There are a handful of wokers (working line cockers) in my area that compete in agility.

If I could afford 2 agility dogs, I think I would get either a Papillon or a wocker instead of a second Golden.

They look fun, high drive, and most have good temperaments. I read online that they are at risk for cancer too - I don’t know if it’s same/better/worse than Goldens. One of the cocker spaniel owners remarked my Golden is a goofball - makes me wonder if they’re more serious than Goldens.

 

Golden Retrievers are definitely calmer and better with children.
A relative had a cocker spaniel that she owned since 8 weeks old. He was kind until about 4 years old. Now we saw him almost every other day so i was close to him. At 4 years he got snappy and territorial. Trainers helped him. But then my relatives first child came along and he once again got snappy and territorial. A quick vet visit found him to also be going blind which explained a lot. But only my relative could pet him now and she rehomed him to a friend, because a baby and snappy dog was not good. Plus they were moving.

However ive met some cocker spaniels who seem nice but i also dont really know they. And they were around small children. But used for hunting.
Ive also met many other spaniels that are so high prey drive and have way more energy than goldens.

 

Im not saying cockers are bad, just in my experience the one got territorial and snappy. The territorialness came before the snappy.
I would love to own a field cocker spaniel. I met one that is super close to my male golden retrievers temperment and drive. plus they were not that far off in size.
But Cockers are working dogs just like any golden. With the proper training they can be good

 

Love your question. I currently own 2 Goldens, I've had 3 total. I owned a Cocker Spaniel when I was 18 and still living at home. I spent a lot of time with that dog, it was my first dog that I bought and owned on my own. He responded very well to training and was a good dog. As you mentioned though, a few years down the road when I started having kids he would not tolerate my daughter. He stayed away from her and grouched at her which eventually led to him starting to snip at her. Sadly I had to re-home him. I'm not one to give up on a dog but at the same time I didn't want him to bite her. I don't want you to base your choice on my experience. It could have been he was jealous of my daughter since he had so much of my attention. I don't know. I did look it up and found mixed information. Here's something from a site called terrific pets. My experience has been my Goldens responded wonderfully with my kids and now grandkids.

Here's the info.
Cocker spaniels are wonderful family pets that are devoted to their families and make fantastic playmates. However, these energetic dogs may not be the best choice for families with small children or that plan to start a family in the future. While some experts claim that Cockers are sensitive to the needs of smaller children and are perfectly suitable, others say that children under the age of six may play too rough or even the dog may play too rough with them. In this article, we'll take a look at the pros and cons of Cocker spaniels and small children.

On the whole, Cocker spaniels are excellent pets for families. They make wonderful companions to children, are full of energy and love to play. However, Cockers should be trained from the time they come home with you to learn what is expected of them, which will go a long way in helping them get used to their new surroundings. Cockers respond best to cheerful, positive obedience training with praise and food as rewards, and negative, forceful training can result in a dog that will lash out to those around him. Cockers are also devoted to their families and need a lot of attention; those who don't receive sufficient attention could react with destructive behavior such as chewing or destroying objects and lashing out.

There are those that claim that Cocker spaniels are perfectly fine with small children as long as they are properly supervised. The thinking behind this is that children sometimes don't know their own strength and may play too rough with the dog, particularly when it is a puppy. With supervision, they can be prevented from playing too roughly that could end with a child getting bitten or injury to the dog.

Then there are others who say that Cocker spaniels are not suitable at all for younger children. They claim that Cockers are not tolerant of young children's quick movements or loud voices and could become shy or stressed, leading to defensive biting, as a result. There are some breeders that feel so strongly against it that they will screen families before agreeing to an adoption and will reject those with small children or even those thinking of staring families in the near future.

If you've decided to adopt a Cocker spaniel for your family, it is highly recommended to find a breeder, even if you have to go a bit out of your way to find one that will allow adoptions to families with small children (and yes, they do exist!). It is never a good idea to purchase a Cocker spaniel from a pet store, as too many of them rely on "puppy mills" that often do not make health or temperament screenings before becoming available for adoption. Unfortunately, many of these dogs will end up having serious health problems and may even have bad temperaments that contrary to the breed. In the case of Cocker spaniels, this could include neurotic behavior, biting and aggression.

