Considering a Sprocker Spaniel for our first dog.

[lostguider]

Can I please have your views of whether this is a crazy idea or your tips to help please?

I have been researching but would like other views please.

The idea that good breeders never have a spare puppy is nonsense - I've known a good breeder have someone pull out close to collection. I would imagine that this is quite an issue at the moment.

However, I'd be a bit wary of someone mixing show and working lines. If you're breeding for work, you breed for work. If you're breeding pets (and there's nothing wrong with doing that) you only want the energy of a working line if you're looking for owners who want to do canicross or agility.

Whatever breed or mix you end up going for, OP, check out it's health issues. Cavaliers are a trainwreck, riddled with heart problems and syringomyelia. Dachshunds are very prone to back problems.

We have a sprocker, he's a very old boy of almost 15 now. Minimal health issues. Lovely gentle temperament. Lots of energy when young, marginally better than a full springer though. Terrible on the lead but was excellent without one so we could adapt to that as we live in the country.
I'm not sure I'd have another one though, I think they're a one person dog and everyone else is tolerated. Our terrier is a much better family dog, he loves everyone equally rather than just idolising one person (my DH) and tolerating the rest of us. I've seen that in a lot of springer/cocker/sprockers, it may be a spaniel thing.

I have a 10 month old working Springer who I love dearly, but he's not for the faint-hearted! I posted on here recently about how he'd driven me to tears on a walk - he is HARD work, and needs much more than an hour's exercise a day. We're working hard on recall but he has a strong hunting drive which makes it a challenge. We're also training him to walk on a loose lead, but this is taking a loooong time, so walks aren't relaxing at the moment - we have to be 100% focused on him, and a gentle meander through the countryside is a distant dream!

Having said that, he has a lovely temperament (absolutely no aggression) and he's calm and happy to snooze at home. He's also fine to be left, but we put a lot of time into training this. We waited years to get him, and I did endless research, and we're still finding this very hard, so I'd be wary of making a snap decision due to an available puppy...

We have a 6 yr old springer, she is slightly bonkers - but as long as she is mentally stimulated she is happy with 2 x 20 mins walk each day. Equally she will run 12 + miles with DH and as soon as they get back she will bring us her ball to throw - it's very true as a pp said - you can't wear a springer out, you just make them fitter!
As a puppy/for the first 2-3 years she was really hard work - training has to be an ongoing thing - even now I spend 20 mins a day doing some sort of obedience and/or recall with her.
She doesn't tolerate people she doesn't know - bizarrely the 'strangers' she loves the most are the ones who don't look at her, talk to her or touch her!?!
We are very rural & have around an acre of land,so she can go outside for a wee and spend as long as she likes.
We've been lucky in that she has never been a chewer and is happy to be left for a few hours - we have an outside kennel and run that she goes in when we go out (if it's not freezing cold) & she loves to go in there.
She is a shadow though - follows us everywhere!!
Pics of her at 9 weeks & about a month ago

Thank you everyone, we have decided that the Sprocker is not for us, we are now looking at a Cockerpoo.

Why a cockerpoo? I don’t understand this sudden craze for crosses, first sprockers now cockerpoos.

Why is it never a springer?
Or a cocker?
Or a poodle?
What is this this bizarre trend for mixes??

As an aside, cockerpoos are one of the most popular puppy farmed breeds and with high popularity comes behavioural issues...

At best most cockerpoos I’ve met are wild; extremely hyper and unable to settle and at worst aggressive and guardy.

You’d be much better off going for an ‘unpopular’ breed whose expected traits fit with what you are looking for.

Low prey drive for example given you said you have a cat (cockers, springers and poodles are all gundogs though I don’t think anyone breeds poodles for retrieving anymore)

An hours walk a day is likely not sufficient for any dog that has spaniel in it , including poodle x cockers .

There is no 'want' of a cross, I was googling best first time dogs and the Cockerpoo came up, so I then looked at breeders and in their information it says they make a great first time dog, so now I am looking at that breed, nothing is set in stone, just following where the information is taking me.

Interesting that you asked about Sprockers then

As cockerpoos came up...

