moult, and they adore mud. Don't think about them unless you have an outside hosepipe and a utility room that you can access direct from the garden where they can be towelled and then left to dry off a bit.

Cockers are also good family dogs, but they want to work, and will instinctively go nose down and off in search of rabbits etc, at which point they go deaf. However they do respond well to training.

Golden Retrievers, certainly show-type ones rather than working line ones, moult worse than almost any other breed I can think of. And they like hurling themselves in filth. And all the ones I know are sweet, but deeply dim.

Flatties are absolutely beautiful. But as pps have said, cancer is a massive issue in the breed. A lot of work is being done by breeders to try and clear it back out though.

They do like water and mud but the coat isn't quite so thick and difficult to care for as the Goldens.

Pure bred poodles are wonderful dogs, very intelligent.

If you do go for one of the doodles or poo crosses, really do your research about the breeder. I know one lady who breeds a litter only every three years or so, her cockerpoos are great examples of family dogs. But I know of far more who seem to have ended up with the worst traits of both sides and there are terrifyingly large numbers of dodgy bastard breeders involved. They're entirely capable of temporarily moving a litter of pups into a nice warm family kitchen to make it look like they're home bred just for the day that innocent punters come to look before sending them back to the dirty sheds that they really force them to live in.

The pointer type groups do have the benefit of much shorter easier maintenance coats. However all the young Vizlas I know are completely bonkers!

English pointers are very shortlived Sad

German and Spanish pointers well worth considering.

samandcj · 11/01/2016 14:41

I vote for flatboats! I chose my first (liver) when the children were small. Their temperaments are amazing..... not a nasty bone in their body. I have never seen any aggression.
They do like company ....not a dog to be left at home all day. They are also very slow to mature....my latest is 6 and is still as daft as a brush.
He is very handsome, coat manageable. My first died at 12 of a heart problem, my second died at 12 of a joint infection.
I also have a collie - the flatcoat is so much easier to live with!!

lavendersun · 11/01/2016 14:41

Madblond - no, that is it, once or twice a week. You will have to restrain yourself at first if you buy one otherwise you might end up with a bald dog.

The rest of the time we come home very wet and muddy and I use one of those microfibre glove things on the worst of it daily but that is only so that she doesn't leave a wet muddy stain on the unwashable seagrass matting that is in one half of the kitchen I am a fool, never again.

It has definitely stopped the 'tumbleweed' effect in the house.

Madblondedog · 11/01/2016 14:45

Thanks lavender Ddog has a towelling bag for those situations, he sits in it by the front door and then i carry him to his bed Smile. Thankfully he's a smaller labrador!

Will definitely have to try hard to not get over excited and end up with a baldy

Bubble2bubble · 11/01/2016 15:05

I think AlpacaLypse sums it up very well. Agree that one of each would be lovely! With all these breeds you need to think hair, and mud. And then some more mud. And oh yes, muddy water is also good. Add in a bit of puppy chewing and and say goodbye to your naice house,and hello to the world of dog ownership where you will forgive your cute hairy bundle of dogginess just about anything because you love them :)

If you want to avoid the puppy stage these types of dogs do come up in rescue, often as failed gundogs or discarded family pets who proved too high energy.

Swipe left for the next trending thread