THE COCKER SPANIEL: THE RIGHT BREED FOR YOU?
The Cocker Spaniel (or English Cocker as the breed is called
in the
The Working Cocker is much valued in the field for their speed & intelligence – they
look somewhat different to most people’s idea of a Cocker Spaniel having very
much less coat & an altogether different head shape but can make very good
companions for the active family who understand that this Cocker will not adapt
well to a sedentary lifestyle – he is intelligent & will need owners who
understand the need for mental stimulation as well as exercise. Working Cockers
will often enjoy agility or obedience training if the opportunity for gundog
work is not available. Some have also been successfully trained as drug sniffer dogs.
The Show-type Cocker is the type most commonly seen as family pets. Although some still
have the ability to do the work the breed was originally bred for, they have
adapted to fill wider roles including enormously popular companion animals,
show dogs, PAT dogs, Hearing Dogs for
the Deaf etc.
This popularity has been maintained for many years now &
shows no sign of abating. The Cocker’s size (not too small, not too big) & it’s
friendly nature accounts for this popularity, plus the fact that it’s a breed
that is seen in a wide variety of attractive colours, from the solids (e.g.
black, red/gold, black & tan) to the particolours
(e.g. blue roan, black & white, orange roan etc)
Temperament
This is a happy little dog with ever-wagging tail, a dog that
is full of joie de vivre & enthusiasm for life, a dog that always wants to
be involved in what the family is doing! This is not a breed for people who
prefer dogs with a more aloof, independent nature – strange as it may seem to
Cocker enthusiasts, some people find the Cocker’s continual bonhomie
irritating!
The Cocker is bright & quick to learn but on occasion can
be stubborn. Some breeds might respond to the command “jump” with a “yes,
master, how high?”
A Cocker will sometimes respond with “why?” followed by “oh,
if you insist!” That’s not to say that this is a difficult breed to train – but
training must be consistent & commenced early & owners must accept that
the breed will not easily achieve the high levels of obedience that can be
attained with say, a Border Collie. Owners will also
have to accept that occasional bouts of selective deafness will occur when
their Cocker is off lead & catches the scent of something particularly
interesting!
Note on “Cocker
Rage”
There has been some adverse publicity in recent years over a
condition known as “Rage Syndrome” (a disorder typified by bouts of unprovoked
aggression), which is occasionally seen in the breed (& more often in the
solid colours). At the present time, the causes of Rage are not known for sure
though many theories have been put forward, some more likely than others. It is
important to stress that this condition is comparatively rare (bearing in mind
the vast numbers of Cockers bred each year) & that temperament problems of
various kinds are occasionally seen in all the colours, most often in puppies
bought from commercial breeders/puppy farmers. It pays for would-be owners to
do their homework & only buy a puppy from reputable, specialist breeders.
Coat Care
The Cocker is high maintenance as far as coat care is
concerned. This is a longhaired breed which will need regular, thorough
grooming & some professional trimming at least every 8 weeks when adult
(though some owners do learn to do this themselves). This is not the breed for
someone who has neither the time nor inclination for grooming or for someone
who is excessively house proud as Cockers do shed hair from time to time &
frequently come back from walks with muddy feet & assorted pieces of
vegetation attached to their feathering (this is a breed that likes to sniff
about under hedges & in the undergrowth).
NB Neutered Cockers often grow excessively
thick, woolly coats that need more frequent grooming & clipping (hand
stripping the coat in the traditional manner is not possible on neutered
Cockers)
Ears
Like all breeds with floppy, pendulous ears, the Cocker does
occasionally suffer from ear trouble such as excess wax or bacterial
infections. Owners can minimise the chances of this happening by cleaning the
ears on a regular basis & making sure there is no excess hair blocking the
entrance to the ear canal
Exercise
The Cocker is a busy, active breed & will happily walk
for miles when fully mature, but this does not mean that a 5 mile hike is
expected every day! The Cocker is very adaptable & will be quite content
with a couple of shorter walks a day. Care must be taken not to let a Cocker
get overweight – many have very keen appetites & are prone to weight gain,
especially after neutering. If this happens, more exercise & less food are
the orders of the day!
Hereditary Problems
A few hereditary problems are occasionally seen in the
Cocker, as with most other breeds. These include FN (Familial Nephropathy, a kidney disease
which affects young Cockers but is now thankfully rare) and PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy, an
eye disease which leads to blindness & is seen more often in particolours). There is also some Hip Dysplasia, more in the solids than
the other colours. Would-be owners should make sure they only buy from breeders
who eye-test and/or hip score their dogs.
© Jane Simmonds
Copyright 2001 Jane Simmonds. shenmore@clara.co.uk
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