Poodle vs cocker spaniel for 1st timers ?

I have a little golden WCS and he is an absolute dream so I’d go spaniel all the way. He NEEDS his morning walk, an hour off lead where he can snuffle in the woods, have a swim, catch a ball etc but he is very chilled and calm around the house for the rest of the day. He gets another hour in the evening and lots more on weekends so high exercise needs.

He is an absolute cuddle monster, gentle as a lamb with my toddler, we try to go on dog friendly holidays and to dog friendly pubs so he can come everywhere with us and always behaves impeccably and people always comment on how lovely he is.

Training him was a doddle although we did puppy and advanced classes.

However his cons are: He is a complete mud magnet so I always think it’s a good thing that we have wood floors and I’m not massively houseproud. We have to shower him off most days in autumn and winter. He has a prey drive where birds are concerned even though his recall his generally excellent so we do have to be very vigilant on our walks. He doesn’t really like to be left alone, although he doesn’t bark or destroy anything, he is a people dog really so this restricts what we can and can’t do. He can be quite springy when excited and I know lots of people don’t like that (but I for one wouldn’t be without that, nobody else in my family absolutely loses their mind with excitement when I walk through the door like him 😂)

Poodle. I have 2 miniatures and 2 toys. Amazing dogs. Calm, good natured, highly intelligent, affectionate and easy to train. Two of mine were rescues, one just 10 months old. Good on lead and of course don't moult. Grooming parlour needed every 6-7 weeks.

You tell Chris Packham and his outdoorsy poodles that! Guess it’s what you get them used to from a young age.

My miniature poodle is the calmest dog I’ve ever known and she’s only eleven months. My friend’s cocker spaniel is completely nuts.

Poodle
DO NOT GET A COCKERPOO!

Esp not as a first time owner… my current (puppy farm rescue) is a cockerpoo- she is on two lots of meds for anxiety.. they tend to be demanding, highly strung and neurotic.
Min Poodle from decent breeder will be a fab companion for years as long as you put in the work training the pup… enjoy

I have a mini poodle and my parents have a cocker spaniel. They are both lovely and similar size/age (3yrs).
The cocker is more energetic - never sits still. Poodle likes to sit on my lap.
Poodle seems slightly more intelligent and very stubborn. Sometimes not very obedient if he wants do his own thing.
Cocker sheds hair, but poodle needs to go to the groomers every 6 weeks (£40). So poodle costs more overall, though the spaniel ends up having more baths and regular brushing at home.
The cocker smells a bit more ‘doggy’ than the poodle.
Poodle barks more than the cocker, though not a huge barker.

They really are quite different dogs. I’d look at border terriers too. I’m biased towards the poodle, but border would be my second choice above spaniel.

I’m not a huge fan of cockers for various reasons. I really like most other spaniels, clumber spaniels are really underrated (and thankfully not widely bred so rarely victims of puppy farming)

Of your two, poodle 100%, I’ve a family member who is a real enthusiast and in the many years I’ve known her all of hers have been fantastic dogs, adaptable, clever and trainable without the intensity that goes with other clever breeds. Hers will have two 40 minute lead walks, or do a week of full days hiking in the lakes. Kind affectionate dogs. Love them. They are on my shortlist of breeds I’d have next.

This is my miniature poodle at twelve weeks. Our breeder told us how to look after her coat. We have clippers and scissors and we just keep her fur short all over. We don’t like the curls and pom pom look, so we keep it simple.

We have two working cockers and they're so clever and wonderful! Easy to train, soppy and beautiful! They have different but amazing personalities. They did agility, had brain toys and two walks a day (plus good running companions as long as they could be off lead (smell something then sprint, and repeat, they didn't like trotting along too much). They're getting on a bit now and one walk is enough but they've been wonderful pets. I've never had a poodle to compare though.

Show Cocker spaniel without a doubt.
Very intelligent & love kids/teens & their family. They do have personality but that's not a bad thing. Our's has just passed away & we miss him dearly.
My Grandparents always had poodles & they were always neurotic & highly strung.

Poodle everytime. Some poodles have a tendency to be a bit sensitive, mine sulks if she thinks she’s missed out on something. Will turn her back on me and sulk for an hour.

