Is a Cocker Right for You?

I have to imagine that some of the people viewing this blog are not Cocker owners, but simply want to learn more about the breed so that they can make an educated decision on whether or not they want to get a Cocker. I remember being in your shoes, and feeling frustrated that I couldn’t find more information! So, here is my honest take on who the Cocker would be a good fit for.

The Cocker as a whole is a very personable, intelligent dog. If you work a 8AM-5PM job and have a busy life in the evenings, DON’T get a Cocker! Both of my Cockers are indoor dogs, and they get lots and lots of attention. I make sure to take time for them every single day, and they thrive in this kind of environment. I know many Cocker owners keep their Cockers in outdoor kennels and they do well in that environment, but their owners still give them lots of time and attention each day. I strongly recommend not getting a Cocker if you don’t have adequate time to devote to it. Their personality just wouldn’t be able to handle not getting attention.

The Cocker is also not an extremely durable dog. I have heard them described as “tough but not durable” (I think that came from one of the links listed on the right). Meaning, they can take a beating and keep going, but they can only do it for so long. I experienced this first-hand when I took Macy on the Quail hunt to the Panhandle. After nine hours of abuse the first day, she was pretty tuckered out the next day. However, on a recent four day hunt in KS, I alternated my Cockers in and out of the field and they both held up extremely well for the four days of hunting. If you tend to long days in the field and hunt frequently (3+ days a week), one Cocker is probably not going to suit your purposes.

If you are an avid duck hunter in a cold climate, the Cocker is probably not a good choice for you either. Both of my Cockers absolutely love water, but when the temp starts to drop, the water starts to lose its appeal. Hunting ducks in sub-freezing temps with a wet Cocker is going to take some extra precautions from you (I’m experimenting with those precautions right now), or you’ll need to leave your Cocker at home.

Those are the negatives of the Cocker, but the Cocker can also be an excellent fit for some people! Obviously I am partial to them, and here are my reasons.

First, their compact size is very conducive to living in town. When I purchased Macy I was living in a medium sized apartment, and she still fit in just fine. Their smaller size allows me to take my Cockers a lot of places that I probably wouldn’t take a larger dog. Their compact size also has other advantages, like not eating much food (Macy gets 1 1/3 cup/day, Rocky gets about 2 cups/day), less waste in the yard, etc. Their small size made it easy for me to justify getting a second Cocker, and I keep telling my wife that I can get at least one more before their combined weight equals an averaged sized Lab!

Second, my Cockers are extremely quiet. The only time that I hear them make any noise is when they are play-fighting with each-other. Oftentimes our neighbor’s dog will be yapping away, and my Cockers just stand at the fence and look at them like, “why are you barking? I don’t get it…” In the UK, where my Cocker’s ancestors are from, any sort of noise out of a Cocker is worthy of elimination in a field trail. So, if you purchase a Cocker from good field trail lines, you have an excellent chance of getting a Cocker that is not going to make noise.

Third, Cockers are tenacious hunters, and a blast to hunt with. They are always extremely intense in the field, and I have to laugh at other people that talk about “increasing the prey-drive of their dog.” My Cockers do not need an increase in their “prey-drive”; they come with HUGE drive right out of the box! They will go non-stop as long as I let them, and I am confident that they would continue hunting as long as I let them, right up until they couldn’t move anymore. At the end of the day they might not be able to open their eyes because they’re so tired, but while they’re hunting they will not show it. Their small size is also great for warmer weather hunting. The tend to not over-heat as quickly as larger dogs due to their size. On the other hand, I have hunted Macy in sub-zero weather and she has handled it just fine. As long as they keep moving, they are fine.

Fourth, Cockers make good duck hunters in the right conditions. Their small size makes it easy to fit them in almost any blind, and they have no problem making long water retrieves. I am looking at getting a kayak to hunt ducks out of, and it appears to me that either of my Cockers would be able to comfortably sit in the cockpit with me.

In summary, if you don’t have time to put into your Cocker, or if you are expecting a dog that you can hunt all day every day with, the Cocker might not be the right fit for you. Or if you hunt ducks in very cold temps, again the Cocker might not be a good fit. But, if you’re looking for a dog that is a companion, intelligent, friendly, is easily kept in the house, hunts hard, is a real go-getter, and is down-right fun to watch, you need to look into getting a Cocker!