If you're still not sure about adopting a Cocker spaniel for your young family, try to contact breeders and other Cocker spaniel owners (through kennel clubs or associations) in your area for advice.

 

Love your question. I currently own 2 Goldens, I've had 3 total. I owned a Cocker Spaniel when I was 18 and still living at home. I spent a lot of time with that dog, it was my first dog that I bought and owned on my own. He responded very well to training and was a good dog. As you mentioned though, a few years down the road when I started having kids he would not tolerate my daughter. He stayed away from her and grouched at her which eventually led to him starting to snip at her. Sadly I had to re-home him. I'm not one to give up on a dog but at the same time I didn't want him to bite her. I don't want you to base your choice on my experience. It could have been he was jealous of my daughter since he had so much of my attention. I don't know. I did look it up and found mixed information. Here's something from a site called terrific pets. My experience has been my Goldens responded wonderfully with my kids and now grandkids.

Here's the info.
Cocker spaniels are wonderful family pets that are devoted to their families and make fantastic playmates. However, these energetic dogs may not be the best choice for families with small children or that plan to start a family in the future. While some experts claim that Cockers are sensitive to the needs of smaller children and are perfectly suitable, others say that children under the age of six may play too rough or even the dog may play too rough with them. In this article, we'll take a look at the pros and cons of Cocker spaniels and small children.

On the whole, Cocker spaniels are excellent pets for families. They make wonderful companions to children, are full of energy and love to play. However, Cockers should be trained from the time they come home with you to learn what is expected of them, which will go a long way in helping them get used to their new surroundings. Cockers respond best to cheerful, positive obedience training with praise and food as rewards, and negative, forceful training can result in a dog that will lash out to those around him. Cockers are also devoted to their families and need a lot of attention; those who don't receive sufficient attention could react with destructive behavior such as chewing or destroying objects and lashing out.

There are those that claim that Cocker spaniels are perfectly fine with small children as long as they are properly supervised. The thinking behind this is that children sometimes don't know their own strength and may play too rough with the dog, particularly when it is a puppy. With supervision, they can be prevented from playing too roughly that could end with a child getting bitten or injury to the dog.

Then there are others who say that Cocker spaniels are not suitable at all for younger children. They claim that Cockers are not tolerant of young children's quick movements or loud voices and could become shy or stressed, leading to defensive biting, as a result. There are some breeders that feel so strongly against it that they will screen families before agreeing to an adoption and will reject those with small children or even those thinking of staring families in the near future.

If you've decided to adopt a Cocker spaniel for your family, it is highly recommended to find a breeder, even if you have to go a bit out of your way to find one that will allow adoptions to families with small children (and yes, they do exist!). It is never a good idea to purchase a Cocker spaniel from a pet store, as too many of them rely on "puppy mills" that often do not make health or temperament screenings before becoming available for adoption. Unfortunately, many of these dogs will end up having serious health problems and may even have bad temperaments that contrary to the breed. In the case of Cocker spaniels, this could include neurotic behavior, biting and aggression.

If you're still not sure about adopting a Cocker spaniel for your young family, try to contact breeders and other Cocker spaniel owners (through kennel clubs or associations) in your area for advice.

Excellent, thank you. I'm sorry to hear about the unfortunate experience with your cocker spaniel. Yeah, so far it seems that I have good reason to suspect that cockers are generally impatient with small children. I could be wrong, but to err on the side of caution, I'll probably steer clear of owning cocker spaniels.

 

Interesting question. I love Goldens and they are they only dog I have ever owned. But my husband and I are middle aged and (while I pray our Sierra lives a loooong life) I don't know that we will have the energy for another medium/large breed dog in our futures. I have been looking at profiles of smaller dogs - cocker spaniel, papillon, and even a cavalier King Charles spaniel...just to start to educate myself for the future. I hope we have the ability to raise more Goldens in the future but...who knows.

Just curious, why the question?

 

I’ve had small dogs — a Shih Tzu, Nicky, who lived to be 17 and I now have a Cavalier King Charles named Abby. Nicky made me laugh. Cutest dog and for those who say dogs can’t be stubborn, they never met Nicky. He had a mind of his own. Very selective hearing. Lol He did fine with people, dogs, children.

