Sould I get a Cocker Spaniel or a Beagle??

Question

I'm quite desperate to know which breed is better. My cousin is giving me a pup of either breeds so I'mresearching o what breed is better. I have a medium sized backyard but also have a large space of cemented floor outside the house. I don't have much of a problem with grooming the coat because if ever I'll have a Cocker Spaniel, I am not planning on keeping it like a show dogs coat.. I have saved quite an amount of money for the arriving dogs needs.. Please help me decide..

Answer 1

Get the cocker. Beagles like to follow their noses. If you don't live near the woods he will always be looking for a way out and trying to run looking for rabbits.

Answer 2

I don't know a lot about a Cocker Spaniel. It is a long haired dog and will need a bit of grooming. I think a Cocker and a Beagle are about the same size, so no problem there.
I do know a bit about a Beagle, I have one. Don't listen to everyone who says they are very noisy. My beagle is the last one of my other two to run and bark at every noise they hear. But when he gets involved it is not a bark it is a howl. A beagle is a very mellow dog. They need room to exercise. My dogs get there exercise by chasing each other through the house and out to the back yard. I have a dog door for them. The thing I can say for the Beagle is he is always late for a nap. He do sleep a lot.
Beagles are great dogs.

Answer 3

It depends on what you are looking for. I grew up with a cocker spaniel. The ones I knew were quite calm. Good lap dogs. I've known a few beagles too. Beagles on the other hand, are a little more hyper. They howl and bark a lot. They are more feisty and social and will rough house with you. Beagles are also more of diggers. And they also handle cold rainy weather much better than a cocker spaniel.

It all really boils down to what you want to do with the dog and how much time you have to devote to it. Beagles are more needy, cockers are more timid. Beagles are great for going hiking, jogging, hunting , etc with even on the colder days. Cocker spaniels would rather stay in and sit with you on the couch while you watch TV. Or at least this is true of the beagles and cocker spaniels that I knew.

Answer 4

I am just the person to help you! I've had both breeds. First off, they are both very loving, affectionate and loyal animals. You won't be able to base your decision on that. I hate to say it but your biggest difference is going to be in grooming.
A beagle has wire hair. Translation: they shed. You do not need to take them to the groomer to be shaved, although there is nothing preventing you from doing so. I shave ours because she now resides outdoors. It makes her cooler in teh summer months and helps her shed the heavier winter coat. When she was inside, we never shaved her, she just shed hair everywhere. People at work thought that I had a cat whenever I wore anything dark.
A cocker spaniel has a different coat than a beagle. They must be groomed regularly. If you do not stay on top of it, they will become matted. That is a huge mess and costly to have a grromer fix. You can have them groomed long and fluffy if you do not mind brushing him or her every day or you can have the dog shaved close. Either way, they are cute. Grooming costs about $40 every 6-8 weeks. Another thing you will need to consider: cocker spaniels have very sensitive skin. They have a predisposition to developing a type of dandruff, flaky, oily skin and bumps (like little moles). One way to keep this in check is to feed the dog very high quality food. (This is good advice for any dog but it is crucial to a c.s.) A great food is Natures Choice Lamb and Rice. You can get it at Petsmart / Petco, etc. Also, adding a vitamin E tablet to her/his food can help.
Overall, the c.s. will probably cost you more in the long run. They are soft and cuddly and make great sleeping companions! They are fiercly loyal and tend to be very emotionally attached to their human.
Beagles are less costly due to the lack of grooming. You will just be vacuuming a lot more. They are also sporty dogs. If you are a camper, outdoorsy type person, than a beagle is a good choice. They love to hunt, track and play games with you. They are also smarter than many people credit them. They are very trainable.
Overall, they will be about the same size and have the same life expectansy. My beagle and my cocker are both 16 years old now. Both are on their way out, although the beagle has had fewer health problems. She has had some loss of sight and some arthritus. The c.s. has had to have several tumors removed, gastrointestinal issues and the aforementioned skin condition. I would not give either of them up. You have a hard choice ahead of you.
The best thing for you is to decide based on your lifestyle - low maintenace and sporty or higher maintenance and couch cuddling. If you have any specific questions, feel free to e-mail me. I will be happy to help!

Answer 5

Even if you keep the Cocker's hair cut short it is still prone to matting because it is fine and silky. You'll need to pay attention to grooming it, especially the ears. Also, Cocker's need to be with their people a lot. My mom got me a Cocker when I was eleven. My mom was a stay-at-home mom and I played with him a lot, but it wasn't enough; anytime we left the house he'd freak out. I didn't know this until well after the fact, but my mom got him from the shelter and it's well known that many shelter dogs suffer from separation anxiety. Since your spaniel will be coming from a friend that shouldn't be a problem for you, I hope. However, I think that the Cocker's reputation as a "merry spaniel" will only be a reality if you have a lot of time to give to the dog. Otherwise you will have one troubled spaniel on your hands.

Answer 6

I have a cocker, and my neighbor has a beagle. We keep the coat on our cocker spaniel very short as well to help with shedding. The cocker is a bit smaller and a bit less active. The beagle is EXTREMELY energetic and loud. They are both very sweet dogs. It depends on your personality. Even though you have a back yard, you will still want to take your dog on a daily walk. They need this. The beagle will require more walking because of their high energy level. We have loved our cocker. She is still in a puppy stage, but she learns very quickly. She is very loving and wants to be your companion. She needs people with her, and she wants your attention when you are home! I think they are both great options. One of the biggest differences is just that beagles are going to need more space and more exercise because they can be more hyper than the cocker spaniel!

Answer 7

That's a hard choice--both are very sweet dogs.

Both are hunting breeds and will want to move around a lot...

In my experience cockers are really good with people, especially chiildren. (My first dog was a cocker, so they have a special place in my heart)

If you don't have a lot of time to spend bathing/grooming a dog, I'd say a beagle. If that's not a consideration, then go with the cocker.

Sorry I can't be more definite--I love both breeds.

Answer 8

The cocker spaniel is the better breed. They are fun-loving, playful and very loyal. Both types of dogs are hunting dogs, but I prefer the floppy hairy ears of a cocker. Cockers adapt very well in any type of yard and home. They don't shed, but you do need to groom them every so often. They are the best lovable dogs ever, and the cuter of the two choices. I've owned two already and they are the only ones I really would ever own.

Answer 9

one thing i hate about a beagle is that when you open the door they will run away and never come back otherwise i do like beagle but i like cocker spaniels better because I'm getting a cocker spaniel very soon for crhismas

Answer 10

both dogs are very loving and want to spend a lot of time with their masters. Beagles, though, are renown for getting out of a fence, any fence, in any way possible. We spent a year changing our fencing around to keep our beagle in, finally succeeded with instretched upper stakes with barbed wire on them. Sounds cruel, doesn't it? The only thing that ever worked except for the concrete blocks we buried along the fenceline to keep him from digging out.
The next week early am the doorbell rang - there stood the garbage man asking, "Can Rascal come out to play? We will take good care of him" I told him no we had finally managed to keep him in, so later in the day the doorbell rang and there he stood again - with 1/2 a turkey!!!!! No wonder my dog was getting so fat.
Anyway we also had a cocker spaniel and he did none of these things, just loved us.
The choice is yours.