Cocker Spaniel Puppy

Dali art

Hi people. I'm looking to hear what people think of the Cocker Spaniel as i'm thinking of getting a puppy.
I have a young family (7year old and 1 year old) who love animals already and especially love dogs. I'm fairly well experienced with dogs as i grew up in a household that always had several dogs so i already know its a tough and responsible job.
We also already have a 2year old bitch who we rescued as a 4month old pupply who's very good natured with the kids. She's a mixed breed medium dog who tends to get on extremely well with all dogs and is neutered.
There's no right or wrong opinions people. I just want to know what you think of them as a family pet. Do they shed much?
Thanks in advance

portgirl123

hi, dont know much about cockers as i have never had one, but apparently they are not great with kids as they can be snappy esp the golden ones. Also a lot of rescues wont rehome to families with kids because of this. a aunt has 2. 1 is great with kids the other isnt, It has what the vets says is cocker rage. My aunt says as much as she loves her dogs and would never get rid, When these 2 die that will be the end of her having cockers.

Dali art

portgirl123 wrote: »

hi, dont know much about cockers as i have never had one, but apparently they are not great with kids as they can be snappy esp the golden ones. Also a lot of rescues wont rehome to families with kids because of this. a aunt has 2. 1 is great with kids the other isnt, It has what the vets says is cocker rage. My aunt says as much as she loves her dogs and would never get rid, When these 2 die that will be the end of her having cockers.

Thanks Portgirl, the cocker i'm thinking of is a black cocker bitch and isn't a rescue. Don't know if that makes a difference but thanks for sharing what you know

moving_home

I have a black cocker bitch but no kids.

My mam's neighbours have young kids 9, 7 and 3. She was grand with the kids and played with them, let them pet her etc. A couple of months ago the 9yo was holding the lead and the 3yo wanted it but the 9yo wouldn't give it so the young fella kicked her. Since then she is scared of kids in that she shies away from them but would never be agressive towards them. My problem is that I don't really know any kids and none live near me so the only exposure she is getting to them at the moment is the odd time they are outside and I am at my mam's! Do need to socialise her more. before that incident she was fine with them.

I think it depends on the particular dog. Our lil one would not be snappy at all nor would she have the cocker rage thing (which is quite rare). Would you be able to go and meet the dog a few times before taking her to see what she is like with children? how old is she and what sort of exposure would she have had to kids previously?

Obviously it goes without saying that no child should be left alone with ANY dog with all this horrific stories in the media at the moment of kids being mauled.

Shedding wise there is not a whole pile. I would give her a quick brush every couple of days and a good 20mins twice a week which seems to do the trick. She does shed a bit a couple of times a year for about 2wks. Shedding also depends on if the dog is outside or inside most of the time cos outside dogs shed less apparently.

Cockers are very high energy and need alot of exercise to keep them entertained or they can be very destructive. My pup is nearly 9mths so following the 5mins walk per month of age she is only getting 45mins a day and is still quite hyper after that. She eats everything she can get her mouth on! They are also high maintenance from a grooming point of view. I would spend alot of time after each walk taking bits of trees/sticky green balls from grass etc out of her. But she is such a character and has an amazing personality - everyone that meets her loves her and friends who wanted huskies and other breeds now want a cocker after meeting her!

Sorry for the long post but jsut though I would share my experience!

Dali art

moving_home wrote: »

I have a black cocker bitch but no kids.

My mam's neighbours have young kids 9, 7 and 3. She was grand with the kids and played with them, let them pet her etc. A couple of months ago the 9yo was holding the lead and the 3yo wanted it but the 9yo wouldn't give it so the young fella kicked her. Since then she is scared of kids in that she shies away from them but would never be agressive towards them. My problem is that I don't really know any kids and none live near me so the only exposure she is getting to them at the moment is the odd time they are outside and I am at my mam's! Do need to socialise her more. before that incident she was fine with them.

I think it depends on the particular dog. Our lil one would not be snappy at all nor would she have the cocker rage thing (which is quite rare). Would you be able to go and meet the dog a few times before taking her to see what she is like with children? how old is she and what sort of exposure would she have had to kids previously?

Obviously it goes without saying that no child should be left alone with ANY dog with all this horrific stories in the media at the moment of kids being mauled.

Shedding wise there is not a whole pile. I would give her a quick brush every couple of days and a good 20mins twice a week which seems to do the trick. She does shed a bit a couple of times a year for about 2wks. Shedding also depends on if the dog is outside or inside most of the time cos outside dogs shed less apparently.

