# Cocker Spaniel Puppy Training



## happyclappy (29 July 2018)

Hi All

Some months ago I started looking for a new dog.
I viewed some adults but...Anyhow, I ended up buying a Cocker Spaniel Puppy. Big Big mistake. I am honestly too stupid and unfit. After four Irish Setters, I never realised how hard it would be. We are progressing.

My biggest problem is pulling.

Can I ask what you all found the best method please? And how long to learn?Especially if you have a cocker.

I KNOW it takes much time and repetition
Thanks


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## Lindylouanne (29 July 2018)

I think it depends on the dog. My sister has Cockers, the first one lived to 15 years old and from the day they brought her home to the day she died she was a bin raider and pulled like a train on the lead but walked at heel off it. Latest one is also a bin raider but walks at heel on the lead and has always done so. She is only 14 months old and has a bit of a problem with recall but is learning. Crazy dogs but very loving.


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## Amymay (29 July 2018)

I've been walking an 8 month old cocker spaniel that pulls like a ******.

I cracked it in two sessions with turns - he pulled, I turned quickly to the right (dog on the left). He soon got the idea and now walks nicely at the side on a pretty relaxed lead.


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## Cinnamontoast (29 July 2018)

Ive never really put mine on leads, we tend to go straight to the park/woods, but any lead walking can be tricky with three! (Mine are springers) Because its only 20 yards from car to off lead and my balance is poor since the accident, I use the figure of 8 method. This lets me have one lead per finger, literally. 

Get a sliplead, put it on loose. Pull excess from bottom of neck, twist over nose. It means the dog cant physically pull. Nothing else has worked for me.

On the way back to the car, they walk on loose leads because theyre generally knackered.


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## Abi90 (29 July 2018)

cinnamontoast said:



			Ive never really put mine on leads, we tend to go straight to the park/woods, but any lead walking can be tricky with three! (Mine are springers) Because its only 20 yards from car to off lead and my balance is poor since the accident, I use the figure of 8 method. This lets me have one lead per finger, literally. 

Get a sliplead, put it on loose. Pull excess from bottom of neck, twist over nose. It means the dog cant physically pull. Nothing else has worked for me.

On the way back to the car, they walk on loose leads because theyre generally knackered.
		
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Pretty much the same with my Springer. I tried every trick for months to get him to stop pulling and nothing worked. He is superb off lead and I rarely walk him on lead unless its to get from the house/car to the off lead walking area.

I too use the figure of 8 method to do it. He also doesnt pull after a walk as hes knackered


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## happyclappy (29 July 2018)

Cinnamontoast and Abi90, do you think a halti might work? Occasionally used them on my setters when slippery underfoot, or I would simply, like you wrap, the lead around their nose. Quick sharp turns work for a while, but I'm sick of going nowhere because I have to keep turning. He is still only young at 15 weeks. But so intelligent. I feel an utter, impatient failure


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## Clodagh (29 July 2018)

I have a springer pup (8 months now) and I too have decided I am not capable of training anything ever again. I have no idea why anyone would want one as a pet, but she is cute. Not a lot of help, sorry, but you are not alone.


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## Abi90 (29 July 2018)

happyclappy said:



			Cinnamontoast and Abi90, do you think a halti might work? Occasionally used them on my setters when slippery underfoot, or I would simply, like you wrap, the lead around their nose. Quick sharp turns work for a while, but I'm sick of going nowhere because I have to keep turning. He is still only young at 15 weeks. But so intelligent. I feel an utter, impatient failure
		
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Boots was absolutely fine in a Halti, but take it off him and he pulls again! To be honest, I tried everything and it didnt work and I just gave in and used the halti/figure 8 as it was easier for me and he wasnt choking himself


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## Abi90 (29 July 2018)

Clodagh said:



			I have a springer pup (8 months now) and I too have decided I am not capable of training anything ever again. I have no idea why anyone would want one as a pet, but she is cute. Not a lot of help, sorry, but you are not alone.
		
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Haha. Boots is a wonderful pet... I just avoid walking him on a lead wherever possible


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## Merlin11 (29 July 2018)

I think there is a quote along the lines of: if you want an easy life get a lab, if you want more of a challenge get a springer, if your bonkers get a cocker! Hence I have 2 labs!


