Poodle vs cocker spaniel for 1st timers ?

Show cocker - definitely not a working cocker. Not a cross either, you don't know what you're going to get and can end up with the worst of both breeds. Also lots of puppy farm breeders selling cockerpoos.
We had a rescue and it was much easier than a puppy, 100 times. Just get one that has been given up due to ill health etc rather than a stray or that the owner couldn't cope with. Puppies are incredibly hard work, a dog that is already housetrained, used to a lead, has a known personality etc will be much easier.

Please ignore the posters saying get a cockerpoo.

The "best" of two working breeds is very likely a dog that's got the cocker drive (energy) and the poodle brain.

Despite being fashionable they are literally the worst option for a first dog.

And they are all bred by unscrupulous people who are purely in it for the money. Do t come at me. They are.

Please don't consider a cockerpoo. Genetics is so much more complicated that 'best of both'.

They are unethically bred and there's no such thing as an ethical doodle breeder.

They're rarely properly tested on their hips, eyes or elbows which can lead to very painful and expensive surgery.

More often than not, they are bred by backyard breeders, which may lead to additional costs with the potential health issues popping up.

The grooming costs are astronomical, they have to be groomed by a pro groomer at least every 6 weeks and brushed thoroughly in between to prevent mats and knotting.

All doodles are really nothing more than extremely expensive cross breeds.

Instead of breeding out problems, clueless and unscrupulous breeders are breeding them in. For every perfect one, you're going to find a lot of crazy ones.
— Wally Conron, Creator of the Labradoodle

@OrlandointheWilderness Please may I ask what mental stimulation you give your working spaniels? I have one and really struggling with ideas other than the usual hiding treats around and stuffing a kong. Thanks

poodles are calmer but also don’t seem like they have souls 🤣 to me they are quite cat like. If you want a dog to fall in love with, get a cocker. A show cocker will be fine with the stated exercise you describe (don’t get a working cocker).

Poodles are fabulous dogs. Clever and athletic. They are still technically a working dog breed - and with any working dog, if you are not going to work them you need to be prepared to give them plenty of exercise and mental stimulation.
Poodles are great dogs and very bright, but working ones are like hen's teeth in Britain - they're almost all bred for showing and as pets. That means they're unlikely to have the batshit drive of a field-line spaniel or pointer, which is a relief for most dog owners.

I’d have a look at Tibetan Terriers , they are not terrier like at all and sound just right for you @poochiechoices

Get a lab. Do NOT get a spaniel!

Friend of mine has a show cocker which is high energy and a bit bonkers. Barks non stop at birds and the neighbours dog in the garden. She walks him for a couple of hours a day and does training in the garden and agility type stuff and he’s still more energetic than I could cope with with a dog!

We have a toy poodle and he is a dream pet. Absolutely lovely nature, he's up for as many walks as you are but equally happy to snuggle up on the sofa with you. He's very smart, we taught him to ring a bell when he wants to go outside, was very easy to toilet train. All round perfect puppy imo

@GoldSpiral mine are gundogs - lots of obedience training, retrieving, directional training, you name it, plus they will be out al couple of days a week through the season.
I e heard a lot of people find scent training works, or you could try gundog classes without the need to actually take them shooting if that's not what you are into.

I have a cocker spaniel and he's a delight yes they are energetic but mine settles really well rarely barks and just the silliest lovely dog, he's going through his teens so a bit of an arsehole but it's fiiinnne..😄 my friend had a poodle it was nervous of everything and one.

I do sniffy games and find it I also give him lick mats just to focus him a bit.

I’ve had a working cocker in the past and currently a show cocker. The show cocker is 2 now and is the most lovable dog ever she will happily cuddle you for hours. She gets taken out for between 1-2 hours every day mostly off lead as we live near woods. She only barks if anyone is about outside - or at the neighbour’s cat - and is left for 5 hours max with no problems. I took her to puppy training classes and she has brilliant recall so I found her easy to train. However as with all pups you need to put the time and effort in from day one. We now have the best SC ever, they’re not called Velcro dogs for nothing.

Yes I agree you really need to put the work in and puppies are intense but in our experience socialisation and training classes do pay off. We took ours everywhere carrying obviously in the beginning but he seemed to thrive on it.

First time owner, as others have said, would be wise to bypass a spaniel. I adore them but I’d say you need a little experience to have a spaniel family member.

Although the show lines are underrated and amazing.

Poodle would be a good choice.

Also (even if only to compare and reject) the more compliant types of small terrier - Border, as mentioned earlier in the thread, also Cairns, Norfolk, and Norwich. The latter two are vulnerable or 'at watch' native breeds, so are harder to come by, but are usually only produced by breed enthusiasts, not commercial breeders

Definitely not a spaniel. They are wilful and need a ton of exercise

i dont see why a first time dog owner can't have a springer spaniel
i think they are trainable
why do you have to wait years
we dont know - the op might have done tons of research and have time to go to training classes and what not.

I mean, they can have a spaniel but spaniels are pretty intense and a lot of work compared to other more sane breeds.

I love spaniels - I'm a dog walker and all the ones I walk are lovely with excellent temperaments but they are just...a LOT of dog.

Well she says her research had led her to conclude nothing bigger than a cocker, so that in itself rules out springers!

My Cs is my 4th dog and by far the most rewarding dog we have had our others were a mixed bag and a lot of work through behavioural issues.

@poochiechoices you can always keep it clipped short .

Yes you do. Guess what I'm getting next week 😍