Pros and Cons of Cockers

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Boy, I could write a novel!

Pros:
Affectionate
Good size
Moderate activity level
Good with people
Beautiful
Great at a multitude of activities
Lap dogs
Smart

Cons:
Many health issues
Heavy grooming required
Can have temperament issues if not properly socialized
Food hounds to the extreme
Can be barky

If you tell us about you, your lifestyle and your expectations of a dog we may be able to help you figure out if this breed is a good fit for you.
 
PS - Thank you for doing your research! Too many people skip this very important step!
 
Really good list, Kelly! One con I would like to add is that they can be expensive to maintain. If you don't do your own grooming, you will have a monthly grooming bill and at least the expense of some good grooming tools to use at home between grooming visits. If you do all the grooming at home you will need some good clippers, scissors, and the standard at home grooming tools such as a pin brush, slicker brush, comb, and maybe a de matter.
 
Wait.... there are CONS to owning a cocker??? :unsure:

j/k

PROs (in addition to Kelly's list)
There is always someone to snuggle with.
They are the perfect size - not too big or small
they are beautiful
I dont think there is a 'happier' breed around

Cons:
They are pretty 'needy'. Lots of people call them velcro dogs - ie, they want to always be RIGHT THERE with you. Princess isnt content to go from room to room with me, she has to walk touching me. Marco liked to sleep touching both dh and myself and always sat on my feet whenever I was working in the kitchen. Teddy screams if he is left outside by himself beyond the length of time it takes to go potty. Not everyone appreciates this sort of 'togetherness'.

Grooming can be significant and is NOT optional. Best case - short hair and correct coat type (ie, not cottony) plan on spending 1-2hrs a week on grooming. ear cleaning, brushing, combing, nails etc. Plus an extra 3+ hrs once a month or so or a trip to a professional groomer every 6 weeks which can run $50 Worst case, longer hair, cottony coat I used to spend an hour a day brushing/combing and an extra 6 +h once a month or so for a bath/haircut - and this was not a 'show' length coat!

they can be tempermental (nippy)

they can have some pretty significant chronic health issues. esp skin issues, ear infections and allergies. A good diet is very very important. Generally, this is not a breed that you can feed Old Roy or Iams
 
Cons? They can wake you up at 3AM because they got lost under the blankets they insisted on sleeping under.

... Or is that just Artemis?

I think the ears/grooming are the biggest considerations. If you can't dedicate the time to those aspects cockers aren't the dog for you.
 
Randomly listed Pros and Cons

The perfect size, neither too large, nor small enough to be fragile.

All your neighbors will know you, by your dog's name, and sometimes offer to dog sit, when you aren't going anywhere.

Having a cocker means you'll never pee alone.

There will not be a scrap of food of any floor, or between any sofa cushions.

Cockers need a haircut almost as often as you do.

Spot in the Dick and Jane books was a parti cocker.

Lots of brushing and ear flushing.

High quality food is a must, but mine have always liked fresh veggies, especially things I'd throw away: collard green ribs, zucchini peels, really tough broccoli stems.

Cockers "play dumb," but are mostly smarter than they want you to believe.

A well-groomed, well-behaved cocker is welcome almost anywhere. They are that charismatic.

Brushing, brushing, brushing. Even in short coats. But they don't shed much.

Thank you for researching!!
 
Cocker's have Pro's and Con's.But I would never get a different breed. I love Cocker's, especially Pumpkin♡
 
Pros and cons to any breed. But I know for sure that I will always have cockers. I guess you can say that after 30 years. lol. One thing, do your homework and please get from a reputable breeder. That would greatly help with possible/ potential health or temperament issues.
 
Very loyal , clever and obedient breed however can be a bit on the chewy side if ever bored they like to shred mostly in their puppy to teen stages... Fantastic breed though and super smart
 
You mean cockers have cons? :D (OK, we need more smilies! I was looking for the one of someone hiding under a chair!)

Like any breed, there are pros and cons. But, if you've ever owned a cocker, no other dog will ever quite measure up. Right now, I don't have a dog-I just don't have the time I need to devote to a dog. But when I am finally ready to get another dog, it will be a cocker. (I did ask for one for Christmas, though.)
 
I am fairly new to being a cocker owner and by no means an expert but I can offer a beginners list of pros and cons.
Pros: nice size, not too big and not too small; low shed; sweet and loving; good with kids; moderately active, easy to house train. Cons: grooming - we keep his coat short and just do a little brushing between groomer visits. We visit the groomer every 6 weeks or so and it does cost around $50 per visit; barky - he likes to be with us! Our other dog is content to sniff around outside if we're not in the (fenced) yard with him but Parker will bark at the door until he's back in with us. Not a huge deal, but he's not very independent. I'm told there are health issues. We've been lucky so far but he does have his first "hot spot" on his skin so this might be a sign of things to come.
 
I think all the pros and cons have pretty much been covered. The temperament is extremely important, do your research and find a good reputable breeder, they breed for temperament as well as health, so important.
 
Wait.... there are CONS to owning a cocker??? :unsure:


Cons:
They are pretty 'needy'. Lots of people call them velcro dogs - ie, they want to always be RIGHT THERE with you. Princess isnt content to go from room to room with me, she has to walk touching me. Marco liked to sleep touching both dh and myself and always sat on my feet whenever I was working in the kitchen. Teddy screams if he is left outside by himself beyond the length of time it takes to go potty. Not everyone appreciates this sort of 'togetherness'.


haha, I can totally agree with this..I only have to leave Jarvis 30 seconds to go get something out of my car, and when i return you'd think i had been gone a month!!!!!!...bathing, going to the toilet, going from room to room, and he is there like my shadow...I love it though, makes me feel wanted lol x
 
Yes, definitely beyond a velcro dog if mine is a typical example....but I like to spend a lot of time with my dogs. Going with a great breeder is very sound advice. My very dog experienced girl friend urged me to get a purebred from a very good breeder. She said it was important to buy the breeder and not the puppy.

I made a list of what was most important to me and made my decision based on how the other adult dogs were kept, how they behaved, the yard was not a minefield of excrement, the house was super clean, she had a play center with all sorts toys set up for the babies. She and her husband both worked full time jobs.....her dogs were her hobby and her loves.

Coat color was not important to me, show quality was not important to me; sound temperament, adaptability, people oriented, good body mechanics smart--those are the things I wanted in a dog. We discussed cocker care from shots to feeding and training, kennel clubs, puppy classes. I made a point of interacting with her adult dogs to see how they responded.
 
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Cons? They can wake you up at 3AM because they got lost under the blankets they insisted on sleeping under.

... Or is that just Artemis?

I think the ears/grooming are the biggest considerations. If you can't dedicate the time to those aspects cockers aren't the dog for you.
Haha Louise does that as well! I don't mind though.

Everyone's hit most of the pros and cons. The grooming and health issues are the biggest cons. I rescued my gal when she was 4 years old while living in Korea. She's 15 now, but in the first five years I had her I spent over $10,000 on various medical issues she had. She's sooooo food obsessed and is underfoot anytime I'm in the kitchen, follows me everywhere (even when we lived in a studio apartment in Korea). Thankfully she doesn't bark (EVER). But even all the money she's cost me, flying her to and from the US several times, and how annoying her velcro-nature can be when I'm trying to clean, I wouldn't trade her for anything else. Cockers are great companion dogs. Socialize them well. You'll have a best friend.
 
Callie woke me up this morning because she wanted to get under the covers, and couldn't quite figure out how to get there. I was cold, so really didn't mine too much.
 
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