Spaniel Fans - Could someone spare some advice? Updated

I've got a Cocker if that's any use?

Yes please CBH.

Any advice would be most welcome. What is your cocker like?

Woody is a five year old black male solid who we got from a breeder in Buckinghamshire (having met her at Crufts). He's incredibly good natured and although we don't have children, he's always been fine around any that visit. He was very easy to train - he was house-trained within six weeks and will walk to heel off the lead.

Exercise-wise - he'll take as little or as much as you can give him. At the weekend we did 12.5km with him and he just didn't stop but his usual daily walk is around an hour. He also loves ball play and is happiest walking along when he's carrying something in his mouth (the gun dog coming out in him!)

The most important thing about the Cocker is that he is very much a pack animal and will not tolerate being left for longer than 4 hours as an absolute maximum. He will howl and get very upset if we don't go through a "routine" with him before we leave him to settle him down. (Blinds pulled, radio on, lots of reassurance etc) and we have words which he recognises for certain things like "shopping" (which means we're going out without him) and "night night" (starts his bedtime routine) and "hurry up" which is his command to relieve himself.

Woody also sleeps with us on our bed. When we originally got him as a pup at 8 weeks, he was very upset at being in his pen at night and would cry for hours. We've talked about what we would do differently with our next dog, and we would still pen him but we would have a pen in our bedroom as well as in our kitchen so at night he would be able to see us and we could comfort him more easily. Basically he hates being in a separate room to us which is understandable given his strong pack mentality.

In short, I love Woody to pieces. He's my first dog and he's an absolute delight. If you live anywhere near Birmingham, I'd be more than happy to meet up if you'd like to "experience" him for yourself! ?

I just found this

https://www.thecockerspanielclub.co.uk/rescue_reps.htm

We have got a rescue Springer and love him to bits.

Getting a rescue dog is great, the only thing bad thing is the fact that they can be unpredictable for a while because you don’t know what has happened to them. But on the plus side, one day I thought I would teach him to lay down, when I said lay down, he not only did he lay down, he also rolled over, we were so shocked and well impressed lol We took them on holiday to Cornwall and he was showing off in the sea swimming and fetching sticks, it was great to see, and he basically showed our other dog how to swim, but she isn’t as good as him lol

We have a cocker and a springer. both were rescue dogs!

got Bracken first (cocker) from a woman who lived in a new build with 4 kids under 10!! wondered why the dog was permantly "on-the-go" he spent most of his time there either shut under the stairs or in the very small kitchen. we started "babysitting" for him, became more regular and in the end after a few "subtle" hints from us he now lives here!!!!

he is fantastic (my baby!) BUT he wasnt happy at being left at home alone AT all- even nipping to the shops. He was a chewer- beyond the average puppy stage and any wire he chewed through. That being said- he was so so easy to train! at 3 he is still learning new tricks. we did get him neutered as he started acting up- calmed down loads! He has the waggiest tail in the world- whole body shakes!!!

Fern (springer) came to us at 6 months old- very timid, similar treatment (she was initially only happy at our house in the cage she came with (think she had spent a long time in there) and didnt wag her tail for around three weeks! now she is totally inseparable from H2B and even let step daughter cut her teeth on her ears!! she had a gorgeous litter of pups last year and was so so placid! so easy to train.

Both love to get absolutely filthy, wet and having a forage in the woods. A wet muddy spaniel is a happy spaniel!

we walk ours 40mins per day but at weekends could be hours! as someone else said, they really keep going!! when i fell on ice whilst walking them, i knocked myself out! came round to Bracken licking my forhead and fer had curled herslf round my head-to keep me warm. I could hear them howling for me, when i got put in the ambulance!!

so so loyal! Would not be without them! will try and add some photos

have fun!

fern and her babies

We have a sprocker. He is more than a little mad. He is supposed to be a working dog, used for falconry, but due to other circumstances he's not really been used for this. He is used as a beaters dog on shoot days locally, and people think he is brilliant. He never runs out of energy, even when he comes home covered in thorns from going through so many hedges. he absolutely loves it.

