Talk to me about Cocker Spaniels...

[Dollygirl2008]

Would dearly love one and after doing my homework for a year, I've settled on getting a puppy in the Summer.

I yearn for a cocker spaniel as I grew up with one, but obviously I didn't see the hard work my mum had to do!!!!

I've more or less decided they're not a "first time owners"'dog - or can it work?!

I have a cocker and a sprocker. They're amazing dogs, so loving and cuddly, Brilliant with DS who is 4 too. They need a lot of exercise, and regular grooming, but that goes with most breeds. Wouldn't be without my two!

In my opinion working cockers are not a good first time dog. Too intelligent and high maintenance. They can be surprisingly aggressive. But they are very beautiful.
But maybe a show cocker would be easier.

Two words - fucking bonkers - the dogs that is not you - they’re cute though

They are such lovely dogs! Me and DH grew up with dogs (me a springer spaniel) but both first time dog owners. We got a cocker spaniel pup in August as circumstances finally allowed. It was hard work to start with but have no regrets, and have never felt so loved as he is so affectionate and happy to be around us. He's brilliant with the kids and does need plenty of exercise but that does us all good.

We have 2 cockers (not same litter). Will yours be working type or show type? Ours are working type but are pets. First time dog owners too but like you we researched and decided we had time and patience for them.

You need to keep their brains occupied, as well as their bodies. It is also possible to teach them to chill although it took a while! Ours get min 1 hour walk a day, ideally separate so they get one to one time. They are the most loving cuddly dogs ever. They sit on you as much as they can as you can see from the photo I took whilst typing!!

Ours can be left for a couple of hours but no longer so if you are out more then doggy daycare might be good.

Clever, gorgeous nutjobs.

My first dog was a cocker, very hard work as a puppy but cuddly, a real velcro dog, and clever. She needed lots of brain work and games, loved being out in the woods but also just as happy flopped on my shoulder on the sofa. I've had the spaniel bug ever since.

I highly recommend the cockers online forum, lovely people and not sure I'd have survived the puppy stage without them!

@bengalcat

Two words - fucking bonkers - the dogs that is not you - they’re cute though

Agree! My parents have had two and they've both been completely mad.

The really important aspect is to decide between a working Cocker and a Show Cocker, essentially like having two different breeds!

My Working Cocker...endless energy and bored very easily, could run 30 miles in a day, swims straight out to sea after seagulls, (a km once)
Loving and smart as can be, steals everything, thinks for himself when you call him back before he decides to come.
Would be very unhappy if not with a busy family and tons going on, athough we don't work him, we have a 2 acre garden and extended family often outside with him, needs a couple of off lead hour walks daily as a minimum.

Show cocker...longer coat bit more maintenance, same loving gentle temperament, but happy to curl up with you on your feet after an off lead run, intelligent and easy to train, but follows commands without considering his options first!
Happy to play endlessly, and much less prey drive.

Both energetic, clever, trainable and very gentle, good with other dogs, children and love people in general.

I would caution against a working cocker if you are a first time owner.

Watching this thread with interest as we are on a list for a working cocker pup in the autumn. We'll be first time owners as well. We want a medium sized clever and energetic dog (three energetic DC to walk it, plus DH and I are runners) and one that's good with children - cocker spaniel seems to tick all the boxes. Visited last year's litter at home as wanted to be happy with parents, environment etc and it was great - they have kids and cats same as us and the parents were friendly and calm. One of my friends has a pup from the litter we saw and she is adorable - hard work (I suspect all puppies are?) but learning quickly. I'm super excited...

Definitely show cocker yes! Working cocker no. They’re basically different breeds. Give yourself an easy life and get a show cocker :)

We have opted for a working cocker as our first dog - I read with interest a lot of comments about them not being suitable for first time dog owners but I think there is a vast difference in the mind set and attitudes of first time dog owners. Like yours, our decision to have a dog at all was a long time in the making and so there has been a lot of research and we know that we have to keep the pup physically and mentally stimulated but we're okay with that - we've thought long and hard about it and we that fits with our lifestyle. Of course we need to make some changes but we're happy to do it and know it'll be hard work at times so I don't think a blanket not suitable for first time dog owners is quite right.

We have a 6 month old show cocker she is adorable BUT be prepared for how hard the puppy stage is especially all the digging in the garden, scratching furniture, jumping up and obviously getting up in the night for toileting. Definitely go to puppy training classes and buy lots of stimulating toys for the home, or just use empty card board boxes with a few bits of kibble in to keep her entertained. Her recall is great in the forest and has a good hour off lead then 20 mins walk early evening. She is full on but so cute and cuddly. Good luck

A friend got a working cocker as a first dog on a whim with very little research.

