Cocker Spaniels

[bigredfeather]

Thank you everyone for your goods and bads. We are going to think it about it one more day. This guy has two of them that aren't the traditional white/butterscotch. They are a almost brownish-black color. I had never seen one that color. The guy said it was somewhat rare. If we do decide to get one, it will be tough deciding which one.

Thanks again.

 

[sonew123]

This is my terd of a cocker

I will be brutally honest and list good and bad points

BAD:

-just turned a year old and still has accidents ( all though when in his crate while we are at work-no accidents)
-will chew up anything ( ANYTHING) he feels no matter how many times he's been punished for the same things
-tortures and terrorizes the 2 11 yr old cats
-has killed one of my chickens trying to "play" with them-My DD's let him out without a leash on for over an hour-I blame them not the dog
-very stubborn and will growl from time to time when kicking him off of beds
-needs constant grooming to prevent dred locks
-does get rashes and has cronic ear infections ( I keep his ear hair short and clean his ears constantly)


Good:

-VERY LOVING and Friendly 99% of the time
-great with kids
-perfect match for a younger "brother" to my chihuahua-very playfull
-loves warm baths and hair cuts
-total lap dog
-hes a begger for food but is VERY gentle and will sit for long periods of time to wait for a treat
-when you tell him "nice-nice" he loves you up by licking your ears completly drenching you
-he will let us pull anything from his mouth-toys-food-treats without a hint of aggresion-we were on him from day one to get used to that with small children around
-will let me cut his nails without alot of drama
-HIs mouth choppers are so yummy and squishy! LOL
-hardly ever barks unless led on by my Chihuahua -who also very rarely barks


He is still a puppy in our eyes at 1 yrs old-we still ride him daily to engrain what is and what is not allowed-he is our "project". I know by the time hes' 2 ( I hope) most of his jerkyness will faid due to maturity and constant care for better behavior. I wouldnt trade him for the world-he may be a terd but he's my terd. He is also the very last dog we will get haha~

 

[pardygwyn]

I grew up with cockers and I'll agree, the good ones are awesome and the bad ones are downright scary. I'm guessing you saw some good ones, though, or the breeder (hopefully) wouldn't have let you put your daughter in there with them.

Our first lived to 13, loved everyone and comforted crying kids with cuddles and kisses. Our second left a permanent scar on my sister's hand at 10 weeks old (!) and had to be put down. Our third was our only male and was sort of between the two - he was neurotic and prone to debilitating gut upsets, but was sweet, caring and wanted to please. He lived to age 11 and I have photos of him playing "sled dog" by pulling my 10-year-old self around on my scooter. <3

I learned young how to groom them with a skip-toothed shaver and I recommend doing as much of the grooming yourself as you can... saves money and it can be a great bonding time. I preferred to trim it all off because I like how they look with legs.

The biggest things we dealt with health-wise were ear gook and hot spots. The ears were a snap as long as we regularly cleaned them out with gauze dipped in warm vinegar water; the hot spots were more difficult to manage but diet was a key factor. I don't think we ever got to the point of infection with either dog. Trimming often did help with both problems, as we lived in a very rainy locale and that fur held the wet in.

All in all, I liked them, but I don't really want to deal with the hair and the smell (oily dogs!) again. If I did get a cocker, I'd be searching for someone who breeds for sport coated English cockers.