Cocker Spaniels
 It's her first time starting with a pup. She's reading all the right books for the basics and is doing a good job.
I've only met a few Cockers and none were "normal". They were either mean, sneaky ankle biters that couldn't be trusted around children or they peed on your shoes and ran for a corner or they had seizure issues. I know Cockers suffered from popularity over breeding for some time and I'm sure that was the issue with the few I met. Now that my friend chose this little pup with her heart instead of her brain, I want to give her the best advice possible. I know Cockers can have ear problems. What other health/personality issues should she be prepared for? |
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| they have serious issues with over eating and food allergies. |
I had the most wonderful cocker spanial in the entire world. Buffy lived to be almost 14 and had the sweetest kindest personality of any dog I have ever know, except maybe Tasker  . He came to live with us when my son was very small and both my kids would lay for hours woth their head on his side napping or just playing with his ears.
He was healthy and had no allergies or other issues. So maybe your friend will get lucky, there are good cockers out ther. |
| American or English? The English don't seem to have quite as many health problems as the American variety and their temperaments appear to be better over all, but...
They have a lot of the same immune mediated issues our breed does, including but not limited to hypothyroidism, immune mediated hemolytic anemia and the aforementioned depressing array of allergies - this is a breed that is predisposed to adverse vaccine reactions. Deafness. Cataracts. Heart problems. Epilepsy. CHD. Temperament problems - you name it, they've got it. Some serious aggression problems. This used to be such a nice breed. Kristine |
kerry wrote: they have serious issues with over eating
Could that be related to the hypothyroidism that Kristine mentioned? |
| There is an eye condition, I don't know the proper name for it, but my sister's cocker spaniel had it. The lower eyelid turns out and becomes inflamed. I think it's common name is "cocker eye" since it seems to be so prevalent in the breed. There is treatment, but you have to be diligent about it. There is an ointment that you put on the eye daily that helps control it. |
| a friend had one.....he NEVER got house broken....he peed all over everything......it got to the point where i refused to puppy sit him.....
he was super sweet though, just had the major peeing issues... |
| Genetic aggression issues are a big one. They actually call it cocker rage. It usually surfaces about the time the dog is reaching maturity. This used to be a nice sweet breed, the rage syndrome is a result of over (and bad) breeding. Blame BYB's and mills (mostly) for this one.
Allergies, chronic ear infections and warts as they get old are common also. |
Beaureguard's Mom wrote: There is an eye condition, I don't know the proper name for it, but my sister's cocker spaniel had it. The lower eyelid turns out and becomes inflamed. I think it's common name is "cocker eye" since it seems to be so prevalent in the breed. There is treatment, but you have to be diligent about it. There is an ointment that you put on the eye daily that helps control it.
I believe that's called entropion. |
| There is also "cherry eye" where the tear duct gland from or attached to the third eyelid becomes detached. |
| i was surprise to see this due to the experence we had this week.
