Need your HELP with choosing the right breed!!!

[YourRubyHiker]

Hi all,

I really really need someone else’s input here as I feel like I’m going in circles.
my husband finally agreed on getting a dog for our family (two kids, 8&3). He was adamant that he liked cocker spaniels. We researched the breed and talked to the owners of the ones we knew. Ended up putting a £100 deposit on a puppy (mum’s parents working cockers and dad is a show cocker). Now the more I learn about gundogs the more I get worried that we won’t be able to provide our puppy with adequate training. They seem such hard work, everyone says to do scent work, super long walks (no problem, I can walk it 2h a day) and they are like boys with ADHD (as in don’t listen, recall is hard work, adult distracted and pull on the lead).

I really wanted a Cavapoo (health tested parents of course!). Small-ish, cuddly, easy to train and generally a calm teddy bear for my kids to snuggle with.

Proper getting cold feet now. It’s not too late change it, the spaniel puppy will find a home no problem - his sisters were taken the same day the ad was published.

I’m planning on taking our dog to puppy classes. I’m planning on crate training (initially at least - mainly to provide a safe space away from kids). We can walk our dog 2x day for 40min/ hour and we have a big garden. My kids would love playing with it and I can do 15/20 min training every day.

Has anyone got experience with either breed? Any advice?

Apparently that is not true according to our in house spaniel expert. I had 20 shows cockers and would agree with you.

Honestly. If all cocker spaniels are neurotic and suffer from ADHD, one would wonder why you kept persevering and had 20 of them. Surely the first two or three would have put you off having more.

I've looked after a working cocker, and TBH they aren't for everyone....

Pros
Medium sized
Rarely aggressive
Potentially obedient
Really looses a ball
Quite like a cuddle
Can be calm after extensive exercise.
Easy to crate train
Good swimmers

Cons
Require EXTENSIVE exercise, at least 1 hour a day of intense activity
Have no off switch 95% of the time
Often ball obsessed
Not massively interested in other dogs, but usually sociable enough
Have a degree of dog odour which will permeate your house, but you may not notice it.
Long Coat gets dirty, especially in the winter.
Tend to charge about knocking things over.

Personally I wouldn't have one, but the above may suite you better.

Again, an attack.

To answer you because it is relevant to what OP was asking, they were family dogs used as gun dogs and we did indeed stop having them because we stopped shooting so much therefore had no need anymore for such a breed and wanted an easier dog, which cavaliers are. Then I discovered sighthounds, which for me are a dream come true and trump all spaniels. Personal opinion, if you allow it.

You are also presuming I don't like high maintenance dogs or ADHD. A sweeping judgement here. My son has ADHD and I take offence at your post suggesting it is an undesirable trait. I enjoyed the challenge and still do with my current dogs. In the context of what op was asking, having a dog with ADHD like tendencies, is not the best choice for her, not me. My post was addressed to her needs based on experience not google.

Thanks for the breakdown! What would be an ideal recommendation for the family like mine in your opinion please? 🙏

I do think that it's important to find a breed that makes your heart sing rather than just being compatible on paper. I wouldn't answer an add - when you find the breed you want, I suggest you contact the breed club and find a breeder that way, maybe go to a breed show.

I have bernese mountain dogs but have looked after my sister in law's cocker spaniel and my brother's cockerpoos. The bernese are the easiest! Sleep for hours on end and you don't inadvertently stand on them!

I have never had a dog so probably am quite naive Isn’t this a case of getting a rescue? The dogs will have been assessed for temperament and ability around other dogs and children and whether they are cuddly or not?

we got our cats at a rescue and we had a full personality run down before we took them.

Rescue centres won't place a dog with a three year old

Then surely breeders won’t either?

I met a woman walking her sons cocker spaniel the other day. She was practically in tears and at the end of her tether with the dog, who she walks extensively every day, goes to training etc. He was a beautiful dog, but unless you're 100% committed to the time and energy one would need I'd avoid.
I find labradors are much easier to train, but can be quite manic for the first few years and still need plenty of exercise. They also shed lots, are messy mud magnets and can knock young children over. It would be the breed Id go for, but I've always owned them so am probably biased.

Some won't but some will. But rescue centres won't.

Not all breeders are reputable, sadly.

The sorts of breeders people should be buying from won't.

The sorts of breeders no one should be buying from will.

I totally agree with the comment "find a breed that makes your heart sing".

I don't have any experience with a Cavapoo, but can offer my biased experience with our whippet, which has suited us perfectly, but you may not like the skinny aesthetic if you were thinking of a spaniel.

