This is a great explanation of cockers. My rescue Charlie is my 8th dog, having had Golden Retrievers for 40 years, usually two at at time. Charlie was picked up in the backwoods of West Virginia. He had a broken leg, was skin and bones, had a terrible flea infection with hardly any fur and covered in scabs. He also had Lyme disease. By the time I got him from the foster mom at Cherished Cockers, he was much improved. Today you'd never know what my little bear went through. I was told that he was probably 7 years old, so I didn't have the chance to train him as a puppy. He is perfect inside our apartment, very calm and quiet, but a wild man outside with no concept of recall. I actually believe that I just haven't figured out HOW he will respond to recall because I believe he was a beloved hunting dog. Fortunately we are surrounded by woods, a golf course, a lake and a pond, which allows him to swim, track, snuffle, and chase, making him a very happy buddy. Before I got him in a harness, he once backed right out of his collar and took off. That little rascal was on the run for 6 hours but the funny part was he kept checking back in. I'd wait for him in the woods and he'd come within feet of me, then take off again. I'd wait on the community patio and he'd go running right past me. I'd sit out on the balcony and he'd come right below me, smile, and take off again. Finally I was out there, saw him coming and opened the door for him. He trotted right in. Since I've had him in a harness, he hasn't been gone like that. I do let him go to chase geese, but I never have trouble catching him now; he doesn't run away from me. All my other dogs were trained and well behaved, but Charlie is my "grand dog," and we have an arrangement. I suppose one of these days I'll work on some commands, which I know he can follow - smart little devil! -- but he is so good and so delightful. I love him just the way he is.
I also got a working cocker that spent time full feral in the desert and he is exactly as you described, the worst behaved (won't follow commands) good boy (from killing cats while protecting chickens to cuddling them in a different environment) he's just always around doing whatever side quests the big dog upstairs gives him, I'm hoping when hunting season comes he learns to navigate the woods as a pack with me and despite him not listening to any commands that don't make sense to him in the moment, I'm pretty sure he will figure it out, I live In a vehicle and when hes lost me due to side quests he's always right back at the bus by the time I've given up looking for him
Great video. I wish more trainers would try to help increase pet owners understanding of what they're taking on with a cocker, instead of lining them up in a class environment and just throwing dummies. The idea of taking a hunting dog on a nice walk in the countryside because it's labelled as a pet, is a familiar narrative. And it is of course, the primary route to the majority of problems encountered with a cocker. Keep educating and helping them Chris. Good work.
Actually i love this comment . However your masterplan has a huge downfall. People forget / actually never realised there's a Working and Show type Cocker when they are looking for a Cocker. Yes i was one of them 14.5 years ago. I now know shes a worker, these days pretty much blind and deaf. I never worked her but her drive was pretty large. The show types ive had since both weren't interested. I now have a Springer FML Prey drive is absolutely mental
Brilliant glad to see videos again.... My working cocker is 18month old now we watched you from day one. Thanks to your videos and help with a local trainer we got him out for the back end of the season just gone... Super happy with how his going just working on some more steadiness and sharpening up of the stop whistle on the retrieves. Any content on good drills for this would be great :)
Always great content buddy.. love your videos! my 10 month working cocker is mad for his ball and every morning I go to the woods for half hour or so and keep hiding it for him to sniff out and retrieve and he loves it. When we're out walking off the lead I give him his ball and he has no interest in birds or other dogs etc. Hes just happy to be carrying it. He is definitely obsessed with the ball but I suppose if it makes him happy and hes well behaved it dont matter.
Ours is nearly five years old. He super loves a ball when out and chasing it. Then he gets home and puts it in front of you and sits waiting for you to throw it. :) Sometimes for an hour he will sit there.
I've had many dogs we actually breed dachshund I brought a working bitch 2yrs ago I can honestly say this is the best pet dog we have ever had so easy to train as a pet I will never have another breed
I bought a working cocker for the first time, and I never had these issues of poor recall, he's 9 years old now, I taught him the basics and fetch, and chasing after a ball and bringing it back is his absolute favourite thing to do in the whole world with his bottomless energy. My issue is he's actually protective over me to the point he becomes agressive. Is that normal for this breed? When we go for walks up the valleys if I sit, he will literally sit by my side and will not move or play untill I'm up and walking with him, that's not something I've trained him to do at all! It amazes me! And I've wondered if that's part of his breed or his own little personality.
The main thing is all dogs are slightly different and have their own quirks. I'm always saying there are 10% of these dogs which cause you no hassle at all and you can bring them up completely like a domestic dog, but that's luck and not good judgement. if you wait to see which type of dog you have at a novice level it's going to generally be quite hard to fix the main issues that I encounter every single day. I'm pleased your dog turned out to be straightforward to train that was great news.
