Hi, i am new to this site and have joined as I am about to buy a cocker spaniel. I have owned a cavilier king charles in the past. I have read lots of information and purchased books regarding cocker spaniels, in the lead up to buying the bitch. I am going to view her on Saturday and she is ready for collection in March. I have no children and both myself and my partner are very active people, so felt the breed would be ideal for us. However I have had some information to suggest that solid gold cockers (the colour i am about to buy) are known to have a bad temprement and one website www.cockerspaniels.co.uk states that vets often warn against getting a solid gold one. I was always under the impression that the way in which a dog or bitch is brought up and trained is the bigger factor, rather than its colour, but this has left me wondering. I did view a conversation about this on this website that occured in 2007 however it seemed to revolve around arguing whether the statement is true or not, rather than giving advice on what to look out for. Could anybody shed light on their experience of a solid golden cockers temprement but also what i should look out for on Saturday when viewing the pup and its mother? The breeders are kennel club registered so definately not a puppy farm.

Kindest Regards

Rachel 

> The breeders are kennel club registered so definately not a puppy farm.
>
>

ahhh afraid thats not always true :(
kennel club registered is unfortunatly not a guarentee of quality

Hi Rachel, welcome to the forum! Is the spaniel puppy you're going to view a working-type or show-type of cocker; the two can be very different in both looks and temperament.

Are the breeders licenced (breeders aren't registered, dogs are!)? There are several commercial breeders/puppy farmers who register their puppies, so take care.

We always had golden cockers growing up, I have also had one as an adult who lived for 16.5yrs, none of them had problems but my parents bought a black one who was diagnosed with cocker rage at 7 yrs old when everything else had been ruled out, Mum persevered with him till he was 11yrs old with the episodes getting more frequent then one day he was so bad she had to put a piece of board between him and her to get him to back off and took him to the vets the next day and they said for her own safety she had to have him PTS, she has never forgiven herself even though she knew there was no other option, he was so loving between these eisodes but the nice spaniel was appearing less and less.

I had never heard of this before and some say it doesn't exist but having had experience of several spaniels over the years he was completely different, he came from some pet spaniels this couple bred occassionally and they picked a black one as a change from the goldens they'd had in the past.

You will have to do your research, maybe ask for references from previous puppy buyers.

They need training as they can be very possessive with food,toys,their bed etc. but training from early on deals with that, mine would allow the cat to share his dinner/bed and later when I got my first dachsie he would allow him to share too.

I would want the breeder to be a member of the breed club/s and do more than breed their dogs, so google the kennel name and see what comes up, you should at least have some show results come up if they are show type.

Also if you know the parents names then check their health clearances with the kennel club health checking tool. 

I spent a lot of years with Roan cockers, then when I got to pick my own dog, I picked a solid black.  I adored the shine off the coat of the blacks so stuck with them for a while but then a Golden cocker bitch came my way and she was stunning.  And I wouldn't have any other colour now.  What a difference! The blacks are quite noisy and a bit high strung but the little Golden has been one of my best dogs even.  Not as much coat as the blacks either.  And I've now ventured back into a Roan again. Still better than a solid black, though!  A close friend also has an orange Roan, he's a beaut! Think that'll be my next colour but don't tell OH ;)

Hi and welcome. You want to check what the health tests are for cockers (hips and eyes? I'm not sure myself) and see the certificates to be sure that the parents have been tested and have had satisfactory results. As someone else said, be careful whether you are buying a show or working type, they are very different in looks and temperament. You will find even a show cocker much more lively than a Cavalier. I have Cavs and an American cocker, and it was only really after the cocker got to about 8 years old that he has calmed down and been willing to snooze quietly or snuggle. When he was young he was always trotting around the house looking for some mischief to get into, even after proper walks, training session, generally trying to keep him occupied. He is lovely, but the Cavaliers are so much easier - happy to have long walks, but happy to snooze on the sofa if the weather is disgusting on an odd day. I used to know someone who bred the red cockers and they were all nice temperament - I'm not saying that no cocker has cocker rage, but I think more often when people think their dog has it it is a lack of training or socialisation - not the experienced people on here of course, but the general public, I mean. :-)