Abby is sweet and also quite lively. I wasn’t very smart when I got her and didn’t realize Cavaliers have so many health issues. So far, however, Abby has only had an injury (torn CCL). She’s not been prone to much health related so far. One vet said she’s gluten intolerant, so we avoid it and it does keep her stool in check. She has a funny personality. She’s very food oriented. Although she looks like a pillow princess, until she injured herself Abby was quite the lively pistol personality. A good temperament. Playful/energetic. Great with the grandkids. Only gets after other dogs if they sass her.

I’ve decided I’m a big dog person. I love Goldens. I love the look of an Australian Shepherd, but when I told my trainer who has owned both she said, “Definitely get another Golden.” Lol

My two Goldens have had quite different personalities. Luke was real chill by the time he hit three and Logan is definitely a sporting athletic dog and much more playful.

Years ago I owned a Rough Collie. She was a sweet dog and smart. She lived life as a pet. I had a baby and was basically unaware of dog sports.

I’ve only known Cockers from seeing other people’s. They seem quite energetic.

 

Interesting! Thanks for sharing all that. I enjoy learning from other people's dog experiences. I'm curious, what made your dog trainer decide to encourage you to steer clear of an Aussie and get another golden instead? What would you say are their biggest personality and lifestyle differences (besides the obvious of the Aussie being a herding breed)?

I can't understand how any dog expert can say "personality is more important than breed" when genetics play a HUGE role in determining a dog's personality!

 

My only cocker experience was a friend's English Cocker, and what a darling dog she was. Ziva's little stump tail never stopped wagging. She loved playing any game, ran agility, trialed obedience, conformation champion. Because of her, I would have English Cocker on my short list of breeds to look at in my old age. Both my Sheila and Ziva have passed now, but I smile when I think of them. Sigh.....

 

English Cocker Club of America has some great info:
Obviously there are issues, but recent health surveys showed the majority of members rating their dogs as having excellent health:
ECS Club of America
Health Survey
2022 Health Survey ECSCA membership

 

It's like any other breed. There are good breeders producing great dogs, and not so good breeders producing whatever.
I've been at upland hunt tests with some cockers, they were amazing!

 

Exactly. If the dog comes from good lineage the dog will be good.

 

So, I'm curious, has anyone here either owned or had personal experience with both cocker spaniels and golden retrievers? I've spent an extended amount of time with goldens, but I've never met a cocker spaniel.

My dad always had cocker spaniels as his hunting dogs and there was always one in the house where I grew up. This is the reason I now have golden retrievers.

Trainability, livability, temperament, work ethic ... goldens win in every category. You couldn't pay me to have a cocker spaniel!! Although my brother, who grew up in the same house, still has them. Go figure.

 

When I saw this thread, I pictured an English Cocker Spaniel. Here in Australia, I’ve only seen American Cocker Spaniels in the show ring (where they’re identified as Cocker Spaniels (American) and English Cocker Spaniels are identified as Cocker Spaniels.)

English Cocker Spaniels used to be common here, but are less so now. I think that’s a shame because they‘re usually sunny natured dogs, not dissimilar to Golden Retrievers in personality. However, I have known of a few nasty English Cocker Spaniels, including one successful show dog that produced several litters, so it would be very important to look for a English Cocker Spaniel breeder with a focus on temperament.. Like Golden Retrievers, the English Cocker spaniels I’ve known have loved to carry things in their mouths.

Recently, I’ve seen a few “wockers” - working Cocker Spaniels from English lines. These seem very different from conformation bred English Cocker Spaniels in both appearance and behaviour. They‘re sweet dogs but they have a strong drive to quarter the ground which some people might find annoying. My introduction to “wockers“ was a dog at a retrieving trial, who outclassed the labs with a spectacular blind retrieve over the top of a hill. In recent years, many of the small Agility competitors at Crufts have been Wockers.

 

Clumber > Cocker

 

Completely different breeds....

(I'd get a cocker spaniel every time because the jowly saggy faces of clumbers are eh)

 

Completely different breeds....

(I'd get a cocker spaniel every time because the jowly saggy faces of clumbers are eh)

Okay. To each their own. I stand by my preference.

