Help me; working or show cocker

[SayItIsntSo1]

Hi,

I’m getting my research in ahead of hopefully buying a puppy next year. I’ve been through lots of different types of breeds but always come back to cocker spaniels.

I know both types can be good family dogs and that working cocker will likely require more exercise and stimulation. DH and I will be working from home, so walks and company shouldn’t be an issue. We’d also plan to use a walker/doggy day care if we were out for an extended period. Ideally I’d like a breed that, once big enough, could run with me as I’m a keen runner.

I really enjoy the thought of spending plenty of time working on training and building up a strong bond. I know working can be one-man dogs (more than show?), but not sure what that looks like in a family environment and DH and I will be splitting the weekday dog duties fairly evenly.

I keep being drawn back to working cockers, but don’t know if I’m being unrealistic about our ability to offer the right home and this isn’t something I take lightly. E.g. is a ‘working’ home the only right home?

We have experience of dogs (parents retrievers and grew up with family dogs), but haven’t owned our own. Kids will be 5 and 8. We live with access across the road to footpaths and fields so lots of rural areas to walk and explore.

Please help me stop going around in circles!

Also, any advice on finding/getting breeders to respond would be appreciated! I’ve sent emails through KC registered breeders site and champdogs but only 1 (non-positive) reply so far.

We have a pedigree Ftch working cocker - now 4 years old. Not a one man dog - loves me more than anyone but generally because I am generous with the cheese. Ball mad - so excellent to walk as recall is brilliant (gun training when little despite he would never work), no interest in other dogs, people, kids, bikes unless they are going to turn into his ball.

Dd was 6 when we got him - he has always been good with her - we now have a 6 month old DD2 - he is wary of her because she shrieks but has never shown the slightest aggression.

He has never destroyed anything in the house or chewed anything but he is exercised a lot so I think he is just permanently knackered - 4 adults, 1 child so normally 12+ miles a day plus playing at home.

Yes and he almost never barks - we hear it maybe once a month if something in the back garden spooks him through the windows. Dd2 heard it for the first time the other day and was so shocked she cried. That is a huge plus for us as I can't stand yappy dogs.

Mine has a tendency to bark, but he's calming down with age.

Agree with pp on having little interest in other dogs or people. He's never jumped up on anyone, and generally ignores or has a quick sniff of other dogs. Good recall too, seemed to be instinctive. Makes walking him a pleasure 🐾🐾

I think we have the laziest working cocker ever to have existed. She will happily run with me for 5 or 6 miles but is equally happy to sleep on the sofa all day too. Doesn't get bothered if she doesn't go out for a run every day. They are used to what routine you have with them after a while.

She is such a good little runner. Stays just ahead of me all the time and knows when to go faster or slower. Dodges puddles for me so I know where to go.

Agree totally with checking their line. Our 5 generation pedigree paperwork is covered in red. And that definitely shows in her excitement levels. I always say she's Jekyll and Hyde; the most laid back dog in the house, but put her in the car to go out and she's actually demented until you drive off. It's embarrassing.

Wouldn't be without her. She loves both me and DH and is fantastic with the kids. My youngest regularly dressed her in clothes and she just sat there loving the attention.

Very clever dogs but they are a lot more work than other types.

She's also prettier than a show cocker. Just my opinion of course.

We use a whistle when we're out with her. Instant recall.

I have American cockers - have you thought about them?

I have 2 show cockers. One is too young for canicross but the other will happily doing 5 miles ish. Both are relaxed, easy going, family dogs. They both love water and mud and hate the postman. One is a little food oriented but the other isn't that bothered. Both have been easy to train. They will both walk off lead for miles and miles but are equally happy curled up on the sofa. If the weather is awful and we don't go for a walk that day they aren't bother at all. I think the shows are more chunky / broader looking than the workers with rounder heads. They do need grooming. I did try keeping them in their 'show coats', so long and flowing, but it just wasn't practical for our lifestyle of beach and woodland walks, they would take forever to dry as well. So they are now clipped which is much easier to manage for us. Show cockers get my vote every time.

Ooo, interested in what you’ve said about show cockers @Hairyfairy01! I definitely have no interest in keeping up with a show coat and we will definitely be out in mud and water. I love a puddle as much as our kids do

I really do want something that we can get out and about with. Also interested in canicross or agility.

I am conscious that whilst DH and I are at home all day, we wouldn’t always be on tap to give loads of stimulation on demand. Walks and some brain work each day would be fine if they can also curl up next to us for periods.

