Hi, Please be gentle with me!! I have owned border collies and boxers and neve thought about any other breeds. Until now...I sadly lost my best friend (Paige my boxer) and this has left me heart broken. I still own Thor a boxer and mum has Merlin a BC. I decided I would have another boxer but the last couple of months Im doubt this and have been trying to look into the cocker spaniel as a possible new best friend. From a bit of research Ive done I think Id be better (and prefer the look) of the "show type". I will get a couple of books of the breed and know I need to do much more research but hoped some of you who own the breed might be able to help with some tips?? * what are the pros and cons of the breed-in your experience? * should Both parents be tested for Optigen A (negative)--have found sone only test the father? *should both parents be tested for the FN (kidney disease)? *is it normal for both parents to be hip scored-again have noticed some dont even bother? *I know they should be groomed daily-and/or go to groomer every 8 weeks but is this something a novice could do at home? *would love to have a girlie--are girls easier to train than boys (I know boys can be really headstrong in boxers) *Are they generally a hardy breed? *Where would I start in locating a good breeder? * Ive written "show type" as a friend got a working type and she was hyper and ended up with many behavioural problems and ended up living on a farm where she could run all day long. Sorry for soooo many q's but I think peoples experiences are better than books!! Would love to hear your thoughts on the above questions...Thank you for your time reading this and thanks in advance of your answers!!
Hi, how exciting! Breed Health Tests Eye testing, DNA test for prcd-PRA and DNA test for FN is REQUIRED to be a KC accrdited breeder . Hip scoring and Gonioscopy is recommended. Both Sire and Dam should have these tests,the BMS for hips in the Cocker Spaniel is 13, the median 11 and the 5 year mean also 11 so any breeding stock should have hip scores LOWER than this. More than a 1000 CS have been hip scored, not a huge amount compared to some other breeds but I think you will find this is rising. You can check the veracity of breeder claims if they give you the name of sire and dam here: http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/services/public/health/search/ The best place to find a good breeder is via the breed clubs as their members have to abide by their codes of ethics. A list of all KC registered Cocker Spaniel Clubs can be found here http://www.the-kennel-club.org.uk/services/public/club/breed/list.aspx?id=2052 I think that you will find a working cocker not for you, they are VERY busy dogs, I love them, but they DO need the right home. I personally have found little difference between the two sexes, both are equally adept at blackmailing people into giving them food One of the key things you need to be aware of in CS is their tendency to resource guard, food, locations, objects, so a lot of work has to be done to prevent this habit forming. They were originally bred to work so yes are hardy. Trimming costs depend on what you want to done, they do need regular trims especially between their paws (you can do this) and the coats can be very profuse and a pain in winter. If you have a bitch and are planning to spay her the coat will usually go very thick and woolly which means trimming is even more essential. HTH
I walk a show cocker I have to be honest - no way is he hardy, but then his owners pamper to his every need IMO they are a bit over cautious about looking after him... when I take him in a field he's content to just lie down and is not very active at all. The coat does soak up mud and water but it depends how long the coat gets (the one I walk is clipped every now and then) his owner also has to wipe his eyes most days because they are slightly 'droopy' for want of a better word they can get slightly gummy. I don't think a boy wll be much different to a girl all dogs are different.
I have a 3 year old cocker spaniel, show type. * what are the pros and cons of the breed-in your experience? PROS - cute; affectionate and very loving; friendly towards people and children and usually friendly with other dogs if socialised well; gorgeous coat if maintained well and they love being with you, splashing in ponds and running around after scents. CONS - coat needs to be clipped every 4-6 weeks, either to breed standard (with feathers, skirt, ears and tail left long) or shaved all off, and the coat needs to be brushed every couple of days if left long; can have problems with recall and training as they usually want to please themselves, rather than the owner, but once you have their attention, they will do anything for that treat/toy, they have to see whats in it for them; can have problems with ear infections due to heavy drop ears, so cleaning needs to done 1-2 times weekly; they are very popular with puppy farmers and backyard breeders so be careful who you buy your puppy from and make sure the pup's parents are health tested. * should Both parents be tested for Optigen A (negative)--have found sone only test the father? *should both parents be tested for the FN (kidney disease)? at least one parent needs to be tested clear for these two health tests. as long as one parent is tested clear, then whatever the other parent is (clear, carrier or affected), the pups will only ever be clear or carrier and never be affected. *is it normal for both parents to be hip scored-again have noticed some dont even bother? I don't think its as important as the other two health tests because they are a small-medium breed and therefore hip dysplasia isn't that common, but if you can find a breeder who hip scores, then great. *I know they should be groomed daily-and/or go to groomer every 8 weeks but is this something a novice could do at home? You can learn how to clip a cocker to show standard via breed books, however its best if you get a groomer to do the cut the first few times so that all you have to do is buy a clipper and blade, and then follow the outlines in the coat. I clip my cocker to breed standard and he only needs brushing every few days. *would love to have a girlie--are girls easier to train than boys (I know boys can be really headstrong in boxers) I think boys are more affectionate and girls are more independent. I found my boy easy to train, with things like tricks and commands, but found recall impossible. If I had a girl, I don't know if it would have been any different. *Are they generally a hardy breed? I think they are a hardy breed. They are a fairly healthy breed, compared to some other pedigrees. *Where would I start in locating a good breeder? I found my boy's breeder on the Kennel Club website. This is the best place to start IMO and you also ask the Cocker spaniel Society for info about any new litters.
Just a note on hip scoring, the total possible is 106 ie 53 for each hip. Only 1013 CS have been hip scored to date with a range between 0 - 90!
Thank You all so much for your replies...very helpful and informative!! I am looking at getting in touch with a CS club to ensure I will get a pup from a breeder who breeds to the club requirements (if that makes sense)... Thanks once again!!!
You definitely can't go wrong with a show type cocker spaniel, lovely dogs, I've got quite a few of them and never had any problems with them food/resource/location/object guarding, coats need to be brushed daily, my dogs are all either Optigen/Antagene DNA tested, or hereditary clear from tested clear parents. I must have a bunch of wimps then, none of mine are hardy.....lol. ;-)
I bought home my 8 week old show type cocker spaniel on Friday and she has already settled in a treat!! Just off to post some pics of her in the photo section... Thanks everyone for their thoughts and advice...