I used to walk dogs. Working stock spaniel breeds need two hours out a day minimum. I have a Scottie now and even he, with his short legs and stocky little body needs that. If you can't get the average dog two - three hours out a day you've no business getting one. That is my view after being a dog walker for five years and owning dogs for twenty years.

Also we have trained him to be left alone from 9-5 as that's when I leave and get home from work. Never had a problem with that either.

See, even this doesn't bother me. Loads of people do it but don't admit it but as long as that dog is getting two to three hours plus decent exercise a day it's fine.

Lack of exercise and "what's the bare minimum we can get away with?" Really bugs me. Many dog behaviour issues can be explained by simple lack of stimulation and exercise.

Why am I brave to admit we leave our dog whilst we go to work? From a puppy we trained him to be left an hour at a time. He gets 5 miles of off lead walking plus a day. He has never barked, never cries unless the cat steals his biscuits on his way through which makes us laugh because their relationship is exactly like brothers. They play, cuddle up, get annoyed with eachother. My dog is happy and healthy, he is smothered with love, puts his nose on my face for kisses. He is an absolute joy and I don't think it's wrong to leave a dog on his own as long as they are properly trained. We have a stair gate on the kitchen but apart from that he has free reign of the house, most of the time I come home from work to find him curled up on my bed with the cat.

My cockerpoo is the sweetest gentlest dog ever. Highly intelligent, definitely has to be walked every day, but is content to sleep for long periods during the day. I would definitely recommend.

I have working-line dogs who are perfectly happy with between 50 and 90 minutes most days - 50-70 for the old guy and 70-90 for the youngster, with extra some days and at weekends. The key thing is to give them enough to keep their brains busy.

The issue isn't with the crossing of two breeds, it's with the motivation and behaviour of the breeder. Some breeders of pedigrees are shocking and some crossbreeders are very good. Generalisations aren't particularly helpful. Just look for a decent breeder who cares about their dog, considers things like health testing and inbreeding (if I was buying a spaniel, I'd insist on either stud or dam being tested for PRA, for example), and is careful about where the puppies go.

I will add that when we got him. We met him 3 times at his original home before we committed. We saw both his parents and his brothers and sisters who were all lovely and had lots of land to run around on. The family still keep in touch with us now and we send pictures and meet every summer for a walk with some of the other owners of his siblings. We trusted where he came from and as a result we've had a healthy dog who is gentle and as easy as what his parents were. I don't think rushing in to get a dog is responsible and growing up with rescue dogs, we learned that the hard way.

^There is no 'want' of a cross, I was googling best first time dogs and the Cockerpoo came up, so I then looked at breeders and in their information it says they make a great first time dog, so now I am looking at that breed, nothing is set in stone, just following where the information is taking me*

Well, in my opinion, a good ‘first time’ dog would be one of low to moderate prey drive, who isn’t super intelligent, low guarding and a keenness to work with people, in other words not independent.

I wouldn’t go for anything insanely popular, which cockerpoos definitely are because when a breed gets popular you get a lot of people breeding purely for profit and you end up with dogs of a poor temperament.

I would say a cavalier would be ideal but don’t feel I can recommend due to their poor health.

I think I’d be looking at breeds like:

• Tibetan spaniel
• papillon
• Staffordshire bull terrier
• Bichon frise
• Bolognese
• Maltese

Though a lot of my suggestions are quite small.

I think you should go with a lab, OP. That's my opinion.

There is no 'want' of a cross, I was googling best first time dogs and the Cockerpoo came up, so I then looked at breeders and in their information it says they make a great first time dog, so now I am looking at that breed, nothing is set in stone, just following where the information is taking me.

But a cockapoo isn't a breed, so what you need to do is look at cockers and poodles and decide whether you could cope with the worst mix of both breeds, as that's what you could end up with.

For example, both breeds require regular grooming - can you afford to take them every 4-6 weeks? Do you have the time to exercise them regularly and work their brains - cockers love "hunting" so things like hiding balls and making them find them is a great way of tiring them out. Poodles love water so can you take them somewhere where they can swim?

The other thing with crossbreeds is where you're getting them from. Is the breeder reputable? How many breeding bitches does she have? How many litters have they had? Are the parents health checked?