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## Cinnamontoast (30 July 2018)

Haltis ride up into the eye and come off way too easily. Figure of eight is like a magic trick, truly amazing. 

Springers are no bother, bar Zak being DA. Mine are amazingly responsive, even deaf half blind dementia dog comes if I just hold out a hand. I&#8217;d say my younger two are &#8216;hot&#8217;, but so willing and well-behaved. We have dedicated a LOT of time to them and it&#8217;s been so worth it. We&#8217;re lucky, one of both pairs has been very clever so has led the way for the other.


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## Lurfy (30 July 2018)

My daughter has a cocker and he is the cutest little fellow . She wanted him to not pull at all after she had her baby so invested in a halti. Now she can easily manage baby in her sling and dog on the lead when they walk around the lake. He is pretty good off lead too, but has to be clipped up while in the residential areas. I'm a big fan of cocker spaniels now, I grew up with Airedale terriers and the cocker is like a gentle plush toy by comparison.


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## Clodagh (30 July 2018)

I thought I should try to be a bit more positive. Although OH & I only last wekeend had a lengthy debate about rehoming ours so I am not sure I will ever be an enthusiast. We decided to keep her, she is good when training just hard work generally.
She does walk well on the lead so I had a think about how we got there. She only goes out of the garden for training so we are always carrying a ball or dummy which keeps her focussed on us. She used to pull terribly, proper shoulders down lurching type pulling, and all the 'normal' stuff didn't work so I resorted to the proper yank back and bellow. Only needed to do it a few times and now she doesn't pull at all. (You have to keep saying 'no' if she gets too far ahead and 'heel' as a reminder but she does respond.


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## Cinnamontoast (30 July 2018)

Tell me why she&#8217;s hard work, Clodagh. Is it cos she&#8217;s different to the labs? She must be a real trauma if you were debating re-homing.


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## Clodagh (30 July 2018)

cinnamontoast said:



			Tell me why she&#8217;s hard work, Clodagh. Is it cos she&#8217;s different to the labs? She must be a real trauma if you were debating re-homing.
		
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Just different to labs. Labs want to please you and in the past we have had collies and so on that also want to do things with you. Even the terriers were up for acknowledging your presence and could be taken for a walk.
She is just work, hunts to please herself if you let her, and you can never relax with her. Out of the house you are an irrelevance in her life. The lurcher was a million times easier! Training this morning, for instance, she was great, hunting well for her ball and really focussed. Then, as I come back through the fence a pigeon goes over so she ******* off after it. Stops eventually but would then dive off into the beans to go hunting. OH normally trains her as she is totally not my thing (I would give her away tomorrow) and he has a bit more success than I do. He wants to keep her as he thinks she will come good for work next autumn. Also, we have invested a lot of time, expense and carpet shampoo in getting this far.


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## Clodagh (30 July 2018)

Sorry OP for thread derailment!! Pics to show she is actually not as neglected and hated as my posts sound.


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## NAJRBSJ (30 July 2018)

We have a cocker, Rupert, he is 15 months old.
My husband wanted a soft mouthed dog and we opted for a cocker but OMG I didn't realise just how nutty they could be. I've just notice he's started to calm down a lot in the house but training him is bloody hard work.

Rupert's mum is a show cocker and dad is a working. His training is very hard work and I've read that show cockers can be rather stubborn when it comes to training.

Id love to do gundog work with him and whilst we can sit, stand, lie down, stay, recall and retrieve in the training field, anywhere else is a different matter and in fact some days he just resembles an untrained thug and totally ignores the stop whistle. We had a little go at agility and he learnt amazingly quickly so maybe that's the route we need to go down instead. We've had a little break with training in all this hot weather but I'm going to crank it back up again now its cooled down. 

He is, however, THE most loving animal. You can see the love in his eyes at times and loves to snuggle his head into your shoulder for a cuddle. When he was a real pup I said id never have another spaniel, but I think I probably would now


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## alainax (30 July 2018)

We have a now 4 year old working cocker, had since puppy, our first family dog ( each had dogs growing up). 