During the week he gets walked twice a day, about 30 mins each time. Weekends maybe a bit longer. We have an outdoor kennel that both of our dogs sleep in, although really they are house dogs during the day. The terrier hates bedtime, but the sprocker loves it, and starts wining and scratching and can't wait to get outside!

Only thing we have found with him is that he have to make sure we dry him thoroughly when he gets wet, which can be quite often as he has such fine soft hair which gets wet very easily. One day he got put back in the kennel when wet, as we thought his nice warm straw bed would sort him out. But when I went to let him out later he was barely conscious! Resulted in a vets trip and him being given a drip and lots of hot water bottles because he was so cold. Luckily he was fine, but now we make sure to dry him off properly and let him competely dry inside before he goes outside again!

He is such a loving and loyal dog, and sooo nice to cuddle because he is so soft! Unfortunately he may be going to live with a friend of ours who is a gamekeeper and needs a working spaniel, as really he needs working more and at this home he would be worked properly every day. But I'm not sure I can let him go, even to a friend, so we'll see.

Oh, and www.dogpages.org.uk have lots of info on dog rehoming centres, and some pretty good advice too.

I would agree with rrr on the "wet spaniel" thing! Woody can take anything up to 24 hours to dry out completely (and he's a house dog) so in the winter we dodge the showers as much as possible and only give him pavement walks, avoiding muddy paths and large expanses of wet grass as much as possible. We do bath him - about once a month - and we always ensure he's warm and dry as soon as possible afterwards.

Woody is an absolute mud magnet and adores swimming but we try and keep that for the summer months.

If you want a very robust dog, I would say choose a male over a female - they are also slightly larger. My H takes Woody out with him in the field for work and he copes very well indeed - he's even been caving!

There's also a very good website: www.cockersonline.co.uk but obviously it's more breed specific but there may be Sprocker owners on there too - I haven't been on it for quite some time but it was invaluable when Woody was a new puppy and I needed endless advice! ?

Thanks for your advice CBH, Scarlet, rrr, Charli and MrsTeehee, it makes very interesting reading and you're spaniels sound lovely.

OH did some more research and getting a field spaniel looks unlikely they are a rare breed, so we are most likely to go with a sprocker or cocker.

Can you tell me what they are like with other pets? We have a 7 year old cat who has chilled out in his old age and will get used to a dog. We live very near woods and fields, so ideal to have a dog.

My OH has seen a liver roan sprocker and has fallen in love. I will post pics when we get him/ her.

IPx

We have another dog, which was here when the sprocker arrived, and they are best buddies. Partners in crime, although the terrier is definately the boss! They have also been known to chase a neighbourhood cat, although I'd say this was started by the terrier rather than the sprocker. But we've never had a pet cat, so can't comment on that.

One thing I'd be wary of is the places you choose to walk your dog. We've had to work very hard to stop the sprocker chasing rabbits, hares, squirrels, etc. The last thing we'd want is for him to chase one right across a road. He is better behaved with my husband, but I can usually stop a chase with enough shouting and then he goes straight back on the lead. He knows now that he risks a less enjoyable walk if he chooses a short-lived chase! I also have to manage the walk and only let him off the lead in places where I feel OK about it - it is better to manage the risk myself than leaving it up to the dog. The less temptation the better!

We have a cat who is nearly 13 now and she coped extremely well when Woody arrived - however, our other cat (the same age - sisters) didn't and we had to sadly rehome her. Actually she rehomed herself! She basically moved in with our next door neighbours who loved her to bits - she was very timid and frightened of Woody and so we sadly let her go with them. But it was the right decision for all concerned. Poppy is above Woody in the hierarchy in the house so it works fine but he does try and chase her - as would a young puppy - which can cause problems.

Again, I agree with rrr about keeping your dog on a lead. I walked Woody off his lead very successfully for four years and then a few months ago, he ran across a road (thankfully nothing was coming) but then attempted to a second time - and this time it was a very busy road. He stopped the instant I yelled at him but now he's firmly on the lead - both times he had seen a dog on the other side he wanted to go over and say hello to. It's not worth it. If he sees another dog or a squirrel, he's off - it's instinct and it is extremely hard to train them out of it. It's obviously fine in parks/woods etc, well away from traffic.