Great post, Lucydogs!  I was knackered last night when I read this so just posted about the colour thing but health tests of both parents are the most important thing.  I think this roots out the people just in it for the cash/backyard breeders.  KC Registration is no guarantee of 'good' breeding.  I always raise my litters in the house, usually in the kitchen/livingroom, and am very wary of people having litters outside(in fact, personal preferance means I won't take an outside puppy). I think you are off to a good start seeing mum with the pups but just check that the puppy box is clean(bedding and paper areas) and see that the puppies look healthy and happy.  No discharges/smells with podgy bellies having a great time rumbling around with each other.  I always like to see some toys about too.
Cockers are a very challenging breed.  Somehow they get mixed up with lapdogs in temprement? which is usually where the 'rage' label comes from.  People babying intellegent dogs is always going to end in disaster!  This is a working breed with the stamina and brains that go along with that.  True, their is a absolute difference between working lines and show lines but they are both active(some more than others!!lol).  My show cockers will miss a days walk if necessary without too much fuss.  I can throw a ball about the livingroom and do a bit of obedience and they are quite happy.  Our little worker, on the other hand, would be worse than our springer if she missed a walk.  She needs a good run everyday to burn off steam.  She also needs to focus her energy constantly almost to the point of obsession and I think this keeps her sane.  I find the workers better natured(Just my opinion) as the shows tend to be quite stubborn and dominant? but saying that, I have a house full of show lined cockers at the minute!
Age old debates - Colour, sex, worker or show!! Depends entirely on your preference and situation.

I have a red cocker spaniel bitch and she does have aggression issues (which is why she lost her first home at a very young age). However, as you can see from previous posts, it isn't really that colour related! I also think that cockers get labelled very quickly with cocker rage when in the vast majority of cases it is resource guarding or a physical cause (e.g. hypothyroidism, hip problems etc).

I wouldn't worry about the colour, but make sure that the parents are of good temperament and that all the necessary health tests are done and that the puppies look confident and healthy when you visit them! As others said, KC registration doesn't necessarily mean quality, so you must do your own research. Perhaps even get the KC names of the parents so people in the know on here might be able to advise on the lines before you commit yourself fully.

Hi Rachel,
                 I have three solid golden cockers to date and they are my absolute favourite breed and colour. I think the advice to avoid the solid golden cockers is ill informed. With proper socialisation, training and care from the start of their lives, they will become an utter joy to own. Chose your pup carefully from an experienced reputable breeder and enjoy your dog:-)

>I have three solid golden cockers to date and they are my absolute favourite breed and colour. I think the advice to avoid the solid golden cockers is ill informed.

I don't have much experience of cockers, but my family's first dog when I was 6 years old was a cocker from a puppy farm in Wales (My parents knew no better in the late 1960's). She was totally blind by the age of 6 through PRA, although there were no eye tests readily available to breeders back then. She also had a lot of dietary intolerances.

She was not a solid colour (Orange Roan) BUT having seen firsthand how severe health issues can be prevalent in puppy farmed dogs, it would not surprise me if issues like Cocker Rage originated in such hellholes, where good temperament and health is some way down the list after saleability. The thing that wrenches me most of all, is that 40 years after we got our puppy-farmed dog, there are still so many (if not more) of her kind being offered for sale, being sold, and STILL those breeders are not being held to account for the damaged dogs they produce, en masse, every year in their hundreds if not thousands.

So do please do your homework and try to find the healthiest dog you can - not just for you, but on behalf of all those that are born without testing and just made for profit...and destined for short disposable lives [not to mention the hideous conditions their parents are kept in at the puppy farms].

> With proper socialisation, training and care from the start of their lives, they will become an utter joy to own. Chose your pup carefully from an experienced reputable breeder and enjoy your dog:-)

Good advise but worth pointing out that the sourcing of a well bred cocker is absolutely the first priority.  Get that right and the rest should not be difficult at all.
There is a great deal of good advise on the Kennel Club web site on sourcing a good breeder.