I love a Clumber. My neighbor had one named Lily, but she’s no longer with us. He used to apologize all the time because Lily loved Luke and me and every time she saw us, she wanted to visit. My leggings were nothing but slobber and slime by the time Lily walked away.

 

Cockers are really adorable, it always surprises me how tiny they really are.
My parents are on their second Boykin and at first glance you think they are the same size as a cocker, then realize they pack a punch at 40 pounds.
I'm a big fan of working cockers and Boykins.
Both are weirdos and nothing like a golden retriever.

 

My parents are on their second Boykin and at first glance you think they are the same size as a cocker, then realize they pack a punch at 40 pounds.
I'm a big fan of working cockers and Boykins.
Both are weirdos and nothing like a golden retriever.

I ran an HRC hunt test with a Boykin a few years ago. Only one I've ever seen - and she was awesome. I smile to this day thinking about it. The test had heavy-ish cover for a dog her size and all you could see was the tip of her tail as she bounded through it. She was a total eager little work horse. No idea what her personality was like elsewhere, but in the field, she was all hard work and looked like she was loving every moment.

 

I have also never had a cocker, only knew a couple that others had. One was a very sweet ASCOB cocker. She lived a long, healthy life and I never knew her to be anything but gentle and friendly. The other one was another ASCOB cocker that my MIL owned briefly. She was neither sweet, nor very friendly but it was probably more because of her circumstances (lack of training and re-homed a couple of times).

I like the look and the size of a cocker, but I don't think they could hold a candle to Goldens in terms of temperament, brains and beauty.

 

Ran some upland tests with clumbers, too. They're really cool dogs, but the drool/slobber isn't for me.

 

I have loved the ones I met, I don't think they drool as much if they aren't hot. I did notice they shed maybe worse than Goldens.

 

As a groomer I can tell you cockers have a reputation for pooping and peeing all over themselves and being kinda bratty. My dad grew up with one and he said that todays cockers are not the same; they had better temperaments back then. I assume that if you went with a good preservation breeder you would have better temperaments though.

 

Unfortunately, we are seeing an awful lot of lousy Goldens, too. Their temperaments often aren't what they used to be. When people breed for money rather than outcome, this is the result.

 

Most sporting breeds have split between show and field. Cockers are one of those breeds. Cockers originally were just small English spring spaniels, but then were split off as a completely separate breed.
Within cockers there are English and American breeds. Then there are the field cockers. Field cockers are the field line within cockers. Completely different dog. Field cockers are high strung like you've never seen in your life. They are crazy energy. If you can handle a field cocker, you can handle anything. Field cockers are not for the faint of heart.
I just AKC spaniel (flushing) hunt tests. I've judged a fair amount of field cockers. Fun to watch because of the energy. The tough part is they are so short, in high cover, the often can't see their marks land, so their noses must be excellent to find their game. But unfortunately if they flush a second bird, they will completely forget there was a first bird. Lots of field cockers are trained by pros because they are a unique hunting style and require a lot of work. They are generally very smart and very sweet. Their body type and style is completely different from the show lines. You will find them to have longer bodies, shorter fur, shorter ears, and less high domed skulls.
If you get a field cocker, make sure you work them regularly, they are not great pets if you don't. Also make sure you have a pro you work with, for all the additional help with training you may need.
Field cockers are not for the faint of heart.

 

Most sporting breeds have split between show and field. Cockers are one of those breeds. Cockers originally were just small English spring spaniels, but then were split off as a completely separate breed.
Within cockers there are English and American breeds. Then there are the field cockers. Field cockers are the field line within cockers. Completely different dog. Field cockers are high strung like you've never seen in your life. They are crazy energy. If you can handle a field cocker, you can handle anything. Field cockers are not for the faint of heart.
I just AKC spaniel (flushing) hunt tests. I've judged a fair amount of field cockers. Fun to watch because of the energy. The tough part is they are so short, in high cover, the often can't see their marks land, so their noses must be excellent to find their game. But unfortunately if they flush a second bird, they will completely forget there was a first bird. Lots of field cockers are trained by pros because they are a unique hunting style and require a lot of work. They are generally very smart and very sweet. Their body type and style is completely different from the show lines. You will find them to have longer bodies, shorter fur, shorter ears, and less high domed skulls.
If you get a field cocker, make sure you work them regularly, they are not great pets if you don't. Also make sure you have a pro you work with, for all the additional help with training you may need.
Field cockers are not for the faint of heart.