The issues when considering a first dog are:
How much other dog experience do you have? Did you grow up with them, or live with someone who had one?
Do you have people around you who can give you solid help and advice (the breeder if they're good, a mate who is a behaviourist)?
How active are you? How weather-proof?
How much time, money and energy do you have?
What's your personality like? Can you be disciplined and consistent (because if not, don't get a dog with any sort of prey drive)?

And then think about:
What sort of dogs appeal to you in terms of temperament and looks? Size? Do you want a dog you can train, or do you just want a cheerful companion which will walk okay on the lead, come when called and not crap on the carpet? Some breeds need to be trained, or they will find their own entertainment.

And then research the health issues, exercise needs etc of the breeds or types that interest you.

Here is my old girl - she's around 11.5 years but we don't know her exact birth month as we got her as a young adult/ teen equivalent in dog terms. She was from a breader who had had a nasty fall and broken her hips, been hospitalised for months and didn't regain mobility so had to give up her dogs, or rather her son handled it for her. Our dog was unsocialised and had been keneled for a long time in her young life so took a bit of breaking into family life.

I read some great American books on dog keeping before I got my first, over 20 years ago. We didn't have dogs at home as a child but both sets of Grandparents had them. I liked the real life attitude about people working and life phases changing rather than the pretence that no one ever leaves the house and only holidays with their dog.

I'm pleased to see some people on the thread mentioning leaving dogs. I did with my first, who I had from a puppy and she was trained in this way, it was what she knew. As a balance on her pack time, she slept at the foot of the bed. Whilst I was out at work a certain number of hours the time I wasn't at work she was with me.

The working dogs I know spend maybe 15 hours outside/ in a run/ kennel/ farmyard. Longer in winter. So they aren't necessariyly with their pack 24 hours a day. But when its really cold I know more than one farm dog thats allowed to sneek into the house.

Its refreshing to see comments being taken on board. Its a big but wonderful and rewarding decission to get the right dog.

I'd second the comment upthread about a lab. Or if you like a cross and something a little smaller a labradoodle. A friend, with severe arthritus so can't do long walks, has one who will happily play squueky ball for 30 minutes rather than walk. If she's entertained she's very happy.

Labradoodle Breed Highlights pinched from pets4homes
Positives

Labradoodles shed little hair, although some shed more than others
They are highly intelligent and learn things quickly
They have kind and affectionate natures being very biddable by nature
They are a great choice for first time owners
They love taking part in all sorts of canine sports
They are very playful and remain so well into their senior years

Negatives

They are high maintenance on the grooming front
They can be mischievous at times thanks to them being so smart
Labradoodles are high energy and need lots of attention and exercise
A well-bred Labradoodle is expensive to buy
They can suffer from some of the health issues that affect their parent breeds

Or if you like a cross and something a little smaller a labradoodle

😱
Labradoodles are enormous!
Or at least the ones I’ve seen all have been.
They don’t seem to be anywhere near as popular as the cockerpoos so I haven’t seen that many, maybe 5 or 6, but they were all big dogs.
Bigger than a Labrador.

Yes, the labradoodles I've met are massive!

We have a working cocker and she is fantastic but she is a very active and busy dog. She's hilarious and very loving, but she does like to be involved in everything. She's seven now but has the energy levels of a puppy still so everyone thinks she's v young she's bomb proof off-lead though.

The cockapoos I've met have been batshit tbh so that would put me off. The ones I've known just have insane amounts of energy but don't seem as biddable, or perhaps have just been poorly trained! I think crosses like that are a bit of a gamble anyway.

I know one labradoodle - she's deffinately smaller than a lab. Midway between a cavalier and a lab. Maybe she's a small lab cross toy poodle - would that happen?

Rhetorical question, just googled, rare to have a unique though its a mini labradoodle. Lots of lovely google images

Honestly, most of the issues people have brought up w sprockers are also going to be issues with cockerpoos.

What exactly do you want from your dog? Do you have DC (ages etc)? Will someone be home all day? How much time and energy do you have for regular walks, grooming, etc?

Friend got one and the breeder has one left - classic tale of puppy farming I’m afraid. Don’t do it.

Plan reserve and wait from a reusable breeder

My friend has a Springer and he's lovely. Amazing with children. But he has 4 hours of walks per day plus a swim and he'll go running with her husband in the evening g as well.

You just can't tire him out. Buy if you u have the time then why not.