Discussion
Tonsko said:
I guess it really comes down to how you want him/her to turn out - and getting the balance right between a house pet that you can cuddle and a working dog is probably one of the more complex results.
this is very true and the reason why many people keep them, kenneled!. Also much easier if you have another older dog to show them the ropes.Good luck cockers are great dogs, also try bareve cockers they mainly breed german wirehaired pointers (which is my type of dog as I'm a hpr man) although they do cockers too, my friend has one and it's brilliant.
www.bareve.com
Tonsko said:
Cheers PB. Will check them out. Their cockers look show-bred rather than field. Is that correct?
best ring sharon and ask her.some of these "working" line dogs especially spaniels and labs have been bred so much that they become quite highly strung and a little difficult for novice handlers. So I dont think I'd let that put me off too much as long as its parents had some working back ground. Any dog can be trained with enough time and patience although the breeding gets you a better nose for game.
SPR2 said:
Can anyone explain why the liver and white do not seem to get additional markings like the black and white ones as they mature?
Our liver and white has gained additional markings as she's matured, majority on nose, front legs and shoulders and luckily the c*ck on her side has changed shape now:
Jess @ 6ish weeks old by chrisga, on Flickr
Jess last weekend @ 14 months by chrisga, on Flickr
We reckon the extra markings are naughty spots and a springer gains one each time it gets into mischief.
I'd never had a dog before we got Jess and wasn't really sure about getting one, but my wife was adamant that she wanted one. So she did an awful lot of reading up and narrowed the breeds down to a Patterdale Terrier as being most suited to us and our lifetsyle. Somehow we ended up with a Springer..... All of our friends sucked the air in through their teeth when we said we were getting one as everyone assumes they are loopy. We ended up doing everything completely wrong, completely differently to how we had hoped and planned to buy a puppy. We ended up buying a puppy from a lady we werent too sure about, un-vaccinated. However, even though we thought we'd never see it, sure enough her KC pedigree certificate arrived after about 3 months.
As Jess wasnt vaccinated, we had her at home from about 6 weeks old and she was vaccinated shortly afterwards. She was doing puppy classes at about 10 weeks old. Amy still takes her to training every week and although had a few weeks where she thought Jess would never improve as she seemed to plateau they stuck with it, and, since her first season, she has really matured and does everything you ask of her first time. We are convinced that as we had her so early and she was exposed to other dogs/cats, came places with us from an early age she has grown up into a very well rounded dog, who as others have said, loves to run off lead for hours and hours, swim whenever water appears, always return to us, but just relax inside the house.
She is a great dog. But then I suppose everyone says that about their own dogs. Don't discount a springer, it sounds like you could give one a very good home, and the fact you are doing research beforehand gives you a great idea of what to expect.
Some more gratuitous springer having fun shots - how could you not want one:
IMG_4809 by chrisga, on Flickr
IMG_5638 by chrisga, on Flickr
IMG_5747 by chrisga, on Flickr
IMG_0016 by chrisga, on Flickr
Where's Wally? by chrisga, on Flickr
Jess Diving by chrisga, on Flickr
Whatever breed you choose I'm sure will bring you happiness, so enjoy. And make sure you take loads of photos along the way! I've heard an old saying that a lab is born half trained, a springer dies half trained!
h from good bloodline with many FTCH's?
pets free eh...Thought I would show some pictures of our Springer, Islay.
She is now nearly 8 months. Trying to train her at the moment with a bit of success. She is good at retrieving and hunting but a little less good at listening to my commands...
Makes a nice change for me to not be posting pictures of cars....
This is her car however....
She is now nearly 8 months. Trying to train her at the moment with a bit of success. She is good at retrieving and hunting but a little less good at listening to my commands...
Makes a nice change for me to not be posting pictures of cars....
This is her car however....
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