Then there are field spaniels, which are a different breed again, similar to large, conformation-bred English Cocker Spaniels. I’ve heard good things about their temperaments, so they might be an option worth considering by people who want a dog that is smaller than a golden retriever.

 

Then there are Brittanies, a breed I adore. They’re a utility gun dog rather than a true spaniel, but they‘re still referred to as Brittany Spaniels in some countries. They’re also not for the faint hearted. According to this Brittany site http://www.brittanybreed.info/DualChampions/, there are are more AKC Dual Champion Brittanies (Show and Field) than all other sporting breeds combined. My Brittany is from lines imported from the US. Her sire received an award of merit at Westminster and her grand sire was BOB at Westminster. One of her sire’s half siblings was an AKC Dual Champion. She’s UD titled and working towards her Obedience Championship. She’s highly intelligent, cooperative, loving and sensitive but also a determined dog with a high hunting drive and no instinct to stay close to me. Training her has been an adventure but so worthwhile.

 

My obedience school owner has Brittany Spaniels. They are sweet and pretty. Her current adult one seems a little shy (well, compared to Logan 🤣 .) Hers have done well in obedience and I think she does field with one of them. A neighbor had one and that one was so crazily energetic. I think it needed more exercise. Very sweet though. I found her loose a couple of times and brought her home to play with my first Golden until they could pick her up.

 

Regarding cocker spaniels.... most pet people keep the dogs trimmed. When I was little our neighbor had a lovely cocker spaniel.

I did a search to find something similar to how she kept him trimmed and this link comes pretty close? Scroll down to the black and tan pic. The thing is our neighbor was very particular about keeping him groomed and I think that was a big turn off for my mom who opted to get a golden instead of a cocker (we kids all wanted cocker spaniels because of the neighbor's dog).

American Cocker Spaniel Suburban & Field Trims - PetGroomer.com Magazine

Would not work with conformation where the long coats are a huge deal, but I don't understand why it would or should be an issue with field work.


Regarding English Cocker Spaniels and American - big difference is the coat texture that I can tell???? Maybe it is the individual dogs that I've met, but the ECS's have coats more like setters. I prefer the coats and heads of American cockers.

Where I am - have seen both english cocker spaniels and American cocker spaniels in higher level obedience and tracking. The trainer I know who does tracking with her dogs keeps them in show coats.

Field spaniels - I see them more in conformation. They seem to be excellent junior dogs + not as crazy competitive or difficult to finish as our breed. I have only see one very briefly in obedience and speaking to one of the owners, she grimaced about that dog's trainability for obedience (this was a positive only trainer though so who knows).

@GrandmaToGoldens - brittanies come the very closest to our breed in my mind though still quieter and just slightly reserved? One of the most active AKC obedience judges in our area used to own and work with her show brittanies and these dogs were fantastic obedience dogs (OTCH and CH dogs). Field brittanies though are a lot more dog than these though.

 

Regarding cocker spaniels.... most pet people keep the dogs trimmed. When I was little our neighbor had a lovely cocker spaniel.

I did a search to find something similar to how she kept him trimmed and this link comes pretty close? Scroll down to the black and tan pic. The thing is our neighbor was very particular about keeping him groomed and I think that was a big turn off for my mom who opted to get a golden instead of a cocker (we kids all wanted cocker spaniels because of the neighbor's dog).

American Cocker Spaniel Suburban & Field Trims - PetGroomer.com Magazine

Would not work with conformation where the long coats are a huge deal, but I don't understand why it would or should be an issue with field work.


Regarding English Cocker Spaniels and American - big difference is the coat texture that I can tell???? Maybe it is the individual dogs that I've met, but the ECS's have coats more like setters. I prefer the coats and heads of American cockers.

Where I am - have seen both english cocker spaniels and American cocker spaniels in higher level obedience and tracking. The trainer I know who does tracking with her dogs keeps them in show coats.