a family friend has a spaniel (american) that she got from a rescue shelter (he is a lovely dog and his mummy and daddy spoil him hes much loved) but my son (32 months old) was playing near him (there were 5 adult there to all with in 2-4 foot) he bent down the get his toys he dropped when the dog growled and bit him on the ear. i think he felt trapped as he was laying under the table my son was playing at and is not used to children. my son is ok it has not caused him and damage and did not break the skin it was just a shock for him i think the dogs owner was more upset than my son. my son thinks all dogs are like einy. but einy doesn't know any better we got einy 3 months before having the baby so einy is used to the over zelous patting hugging and petting he gets from small kids. and only grows in warning when he had had enough for the day. he has never snapped. but my poor son got no warning the grow and snap was instant. may be it will be a learning experiance for for my son and he will know that not all dogs are like his dog wh owill play chase and fetch and other wonderful game they both enjoy. on a another note my brother has an english springer spaniel and he is wonderful not grown up with kids from excelent breeding stock a local breeder / and family friend has used him for a stud dog (her girl is of excelent working stock , my brothers is from wonderful compertion and show ) the puppies were a perfect mix and as they live in farming area all pups when to good homes who will be using them for game shooting. my brothers dog is very good with my son but tends to get very excited but i think thas just springer in general i'm not sure they are wired quite right zoe and einy |
| they can be nippy - but all small dogs can be when children startle them. |
Sheeps over Aces wrote: kerry wrote: they have serious issues with over eating Could that be related to the hypothyroidism that Kristine mentioned? Yup - good catch - it can. It's not so much that they necessarily overeat, though they are often overweight. They may simply not metabolize things efficiently. You see it in OES too. Plus lethargy. Cold intolerance (or heat-seeking behavior). Hair loss. Temperament problems. An array of other symptoms and effects are purportedly linked to low thyroid function. The thyroid has a rather widespread effect on an organism which is why the symptoms can vary so greatly from dog to dog and they need not show any of the classic symptoms, yet may still have the condition. Kristine |
| Cocker rage is not just in the poorly bred dogs. My cocker is from a top show breeder. He is champion sired and pointed towards his championship. I raised him very carefully. I took him to training classes and introduced him to children and other dogs. Everyone at the shows commented on how he had the perfect "merry spaniel" personality. He was great until he was about two years old. Then out of no where he attacked my young cousin that he knew very well. I had to pry his mouth open to get her arm free. Then he came after me! I had to hold his muzzle shut for about five minutes while he tried to attack me. When I looked in his eyes, he looked terrified like he was fighting for his life. I did not see my pet staring back at me. He also has hypothyroid and dry eye. After doing a lot of research, I found that these problems (and more) are actually more common in the show quality dogs than the poor quality dogs. If you have never experienced your beloved pet going into a rage for no reason, you could never understand how terrifying it is. I would warn anyone not to get this breed. They have their reputation for a reason and it is not related to how they are raised. |
| sounds like a form of epilepsy........ Too bad because my "nanny" was a cocker. I don't remember her, just pictures. |
| My parents bought a cocker from a breeder in central Illinois. I tried to talk them out of it but it was too late, they got him anyway. He was 8 weeks old when they got him and I can't remember if they paid $400 or $600 for him. The first week they had him he had to have surgery for "cherry eye". I told them to call the breeder and she gave them $200 back to help defer the cost. I think it was only a month later and he had to have surgery on the other eye for "cherry eye". They called the breeder again and this time were told she couldn't help them because she was losing money then. Yeah, that was the first clue. I asked my parents what the kennel was like when they went to pick up Dusty. They said she had many litters and a few different small breeds. I said great, you've just supported a puppy mill. They said, "no, it was very clean what they saw". I told them that's what you were allowed to see and that anyone that has that much going on at once is only in it as a business and not to better the breed. So now Dusty is 8 years old and has had constant ear infections, allergies, weight problems and kidney issues. He's great with people but at about 2 years old he started to attack other dogs for no reason. He growled and attacked Ben for no reason as a puppy and does the same with Teddy. When Ben was about 2 years old he finally got tired of Dusty trying to bully him and he fought back and Dusty never messed with him again. When he growls at Teddy I yell at him and he stops. He does listen to me because I don't coddle him like my parents do. They will now discipline him because they see it works and that it doesn't hurt his "feelings" to listen to them. A friend of mine and her mother both had cockers and had the same dog issues with them. They loved people but would not tolerate other dogs. They were much worse about other dogs than Dusty is. When I was a kid, my aunt and uncle also had a cocker and not only did he hate other dogs but would try to bite people. Whenever we would visit he had to be locked away from visitors. So I guess I don't have a good opinion of cockers based on my experience with them. Besides, the best breed to me is Old English Sheepdogs!  Cindy |
I guess we have been lucky with our cockers. Out of the womb and into the dog world, Blackie was the "best dog" my mother ever had. I don't remember her but we had a succession of cocker spaniels afterward. They all had different personalities, were difficult to house train, but loveable and fun. My husband had one when we married. Buffy was the boys' best friend, truly a great dog. Just noticed what great names we chose for those girls  |
| My grandparents had a Cocker named Trigger--he was actually the first dog that I truly remember. He was a great dog- played and slept with me when I visited them- and lived to be 18 years old. That was many years ago--possibly the breed has 'changed' a bit. |
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