Advice for a prospective new owner.

S

simno44

New Member
Hello
And thank you for the time taken in reading my post.

My name is Simon and I am a UK resident looking I to welcoming a new member to our little family.

I live with my partner Holly in a lovely, modest period cottage in Leeds, West Yorkshire.
Recently we have fallen in love with the Spaniel breads and we feel the correct dog for is would be an English cocker spaniel.

Springers are lovely however may be a bit to big for our home, also a standard or American cocker would have the same issue.

I suppose the questions I am wanting to ask are:
Given the above information does the cocker sound good or us?

After the early puppy stages holly and I will be continuing to work shift patterns. We frequently over lap so when our dog is left alone. The maximum amount of time he will have to fend for himself is 6 to 7 hours on very rare occasions.

Are there any pit falls I should be looking for?
I am of course looking for good and healthy dogs, KC registered and from a breaderr who has experience of the trade.

Additionally when looking for dogs I look for breeders who are more in it for the love than they are the money. I find this helps.

Any advice would be welcome. Many thanks.
Simon and Holly. :)

Ps..
We are also struggling for name ideas. Preferably male :)
 
Welcome! I'm Polly and I live with hubby and our 2 American cockers, soon to be 3! English cockers are wonderful. They are a little bit larger than the usual American I believe, but, not by much. Yes Springers are a larger breed. All cockers are very active and happy. Visit breeders with a list of questions. And, I'm sure others here will have very good advice for you.

Your posts will be moderated for a short while.
 
Welcome. I'm Karen from California. English cockers are a little bigger than American cockers but they have less coat so there is a little less maintenance. They are both smaller than springers and both great breeds. Many dogs thrive when they have working owners so yours should be just fine. Maybe if you're going to be gone seven hours when it's a little puppy, there is someone you could have look in on the little puppy? As an older pup and an adult that time frame should be no problem.
 
Thank you.

I am 24 now, As I have grown up I have always been around west highland terriers.
Specifically my old pall Bertie who was purchased for me to fill a gap created when we lost my you get sister.
A dear friend since I was 6 and passed last year in old age.
Also my partner holly has grown up with a mix Mach cross called Chip.

So we are no stranger to dogs. And the caring of.
Westies however are rather dependant and wouldn't quite fit with mine and Holly's work/home balance.

Spaniels however, we understand to be much more mature and smarter dogs. We gather that provided they receive adequate attention and care when we arrive home, they can be left occasionally for lengths of time not exceeding 7 hours.

He will of course have free Rome of his house :)
Also.. Should the periods ever exceed that then he can come with me to work with little hassle due to Spaniels obedient nature

I can cope with an excitable dog. I think the big difference in the Spaniel is that they an be giddy and a bit barmey. Yet they still know to behave.

Which brings me to another question. How easy are these dogs to train.
I would love a dog that rarely requires a lead when in quiet areas, I frequently see customers at work, usually tradesmen with spaniels that stick to the heal of the owner lovingly. Occasionally having a wander off to snoop around the area but never in any danger and always close by when needed to be.

Would I be correct in saying spaniels have a certain level of this temperament already installed in there character?

Thank you once again for any wise words :)

Simon.
 
karenwalksthedogs said:
Welcome. I'm Karen from California. English cockers are a little bigger than American cockers but they have less coat so there is a little less maintenance. They are both smaller than springers and both great breeds. Many dogs thrive when they have working owners so yours should be just fine. Maybe if you're going to be gone seven hours when it's a little puppy, there is someone you could have look in on the little puppy? As an older pup and an adult that time frame should be no problem.
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Hello! :)

Of course! The puppy stages are vital and the last thing I want is the little man having to cross his legs or scared.

Luckily for a period of time holly and I can work our shifts apart so we cross paths. Meaning at most. Up to a year old he will be alone for 2 to 3 hours maximum. And if not, both our parents are available for dog sitting. :).

That is interesting you say that dogs in working house holds thrive. Is this purely down to the fact that they see focused attention when the owner is home? :)
 
I would say go American if size is a concern, but I don't thimk the size difference is very dramatic. However, I dont think you want to leave a new pup unattended 7 hours a day. You'll be doing a LOT of bathing/grooming due to crate accidents and cockers hate being alone. They thrive on companionship and love being around their owners.
 
warhammer said:
I would say go American if size is a concern, but I don't thimk the size difference is very dramatic. However, I dont think you want to leave a new pup unattended 7 hours a day. You'll be doing a LOT of bathing/grooming due to crate accidents and cockers hate being alone. They thrive on companionship and love being around their owners.
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Nope. Your right!! As I said above during he puppy stages the max he will be left would be 4 hours.