Field spaniels - I see them more in conformation. They seem to be excellent junior dogs + not as crazy competitive or difficult to finish as our breed. I have only see one very briefly in obedience and speaking to one of the owners, she grimaced about that dog's trainability for obedience (this was a positive only trainer though so who knows).

@GrandmaToGoldens - brittanies come the very closest to our breed in my mind though still quieter and just slightly reserved? One of the most active AKC obedience judges in our area used to own and work with her show brittanies and these dogs were fantastic obedience dogs (OTCH and CH dogs). Field brittanies though are a lot more dog than these though.

My 20 month old Golden Retriever is much calmer than my 7 year old Brittany. They both love to greet people but my Golden Retriever prefers to do so by resting her head on the person’s knee while my Brittany, if allowed, would greet people with all four paws in the air! However, I have the impression that conformation bred Golden Retrievers in Australia are calmer than their counterparts in the US. The extra animation of US conformation dogs may be an advantage in the Obedience ring. Twenty years ago, Golden Retrievers were THE breed for obedience in Australia. Now, there are some very successful Golden Retrievers in Obedience but fewer get perfect scores.

I have found that my Brittany shuts down in response to harsh voices or correction, which might make her appear reserved. I’m currently working hard to restore her joie de vivre in the Obedience ring. It frittered away over time, maybe in response to my ring stress and/or her awareness of the focused attention of judge, stewards and audience and/or lack of verbal cues during signal exercise and/or doing “food refusal” as an optional exercise then it suddenly deteriorated further when I left her in the care of someone with a harsher handling style at a trial.

The differences in learning style are fascinating. I can see my Brittany puzzling out what I want, but my Golden Retriever just smiles and does precisely what is required.

 

On the other hand, my cocker spaniel was a bit more energetic and had a bit of a stubborn streak, but he was incredibly loyal and affectionate. They do have a tendency to be a bit more vocal and can be a tad more prey-driven compared to goldens. However, with the right training and socialization, my cocker spaniel was great with kids and even more so with family. Health-wise, both breeds have their issues. Goldens can be prone to hip dysplasia and some cancers, while cockers can have ear and eye problems. I found a helpful article on cocker spaniels that might give you more insight: News, sport and opinion from Malta and the world – Times of Malta . If you're looking for a quieter and more patient dog with kids, goldens might have a slight edge, but every dog is unique. It really boils down to the individual dog's personality and the environment you provide.

 

I absolutely love my American Cockers, wouldn't get anything else! I've had 9 since the age of 10, and have never had a bad experience...ever! Maybe I've just been really lucky, but mine have all been super gentle with kids, very smart, and such happy devoted little things! Never had one snap or destroy any of my stuff (maybe a slipper when they were puppies), and was a total breeze to house train! They have all been so friendly with people, and other animals! The ONLY downside is their long thick coat, which needs grooming every 6 weeks, but other than that they are so loving and absolute snuggle bugs! I won't have anything else, but a Cocker ❤ ❤ ❤!

 

...also, I've been very lucky because I've never had a Cocker that was super hyper or overly excitable, all mine have been pretty even-tempered and mild mannered. Never had one that would pee or poop on itself from excitability (I've bragged how long the poor little things have had to hold their bladder's), maybe it's good breeding but they're pretty layed back. It's like any other breed, you'll get good one's and sometimes not so good one's. I can't say enough about how happy, jolly, intelligent, how they aim to please, and loving they are! They are such cute little dog's, looking at them now and just love them to pieces 😀!!!

 

You have spent time with goldens so you know what personality they have. for cockers, there are two types, show cocker and working cocker. The former is laid back like goldens and calmer but the working one has high prey drive and is more energetic. yet, they both are extremely loving and cuddly.

 

You have spent time with goldens so you know what personality they have. for cockers, there are two types, show cocker and working cocker. The former is laid back like goldens and calmer but the working one has high prey drive and is more energetic. yet, they both are extremely loving and cuddly

Thank you for your reply.
I have a field type golden so i know higu energy. But ill probably just stick with my goldens. Maybe foster some puppies of breeds im looking at and see if i like them otherwise. I know it varies but it would give me a idea.