Honestly, what's not to like about the show cocker 😃. There is no reason they cannot do canicross or agility work. Ok, you may not win any races or represent your country with a show cocker but you can still have a lot of fun with them.

I think you need to think about the ages of your children as well. At that age they are unlikely to want to walk for miles and miles each day in the rain, cold, dark etc. Show cockers tend to be a little more 'flexible' in their walks, loving a long run off the lead and equally loving being curled up by your feet.

In my experience show have more health issues. Brother had one died young then his next also has problems.
I had 2 working and one lived to almost 14 and my other fit and healthy at 10.
Both friendly is socialised properly

Honestly, it's like comparing having (human) boys & girls. They're all so individual!!!

I had a show cocker, people often used to stop me and ask if I showed her- within 30 seconds they'd have realised it wasn't it really an option! There was no way on gods little green earth that she'd stand still long enough to be shown 🤣🤣

She could happily walk for hours, run up & down the beach & play with any dogs mad enough to want to. Definitely NOT lazy nor heavy & broad.

She didn't have the 'round' head shape either.

She was very bitey as a puppy, and a nightmare off lead for a VERY long time.

She loved a good snuggle & hated being left alone

From what you've said , I think a show one would suit you better. Mine would happily run, but coped ok with days where it wasn't possible to run her for hours.

She was a blue roan and I miss her VERY much

Blue roan show cocker owner here. Happily walk for miles or do 20 minutes if the weather is grim, provided has a comfy bed to snooze on and company. Very food orientated but that helps with training. recall pretty good, but could be better (squirrels and picnics ) but that could be us as first time owners. good with people, scared of huskies and will bark at any husky we come across (traumatic experience with two when she was young) but otherwise very good natured and easy going.. has settled down and "steady" at 3 which is what we wanted. No health problems but bought from local breeder who did LOTS of health tests on her dogs and vetted the sires. Stopped savaging loo rolls at just over a year old, will steal and wolf down chocolate given half a chance (!) but otherwise has behaved as expected for a cocker spaniel. Not sure she could run for a 5k run but could possibly build up for that - a working cocker would be better for that. However, it is said that exercising working cockers doesn't necessarily tire them out, just makes them fitter.

Show strains typically have not had the same breeding pressure to produce a great all round temperament (I know some great breeders still aim for this, but generally) which means the dogs tend to be a bit grumpier - such as resource guarding or low tolerance around children, stranger or other dogs. I've known a few show strain dogs that behave like angels in the ring - but only ever in the ring.

They also have not always had the same pressures to breed for health and so have more medical problems. Allergies, saggy skin leading to lip fold problems, heavier ears leading to ear canal problems.

I grew up with show strain spaniels and love them dearly, but I would always now choose a working dog over a show dog. I'd personally rather deal with the need for lots of exercise and a job than the risk of poor temperament or the need for a vet vists several times a year.

Of course, there are show dogs out there that temperamentally and physically sound but my personal preference would be to avoid the risk altogether.

We have a working cocker, almost 6 months old and I can relate to what many posters have said. She seems more attached to my husband but he gets jumped on and scratched loads during zoomies so I’m happy to not be the favourite! The bitey stage is terrible - I think cockerdile sums it up brilliantly 😂

She is very loving, a bit too barky at times (usually when tired), doesn’t resource guard so far and playful.

We are on part three of a training course, all on zoom unfortunately and our trainer said they are very clever but hard to train as they are too busy with their noses to the ground all the time. That was a problem with toilet training as she was too busy stomping through the bushes in the garden to do what she was supposed to be doing. At five months she just got it. We hope to follow this up with gundog training.

We have had dogs before (Staffie, Boxer) and found all pups difficult to be honest, albeit in different ways. I adore our working cocker, she is lovely and I’m sure with practice and patience she’ll be a lovely well behaved dog.

Can’t comment on show cockers but I’m sure they are just as lovable. Good luck with whichever breed you choose OP. 🙂

We have a five year old worker. We absolutely adore him. He is everything we wanted in a dog and more. We spent probably between 6 to 12 months deciding on the breed. We considered a show, but prefer the ''look'' of the worker, and having previously had a golden retriever wanted something along the same lines but less stubborn and able to learn recall

He seemed to take a while to housetrain, but this fell into place a whole lot better when we dispensed with the puppy pads and took him outside more often.

