Cocker Spaniel Advice

fireplace1982

Hi Folks,

I know loads of people have probably alraedy asked similar questions but it would seem this forum is the best palce to go for advice...

My wife had a cocker spaniel when she was younger and she wants to get one, space and time are not an issue however I have a couple of Questions.

1. Im going to africa for 6 months in July on peacekeeping duty, would we be better off waiting till i get back from overseas before getting our pet?

2. How much exercise does a cocker spaniel require?

3. How much (approximately) are the costs of keeping a dog like this per year?

4. Where is the best place to go to get one?

5. Are Cocker Spaniels good around kids?

6. How difficult is it to train them?

Any guidance graetly appreciated.

Call me Socket

My wife had a cocker spaniel when she was younger
As a young child? So would this be her 'first' dog, ie. first time dog owner?

1. Im going to africa for 6 months in July on peacekeeping duty, would we be better off waiting till i get back from overseas before getting our pet?
Not necessarily, if your wife is home a lot then the dog will get the attention it needs and deserves (I'm presuming your wife is not going to Africa?) However, when you return in 6 months you will be a stranger to the dog, and it could be quite a while before the dog realises you're part of the 'pack'.

2. How much exercise does a cocker spaniel require?
They're quite an active breed, when they're fully grown two half-hour walks daily at the very least, with some offlead time as well.

3. How much (approximately) are the costs of keeping a dog like this per year?
There's a big question! With a good decent dryfood diet, professional grooming every 3 months, pet insurance, annual vaccinations, regular worming/fleaing, boarding kennels when you're on holiday....I'd guess at E1,500 - E2,000 a year, and probably more- I've only listed the basics there. That would apply to any breed of similar size.

4. Where is the best place to go to get one?
A reputable breeder.

5. Are Cocker Spaniels good around kids?
If they're well socialised from an early age, yes. And they can be dominant and snappy if they're allowed think they're the alpha.

6. How difficult is it to train them?
They're intelligent and respond well to training, if you know what you're doing! They can take a bit longer than other breeds to toilet train.


They need to be groomed every day....the hair on their long ears can become matted easily if grooming is neglected or infrequent. If they're an indoor pet they need washing regularly, and their hair needs trimming every few months.

Can't think of anything else at the mo but I'll edit my post if something comes to me:)

fireplace1982

Thats great, thanks.

Call me Socket

You're welcome:)

nc6000

Hi there, just got one myself. An eleven week old pup from an advert on donedeal.ie. He is great with our 2 1/2 year old daughter and he seems to be taking OK to the toilet training so far. They are supposed to be ideal family pets and will do very well with children when raised with them.

I remember reading when I was researching the breed that the solid colour cockers can be a bit "cranky" so went for a black & white ticked one.

Call me Socket

nc6000 wrote: »

I remember reading when I was researching the breed that the solid colour cockers can be a bit "cranky" so went for a black & white ticked one.

It's what they call 'Rage Syndrome'.....all breeds can be affected by it, but for some reason the red or golden Cocker got a lot of bad press for it in the 80s. Of the Cockers that can have it- you're right, it's more prevalent in the solid coloured Cockers. It's more than crankiness though- the dog has no more control over it than they would over epilepsy.
But it is a very rare condition, it's not as if you're taking a chance when buying a Cocker.

Just to add- I wouldn't recommend 'shopping' for a dog on DoneDeal, Gumtree, or Buy & Sell, unless you are informed/experienced/researched enough able to tell the difference from the ad between a puppy farmer and a reputable breeder. The majority of puppy farmers or disreputable breeders use those advertising sites to sell their litters. It really doesn't mean much that the pups are advertised as being registered with the IKC- registration papers do not guarantee good breeding.

nc6000

What's the issue with donedeal out of interest? I noticed that the find-a-dog section on the irishdogs.ie link from your signature has the same adverts as donedeal.

Call me Socket

nc6000 wrote: »

What's the issue with donedeal out of interest? I noticed that the find-a-dog section on the irishdogs.ie link from your signature has the same adverts as donedeal.

There's no issue with Donedeal, but i do have an issue with some of the advertisers. As I explained, a lot of puppy farmers use it to advertise. And for as long as people buy from farmers there will always be a demand for mass puppy production.
Donedeal is used by plenty of reputable breeders too- they outnumber the irresponsible ones, but one uninformed buyer getting stung by a farmer is one too many.
Irish Dogs provides a link to Donedeal so that the members on the forum can help a potential buyer avoid a farmed pup. We monitor the ads and report the suspect ones. We're there to offer the after purchasing advice ie. care, feeding, etc that doesn't come with buying a pup from a puppy farm. If you go to the top of the page, you'll notice a disclaimer, and that we also offer a free ebook on how to choose the right dog breeder.

spurscormac

I have a 1-year old golden cocker male.
Got him from an ad on Done Deal, but was very happy with the breeder when I called to see the litter.

He's great fun, but does try to assert his dominance - just have to be careful with it, and try to train him well.

On the toilet training side of things, he was great, only had about 3 incidents in the first couple of weeks !!!
I was so pleased with him on that front - reckon he'd learnt it from his mother & had followed her to the grass all the time to do his business.

The brushing is required, though I find you can get away with every 2-3 days. You do need to play close attention to the ears, just where they scratch them tends to matt a lot, and the top of their front legs, on the inside. I don't use a brush, got a steel comb, its way better.

You will need to sweep the floor a lot though.

Socialise from a young age, puppy classes are great - and continue to train & mix with other dogs and you'll end up with a great pet.