working cockers

im very drawn to cocker spaniels as a breed to work alongside my shortwinged hawks. the unexpected flush and slip is just "adrenaline falconry" i put an awful lot of thought into dogs in general as im obsessed with terriers and lurchers!!! for the record my beau ideal will consist of a little golden cocker bitch!!!!

could anyone expand on the differences between cockers and springers as a working breed.


all the best


sean

Nope i dont have a clue but i know the cockers in a shoot i beat for sometimes are 100% better than the springs, have more engergy it seems

cheers ed!

cockers and springers have the same ancestory infact way back when, if a bitch had a litter of pups the small ones where called cockers and the larger ones springers, but today selective breeding has changed there caractor so that size is not the only difference, i have kept both breeds infact i have a springer and 3 cockers now, the biggest difference i find between the two is temperment cockers are far more willing to please so long as they are happy doing what ever you want them to do, my springer seems to be happy to please me just for the sake of it, cockers i think are more intelligent and work with little direction so long as you keep a eye on the distance they are working from you, having said that they are head storng and need a firm hand or they will take libertys, cockers also seem to have a hell of alot of energie and can work hard cover all day, most cockers are happy little dogs who just want to work.
Hope that helps Sean, to be honest with you mate i think they are cracking little dogs but i like the springer just as much
ATB spug

Rob thats a good reply mate, just what this forum needs!

The cocker i was refering to does anything, when the lab's and springers have given up retrieving from the other side of the river the cock keeps going, it's a mainly black bitch with some white on the front and it is only the size of a cock pheasant, but it's the best dog at the shoot, in the future if he breed's it i will be after a pup!

i find the cockers slightly more head strong and the springers more one man dogs not much difference in the field apart from cockers slightly faster movements find both tireless

many thanks for the repiles.

rob its interesting the way you describe cockers i know of only one other bloke who knows the breed intimatley and he described them in an almost identical fashion!!!

many thanks

sean

Hi Sean, I did a lot a of research recently into which spaniel to get myself. In the end I chose a cocker, mainly for its size and intelligence (reportedly, but that remains to be seen). Springers I'm told are more hard work, where as a cocker is fun. Mine is 15 weeks old now, and i have him sitting and on the lead already, so I'm happy with that.

If you do go the cocker route, beware of colours / breed variations. Make sure you get the dog from a reputable Working Cocker breeder. There are too many show dogs out there. Goldens tend to be softer more suited for show dogs, blacks tend to be harder workers but head strong. Blue Roan, can be either depending on breeding, but can have narky tendencies. I got a black one, from a black working mother, but the pup has a blue roan chest as a result of a blue roan working father! The key to choosing is WORKING WORKING WORKING!

Gunter

loads of golden cockers have produced feild trial winners gunter.

whaupley gundogs would be a good reference point.

atb

sean

MAC wrote:loads of golden cockers have produced feild trial winners gunter.

whaupley gundogs would be a good reference point.

atb

sean

I can only comment on the ones I've seen and what's available in Ireland. Working Cockers are very hard to come by over here. I'm sure you have a much better choice of workers of all colours in the UK.

Gunter