She did pull, but I looked at it like training a horse. She is only pulling when she has something to lean against. Id never give her something to lean on, more sort of a bad half halt, till she got the idea. Only took a few walks. We had her in a harness.  She also likes a lot of off lead time to run around, then when going back on the lead its not a drama. Her recall and stay are brilliant. They are highly trainable, highly intelligent, and can also be quite lazy once they have enough keeping their mind going! We call ours the coucher spaniel...

The only thing that took us a long time was cat training, but we did eventually crack it, and now her and the cat play and snuggle all day.


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## BBP (30 July 2018)

After a somewhat stressful 2 weeks with the collie toddler Im actually finding this thread reassuring that other people have puppy issues too!


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## Cinnamontoast (30 July 2018)

Clodagh said:



			Sorry OP for thread derailment!! Pics to show she is actually not as neglected and hated as my posts sound.
		
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I would never think that she&#8217;s neglected or hated! I just think she&#8217;s not the breed you&#8217;d want/choose. It&#8217;s a bit like saying to me that I could have a lab puppy, I just never would, even if amazing lines/gorgeous, they&#8217;re just not my thing. I reckon she&#8217;ll come good. It took us quite a long time to get the youngsters how we want, but they&#8217;re so worth it, very affectionate, obedient, Velcro dogs, they&#8217;re known as and god, it&#8217;s true! (Zak is on my knee)


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## happyclappy (1 August 2018)

Sorry it took me a while to get back, rather busy and tired!

Clodagh, he is gorgeous.
Cockers are supposedly easy to train, wanting to just please their owners. Nobody told mine!

I do seem to be winning albeit slowly, no doubt changed that by saying this.

By god he is just so cute and far too intelligent.
I am pleased to hear I am not alone.

My first and LAST cocker.
I would post photos if I knew how!


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## Translationsneeded (5 August 2018)

I always start by training them to walk behind me (dispensing treats to start with) and then expect the same when theyre on the lead. If they try and walk in front they get put back where they should be or blocked with my leg. Ive trained 4 this way and they never pull... the springer on the other hand...hmmmm


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## Cinnamontoast (5 August 2018)

happyclappy said:



			Sorry it took me a while to get back, rather busy and tired!

Clodagh, he is gorgeous.
Cockers are supposedly easy to train, wanting to just please their owners. Nobody told mine!

I do seem to be winning albeit slowly, no doubt changed that by saying this.

By god he is just so cute and far too intelligent.
I am pleased to hear I am not alone.

My first and LAST cocker.
I would post photos if I knew how!

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He might need a job to do, one of mine does or he gets bored and boogers off hunting.

Do you have Facebook? If so, click on picture to open, click again, choose copy then paste in the resultant link between these (no spaces)


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## maisie06 (5 August 2018)

I aquired a working cocker 2 years ago.....OMG it's been a learning curve and finding a really good gundog trainer has been a massive help! I think with a Lab they just want to please, just ask them - springers again just ask....Cockers?? well you have to plead, beg, cry and cajole and they'll think about it!!!!

Seriously, you have to be so black and white and really consistant with them. Our heelwork is finally coming along and his stop is improving but his retrieving can be hit and miss - hunting though he's driven, very driven, I never let him hunt for himself, once they find their own fun you've had it!!

The pulling thing I have pretty much got there by lots of changes of direction and speed...so slow slow walk to a fast jog and back down again, if he gets to far ahead I  call him into my side and start again - I don't care if it takes 30 mins to walk 20 meters as long as he heels!!

Here's the boy in question!


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## Pearlsasinger (5 August 2018)

I have never had a spaniel of any kind but can recommend a fig 8 round the nose to stop pulling.  

We have 40+kg Rottweilers, their necks are totally the wrong shape (conical) for a collar and lead arrangement, so they wear harnesses but they can drop their considerable weight into the harness and pull, if they so choose.  A fig 8 round the nose works wonders.  They walk on a loose lead on the way home too!


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## druid (6 August 2018)

Spaniels need a job - mine are all asleep on a sofa beside me but they work and trial (and show!) 

