Ok guys we are taking the plunge and are looking to rehome a dog , a cocker has came on to our radar. I know a few of you guys have these , our dog criteria is smallish to medium as we have a caravan and needless to say it would be coming on holiday with us , must be good with other dogs as we have friends that have dogs and we meet up now and then , but most importantly it must be good with cats as we have been adopted by a local stray a few years ago ( can does go on holiday).
We are both retired so there will be lots of walks and someone will be at home most of the time.
Can you guys point out the good (I know they are a clever dog) , but also the bad traits that they have. Do it now ! Your a long time dead !!

Generally speaking, most dogs are as good as they have been trained to be. Cockers are very loyal and loving dogs but again, it all depends how it has been treated up to now and what it has been allowed to get away with. With patience they can be trained to do almost anything. Our one wouldn't stop sniffing our cat's bum and when the cat raised a paw as a warning, it thought it wanted to play! All our other friends that have cats as well as cockers have no problem - usually the cat is the dominant one in the household - the cockers are fast learners! Of all the working cockers (is yours a worker or a show?) that we walk with on a 3-4 times a week basis, they are all related - Grandad, Mum, Aunt, Uncle , sisters, brothers and nieces, only one (unrelated) in our group is a bit feisty. It is also prone to running off with things it finds and either hiding them or swallowing them and I'm talking about dead squirrels, shi**y nappies, socks, gloves, you name it, it finds it and it wont give it up - even ran off and hid a shot pheasant on a shoot once! Mind you, it came from a long line of field trial champions so perhaps needs a firmer hand.

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Thanks Steve, it's not going to be a working or a show dog . The cat we have is a big chicken and is getting on a bit , we think he is about 12 , a dog that will leave him alone is all we ask , if they become friends that's would be great.
It's a rescue dog that we are interested in , this one http://spanielaid.co.uk/revel/ . Obviously we don't know it's history by way of training.
Btw your dugs look braw 👍🏻 Do it now ! Your a long time dead !!

He looks lovely. If I were to describe ours, it would be described EXACTLY as on the adoption page for the one you are looking at. He looks like a worker - most of them are chocolate brown ones. Show and workers are different types. Shows are normally short legged and long ears and workers are the opposite - longer legs and shorter ears. Workers don't moult either (well, none of ours do although that site says they do) - not sure about the show ones. Might have a docked tail from birth to prevent it from getting caught up when flushing birds out of bramble bushes etc. At 5 years old he should be nicely settled by now too - not too boisterous. Good luck if you go ahead.  Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

My chocolate Labrador could drive my old 110, sadly nether are with me anymore.

 Common sense isn't very common.
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2007 Land Rover Freelander2 I6 hse Auto

Well we have gone and done it , went to a rescue centre in Dumfries today and reserved a wee cocker spaniel http://www.caninerescue.co.uk/dog-profile.php?dID=3720. She has just been dressed so she still has stitches, all being well we will get her a week tomorrow.





 Do it now ! Your a long time dead !!

Nice one. Well done.  Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

She's lovely, wont be able to reach the pedals with those short legs though  Common sense isn't very common.
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2007 Land Rover Freelander2 I6 hse Auto

lovely looking pooch there how old is she ?

main thing with all spaniels is to keep their brains occupied. exercise is almost secondary to that but combine a walk with hunting for a throw toy and its a match made in heaven for them

She is 8yrs old .. too young to drive . She was a bit pulley on lead , we put that down to her being excited being out of the kennel .
I hope to get her trained so that she doesn't pull and the usual sit and stay.. in saying that she doesn't sit , she just rolls over and shows her belly .
Any input or help from you guys would great  Do it now ! Your a long time dead !!

Last edited by Purplemadboy on 5th Dec 2016 9:44 am. Edited 1 time in total

Susie used to be a bit 'pulley' on the lead (only on the way out to a walk - too exited. Too knackered on the way back!) so we tried a harness for a while and that soon sorted her out.

Something like this. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Aodoor-Harness-No...s+for+dogs Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.

Rupert pulls on the collar, so i bought a harness, you are taking the pulling from all four legs to the rears as the harness is taking it connection back behind the front legs. (or so the shop said)

It worked a while, but he pulls a bit, not as much but still pulls, its eagerness to get to where his thinks we are going.

Best way to stop him pulling is a figure of eight slip lead round his neck and snout Former Mod/Member, with the most post & Chicken George Arch nemesis

We pick her up on Monday morning from the rescue centre in Dumfries .. just hope she gets on with our cat  Do it now ! Your a long time dead !!

Well we picked her up on Monday. What an intelligent wee dog , when she wants too . We changed her name from Lucy to Bailey, she comes to her name already.
I bought a lunge lead , just a small one , 25m , when it arrived I thought what have I bought , it's miles long . It turns out to be great , there is a grass area not too far away from my house , unfortunately the grass is next to a busy road so off the lead isn't an option. Throwing the ball short of the lead and she brings it back.
The bad is .. she doesn't stay , sit or down when food is being prepared .. well the sit is coming along slowly .
The really bad thing is , I broke her .. when retrieving the ball I saw her limp a wee bit .. I checked her paw and everything seemed ok , she carried on running for a while and walked back home ok . Same deal with the next day apart from the limp..
The day after was a different story , as soon as I took her out she started limping and refused to walk . I called the vet and the first appointment I could get is Saturday at 10:20.

 Do it now ! Your a long time dead !!

Christ! When I saw that picture I thought it was her mouth and jaw!

A good trick for recall is a whistle. You can get a proper dog whistle and using favourite treats (cut up sausages or burgers worked for us) it'll soon be coming back. We all use this one http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Acme-210-5-Whist...SwyQtVlYdc

They love routine. Every night about 9.00 Susie comes to me for 'tricks for treats' as we call it. Go easy on the treats or it'll pile on the pounds. I hold back 8 pieces of kibble from her evening feed and use them - she has to do a 'trick' before she gets one. Once she can do the trick, I then teach her to do it by spelling out the word. They are very quick learners. Sometimes we play 'find it' with the kibble. She sits by the hall door, I open it and she goes out and sits and waits in the hall while I hide kibble in different places in the lounge - under cushions, in the fireplace, behind ornaments etc. I then open the door and she has to sniff them out. They love doing silly little things like that.

Good luck with the vet on Saturday but she'll probably have recovered by then. Don't be too quick to run to the vets - it'll cost you a fortune. We don't unless she appears in pain or is not holding down food or fluids.


Tricks for treats.

 Past: FL2 TD4 HSE Auto
Evoque SD4 Dynamic Lux Auto
Present: Audi A3 S Line.