Cockers vs Springer

[Lloyd90]

What do you think are some of the Pro's AND Con's of both breed's ?

 

I have a lab who is coming along nicely. I decided against getting another dog as she is still only 8 months and will leave it until shes older and better trained

However when I do I would love to get a spaniel There just great, but was wondering which to go for

I know PW has a good mix of cockers n springer so what do you love the most about the breeds then ?

[Salop Matt]

I personally love the look of the sprockers you see these days. I know of a black one with a white spot on the centre of his chest and a stuuning looking dog he is ! I recon he is the purfect size for all shootign ventures on birds and bugs when it comes to beating and retreiving.

[sharpshot]

best of both get a sprocker

[Starman]

Another vote for a Sprocker from here

 

That's not really an informed vote as in I do have a Sprocker but he is not trained as a gundog. He is just a bloody fantastic dog

[WGD]

I prefer a bigger spaniel and like the markings of a L&W springer, just my personal preference. IMHO the larger springer has more stamina and is a more capable retriever but there's little to pick between them so go for what you like.

[felly100]

Which go through brambles the best?Cocker,Springer or Labs

as that would swing it for me.

[stu_young]

a good springer will smashany cover infront off it a lab wont enter thick cover unless it really has to.................

i have seen some cockers that will smash any cover in front off it aswell

[felly100]

That is what i thought,Springer all the way

[stu_young]

i got a 4 year old springer but she isnt trained as a gun dog...but she will retrieve shot birds

and just got a 9 week old cocker that i hope will be trained to the gun,, but just got to wait to see if he is deaf as he has got a serve ear infection, an the vet not sure if its the infection or if he is deaf

[Raja Clavata]

I've been told by several folks on my shoot to make my first spaniel a springer as cockers are supposed to be generally more of a challenge to train?

 

That said, my GSP seems to love playing with cockers.

[Lloyd90]

I have read that Cockers are more Intelligent, but more stubborn and harder to train.

 

Springers are easier to train, more eager to please and some say have more stamina.

 

I myself like the markings and the inbetween size of a Springer WGD. Im definatelly leaning towards a L&W Springer Spaniel

There just fab Also some great cockers about I am sure though, Never had the joy to shoot or work with one though.

Since I got a few months or a year or 2 before I decide to get one I might try n get out over one Sure that would be a great lesson

[the_commoner]

my ####er of a cocker has been challenging to train thats for sure but i suppose it depends on what you want your dog to do, she does lack in size in comparison to a springer so some obstacles amd retrieves are more challenging but she will go through cover all day long and then still want more

 

i spoke to a trainer on our shoot a couple of weeks ago about a habit she has developed and we got talking about cockers, his opinion wad that they can be more challenging to train than labs / springers which in his words train themselves if you get the right one, i am sure this could be said for cockers but i would guess the concensus would be they are a little harder to train

[WGD]

I don't buy the cockers being harder to train thing, they do seem to react differently to springers to certain training environments and have a tendency to be "soft" BUT they are still just dogs and any breed trained well will be up to the mark, the same as any breed untrained will be as wild as hawk.

 

Similary you can't compare a red hot, trial bred springer with a laid back cocker and draw conclusions about the breed in general. Suffice to say all spaniels are loopy. I read something somewhere which sounded about right, "inside any spaniel, no matter how well trained, is an idiot tryin to get out"

[groach1234]

I got told by a several different people on different occasions including pickers up to get a cocker first and people who were independent as they only had labs that with a cocker it works for you where as a springer will work for its self dont know if this is reading to much into things and too much of a generalisation but non the less i have been to this many times so i got myself a 14 month old part trained cocker a week ago and the is good. and it must be far more easy to have the ground work in as he will sit on the whistle as well as retrieving to hand and waiting to be sent out on your command to retrieve the dummy what more could you want? there is promise in our sam

 

George

[Popgun]

It's a personal choice i've allways had cockers and allways will some trialing cockers are realy hot and need a good man to get the best out of them i've got one thats so quick if i take him rough shooting he catches more than i shoot and is a pain in the bum but i put up with it cos he's a lovely dog and will find a bird or rabbit anywhere i only take him out to work now and then my young dog is laid back never puts a foot wrong beats 2 or 3 days a week is as steady as a rock picks up any thing pigeons ground game canada geese game stops dead to the stop whistle but is'nt fast enough for trialing but for a bit of rough shooting he's great cos he never flushes any thing out of range has a sixth sence with woodcock seems to know where they are even if the wind is the wrong way. the main thing is to see the bitch you are breeding from to get some idea of what you are going to get, my fast dogs father is a tripel fieldtrial champion his mother is a field trial champion i would never get another one that well bread because im not good enough to train it to a good standered.so i would leave the champions a bit further back in the pedagree. it all down to the person doing the training. and the type of breed is down to what you like.