He was a bit destructive as a puppy until he got his second set of teeth, at which point the chewing completely stopped, and he now just ''acquires'' things - shoes, socks, toys...anything just to hold in his mouth really. As far as resource guarding goes, this is probably his main fault...but it is only with his own ''space''.

He is loving, funny and extremely intelligent. He gets approx 2hrs exercise a day, usually split into an hour in a morning mostly off lead, then 30 mins ish early afternoon and another 30 mins early evening. He seems to thrive on his routine and is currently slobbed out on the couch farting.

He is basically full of character and personality, and we have embraced the ''bonkers'' He was from two family pets, so no close working history, which I do think helps. Sometimes when I read threads about workers I think we have a very laid back example...he certainly is nothing like the totally wired loon who would need 4-5 hours exercise a day and would be bouncing off the walls inbetween, which was what several people told us to expect, and said we would never be able to handle a spaniel. But maybe these people had never owned one...who knows.

Sorry to jump on your thread OP! I am on the waiting list for a working cocker - pups due in Feb. I was recently diagnosed with MS and I am currently very active and need a companion to help me stay that way.

We have three children, who will be 7, 15 and 17 when pup comes home. DD has already read Easy Peasy Puppy Squeezy and she's looking forward to helping me with training.

Any tips on where to start with training? Obviously toilet needs to come first. From what I've read, recall training can start pretty young. Any advice on that score?

@mynameisnotmichaelcaine we paid for training for our working cocker. Most areas will have a local training school and three courses cost us around £280. The advice and training (most of it similar to puppy squeeze) has been brilliant.

For recall we were told to start around the house and garden or when pup can go out on a long line. Call pup name here in a happy voice and when they come throw food on the floor by your feet (party at your feet was what the trainer called it), has to be high value treats though, we use small pieces of cheese. Our pups recall has been great with this method and so far she always comes back even when off lead now at 6 months old. Good luck with your new puppy.

@Jayne35 Thank you. 😊

@mynameisnotmichaelcaine no problem! I am also interested to know about things like training. I think we’d love to do a bit of agility, but also would consider gun dog training as well. There seems to be a fair amount around us when everything isn’t in lockdown!

The feedback from everyone has been really useful, thank you. DH and I have talked it through and we are looking for a worker. I think both are lovely, but when we look at pros and cons for both it’s probably more a worker we’re looking for.

Definitely going to wait until next year though to have DS a bit older and make sure our WFH arrangements stick etc. Hopefully the crazy COVID prices may have come down slightly by then too!

Loving these stories! Would also love to see pics of all these dogs

My WCS was the smartest puppy at the training classes we went to, but also the most keen on going to play with his friend/found it hardest to sit still, and at one point the trainer noticed he’d learned a command correctly but was pretending to get it wrong so we would give him more treats to do it again! We carried on training classes up to lockdown and could email trainer for advice if we had any problems (did this re separation anxiety at 6 months and resource guarding a bit later, both of which she had great advice on), and she did the Kennel Club Good Citizen awards and used positive training methods. We would have kept going if lockdown hadn’t stopped it all. It would be really worth finding a Zoom class just for reassurance and the extra boost to keep at it with the training.

Recall training - yes to starting inside/in your garden. Teach the pup its own name (say the name in an upbeat tone, if puppy looks at you, give a treat; repeat. Practise outside with distractions too - this way when you shout the name outside pup definitely knows who you mean!). Get Total Recall book now before you have the puppy and follow all the steps!

I've already read Total Recall too. I like to be prepared 😅 The puppy hasn't even been born yet!

I'd say with spaniels, especially working ones, getting them to do heel training early on is pretty key. I wish we had done more of it. Happypup is great on the lead about 50% of the time where he will do great loose lead walking but the other 50% he is v hard to hold on to as they are unbelievably strong.

@HappyThursdays

I'd say with spaniels, especially working ones, getting them to do heel training early on is pretty key. I wish we had done more of it. Happypup is great on the lead about 50% of the time where he will do great loose lead walking but the other 50% he is v hard to hold on to as they are unbelievably strong.

I agree with this, mine is horrible on a lead as he has always been off one. When he does have to be on a lead I cannot believe how strong he is (I always think about getting roller skates :D )

We are currently trying very hard to get our pup to loose lead walk, trainer advice of treats just does not work as she is uninterested in treats. I’m considering carrying a load of chopped up roast beef in my pocket as maybe she will want that 😂

Also, we bought an expensive reflective lead from pets at home which is going back as it has come unclipped a few times on walks (guessing because pup runs, pulls and twists).