English cocker spaniels?

[Commando]

The wife is wanting to get a English cocker spaniel in the near future. This will be her first field dog. I’m a lab guy so really don’t know the first thing about these cockers. Can anyone point me to a few reputable breeders we can start a search around the pnw? Thanks!

[Backstrap]

My EFC is from Covey Flush kennels in Florida. Most of their breeders are imported from England, and all have very strong bloodlines. I think there is a breeder in the Portland area, but I don’t know anything about them.

They are very happy, gentle, and loving dogs. The are also very energetic, athletic, and have a very high prey drive. It’s amazing how the switch flips when there’s game to be hunted. In the early days, cockers and springers came out of the same litters, with the only determining factor being size.

I think your wife would love an EFC, but they are a serous hunting dog (aka a real handful sometimes) and if she is just looking for a pet, then I’d recommend a rescue mutt.

Good luck. Let’s hear back if you get one...

[Commando]

Thanks for the info! She’s looking for a dog she can hunt she thought it was the coolest thing when she saw my lab do his thing chasing grouse but she wants her own dog to train and something not as big as a lab. We are pretty active so it’ll be pretty active. This’ll be her first dog she trains to so she’s pretty excited to say the least.  Looks like most of the breeders she’s been looking at don’t have something planned for awhile.

[shootem]

A Boykin spaniel is another option.

[Commando]

I’ve been trying to convince her on one of those for awhile and no dice. I’d love to get a Boykin though

[Backstrap]

Covey Flush has a litter hitting the ground 9/29. They are usually pre-sold, but you never know. The size of the litter, and gender/color preferences can result in unsold pups.

[hollymaster]

Brittany spaniel is another one you could look at. 

[ibuyre]

My little girl is a English Springier but she's only 41 lb and I think under 40 lb is cocker land.  So she's close. I got her from "gun crazy bird dogs" and she's a amazing dog. Blue moon on hear also has and sometimes breeds Springier's. He knows far more about them and who breeds them than me.

[AspenBud]

Juggernaut Gun Dogs in Wisconsin
Ryglen Gun Dogs in Illinois
Field Bred Cockers in Oregon

I also think there is a guide who works at Ruggs Ranch down in Oregon who breeds them.

Given a choice I would take a hard look at Juggernaut and Ryglen. But I am sure there are others.

[jetjockey]

I’d research kennels from the Northern FL to Southern GA quail belt.  That’s where most of the great cockers come from.  The plantations down there use a ton of them to flush birds from the nasty thickets.  Field bred Cockers are awesome little dogs.  My wife’s parents just got one, and it’s a retrieving beast at only 11 weeks old.

[pens fan]

Let her see these boykin pups...

[wildweeds]

Oahe kennels, North Dakota, Tom Ness is a very accomplished trailer and breeder of field springers and field cockers. There's a fellow who lives on San Juan Island that is into Field Cockers, his name is Alfred DeFalco.

[Lady Grouse hunter]

I HATE to say/share this as it is a Flushing dog not a Pointer, You WILL be running like hell to keep up after any dogs flushing any birds! Better be ready to run!

[Lady Grouse hunter]

I'd say the 2 on the ground would be a GOOD mellow pup pic!

[pens fan]

You are not the first to make that statement. But my phone was too slow to capture all 8 of them standing up.
Except for one, they were all pretty mellow when being paid attention to. But out in the grass or woods they were all over.

[Commando]

Thanks for the info guys! We put a deposit down on a litter from field bred cockers in bend Oregon for next summer. The wife is pretty excited!

[Henrydog]

I have had Springers for years (very close cousins to cockers)  Both have been very hard hunters (you can train them to hunt close and not run off and chase (I did it with a check cord) and they are great family dogs.  You better have space on the couch they are very affectionate.

[Commando]

My wife is gonna love the affection from him for sure! He’s gonna be spoiled for sure. My lab isn’t gonna like it but he’ll get used to it.

I’ve always been a lab guy so I’ve got really no idea how to train a cocker besides the normal yard stuff. Heard they’re pretty natural in the field and the breeder basically said just get him out in the field and on birds and he’ll figure it out. But we will get it all figured out!

[Henrydog]

I did some pay to play pheasant just to introduce they to the whole thing.  I have the benefit of several covey's of quail within a mile of the house.  They figure it out really fast.  The biggest hurdle is getting them to slow down and wait for you  when they are hot.

[Backstrap]

My wife is gonna love the affection from him for sure! He’s gonna be spoiled for sure. My lab isn’t gonna like it but he’ll get used to it.

I’ve always been a lab guy so I’ve got really no idea how to train a cocker besides the normal yard stuff. Heard they’re pretty natural in the field and the breeder basically said just get him out in the field and on birds and he’ll figure it out. But we will get it all figured out!

Congratulations on your upcoming pup.

My boy is a real fireball in the field. Sometimes he gets so wound up he forgets all his training. So Occasionally I have to give him a wake up call with the e-collar. He’s very good at getting birds out of heavy cover, and finding and flushing birds in general. He’s 50/50 on retrieving, and not especially interested in dead birds. He absolutely loves the water. Not scared of anything. He loves killing possum and rats, and has caught more than one salmon in the river.

It took him until around 8 years old to settle down to more of a lab like activity level around the house. He always wants to play and is always happy. He sleeps in our room, and it’s never been a problem. Overall, he’s a real joy to have in our family, with a fun and addictive personality.

I think you’re in for a real treat! Good luck.
.

[Backstrap]

What’s the puppy prognosis? I’m not a facebook guy, but my wife found a cool facebook page for English Cocker Spaniels - Field Bred Gun Dogs.

[Soknarf]

Congratulations on your dog choice.

I relocated from Ireland to WA last winter with my two cocker boys and we are looking forward to our first US season in the coming weeks.

Depending on what type of hunting you want them to do, the training can be very different to usual US styles.

I dont have an e-collar or tracking on my guys, as they never go more than 30/40 yards in front of me.

They work a quartering pattern back and forth as I walk through a field or along a hedgerow. They contact flush birds, so you do need to be ready to shoot, but in general you will see when they pick up a scent and start working a line.

Definitely look into whistle training as this is the most effective method used in the UK / Ireland. My guys come, sit, and get all direction from different whistle patterns.

Take a look on YouTube for "Nick Ridley" and also look up training for "rough shooting" or "walk up shooting" and you should find some good resources.

My guys are hard working dogs, and I usually spend the evening on the sofa pulling thorns out of them. There isnt a blackberry patch of hedgerow that they will shy away from.

They can be sensitive little souls, so one of my guys reacts well to a firm tone, the other just retreats into himself if you raise your voice.

I will have English cockers for the rest of my days as they are perfect for the style of shooting that I like to do.

If you have any questions, please let me know. I am not an expert by any stretch (only had these guys for 3 years), but I have put in a lot of research and come from the land of this type of dog/hunting.