The only other advice I would offer is about the coat. I'm sure others here will give their own experience but we have Woody's coat cut every seven weeks back at his breeder's. He has a shortened version of a show coat - so it's clipped on top and then he has longer feathers underneath. Personally I get very upset when I see a Cocker Spaniel whose coat has been completely cut off - to the point they don't even look like the breed. I would always advise getting somebody who's an expert to keep your dog groomed - and not just a "generic" cut that they give every other dog regardless of breed. The coat needs to be cared for but I would imagine a Working Cocker or even a Sprocker may have a more manageable coat than a pure bred Cocker.

Rrr, where did you get your sprocker? We have called a few places today and no luck. I have looked for a breeders site - but cannot find one as it is not a KCC registered breed. Also what colour is yours?

Thanks

IPx

IP - is it worth trying the Cockersonline site and asking there? They do have a breeders link I believe ....

Thanks for your advice CBH, you are a 'fountain of knowledge'!

Monty (cat) used to be a real misery but has been much friendlier and chilled out - hence wanting to get the dog. Did you know you wanted a black dog or did you see Woody and fall in love?

OH really has his heart set on a liver or chocolate roan sprocker. I quite like the red cocker.

I think we will get a boy. Did you have him castrated?

Thanks again

IPx

Thanks will have a look now.

"Red" is known as Golden - as far as Cockers are concerned - I don't know the names given to the various Springers as they are different.

Cockers are the only spaniel that come in solid black and yes, we were pretty keen to have one although we would have also been happy with a blue roan (black and white mottled). We chose a male dog rather than a female because we wanted it to be slightly larger and robust to cope with going out in the field with H.

Woody hasn't been castrated because we've never felt the need. He has a fantastic temperament, isn't aggressive and doesn't hump everything in sight. Most of the Cockers we know who have been done (male and female) have lost the quality of their coat - it goes wirey - and have also put on weight so we've been particularly keen not to go down that route.

My parents have had spaniels my whole life. First was a male, black and white, then another male, orange and white. Now they have a female, also orange and white but roan (I think). They have all been great dogs but each with distinct personalities, so much so that I wouldn't like to generalise about spaniels. We haven't had the problems leaving any of them that others have mentioned, and they have been generally very good tempered although the first one was somewhat grumpy. I think eye problems can be an issue and something to look out for. All have been good with kids, but not so much with cats, although probably mostly due to lack of contact. The current spaniel is a complete wuss and happily sits watching squirrels and pigeons on the lawn - as long as she is inside. If she's outside she gets scared...

Edited as I apparently can't say bitch

Duck has raised a useful point about eyes - Woody's eyes do have a tendency to run but he's very good about me mopping him up with a piece of kitchen roll (in exchange for a treat of course!)

The other area - particularly with Cockers - is the ears. We're often asked for advice about ears when we meet other owners and we have found a brilliant answer. The thing is, Cocker ears can get "yeasty" and smell (after swimming or getting really wet) and it's at this point that they can get infected.

We were recommended a product called "No Cank" which is like a talcum powder. You can buy it online and you literally need to put the tiniest amount in each ear to dry them out. Woody tells us when his ears need doing by rubbing his head on the floor and when we say "No Cank" to him, he barks and runs into the kitchen where it's kept! ?

Lol at No Cank! I love the words that dogs get to recognise. We also use 'hurry up' for having a wee, works great, and Nelly also goes nuts at 'pigeons', 'squirrels', and 'sausages', he he.

Our first spaniel had cataracts and went blind quite early in life. He was fine as long as we didn't move the furniture though. We've not really had ear problems (although ours don't really go swimming) but we have had the odd grass seed go in and cause problems. It is running with the eyes that is most frequent but this is just part of the dog - I had forgotten it until you mentioned it CBH. All of ours have been fine with being dabbed.

We have a 'sprointer' - English Springer x English Pointer - and she is wonderful. We rescued her from our local Dogs Trust to be a friend to our crossbreed dog. They are great friends and Polly - the Sprointer - has learned verbal commands very quickly. She loves her walks - whatever amount you want to give her - but equally loves curling up in front of the fire (or on our bed which she isn't supposed to do!) When we took her to meet our Vet she said ' Springer x Pointer - deaf and daft!' Too true - at times -but we love her to bits and wouldn't part with her for anything.