Cockers are very high energy and need alot of exercise to keep them entertained or they can be very destructive. My pup is nearly 9mths so following the 5mins walk per month of age she is only getting 45mins a day and is still quite hyper after that. She eats everything she can get her mouth on! They are also high maintenance from a grooming point of view. I would spend alot of time after each walk taking bits of trees/sticky green balls from grass etc out of her. But she is such a character and has an amazing personality - everyone that meets her loves her and friends who wanted huskies and other breeds now want a cocker after meeting her!

Sorry for the long post but jsut though I would share my experience!

No need to apologise. Thats an excellent post and i appreciate it. I plan on taking my 1 year old along to visit the puppy(who's 3 months) tomorrow along with my own 2 year old dog just to be sure they get along. My own gog goes for an hours walk every day and she's got bundles of energy too. Thanks again

Dali art

Just saw there's another thread running on this subject so i do apologise mods.
Feel free to merge the threads if you wish and sorry for creating more work for you

cocker5

Dali art wrote: »

Hi people. I'm looking to hear what people think of the Cocker Spaniel as i'm thinking of getting a puppy.
I have a young family (7year old and 1 year old) who love animals already and especially love dogs. I'm fairly well experienced with dogs as i grew up in a household that always had several dogs so i already know its a tough and responsible job.
We also already have a 2year old bitch who we rescued as a 4month old pupply who's very good natured with the kids. She's a mixed breed medium dog who tends to get on extremely well with all dogs and is neutered.
There's no right or wrong opinions people. I just want to know what you think of them as a family pet. Do they shed much?
Thanks in advance

I have a cocker (hence the name) a black 5 year old male, we have had him since he was 8 weeks old and you couldnt get a more gentle dog... we dont have kids but i do have three neices (8,5,5) and one nephew (1) and they adore him and he adores them... he has NEVER shown any issues with kids... our neighbours kids also adore him... infact its the kids i have to tell to be gentle with him ,

he's an amazing dog... I have had dogs all my life... poms, daushound, husky, springer spaniel etc although they too were brillant dogs , I am now a total cocker convert! They are excellnt family dogs and love company..... any company.. they are trained easily, will adore until their death (very morbid i know).. they really are lovely dogs ....

I wouldnt be put off by horror golden cocker stories etc... its no different with any dog... you can great dogs and not so great dogs...

Best of luck!! Cocker are fab dogs! :P

lorebringer

I have a Working Cocker who is so-so with children. He mainly avoids them if he can but I would never leave him alone with them (not that I would any dog, but I would be particularly conscious with him). I fostered for a charity and had a few Cockers through the door, most of which were not good with children. Most rescues do not home Cockers to a home with young children and I, personally, agree with this. From experience, they are not the most tolerant dogs and can be snappy and cranky. I'm sure there are plenty of Cockers that are fine with children but I'm just saying what I have experienced with them.

Wrt shedding, my guy is a big shedder. He has a thick coat which needs to be brushed very regularly (and is) but casts a lot of hair. The texture of their coat also makes it a magnet for leaves, twigs etc. when out on a walk and as a result he can drag a lot of random things into the house (just thinking about your 1 year old pottering around on the floor).

One thing that I think you need to take into consideration when considering a Cocker is their energy level - they can be very hyper if not exercised properly and will become destructive when bored. They are barkers, chewers, diggers, neurotic and very nosey dogs so will get into everything (and may decide to have a chew!). They need mental stimulation to prevent them from getting antsy which can lead to problems.

My guy is a sweetest dog - just a big, fuzzy marshmallow - but he is a lot of work. He is fine with my other dogs but can be a little funny with new dogs. Do the research on the breed and if you do decide they are for you find a good breeder. There is a syndrome called "rage syndrome" seen in certain Cockers involving aggression, unpredictability and severe behavioural problems and finding a really good breeder that breeds for temperament is very important.

If you have any other questions, feel free to pm me. Good luck!

shinikins

I have to disagree with you Portgirl, Cockers make excellent family pets, especially with young children. The incidence of true Rage Syndrome in any dog is extremely rare, and although solid colour Cockers are more likely to be affected than parti, or multi coloured Cockers, i wouldn't hesitate to recommend them as a pet. I've posted in the other thread about my own Cockers, so rather than rehash what i've written, or what anyone else has, have a look at the other thread OP. Best of luck!!:)