I am thinking of having a cocker spaniel early in spring next year!?

Question

Are they easy dogs to live with and trainable, I think they are lovely.

Answer 1

I have worked with a cocker spaniel assistance dog and it was one of the most sweet and gentle animals I have come across in a long time.

They can be quite 'sniffy', (hence why spaniels are often used as detection dogs) but this is far from the worst of traits a dog could have.

As with any dog, I would strongly recommend that you do thorough research before purchasing one . You might find it helpful to contact the Kennel Club for details of reputable breeders in you area. Do ask lots of questions when visiting the breeder, make sure the parents are in good health, have low hip scores and no known eye conditions etc; are the dogs/puppies happy and healthy looking, and do they seem to be properly taken care of? You should receive paperwork for your dog, and if it is a puppy it should not leave its mother before 8 weeks of age.

Be wary of anyone who cannot give you a valid reason for sale (if it is a single dog) or who won't show you the parents / other pups. A responsible breeder will be happy to take the time to give you information and advice and help you select the right dog for you.

You have made a great choice - cockers are lovely dogs which pick up training easily. Enjoy your new pet! :)

Answer 2

Just like with any breed, there is a wide variety of different personalities not all cocker spaniels are the same. I have owned cocker spaniels all my life and if trained and raised correctly they can be the best dogs. Getting a cocker spaniel from a reputable breeder or a rescue is a must.
Cocker Spaniels are susceptible to a lot of health problems and temperament issues through years of bad breeding. If you decide to go to a breeder, make sure they do all health testings, offer a health guarantee (usually 3 years but some offer life time guarantees) and are willing to discuss all positives and negatives about the breed and are open to all questions. Going through a rescue is another great option (Ive owned great cocker spaniels from rescues) . Make sure the rescue has done temperament testing on the dog. Especially if you dont want to deal with the puppy hood, its a great way to rescue a dog that's about 3+ years old.
Cocker Spaniels can be great dogs to live with , they are very people orientated and love to be with their family. All the cocker spaniels and other spaniels (Ive owned Brittanys ) I have owned have been very smart and were easy to train. Of course, persistence is the answer.
Cockers need moderate exercise and regular grooming. Of course with any breed there are the down sides to the breed. A cocker spaniels from a back yard breeder and petstores(puppy mills) are prone to separation anxiety,a multitude of serious health problems ,excitable or submissive urination (tendency to dribble urine when excited or nervous) ,unstable temperaments,
So a well bred, well trained cocker spaniel can be the best dog ever with the sweetest personality but when you get any breed of dog from a back yard breeder/puppy mil there is a greater chance of behavior problems.
I recommend doing research and finding the best cocker spaniel for you.
If you have any more questions, feel free to email me .

Answer 3

I have just got my 3rd cocker spaniel, they are beauties and truely loyal, I love them to bits. I had a male, a female who just died at the age of 131/2 and now have another female aged 3 months. They are very intelligent so are easy to train, Suu Kiy took only 4 nights to settle on her own in the kitchen, still is not totally house trained but asks to be let out for a pee or a poo. Eats her food when she should and gets no scraps!
You will never regret it but you must give time over to training and grooming daily. Good luck!

Answer 4

Cocker Spaniels are beautiful, and they are fairly easy to train if given proper attention. They are affectionate, and depending from dog to dog, you could get a couch potato or one that's bouncing off the walls.
Only thing I would worry about is the grooming, really. Their fur can grow to be very long and unless you clip it extremely short, prof. groomers are a must.
Just make sure you have enough time to take care of a dog/puppy. It's like a new kid.

Answer 5

The Cocker is a sturdy, compact, well-balanced dog. It has a characteristic expression showing intelligence and alertness. Its eyes should be dark and its lobular ears should reach the tip of the nose when pulled forward.
their friendly, faithful, playful, quiet and affectionate natures. They are easily trained and make a good medium-sized family pet. Very few Cockers have temperament problems
English cockers have a loving temperament and make excellent family pets. They will often bond to one person in a family. They have a "go do it now" attitude.

Answer 6

i have had two. one i had for 14 years.i have a puppy now of the same breed. they can be trained very easily. the only problem that i have had is that at the beginning when they get excited they will pee. the best thing to do is ignore them for 10 to 20 minutes until they settle down. when ever you or any thing or person walks in the door tell them to not pet the animal. after they get older this will stop. they are also a good alarm system. they have deep barks like a big dog. this can help you. i love those breeds very much. they are also good with children.

Answer 7

There are excellent and crap in all breeds so if you get a well bred dog from a responsible breeder who x-rays hips and elbows and has them OFA'd plus CERFs eyes and has a guarantee plus the dam and sire are titled obed/show dogs then you are off to a good start. Cockers are one of the top biters and most groomers dislike them, cockers are often poorly bred, fearbiters and submissive urinators. Their coat require lots of grooming and pro clipping but a good one is a very nice dog. I used to show with a woman who bred nice temperamented Cockers who had brindle ones, very striking looking.

Answer 8

Omg the cocker is the most loveing dog you will ever have and I recomend them they are easy to train one of my favorites the only thing is that you need to wash there ears out often once a week so they don't get infected

Answer 9

yes yes yes. i cannot say it enough
i had an english working cocker spaniel, and nothing has shown me and my family so much love and affection. Tragically she was killed by a car a few days ago...it's the worst thing that has ever happened to me.
That is the one problem with dogs-- when you lose them it hurts so much you cannot breath. but the memoies they will give you will never die.

Answer 10

If you do decide on one, make sure you find a reputable knowledgeable breeder who does all the necessary health checks before breeding. Find out your nearest breeders through the breed clubs and contact a few so you can visit their dogs, without obligations before deciding definitely that this is the breed for you:
http://www.cockerspaniel-info.org.uk/general.htm
http://www.cockerspaniel-info.org.uk/clubs.htm
Good Luck