Contact your local Dogs Trust and see what they have got.

Good Luck!

Thanks Duck and Bridesmum, have checked out Dogs Trust and local RSPCA centres - but no joy.

I will continue to look, thanks for the advice re eyes and ears - I hadn't realised.

IPx

Exactly. We mainly walk our dogs on the fields and footpaths behind our house, and unfortunately at the other side of the field there is a fairly busy road - hence having to really think about whether it is worth the risk. if you have a park near you which is fenced in, then obviously the risk is reduced.

We got our sprocker from a friend of a friend - not a breeder but someone who had a springer that was put with a working cocker. I think you need to decide if the most important thing to you is the breed or whether you want to rehome a dog. You may visit a dog shelter and fall in love with a completely different dog, who may well also fit in well with your circumstances. That being said, I think most breed associations have a rehoming person so you might want to check with cocker and springer breed clubs.

My last word would be don't ring up a Cocker Spaniel Club and ask for advice on Sprockers!! I think that would go down like a lead balloon to be honest! ?

But do let us know how you get on IncaPinca - and of course we'll need photos! Hope you find the dog of your dreams and then you can join us in all this Spaniel-Speak!! ?

Thanks CBH, all have you have been lovely. I have sent a few more inquiries on the tinterweb, so fingers crossed.

I would like a cocker - but OH wants a bigger dog. I will update you in due course.

Thanks?

Have never been a Spaniel owner myself, so will leave specific advice to those who have. However, will just give two little suggestions for consideration ...

You say your OH wants a bigger dog? I think you might be surprised at how small a 'Sprocker' may be, as these are generally bred from working stock and working line Cockers and Springers are both likely to be much smaller than you think they are.

Also, don't underestimate the work drive of a Springer/Cocker cross from working parents ... if you do not give the dog something to entertain its mind, it will find something itself! They are very different beasts from the show strain Springers and Cockers.

M.

There are some sprockers on here:

http://www.epupz.co.uk/search/puppies_for_sale.asp?breed=Cocker+Spaniel&area=all&st=1&pn=5&rn=10&sortby=datecreated+DESC

We had a cocker when I was a child. He was fantastic. He thought he was a human, he was intelligent and had such a character. Even to this day friends of my parents and us talk about his antics. He was also very protective of his family. Sorry not much help, but I would have another cocker!

Hi

We have a 7 month old sprocker, to be honest he is completely and utterly insane. Once we'd worked through some intial problems with his mouthing and biting, he is soppy as anything and daft as a brush but very very exhuberant. He needs at least one walk a day of at least an hour or he'll find alternate ways of keeping himself amused. Which mostly consists of chewing things up and shredding his beds.

He came from working stock but is a lot bigger than I expected him to be, he's not a lot smaller than a labrador.

We also have 7 cats and a toddler and he's great with all of them. Admittedly he'll chase the cats if they run but they do also play together.

We love him to bits but he's certainly a bit bouncy. We did dog training classes with him which has calmed him down a lot and helped all of us get along.

Hope that helps

Thanks all, especially madpuss. Can I ask what made you get a sprocker? I am starting to think that a Cocker would be better for me, OH wanted a Field Spaniel (Sprocker is the compromise). I don't mind really what the dog is as long as it is healthy and happy.

We want a dog with energy - OH is at home all day. Thanks for your advice

IPx

Hi again

Not had a chance to get on all day, have been dragged round the sales by H.

I think we got a sprocker as they'd been recommended by a few people we know. H also seemed to think that it was less likely the dog would suffer with some of the spaniel problems that some types can get. He had a cocker when he was a kid and said it was very highly strung and suffered with ear problems because of it's long ears. Our sprocker has spaniel ears but they're nowhere near as long as cocker ears. I think there's also some things that springers can get if they're too inbred so we were kind of hedging our bets!

That's not to say all cockers have problems, I've seen plenty that don't too!

Updated on first page.

IPx