Advice On Cocker Spaniels

[Bushriver]

I have a family member looking at getting a new puppy. A retired lady who is mostly at home or able to take her dog along whenever she's away. She has always owned dogs but never a cocker and I have had little to do with them so looking for advice on suitability. She only has a small yard, but happy to walk the dog every day. Will have grandchildren visiting. I know there is some grooming required but unsure of how much? She is looking for a laid back companion, that enjoys a walk and fairly easy to train.

[RuralPug]

Some lines are more laid back than others. She will need to avoid the working lines.

No puppy or adolescent is really laid back, so she does need to be aware that she will have to wait 18 months to 2 years before she gets a nice laid back companion.

Cockers do need regular clipping or thinning. Once every 6 weeks keeps them looking neat with a daily brush and comb in between times.

She does need to talk to breeders, saying that wants a laid back one and they should be able to let her know the right place to start looking.

I am thinking if she wants the spaniel look, but less grooming and a lesser wait to a laid back dog (toy breeds mature earlier) then she may want to consider a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Significantly smaller, but with less coat and a reputation for being a calm house dog.

[RuralPug]

Sorry, Gremlins.

Edited August 5, 2016 by RuralPug

[juice]

My neighbor has a Cav and Cocker.

They got the Cav first, said he was easy to train, calm, never heard any barking.

When he was a few months old they went back to petshop and bought a Cocker pup.

The Cocker barks allday,( i complained to them as it was just driving us nuts) apparently trashes the place is a nightmare to walk as he barks at everything.

i know they are both petshops dogs but the difference is huge in the breeds,( they are moving soon, so wont have to listen to it allday anymore!)

[Florise]

http://www.cockerspanielclubvic.org/about-the-breed.asp

[karen15]

I rehomed a 3 year old cocker from work. I got her a month before I got the westie pup. A neighbour let me know she used to howl when I left home, so I did a few things to address that. She's stopped since I got the pup.

Being older and me being her fourth home, I can't really say much on her training. She is what she is. She's quite obedient, knows the basics. Initially, to walk, she was a horror. Pulled like a train. Once I put a choker collar on her I was able to stop her just leaning on the collar and hauling away. She will walk on a loopy lead now, but beginning of every walk is the same. She goes to pull, we stop and sit for a bit. Walk off, she pulls, stop and sit. I figured out early on if something is important to her, she is quite smart. For example, one walk in early summer we stopped at a water fountain for a drink. Everytime we walk past that fountain (only on the way back, not on the way out) she will cut across the path, walk over to the fountain, sit and look at it and wait for a drink. Doesn't walk to any other fountain only the one we used once.

When I got her she wouldn't play, which is hard for me as I love to play with my dogs. She showed a glimmer of interest in some stuffed ducks, so we have 6 of those LOL Over the 12 months I've had her she has learned to play from the puppy. Now when I get home they both waggle their teddy of choice at me and we play fetch up the hallway for 10-15 minutes. She loses interest first, so her teddy is thrown first while the westie races around with her holding his teddy and waiting his turn.

She is exceptionally submissive, which is also hard for me. If she is in any doubt, she's a dog shaped puddle on the floor. She's getting more confident, which is probably because I am very consistent in how I do things. My reading of the cocker standard (I think) said over submissiveness is a fault. From what I've been able to ascertain she is from a BYB - I've checked her microchip number with all states and none have it, nor do they have a registered litter on her DOB.

How much of her behaviour is her and how much a result of her early life, I've no idea.

However, she has been excellent with the pup. He is a very confident little chap so she will check him if he oversteps (which is great) but other than that she's been very tolerant with him. At dog park it is rare for her to show interest in, let alone play with, another dog. When she does play she sounds like she wants to kill it. I would have fixed that when she was a pup, but she engages so little with other dogs the opportunity to work on it is limited. The dog owners have been ok with her playing, as her play style is very nice, it's just her growling.

She is excellent with young children and visitors. She sits quietly waiting for attention.

She'd been clipped all over when I got her. I've grown her hair out as I want her to look like a proper cocker. I found she knotted a lot more when her coat was short. Once it got past a certain length it gets fewer tangles. A lovely breeder showed me how to groom, so I do that myself. Having been clipped she's great for me to learn on as she's used to clippers. Every 4-6 weeks she gets a full groom that strips her coat, clips hair between her paw pads, clips head, ears, throat. Still working out how frequently I need to use the #8 comb to clip her front legs. They're so fluffy she was heading towards a monoleg look, which was not good! She gets a full body brush / comb as well and tail shaping. Full groom takes about 2 hours. I'm not good at it yet, but there is a lot to do. I generally end up with a shopping bag full of hair.