She was surprised at how difficult she was as a puppy and young dog. I have Vizslas which are also notoriously difficult puppies, and I did warn her there would be times when she would feel like leaving her at the side of the road somewhere and driving off!
She has been dedicated to training her, and has spent plenty of money on good outside help, however she has said that what I told her was entirely true.
She was on my waiting list for one of my Vizsla puppies this year when her dog would be two years old, but when it came down to it she felt she still didn’t have a good enough handle on her spaniel yet to be able to introduce another puppy.

I suppose what I’m saying is, it’s entirely doable as a first time dog owner provided you’re dedicated, practical, and have spare money for good training (not puppy classes, good 1:1 training).

Other breeds would perhaps give you more enjoyment and less trouble in the early stages, but Vizsla puppies are not dissimilar and I’ve let three out of my seven puppies go to first time dog owners this time. They waited on my list for nearly a year, were warned repeatedly that the puppy stage would be horrid at times, and all are doing well with regular advice and 1:1 training.

We have a sprocker do it!!!!

She has her moments but is amazing, you need to factor in time to train them. They do need exercise but they need brain work too,
We call it brain training .

Our pup 18 weeks gets a training session in the morn no more than ten mins (nice walking, sit, wait etc), a walk at lunch then another short session in the afternoon just a few mins here and there

She picks things up soooo fast. Ours has been slightly nervous with other people but to be honest I think we inadvertently caused that.

We had lessons from week 1 of getting her and that’s been invaluable because she’s so smart we have to be careful to train her to do the right things and also help her to settle and be calm.

We are first time dog owners although have always been around dogs and have had no more issues that people with what would be classed as more appropriate first time dogs

TLDR get the springer

Sorry i mean get the cocker spaniel

We have a working cocker, first dog as adults for both of us. I grew up with weimeraners which are also high drive, high energy, and sensitive and so far (6 months in) it has been hard work but no worse than expected. DS as a toddler was harder :-) DH, who grew up with a lab, is adjusting! If you know what to expect from spaniels and you have researched and prepared, and preferably also identified a trainer who knows spaniels, I would go for it.

I’d say don’t get a worker unless you are very active and also have time to mentally tire them out. Mines 10 and is not even approaching calm. The more you walk them, the fitter they get and the more they need. It’s a balance between physical and mental.

Excellent recall and very trainable but smart enough to know when the risk is worth the reward (stealing food etc). I’ve personally found it almost impossible to train out these sort of bad habits.

He will make a toy out of anything in a bid to occupy himself and plays too intensely for him to regularly have toys, he is utterly fixated on them. He’s broken teeth playing before and will just carry on and on until the point of exhaustion. I have a very tidy house with not much in dog reach for this reason.

He’d love to have a job, sniffer dog style. Very attached to me and very much dislikes children. Was great with other dogs but is more aggressive now he’s older. As a previous poster says surprisingly aggressive, and I’d agree.

I grew up with show cockers and would recommend them 100% for a first dog.

We have a 5 month working cocker and are first time dog owners. I have resisted getting a dog for years. DH has been surprised by how hard work he is (but then the same happened when we had a baby).

We have 2 teenagers so the walking does get shared between four of us, but I absolutely love him. We couldn’t have done it pre-covid, but WFH gives us more time.

Early days yet, I guess

Love them. First two years they're completely nuts though. I know four cocker puppy owners only one isn't in despair and that's because they had one before and knew what to expect plus he's unusually compliant and clingy for that breed so stays close. They are all ball obsessed too so accept you'll be throwing balls for hours!

We have a show/worker mix. He's a sweetheart, the cuddliest and happiest wee dog ever. Loves all the family, great with our kids. Happy with an hour decent walk per day, and spends the rest of his time lazing about.

He has a high prey drive and has been known to take off after a bird/rabbit/deer. His recall is generally OK, but something we're working on. He loves to walk about with a cuddly toy in his mouth, and treats the kids bedrooms like all you can eat buffets if we don't keep the doors shut!

It's such a shame really! They are lovely looking dogs and a good size but as others have said, utterly bonkers.

Thank you for all your insights! My other challenge is that yes I can work from home some of the time, but I am in the office a couple of days a week (doesn't necessarily need to be long days, but home-alone time would need to be built up to 4 hours and then doggy daycare if anything over.

Do any of you have advice around this and whether it's so-able with a cocker? That's when I then started looking at "calmer" breeds but my heart goes back to a cocker!!!!!

Never met a cocker that isn’t an absolute knob. Including my own. HTH.