I have two poodles - miniature ones -'they are wonderful dogs. Pretty much perfect recall, well behaved, nice to look at, non shedding .... great

@Potentialmadcatlady
how did you now you needed medication for anxiety?

You tell Chris Packham and his outdoorsy poodles that! Guess it’s what you get them used to from a young age.

Of course all dogs are different - but if I wanted an outdoorsy dog then a poodle isn't the way I'd go.

We’ve been camping in France with our poodle. Indoors outdoors, my poodle just loves life.

@Willmafrockfit my girl came to me via rescue after being rescued in a puppy farm raid. She was traumatised at the start and we worked very hard to get her settled and feeling safe. After a year of following all advice from experienced behaviourist and vet her anxiety was not decreasing and no amount of desensitisation was helping. So I was left with a choice- try meds or pts. I choose to give her meds for at least a year. She is on anxiety meds and melatonin which work to a certain extent but not 100%. We think she has brain damage from interbreeding. She basically now lives on death row. She can’t go out of garden, she can’t handle car, she can’t handle closed doors. She can’t handle men but is now tolerating my close friends who have taken their time with her and understand what she needs.
I have had poodles my entire life alongside various rescue mixes and rescue cats. While some cockerpoo/cavapoo etc are grand a lot are neurotic, demanding and suffer from separation anxiety. They are interbred in the ‘breeders’ attempt to make more money. Puppy farms are very clever at what they do so that most people don’t realise their lovely tiny cute fluffy pup has even been bred in one.

oh dear @Potentialmadcatlady best wishes

@Potentialmadcatlady and sadly yours is not an untypical story. The level of interbreeding is disgusting which then causes major health and behaviour issues.
People need to do their research and wise up, shockingly it is cheaper to buy a pure, well bred dog that it is to buy one of these mongrels! We need to stop referring to poo crosses as breeds, they are mongrels. The public need to take responsibility and stop fuelling the puppy farmers.
So many times I hear of people buying mongrels "with papers" when obviously this is impossible.

@twistyizzy totally agree. I regularly say I wish people would come and meet ( from a distance cause she won’t let you near her) my girl so they can see why happens to the Mums of that cute little pup they are getting. I knew what I was taking on and I can handle her ( years of experience in rescue) but she has no life and is never happy unless lying beside me in total silence. She will not have a long life- at the moment I can cope with her constant demands and lack of sleep but there will come a day when I can’t, my vet will pts as soon as I say I can’t cope any more.
People need to do their research, build long term relationships before they go buy ‘designer’ puppies. The farms literally pay people to pretend to have bred the pups, they deliver them the night before prospective buyers come to view them- freshly bathed so they don’t smell of their poor mothers lying on concrete floors.
Don’t get me started on not neutering!

Lots of poodles of all sizes competing in agility and obedience in all weathers. They can be very outdoorsy. In fact most I know are.

Are you my neighbour? I agree. Do not get a cocker spaniel.

i meet someone with one of each, two black dogs, poodle and cocker

A bit of a sweeping statement.
Yes avoid backstreet breeders as they produce the absolute worse sort of puppy.

My cockerpoo is 7 years old ( adopted at 5) and absolutely suits my lifestyle. She is obedient, intelligent and more spanielly coatwise though she still needs 4 grooms a year. Recall superb, walking on the lead superb, friendly - could not fault her. She rarely barks unless the situation requires it - someone at the door.
She is a spaniel cross-breed but you cannot class all cockerpoos as the same insane mess that some dogs become.

Maybe a rescue older dog would be more suitable for the OP's lifestyle. There are many to choose from.

Poodles are a working breed - they're water retrievers. Perfect for outdoorsy!

So many times I hear of people buying mongrels "with papers" when obviously this is impossible

It'll mean that either

• at least one parent (probably the sire) is breed registered
• it's some other "papers" and potential buyer doesn't know there's a difference
• it's the KC Activities register - which any dog be placed on, irrespective of background, and is only useful if you want your dog to compete in certain types of activities. And people hear the word "KC" and don't realise that this is unrelated to pedigree