How did you become a Cocker person?

D

Dale

New Member
Just curious how everyone came to have a Cocker Spaniel? A breed you grew up with? One showed up on your front doorstep?
Baxter--my first Cocker-- was pretty much an accident. I was looking more for something Bichon/Poodle-y but he came up on Petfinder and we met...and I fell in love with his paws. I have always loved Old English Sheepdog type paws but I am a small person and don´t want a dog I can´t pick up in an emergency, so I could never have a big breed. Baxter´s paws are enormous, or they look enormous when his hair grows out (in fact, they´re not that big at all , just very furry). I saw those paws and it was all over.
 
I was working at Occidental College way over 30 years ago when a student walked thru my office carrying a beautiful cocker across her back shoulders, she was looking for a home for him. I couldn't resist, he was the start of my love affair with Cocker Spaniels. It's come full circle. We now have one, our beautiful Pye. He will more than likely be our last.
 
My wife bought a cocker puppy without asking. I wasn't happy about that but ended up falling in love with that pup.
 
When I was a kid, my parents bought my sister and I banks that were in the shape of a cocker spaniel. Hers was blond, mine was black. I still have mine, it's a bit worse for wear, but that's what started my love affair w/them. It may also be why I prefer black cockers.
 
Dale said:
Good thing they didn't get you piggy banks, you'd be a hog farmer now!
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When I was 5 or so, we visited a lot of my mom's relatives in Canada. I don't remember most of them, but one was a pig farmer. I was scared of them. So, I don't think giving me a piggy bank would have done that.
 
DH wanted to buy a house. I wanted a dog and I agreed to buy the house together if I could get a dog. Then I started searching ..... breeds, then dogs. I narrowed it down to a miniaussie puppy from Canada - I met with the breeder at a show. Or a 5yo rescue Cocker named Jake. The miniaussie would have needed daycare as I was working. And Jake was already 5.... I didnt think anyone would really want him. After much debate, I convinced dh to let me make an appt for the day after our closing (!) "just go look" we drove 3h to go see him and brought him home for a 7day trial. (haha) He became my heart and soul.

My love for Jake led me to volunteer to evaluate shelter dogs and foster. and we've had them ever since.
 
Our daughter got a cocker pup 27 yrs ago. Her little girl was just a toddler and it was decided she was too young to have a pup so we took the puppy. We've had them ever since. The two we have now are 12 and they will be our last.. every day my goal is to live long enough to take care of them.
 
I grew up with OESs. DH never had a single pet the entire time he was growing up. His mother didn’t like them. When we got married we lived in an apartment and needed a dog we could pass off as under the 20 pound weight limit. I needed a dog that had ears, fur, limited tail, and was active. Cocker spaniels filled the bill and we got our first dog, Tut.
 
My first one was in 1984. I had 2 breakins to my condo. My locks & alarm did not stop them. Someone said I needed a dog (I had never had one before.) A customers daughter had just helped someone rescue this Cocker Spaniel from a yard where he was tied to a tree, never leaving the spot. The daughter called me and assured me that the Cocker would stop the thieves. So I went to see him. He was a mess. But I took him home.

Not knowing any better, I left him loose at home the next day while I went to work. A miracle happened & he did not potty in the house & the only damage was some tornup toilet paper. Later in the week I got him groomed & by then I was smitten.

He did stop the breakins. He sounded like a big dog & jumped up on the curtain so that from the outside it looked like a very large dog.

Later the same year my brother got me another Cocker, a female. It was the beginning of a 25 year love of the breed. My last Cocker boy died in 2015 at age 15. I have another dog now. A Poodle/? mix. Shes a great dog, but I do miss having a Cocker in my life. I might adopt another older Cocker, if the right one comes along.
 
In the fourth grade I read the book, "Champion Dog Prince Tom," and wanted a Cocker Spaniel afterwards. I learned all that I could about the breed, hoping to have one. I was 10 years old then. I got my first Cocker when I was 19 and have had, at least, one Cocker Spaniel during the 40+ years since meeting my first Cocker pup. A home without a Cocker Spaniel is just a house.
 
dizzy said:
I've always said that a cocker sounds like a much bigger dog than it actually is. That's one thing I love about them.
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Oh my gosh. Never thought of that ! This is my fourth cocker and I’ve had him from 8 weeks old and he’s one year old now and he has the loudest bark ever !! He weighs 26 lbs and he sounds like he weighs 100 lbs !! I’m constantly trying to shush him when he gets to barking !!! I live across from a park so their are always people walking by. He’s becoming used to the traffic of people to some degree but if they are walking their dogs, he barks !!
 
StephanieE said:
In the fourth grade I read the book, "Champion Dog Prince Tom," and wanted a Cocker Spaniel afterwards. I learned all that I could about the breed, hoping to have one. I was 10 years old then. I got my first Cocker when I was 19 and have had, at least, one Cocker Spaniel during the 40+ years since meeting my first Cocker pup. A home without a Cocker Spaniel is just a house.
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I read that book as well. In fact, I still do at times. I love it.
 
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