You're right Randy they were developed as sporting dogs. I wonder if there is anyone that even uses them as such anymore.


Lisa

In N. America, I doubt it. I'm not sure we have the heavy cover that would require such a small hunter.
But roots are roots and it serves to be aware of what it will take to make everybody happy. They don't like being just lap dogs. Shoot though, the prey drive should be able to be used for something I would think.
Randy

Ok Thanks everyone. Lots and lots to ponder. Maybe I will put my checkbook away and as Fagin said *I think I'll have to think it out again!*

Hi Brooke (this is going to be a long post--sorry),

I have been working with an American cocker rescue group for the last 4yrs. If you can find a well bred cocker, they are excellent house pets. They should have a 'merry' temper and just like any other sporting dog, they should not be aggressive.
They are prone to some genetic health conditions but reputable breeders screen for these.

If you find a backyard breeder or a dog from questionable sources, then yes, you can face eye problems, heart problems, skin conditions, extreme shyness or aggression issues. They also seem prone to food allergies (a major cause of yeasty ears and bad skin).

The good news is, we are seeing more and more cockers come into our rescue from serveral states (we take dogs from North Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Lousianna) that have the correct temperment for the breed. The majority of our dogs simply lack any kind of training. Once we start working with them, we are seeing fewer dogs that resort to biting than we did a few years ago.

I used to work as a groomer also and many of the cockers I saw were usually not very happy to be there because the owner did not keep up with the grooming between appointments. If a heavy-coated dog only has his ears cleaned out once every 8 weeks and does not receive daily brushings, he will be a matted mess and the whole grooming experience is painful--I don't think in that situation its very fair to blame it on the dog's breed.

I'm not sure if you just want a pet, but they are excellent agility dogs and there are American cockers who have field trail/ hunt trial titles http://www.basspro.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/CFPage?storeId=10151&catalogId=10001&langId=-1&&mode=article&objectID=31053&cat=&subcatID=0&objectType=article

Good luck with whatever you decide.

When I was a kid the Cocker and the Collie were the top family dogs. My first dog bite was from a Cocker. Belonged to a crazy, old maid aunt. Disney's Lady and the Tramp came out about the same time I got bit. Dern near got tossed out of the show over that one. When I taught obedience classes I always wore boots when we had a Cocker in the class. The way of teaching the down, back then, was to walk down the lead till the dog was on the ground. Dern Cockers would freak out, scream bloody murder and chew your ankle off all the way to the ground. Neve met one I didn't wanna bite!

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm going to again mention the English Cocker, in case the original poster is not familiar with the breed. They are extremely smart, and make wonderful little agility dogs. They are quite elegant looking, and the coat is much easier to keep in good condition.

As a groomer, I worked on show and pet American Cockers. You hand strip, rather than clip the show coats. Even though these dogs were kept in good condition, they still had bad temperments when it came to grooming. I'd gladly hand strip terriers all day rather than one American Cocker !!

 Quote: lisa kidd

You're right Randy they were developed as sporting dogs. I wonder if there is anyone that even uses them as such anymore.

As a matter of fact, yes there are! The American Spaniel Club has a large section on its web site devoted to field Cockers and the folks who love and work them.

Karen C.

 Quote: susan tuck

At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I'm going to again mention the English Cocker, in case the original poster is not familiar with the breed. They are extremely smart, and make wonderful little agility dogs. They are quite elegant looking, and the coat is much easier to keep in good condition.

I'll second that. I've been partial to the breed since I had one growing up. They still resemble the original type/build and are much nicer looking (in my opinion) than the American ones, and the coat is far, far more manageable. There was a nice one competing in Utility at an AKC trial last weekend. Was a delight to watch.