[Starman]

"inside any spaniel, no matter how well trained, is an idiot tryin to get out"

 

Our Sprocker could run for GB all day long but is totally daft as a brush, he is the Forest Gump of the dog world.

[millrace]

we are the only cocker on our shoot,,, 5 springer and 2 labs with other guns.....

first comment was .....can that even lift a pheasant.......just watch,, you shoot it she will get it.......lol

no doubts she can go all day and now i would say she has best nose on shoot .....never misses a thing now...espically woodcock as was said previously...

ok so not the best looking retriever,,,tail head wing what ever she can grab but it still comes back and no probs with water,,regular at the duck flight she watches the sky as they circle waiting to pounce,,,,save me wondering if there is anything coming in behind me...lol

grand with cover goes into anything if there is something there to go in for......learn to trust the nose.....lol

[WGD]

Bit of a deluge of cocker fans here don't misunderstand me, they are fantastic little dogs but not my preference. I say again to Bigthug, with cocker vs. springer it IS personal choice but to get what you want you should see what you are getting (i.e. the sire & dam) first.

 

The variations in both breeds are enormous.... I've got a springer faster than most cockers, I had a springer slower than my old lab and I've worked a FTW cocker.

[daz2202]

I have had 2 springers in the past and now have my first cocker. (dali is now 18mts old)

 

So far my findings

 

My cocker is quite large and often people think he is a springer. He retreaves duck and geese from the sea and ponds, will carry pheasents for miles. no probs there, and will also sit and wait patiently when hide shooting.

 

I find the cocker far more inteligent but far more head strong / stubborn.

 

My next dog i may go down the sprocker route to try and get the best of both worlds but i would want to know its excat make up.

[Beechessam]

I personally love the look of the sprockers you see these days. I know of a black one with a white spot on the centre of his chest and a stuuning looking dog he is ! I recon he is the purfect size for all shootign ventures on birds and bugs when it comes to beating and retreiving.

 

 

best of both get a sprocker

 

 

Another vote for a Sprocker from here

 

That's not really an informed vote as in I do have a Sprocker but he is not trained as a gundog. He is just a bloody fantastic dog

 

Absolute rubbish, the dogs you see or own may be good dogs, of that I have no doubt. I have seen good and bad in many breeds, but you expect me to believe that by putting a Springer over a Cocker you will get in one mating better results than years of carefully selected breeding.

 

The best of both? If only it were that easy, what if you get the worst of both? Where is the guarantee?

 

If you want a Springer get one, if you want a Cocker get one, if you want the best of both, buy one of each and keep your fingers crossed.

[jasper3]

I love both breeds. I wouldn't say one is better than the other..I would say..you get out of a dog what you put in

as said..both are great dogs

Edited January 16, 2010 by jasper3

[Starman]

If you want a Springer get one, if you want a Cocker get one, if you want a Sprocker get one.

 

Your dog is the spitting image of my Spaniel Jasper :( except it's clean :blink:

[WGD]

Absolute rubbish, the dogs you see or own may be good dogs, of that I have no doubt. I have seen good and bad in many breeds, but you expect me to believe that by putting a Springer over a Cocker you will get in one mating better results than years of carefully selected breeding.

 

100%, absolutely, spot on

[busdennis]

i have both springer and cocker and both work as spaniels should, dont under estimate a cocker due to its size but in bad weather they do get cold very quickly if not working. something to think about

[Fisherman Mike]

I have often posted on the merits of the SS and we have had Springers and Cockers in the family for 4 generations.

 

The Springer is with out doubt ( and I dont think I can be contradicted on this ) the complete package when it comes to a Gun dog, It can mark and point along with the best pointers, flush as well as any Setter, retreive as well as any Retreiver or Labrador, face the thickest of Brambles with total disdain, and swim like an Otter. All this and if well maintained can do so all day.

 

Ive had several cockers and they are admirable in the field but not quite up to a full days work like the ESS, but they do make exceptional rough shooting dogs.