They are a lovely dog I'm sure however I'm
Not a huge fan of the American cocker.
The English seems to be the perfect size really :)
 
Welcome, my name is Nicole, I live in CA with my 2 American cockers, Fenway and Amelia. English cockers are a little bigger that Americans. They do have less coat. Cockers are very smart and easy to train. I do recommend taking yours to puppy class. When you are not at home, I recommend crate training. This breed takes a little while to mature. Amelia will be 2 years old, she still stays in her large pen when I leave the house. Sounds like you know what breeders to go to. I do recommend looking at / meeting the parents to your future puppy, also get established with a good vet and good trainer. I have owned cockers for most of my life. All if mine have been very smart, easy to please and very loving. Good luck with your new puppy.
 
Tray or cage training is something I have always been a big scared of.


When training my westies we would always simply use a hard wood or laminate floor as a base, including baskets and toys and what not.. Like a lobby or a kitchen for example and doors would be closed at all times when out of the house.
We would use paper on the floor to clear up any accidents an the paper would lead to the door that goes outside.. gradually the amount of paper will decrease and until you have one sheet by the door. This has always meant that eventually our westies would simply go and sit by the door when they need to go.

Our kitchen has a hard wood floor and the skirting a are all chew proof :).

That will be his play den for the first few months at least till he is trained.
 
I think we have settled on a name.

We have had some quite amusing ideas .. My fave being Difer, pronounced as "D For Dog"

But you would have to know the English Northern accent to appreciate that one.
Prince Williams English cocker is called Lupo which is a name I would have loved to have used..

However.. It would seem we have settled on Louis. For now at least.

Now all we need is the dog himself haha.
 
I own two American cockers, but they were a breeze to leash train; the only real issue I had (and still have) is when a squirrel crosses our path and suddenly I have a pack of hunting dogs! Usually I tell them to "leave it" or I refocus their attention on me and have them sit/lie down.

Trainability/temperament is a dog to dog thing; dogs put out what you put in in terms of training. Temperament is something that can vary. In another thread we were talking about if our cockers like to swim or not; it was all across the board.

One of my cockers is laid back, loves naps, but he's not a cuddler. My female cocker practically needs to be touching a person in order to sleep. She amazingly doesn't have separation anxiety. She's also much more interested in training and we have started doing some small agility training and she adores it.
 
Hi and welcome! I'm Deborah, in Seattle, born of a Londoner dad and American mom. Our current dog Cordelia, is a rescue, as was our previous cocker, Nicholas Cockervich Nobarkoff. I'd encourage you to think about adopting an older dog. They grow to be just as affectionate as hand raised puppies, and have the distinct advantage of having apps preloaded. Welcome again, Simon and Holly
 
deborah said:
Hi and welcome! I'm Deborah, in Seattle, born of a Londoner dad and American mom. Our current dog Cordelia, is a rescue, as was our previous cocker, Nicholas Cockervich Nobarkoff. I'd encourage you to think about adopting an older dog. They grow to be just as affectionate as hand raised puppies, and have the distinct advantage of having apps preloaded. Welcome again, Simon and Holly
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I love this comment!
Holly is all for the adoption of an older dog. Her family dogs have all been rescues. Where as mine have all been, paid for before birth in the hope for first pick of "the one hiding under a chest chewing on a sock... " so I'm partial to a puppy.. In our situation however. Adoption may be a better way forward. I wouldn't want anything more than 2 years though. And that's a push.
 
At two they are still very young and there is plenty of trouble to get into. See my post entitled, "The Shame, the Shame." Both my dogs are two years old.
 
Simon, both of my rescues were aged 5 or 6 when they came to us. Nicholas was with us nine amazing years. He was my psych service dog, and my heart dog. We were so bonded that i'm crying even writing this, and he died last November. A rescue dog knows it's been rescued, and is less concerned with it's puppyhood than with the now. I can only refer you to the "Cindi's tribute to Annie" thread.
 
deborah said:
Simon, both of my rescues were aged 5 or 6 when they came to us. Nicholas was with us nine amazing years. He was my psych service dog, and my heart dog. We were so bonded that i'm crying even writing this, and he died last November. A rescue dog knows it's been rescued, and is less concerned with it's puppyhood than with the now. I can only refer you to the "Cindi's tribute to Annie" thread.
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That is a lovely reply! Thank you so very much.