Pro
Affectionate, love a cuddle, but not overly demanding.
Rarely aggressive. as running away is their defence.
Personal taste, but I love the calm, none aggressive, and built-for-speed look.
Good gene diversity, so generally healthy
Good with children and other dogs
Can sleep / snooze 20 hours a day, often with their legs in the air!
Do not require huge amounts of exercise, i.e. 30-40 minutes a day, but will do a long walk when required.
Can outrun nearly every dog in the park.
Don't bark much, but communicate when they do. (food/playtime/cat)
Doesn't over eat. (or eat "nasty" things in the park)
Stay clean due to short hair, minimal shedding and zero grooming bills.
Usually good recall, unless it's after a squirrel.
Plenty of opportunity to accessorise, i.e. coats and jumpers
Can live with cats, especially if the cats are established.
Still playful at 4+ years
Low odour. (apart from very occasional devastating pharts)

Cons
Puppies have needles for teeth.
Will insist on sleeping in your bed, usually not negotiable.
Happier in a coat when it's remotely cold.
Hates rain
Likes a blanket to lie on, in pubs etc
Often fast enough to catch and kill squirrels. (ours isn't)
Limited obedience, will sit, come etc, but forget tricks.
Often not keen on being left alone, ours is okay if walked first.
Insist in sniffing your breath every morning, not an issue once you work it out.
Can be a little nervous if not socialised as a pub.

As with most puppies, socialisation and exposure early on is key.

As a family, try to borrow some friend's dogs for 24 hours, as it will give you more perspective on dog ownership.

Whilst we found having a dog was of huge benefit for the children, their interest usually wanes and you'll be doing most of the work.

Also worth looking at the "running costs", as insurance can vary significantly with different breeds.

Move the sleeping in your bed right next to you in the pros column. With a whippet you will never be cold again or alone. Ever!

Some don't care who they sell a puppy to.

Others will consider each potential home on its merits. DH and I had grown up with dogs, and we got our first puppy when our youngest was a toddler. Our DC were already used to dogs - owned by their GPs, friends etc - and knew not to get their faces, disturb them in their beds etc. She wasn't the best trained of dogs, but she was fabulous with all children, had a reasonable recall and enjoyed a long and happy life with us. And the DC have all grown up into massive dog-lovers.

I don't think you meant me. I haven't mentioned the teddy bear thing.

You're right, sorry!

Serves me right for trying to muli-task, lol.

You can call dogs trust for advice. Their behaviour support line can advise you

I do not think you should be recommending a giant breed for a person with small children who only seems to have experience of toy dogs, simply on the basis that you find them easier.

Where did I recommend a bernese mountain dog?

I was simply making the point that I have found a cocker spaniel /cockerpoo challenging. I only mentioned my bernese to make the point that these spaniels are indeed hard work

I've got 2 spaniels - a working cocker and a sprocker. The sprocker is a nervy quiet soul who has been an absolute dream in terms of training/walking. She's not overly affectionate (it's on her terms) but she's only needed minimal input into training - she's just desperate to please you. The working cocker. Hmm. He's now 12.5 and has just got onto heart medication but he's still a loon outside on a walk especially if he gets the scent of a pheasant. However he's a quiet gentle boy inside the house, and both are especially gentle with our grandchildren that they've been around since birth. Not all working cockers are maniacs, and a lot end up over exercised and over stimulated.

Please be very careful of getting any kind of "poo"dle cross. A dog walking friend has got a cockapoo and this dog is an absolute headcase in comparison to her cocker spaniel. She needs grooming every 6 weeks (their coats are horrific), she's always at the vets for something, and she's generally just really naughty. Cockapoos are a hybrid of two very intelligent and determined dog breeds and neither are for a feint hearted owner!

If you’re after breed recommendations - what is it that you didn’t like about your previous dogs that you’re not getting one of those breeds again?

might help with narrowing down breed ideas.

We welcomed a puppy into our home with four children - our youngest was just 8 months old.

After years of deliberation and research, we went for it.

Our boy is an absolute delight and I say it regularly how lucky we were to have chosen such an awesome dog. He’s not an ounce of trouble. He’s almost four now and everyone adores him.

He’s a Sprocker. Mum was a springer and dad was a working cocker.

Lots of talk of 'not all dogs are cuddly'. When you visit the litter, if a cuddly dog is important, pick a cuddly dog. That's what we did. Our puppy went to play with my husband for a couple of minutes and then crawled onto my knee, fell asleep and stayed there for 1hr while we played with the others in the litter. He's currently snuggling me on the sofa, 18months later. Everyone says he's the softest dog they've ever met, he absolutely loves to cuddle. He's a working line (but not actually working) springer. He's a dream.