Weekly both dogs get a brush and comb. They don't get many tangles at all.

That said, neither dog drops much hair at all. I wear a lot of dark colours and am never covered in dog hair.

Apart from her oversubmissiveness I can't think of much wrong with the cocker. They have a bit of a reputation for not being the sharpest tacks in the box, but I think that may come down to finding the right motivation for them. She's a good girl and she tries, which is the important thing. She loves snuggling and pats. Has a decent bark when she uses it.

[Bushriver]

Thanks everyone. I did suggest a CKCS, which is still an option but she prefers the look of the cocker. Temperament will win in the end. A Westie was another thought. How are they with children? Are they a yappy kind of little dog? I will help her with speaking to breeders etc when the time comes but I have minimal experience with smaller breeds.

Edited August 6, 2016 by Bushriver

[persephone]

Would she adopt an older cocker , one who has been assessed/had experience with kids, etc? Some breeders may have one, or a rescue /private rehoming ....

https://www.petrescue.com.au/groups/10354?listings=rehomed

[Dogsfevr]

I think she needs to do more research on what she wants ,westies & Cockers are like chalk & cheese.

If laid back & easily to train is a must a Westie can fit that but they are a terrier & a typical Westie is a spunk ,trainable but require more effort ,laid back ones do exist but pick your breeder wisely ,you want a good coat .

Cockers i see alot of & they vary alot from nutty,normal,over the top & owner obsessive & very vocal .

Both the westie & Cocker will need regular trips to the groomer so have an on going expense .

Cavaliers wont need the trip to the groomer but again need brushing & do shed alot but remember a Cavalier is a sporting spaniel & shouldn't be a lazy couch potato hence why they are so successful in obedience & agility

All breeds should be good with kids with the normal care given .

[Bushriver]

These are just the breeds she has met an admired on her walks. She currently has an old kelpie who moved with her form the farm to her now small retirement home. He's the laziest kelpie you've ever met but can also be a bit neurotic so I think a quirky personality wouldn't be a problem. The plan is for a new puppy once the old guy has passed, which sadly doesn't seem far off. Top priorities are, friendly (human and dog), not too vocal and happy with an hours walk a day and the rest would be hanging out at home with the occasional outing or visit to families farming properties.

[persephone]

If she is in a 'village' or similar , I would really look closely at getting a suitable and socialised adult dog . This may avoid noise/destruction and all the other puppy things which could annoy neighbours ;)

[dotdashdot]

Maybe investigate Field Spaniels?

A rare breed, but one that I discovered and have fallen for. I wanted a spaniel look like a cocker, but was a bit put off by the cockers I've met. So next we looked at the CKCS but the health aspect was very off putting (especially having a breed already that is pre-disposed to bladder stones) so I looked further and found Fields.

They ticked all my boxes, are a bit bigger than cockers but having seen them in person, it's not too big (for me). They are relatively healthy, need a bit of grooming and are active enough (I personally have a dalmatian, so I'm used to high level)

They are not easy to come by, and I'm on a waiting list, but they seem so worth the wait!

[karen15]

Agree re westies and cockers being chalk and cheese! Totally different types of dogs. I'd carefully researched my puppy breed when looking at succession planning for when my staffy died. I like certain things in dogs and after looking at lots of breeds decided on a westie. I like terrier breeds. They fit well with me.

The cocker was the result of a random kitchen discussion at work. I wanted a 2-3 year old dog to be a companion for the pup. I'd contacted a lot of westie breeders enquiring about rehoming a retired older dog, but never heard back.

The westie is a little livewire. Full of spunk. Exactly what I wanted. He is great with kids and visitors. Not overly vocal, but I spent three months at home with him when I got him so I could deal with that sort of thing. If he barks it is easy to stop.

The way I went about picking a breed (I don't like small white fluffies!) was to think of the temperament I like, the build I like and the size in kgs that I wanted. I wanted a spunky, chunky around 10kg dog. I like outgoing animals.

He was tiny when he came home. 2.5 kg. I had to cover the drain in the bathroom floor as he was obsessed with it. He was full on as a baby and the cocker and I used to hang out for nap time at around 11am -1pm. The quiet was wonderful. I've had him a year now. He is much more settled. Happy to do his own thing in the garden or cuddle up with me on the couch. He's chewed some things as a pup but I wouldn't say he is destructive. Recall can be an issue but is improving as he ages.