Just an update to all you lovely people.
Holly and I had arranged to go see a 9 week old pup today.
Early yesterday afternoon I contacted a litter being sold on "pets4homes" which is a reputable British webpage designed for pets of all shapes and sizes but seems mostly used for dogs.

When speaking to the "breeder" I began to ask questions such as
*is the mother available to see?
*are regestation details available?
And so on.

It transpired that the dogs in the litter where not KC registered but the mother was available to see along side the pups. This wasn't a huge problem for me. We arranged a time and a place. I then politely asked if there was any particular reason why the dogs where not KC registered. I received quite a long winded response that basically said that the stud wasn't registered. Therefore the litter can't be either but the main reason for not registering was that the breeder "doesn't agree with KC rulings".. Then.. The next thing I know, despite arranging to reserve to make puppy for us to see he had been "sold at the drop of the hat, but the three bitches are still available to view"

Given the very odd change of events upon me querying the KC registration I have reluctantly walked away from the meeting and chosen not to risk it.

I appreciate that KC registration is not the be all and end all of a good healthy pup.. After all it only gives a small safety net and reassurance that the dog has at least been looked at by a professional. But when suspicious behaviour such as the above is in play,. I would rather not risk the heart ache and potential loss should the dog fall ill.

The search goes on!
There isn't a great deal around where I live unfortunately.


In other news,..
Given that all my replies so far have been from the US , Im planning to travel to the states next year, last year Holly and I did 3 weeks split between
San Francisco, a short stay in Chicago and onwards to the AMAZING San Diego areas.

This year we are split between another east coast visit, perhaps further north of where we stayed last year.. or a long road trip including Vegas, personally although I would like to experience Vegas at some stage and I do like the idea of a somewhat unplanned stop by stop road trip. Vegas seems a bit cliche to me as a snobby British type :). New York has also been mentioned for 4 or 5 days.
I would love to hear what you lovely people would advise as American citizens :)


PS given the time of year and the date being very close to that of 9/11 I would like to just express my hopes and prayers for America as a great nation and in the memory of those lost that tragic day. We have certainly seen our own fair share of tragedy over here in the UK, 7/7 being very close to me for personal reasons but the events of 9/11 made the world stand still. And it must not be forgotten.
I take no shame in saying this as a Brit, God Bless those fallen, and God Bless America!

Simon.
 
deborah, i am so with you on this one. i have 4 cockers. all of which are rescues. i don't do puppies at all. they are soooooo much work, care, accidents, biting, chewing, crying, screaming, up all night every 2hrs, all day long, biting little sharks. as sweet and cute as they are, they are just as miserable to raise for 2yrs. every rescue i've had has been 2yrs or older. usually older, and been the most wonderful dogs i could've ever asked for. even tho i purposely work w/aggressively challenged dogs, they still end up being amazing dogs. my keepers are so loving and well loved. :D
 
NEWS FLASH!!

It is with great pride and a whole lot of love that I can announce, holly and I have taken the plunge.

Yesterday we visited a young, Black 12 week old male. And I can't begin to express how please I was on arrival. We really landed on our feet.

Following a very good advertisement on Pets4homes we tuck the 1 hour trip across country to visit the last of a 3 litter set from a breeder.
What we where greeted with was outstanding.

Unknown to us at the time the breeder was the most loving person we could have wished for. The man of the house is a woodsman/farm hand who spends his days out and about with his two prized Gun Dogs (mother and father)

Not only did we get to spend a good amount of time with the pup but we had a demonstration of the temperament and training levels of both mum and dad. I was lost for words with how attentive the mother was and what she was capable of doing. The father was crazy but extremely well behaved.
On top of all that a full KC registration was available along with log history of first jabs and micro chipping.
Also. The lady of the house had compiled an in depth family tree of his pedigree history going back many years with all the names and such.

Furthermore. Another sign of then breeding for love rather than money.. The price. They are charging no where near what I believe the dog to be worth given all his potential. At only £400 a deposit was laid down and we collect him first thing tomorrow morning.

May I take this opportunity to thank you all for your help and advice. I am sure there will be more to be asked from me in the near future. I intend to set up a new topic related to training very soon.

Simon

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