do all show cockers have the personality of a tea towel

[Jamandcheesesandwich]

hi all

I am still pondering breeds and are now down the last two
lab and cocker

I am going for the show cocker rather than working due to the needs of the wcs being much higher than the show

the only show I have known had the personality of a tea towel

so please tell me about your show cockers , pictures too if possible

Me too lmao

Any reason why you haven't considered a flatcoated retriever?

My show cocker is a bit on the slow side to be fair. She's got the beauty but not the brains 😂

Very trainable though and puts up with my 5 year old.

I wouldn't be without her, she's the most gorgeous, daft, affectionate thing.... Does like to steal the remotes for the TV though

no reason tbh , tell me more ?

for those of you who need this, you know who you are

www.specsavers.co.uk/

My parents have 2 working/show cocker crosses and we have a lab. All are full of personality, very trainable and lovely dogs but one of the cockers can get a bit cross if she becomes overwhelmed and needs her space. They didn’t calm down until they were about 5 though! Our lab is the softest, most loving boy in the whole world and he can communicate so well just with his face 🥰. Here’s a picture of his favourite time of day, morning cuddles with mum.

<puts on reading glasses to...well...read>

Oh I know someone with flat pats. Beautiful, lovely dogs. Dim as anything 😂

Ffs!!! Flat coats!!

Not dim. Just hard to focus and motivate. Don’t confuse intelligence with trainability! They have a high prey drive and are a real handful but amazing if you want to put years into training and proofing.

I know a couple. One is an unruly horror. The other is lovely but the owner is an experienced trainer.

The crufts gun dog display team leader says something like you can train 10 cockers in the same time it takes you to train 5 springers or 4 labs or 2 golden retrievers or 1 flat coat 😉

My parents have a show cocker and he's full of personality.
He's a bit of a prima-donna but I think thats down to my parents spoiling him! That said, hes well trained and well behaved.

Another one thinking it was slow cooker...however, have now learnt so much about show cockers! 😆

@Jamandcheesesandwich
Flatcoated retrievers are slim and graceful with a feathery coat (particularly tail). They are relatively uncommon and tend to be owned by enthusiasts of the breed - once you've owned one flatcoated retriever you tend to go back for more. They do like off lead exercise and like to swim where there is the opportunity, and they wouldn't be entirely happy with short pavement walks trogging the same route every day. That said you don't have to do 10 miles daily; I do an hours off lead walk in the morning and they get 40 mins to 1 hour later in the day (ideally, but will accept less with good grace if there is a day when that can't be achieved).

They are quite clownish and amusing when young and my youngest flatcoat (coming up to 2) is brimming over with uncontainable enthusiasm on the first walk of the day. They are super friendly - almost to a fault (you will have to double down on training not to run up to each and every dog), and aggression in the breed is virtually unheard of

At home they are generally content to snuggle up and chill and are super affectionate.

And flatcoats aren't dim, they just have a personality and decide whether they love you enough to do your bidding. Mine can open the front door to let themselves in from the garden by using the door handle.

Flat coats are beautiful dogs, but they seem to be prone to health problems. Relatives of mine have lost 3 to cancer at quite young ages and were so heartbroken they couldn't face getting another.

I grew up with show cockers and now have one of my own who’s coming up to 18m. He’s carefully bred from a long line of show champions but living his best life being a family dog. We love him loads. All ours have had lovely characters- optimistic and happy, ever-wagging tails, soppy and a touch of the daft. Mine has been ok to train, not the brightest but generally he's keen to please me so he’s pretty good. No resource guarding here and it’s something we’ve trained to prevent from the word go.
Exercise - he generally gets 1-1.5hr in the morning and then about 40min in the evening but will walk all day with us if that’s what we’re doing, so he’s got good stamina. A common thing I’ve noticed around where I live is ppl thinking show cockers need less exercise than working - I don’t believe that’s true, and so you end up with overweight, bored, grumpy dogs (maybe with the personality of a tea towel?!). Ours has a great ‘off switch’ and is super chill around the house most of the time (although if the kids get boisterous or we are cheering sport on the TV he gets involved!). Easy to leave for approx 4hrs at a time if we need, delighted to see us whether we’ve been gone 4 minutes or 4hrs!! Pic for tax

Ahh I wouldn't base it on the personality of one dog. We have an 8mo springer and he has an amazing personality and is very intelligent. He's a mad bundle of exuberant excited loving playfulness. Yet we know another springer, 18mo, gundog trained, personality of a tea towel !! Very placid boring dog who just sits looking at his owner waiting for instructions while our boy is racing about and sniffing and investigating and having the time of his life. Our vet even said don't gundog train him as it would spoil his personality.

My friends are on their third flat coat. All bitches. Max 2 at a time, now down to 1 again.

First: black (the 'usual' colour), really well trained, one of my friends was an ex-RAF dog handler and really put the effort it I believe. Very driven, almost neurotic, loved sticks and the sea more than life. Would jump into bramble patches if you had poor throwing aim, and stand in the sea shivering refusing to get out.

Second: liver (also breed acceptable, but recessive), less effort into training, sort of let the older dog show her the ropes. Could not be arsed to fetch. Stubborn, lazy, lovely, licky, not a fan of water.

Third: liver again, the stupidest (and I love her, I really do) dog I have ever met. If she's stubborn instead she's the worlds best actress. Clingy, whiney, absolutely rules my friend now her partner has gone. Loves water, no danger sense. Higher energy than the middle one, but much less focused than the first.

I think they thrive either with one very hands on person who is their primary focus, and does a lot with them, (and they will be stubborn for everyone else) or in a very busy household with other dogs. I think to some extent all dogs adapt to their environment, but we do joke that the brown gene is also the stupid gene.

I read this as slow cooker, and wondered why you needed a slow cooker with a personality