Cocker Spaniel owners

Do we have any here?

A lot of people I know won't admit to owning these sweet little dogs anymore, because of the bad reputation they've gotten over the years. You tell someone you've got a cocker at home and automatically they think "Oh they're yappers" "They piddle on the floor" or "They growl at kids"

I love these dogs. I've raised cockers for almost ten years. I've only had one dog who was a snipper, who was promptly spayed and adopted out to a family aware of her disposition.

Just curious to see who else has got a "Lady" or a "Max" at home....might share some common lines with my dogs- I'm in Northern New York, but I've taken pups as far as Oklahoma before.


Bucky

I don't have a cocker now but we had a great one when I was a kid. She went everywhere with me and was my best friend in the world!

I recently had a rusty colored (called him Rusty, naturally!)cocker and loved him dearly!! He had a thyroid problem though! I grew up with a a cocker, although not a pedigree as far as we knew and he was the best! I know some dogs that are breed tend to be highstung, etc., but I think that's the way with loads of breeds and cockers have gotten a bad rap!!!
Would love to have another one!!! Let me know if you ever have any available in the next year or so!!! They're such great cuddly dogs!!!
Jeanne

Oh, don't get me started....!

Our little "Cricket" was dumped off in our remote country neighborhood six years ago, filthy, matted and IN HEAT! She ran to our house behind my son when he was coming home from the bus stop. DH and I just looked at each other and sighed. Next day I took her to the vet to get spayed and vaccinated. She's been a regular treasure since then and everyone loves her. The vet said she looks purebred, but I have my doubts. (Cricket looks like a King Charles, but doesn't have the long ears or smashed-in face.) Anyway, this dog is VERY smart and has a wonderful disposition. She spends most of her time outdoors chasing squirrels, rabbits, leaves, etc. As a result, I have to keep her hair cut pretty short as she likes to come home with sticks and other debris hanging off her after romping through the woods.

We're extremely lucky to have neighbors that love to take care of her when we go out of town. They have a huge Rottweiler ("Teddy"), who's really a sweet and gentle dog. He and Cricket are best buddies - just this past weekend she was there for a "sleepover" while we were gone for a few days. It's so funny to see them together 'cuz Cricket weighs 25 lbs. and Teddy is easily 165. And of course, you can't pet one dog without the other one nosing in!

Oops...forgot to tell about my two masters of disaster.

Daisy is the sweetheart who started it all. She is a graceful old gal who retired from motherhood five years ago. She always had litters of 6 - 3 blond and 3 parti (white with gold spots, like her). She was a devoted mamma, and I get all my motherly inspiration from her.

Dusty is her pal, only a kid at 3 years old. He is 'california blond', or champagne colored. I've always let the hair on top of his head grow wild, hence a sort of surfer-dude look. He is Mr. Ham. He won't sit or heel or stay, but he'll play dead if you pretend to shoot him (with your hand held up like a gun) and if you make a twirling motion with your finger, he'll spin in circles.

And there's been Skeeter and Molly and Ladybug and Diggah and Duncan and Nestle and Nona and Ruby and Leroy in between then and now. All wonderful dogs.

Rusty sounds a bit like Skeet, who was one of my first pups, that wonderful reddish copper color.

And Cricket sounds like a sweetheart! Sometimes dogs find us, instead of the other way around!

Hmmm....how many plants would equal a trade for a pup? :•)

Bucky,
I am the proud owner of a buff female cocker Maggie who is the sweetest dog I've ever owned. I bought her from an excellent breeder in Massachusetts. Maggie has never had an eye or ear infection, and she's over 2 years old. Her only bad trait is that she's a terrible watch dog...almost never barks. She loves everyone including strangers, but she is a one person dog...mine!

In 1999 I quickly lost my black female cocker Molly to pancreatic cancer when she was barely 10 years old. I started looking for a puppy 2 weeks later, and finally found Maggie who thinks she found me. I was still grieving for Molly, and this adorable puppy put her front paws around my neck and gave me a "hug."

I love cocker spaniels!

Billie

Buckey,

We, also had a cocker named Buffey. She was one of a kind, the best dog you could hope for. Loved everyone without a mean bone in her body. We were her humans for 15 years before we lost her, and she is surely missed. :o(

My son had a cocker and it was an adoption and it trully was one of the dogs that helped give them their negative press, however i know many people who have had woderful experiences with these bundles of love. I still stick to labradors and pomeranians
Sandy aka:
SDoglover

The only thing I remember about the majority of cocker spaniels from my years of vet office work was the nasty disposition of most of them, especially the black ones. There are good cockers and it's nice to read about everyone's positive experiences with them.
Trish

You are a brave one Trish, for saying what I have been thinking. I too work at a vet office, as a dog groomer, and I have to say that on my end of experiences with cockers has not been good. They are in the top 5 of dogs that groomers dont like to groom. The majority of them need to be muzzeled at some time of their groom. I can count on one hand the cockers that wont try to take my hand off when I pick up their feet.
But like I tell my clients. It dosent matter how they are with the groomer or vet. What counts is that they are good and loving pets to their families, which most are.
I would also like to add how disheartening it is that alot of these dogs come to the grooming shop with literally 6 inches of matts covering their body because the owners only groom them once a year. How miserable it must be to have to lay on that hair which must be like lying on rocks or to never feel a cool breeze. Perhaps that could account for some of their disposition.
Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.
BTW for those who properly maintain their cockers coat-I applaud you!
Janice

Hey!! I have pomeranians, and cockers aren't the only dogs that need their coats maintained. my dogs are kept impeccable and i groom them myselves. but i see alot of breeds with nasty mats and there is no excuse for any pet owner to let their dogs'coat become filled with mats and dirt and what not...Responsible pet owners..i applaud you!!Sandy

I have to brag that my cocker Maggie is a sweetie for the vet and the groomer. Of course, I maintain her coat so it will be easier for the groomer and for my dog. Janice, you could pick up her feet all you needed without any trouble. I give most of the credit to the breeders who bred for disposition and good health first, beauty second. I take the rest of the credit since I'm a good "mom."
My black cocker Molly wasn't as sweet as Maggie, but she was very good for the vet and the groomer. Molly had a lot of "personality" (similar to mine!).
The first groomer I ever used was very picky, and I wouldn't dare drop off a dog (also had a golden retriever) that had one mat.
Irresponsible pet owners is a hot topic for me, and I won't even get started on that.
Here's to the good cocker spaniels out there!
Billie


This message was edited Tuesday, Jul 24th 5:05 PM

No Cocker's but plenty of dogs..
Shi-tzu (Meg)
Black Lab(Beth)
Mutt (Mai-Lei)
Shepard/wolf mix (August)
Peek-a-Poo (Jezabel)


Larkie

No cockers, but they are *great* dogs. Oprah's are beautiful--can you imagine the life of those dogs? I have three terriers: cairn, westie, Boston. I am always irritated when someone speaks of "bad" dogs or "bad" dog breeds. I truly believe there are no "bad" dogs, only "bad" owners.

Big Red, I love your comment about being your dog's "humans." That is so true!