If you watch any of my vlogs there all about getting the dog to engage with you through retrieve right from the very start the majority of my brain stimulation comes through the drills and training that I do
@@hampshirespanieltrainingwi9314 fantastic, thank you. We are going to be getting a dog that failed its police training. I’ve not had a cocker before so looking forward to learning from you.
@@dawnmarie240 depending on what point it failed it's worth finding out the sort of things that they've been doing because obviously in a slightly older dog, there might be different strengths and weaknesses so it's always worth trying to get advice from whoever you get the dog from
My 9 month old Cocker is quite good most of the time, lead & recall is pretty good but is reluctant to bring a ball/dummy back and will keep hold of it, also if he finds a piece of litter or something similar he will just run with it and ignore any instruction.? i have tried exchanging for a treat but if he is not hungry and there are other distractions like sheep/Rabbit poo it can take a while, do i need to change my approach ? Thanks Martin (Great video by the way )
The problem is at nine months the dog is still very young and it’s very easy to think what you have now is the end result there is quite a few different things that I would do impossible to cover in a message if you’re looking for some help maybe send me a message on Facebook regards Chris
9 months at times my cocker forgets all his training lately ! Looks at me knows hes been naughty ignores whistle getting him out woods tough going. Frustrating told phase as 9 months old.
Obviously it’s difficult for me to comment not knowing what training you have done but you might need to go along way back this is pretty common at this age with most people
Very interesting my working cocker is almost a year old and loves running free and getting into the hedgerows but I’m always unsure that’s a good idea, she does come back but if there’s a juicy smell then that takes priority. Think the restrictions are a good idea but is it too late?
So they always come back up to the first time that they never come back you may get away with this forever you may not but once the dog is gone and lost that’s that . It’s always easy to regret at this point hope that makes sense👍
Hi there David thanks for the message sadly it’s not as easy as just saying yes or no if you want some more consistent help perhaps contact me on Facebook Hampshire spaniel training
This is a great explanation of cockers. My rescue Charlie is my 8th dog, having had Golden Retrievers for 40 years, usually two at at time. Charlie was picked up in the backwoods of West Virginia. He had a broken leg, was skin and bones, had a terrible flea infection with hardly any fur and covered in scabs. He also had Lyme disease. By the time I got him from the foster mom at Cherished Cockers, he was much improved. Today you'd never know what my little bear went through.
I was told that he was probably 7 years old, so I didn't have the chance to train him as a puppy. He is perfect inside our apartment, very calm and quiet, but a wild man outside with no concept of recall. I actually believe that I just haven't figured out HOW he will respond to recall because I believe he was a beloved hunting dog. Fortunately we are surrounded by woods, a golf course, a lake and a pond, which allows him to swim, track, snuffle, and chase, making him a very happy buddy. Before I got him in a harness, he once backed right out of his collar and took off. That little rascal was on the run for 6 hours but the funny part was he kept checking back in. I'd wait for him in the woods and he'd come within feet of me, then take off again. I'd wait on the community patio and he'd go running right past me. I'd sit out on the balcony and he'd come right below me, smile, and take off again. Finally I was out there, saw him coming and opened the door for him. He trotted right in. Since I've had him in a harness, he hasn't been gone like that. I do let him go to chase geese, but I never have trouble catching him now; he doesn't run away from me.
All my other dogs were trained and well behaved, but Charlie is my "grand dog," and we have an arrangement. I suppose one of these days I'll work on some commands, which I know he can follow - smart little devil! -- but he is so good and so delightful. I love him just the way he is.
I also got a working cocker that spent time full feral in the desert and he is exactly as you described, the worst behaved (won't follow commands) good boy (from killing cats while protecting chickens to cuddling them in a different environment) he's just always around doing whatever side quests the big dog upstairs gives him, I'm hoping when hunting season comes he learns to navigate the woods as a pack with me and despite him not listening to any commands that don't make sense to him in the moment, I'm pretty sure he will figure it out, I live In a vehicle and when hes lost me due to side quests he's always right back at the bus by the time I've given up looking for him
Beautiful description of a working cocker. They are adorable dogs.
Great video. I wish more trainers would try to help increase pet owners understanding of what they're taking on with a cocker, instead of lining them up in a class environment and just throwing dummies. The idea of taking a hunting dog on a nice walk in the countryside because it's labelled as a pet, is a familiar narrative. And it is of course, the primary route to the majority of problems encountered with a cocker.
Keep educating and helping them Chris. Good work.
That’s very kind of you ryan
Actually i love this comment . However your masterplan has a huge downfall. People forget / actually never realised there's a Working and Show type Cocker when they are looking for a Cocker. Yes i was one of them 14.5 years ago. I now know shes a worker, these days pretty much blind and deaf. I never worked her but her drive was pretty large. The show types ive had since both weren't interested. I now have a Springer FML Prey drive is absolutely mental
They get lost (especially the young ones), and are randomly found in the woods and taken in as pets. Good video content. Thanks.
I have learnt so much from you just in a week puppy will be coming this week end I will follow your blog to train it makes so much sense thank you
Brilliant glad to see videos again.... My working cocker is 18month old now we watched you from day one. Thanks to your videos and help with a local trainer we got him out for the back end of the season just gone...
Super happy with how his going just working on some more steadiness and sharpening up of the stop whistle on the retrieves. Any content on good drills for this would be great :)
That's definitely great advice.
Always great content buddy.. love your videos! my 10 month working cocker is mad for his ball and every morning I go to the woods for half hour or so and keep hiding it for him to sniff out and retrieve and he loves it. When we're out walking off the lead I give him his ball and he has no interest in birds or other dogs etc. Hes just happy to be carrying it. He is definitely obsessed with the ball but I suppose if it makes him happy and hes well behaved it dont matter.
Ours is nearly five years old. He super loves a ball when out and chasing it. Then he gets home and puts it in front of you and sits waiting for you to throw it. :) Sometimes for an hour he will sit there.
very helpful thank you
I've had many dogs we actually breed dachshund I brought a working bitch 2yrs ago I can honestly say this is the best pet dog we have ever had so easy to train as a pet I will never have another breed
I bought a working cocker for the first time, and I never had these issues of poor recall, he's 9 years old now, I taught him the basics and fetch, and chasing after a ball and bringing it back is his absolute favourite thing to do in the whole world with his bottomless energy. My issue is he's actually protective over me to the point he becomes agressive. Is that normal for this breed? When we go for walks up the valleys if I sit, he will literally sit by my side and will not move or play untill I'm up and walking with him, that's not something I've trained him to do at all! It amazes me! And I've wondered if that's part of his breed or his own little personality.
The main thing is all dogs are slightly different and have their own quirks. I'm always saying there are 10% of these dogs which cause you no hassle at all and you can bring them up completely like a domestic dog, but that's luck and not good judgement. if you wait to see which type of dog you have at a novice level it's going to generally be quite hard to fix the main issues that I encounter every single day. I'm pleased your dog turned out to be straightforward to train that was great news.
I really enjoyed this video very educational you can learn so much about your dogs than you
That’s very kind thanks Wayne I hope to start making some more soon 🐶
Great info. I just got a 10 week cocker. You need to improve the audio. Audio has a strong buzz that irritates my ears
Apologies, I'm constantly trying to improve my videos
Hello, where can I find your video on how to stimulate the dog mentally? Thank you 😊
If you watch any of my vlogs there all about getting the dog to engage with you through retrieve right from the very start the majority of my brain stimulation comes through the drills and training that I do
@@hampshirespanieltrainingwi9314 fantastic, thank you. We are going to be getting a dog that failed its police training. I’ve not had a cocker before so looking forward to learning from you.
@@dawnmarie240 depending on what point it failed it's worth finding out the sort of things that they've been doing because obviously in a slightly older dog, there might be different strengths and weaknesses so it's always worth trying to get advice from whoever you get the dog from
@@hampshirespanieltrainingwi9314 I will, thank you. It’s 14 months so still a pup really. Thanks for your help 😊
My 9 month old Cocker is quite good most of the time, lead & recall is pretty good but is reluctant to bring a ball/dummy back and will keep hold of it, also if he finds a piece of litter or something similar he will just run with it and ignore any instruction.? i have tried exchanging for a treat but if he is not hungry and there are other distractions like sheep/Rabbit poo it can take a while, do i need to change my approach ? Thanks Martin (Great video by the way )
The problem is at nine months the dog is still very young and it’s very easy to think what you have now is the end result there is quite a few different things that I would do impossible to cover in a message if you’re looking for some help maybe send me a message on Facebook regards Chris
Great information, would some of your training crossover to the HPR breeds or do they require a more specific focus?
HPR are quite similar, they are just meant to work at much larger ranges
9 months at times my cocker forgets all his training lately ! Looks at me knows hes been naughty ignores whistle getting him out woods tough going. Frustrating told phase as 9 months old.
Obviously it’s difficult for me to comment not knowing what training you have done but you might need to go along way back this is pretty common at this age with most people
Mine also did the same then at around 9-10 montha
@@TheTbabylati I have a 9 month old just the same, blooming frustrating
My cocker spaniel won't even fetch, how do I train him to do the scent training.
Very interesting my working cocker is almost a year old and loves running free and getting into the hedgerows but I’m always unsure that’s a good idea, she does come back but if there’s a juicy smell then that takes priority. Think the restrictions are a good idea but is it too late?
So they always come back up to the first time that they never come back you may get away with this forever you may not but once the dog is gone and lost that’s that . It’s always easy to regret at this point hope that makes sense👍
Is ok to let your 5 mouth old of the lead . And how much exercise should he have
Hi there David thanks for the message sadly it’s not as easy as just saying yes or no if you want some more consistent help perhaps contact me on Facebook Hampshire spaniel training