I teach heel work off lead first, sounds backwards but works for me. For clients dogs I start on a boring lawn and walk large squares making a sharp 90 degree turn away from or towards the dog if it gets ahead. Don't look at the dog, pick a point on the horizon and march towards that until the dog breaks or you're happy to stop. Insist on a sit every time you stop to take some of the sting out of the forward motion. And lots and lots of praise when it's right


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## kimberleigh (6 August 2018)

Ive found clicker training works brilliantly - look up "Kikopup" on YouTube as she has literally hundreds of videos to choose from with regard to basic training along with advanced trick training, which can be fun!

We have a Springer (or at least she is meant to be a springer - dad def is, fully registered working gun dog. Mum belongs to our friend and was a rescue so could possibly be a sprocker) who lives for being off lead. She gets nervous on the lead - friend sadly didnt socialise the litter at all and the ones he was left with didnt see another human besides him for first 6months of life, even the ones he homed at 8 weeks aren'tsure about new people. We have had her for about 3 months now and shes really came out of her shell!! But shuts down if you are too firm with her. Cracking little thing though and adores being at the yard/out in the open.

Couple pics just cos shes pretty &#128525;







With the mental cockapoo to give idea of size (cockapoo is 10months today and 22" tall)


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## Clodagh (6 August 2018)

I have made a real breakthrough with ours last week. I finally realised she wasn't a lab and there was not point expecting her to react to things as a rather senstive lab bitch would. I have been hard as nails with her and wow, we have achieved a loose lead heel with no nagging and a bum firmly planted on the floor whenever I stop. We can go off lead heel aswell, out side the garden, but that does take serious concentration. I feel a bit more like she may not be a lost cause. I have never had such a hard headed dog before and it has been a real sea change.


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## Cinnamontoast (6 August 2018)

Clodagh said:



			I have made a real breakthrough with ours last week. I finally realised she wasn't a lab and there was not point expecting her to react to things as a rather senstive lab bitch would. I have been hard as nails with her and wow, we have achieved a loose lead heel with no nagging and a bum firmly planted on the floor whenever I stop. We can go off lead heel aswell, out side the garden, but that does take serious concentration. I feel a bit more like she may not be a lost cause. I have never had such a hard headed dog before and it has been a real sea change.
		
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I can&#8217;t tell you how happy that makes me! I knew you&#8217;d be fine, I think the realisation that she&#8217;s not a lab is the best thing ever! I reckon you&#8217;ll get on with her fine now.

Funny, we were talking about Zak today and how damned hard he was as a pup, how he would refuse to do as asked, how stubborn he was. We&#8217;ve said we&#8217;ll do a hard reset when he goes, ie start afresh, no more difficult dogs! (So I&#8217;ll be choosing both, cos my dog, Bear, is a piece of cake! Chose him carefully, OH chose the naughty one, didn&#8217;t even look at the others cos Zak escaped the pen, ran over to him) 

Oddly, the OH had a dream that Zak had a son who was just like him, I was like, no way are we having another like him!


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## Clodagh (7 August 2018)

cinnamontoast said:



			I can&#8217;t tell you how happy that makes me! I knew you&#8217;d be fine, I think the realisation that she&#8217;s not a lab is the best thing ever! I reckon you&#8217;ll get on with her fine now.

Funny, we were talking about Zak today and how damned hard he was as a pup, how he would refuse to do as asked, how stubborn he was. We&#8217;ve said we&#8217;ll do a hard reset when he goes, ie start afresh, no more difficult dogs! (So I&#8217;ll be choosing both, cos my dog, Bear, is a piece of cake! Chose him carefully, OH chose the naughty one, didn&#8217;t even look at the others cos Zak escaped the pen, ran over to him) 

Oddly, the OH had a dream that Zak had a son who was just like him, I was like, no way are we having another like him!
		
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I would still happily donate her to a puppy farm!! (OK, maybe not...). I did demand an easy one from the breeder, her difficult ones went to the police.


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## happyclappy (7 August 2018)

Actually feeling quite depressed after reading the later posts here. I think buying him was the worst decision I have made, mainly for his sake.
I adore him, but....not the right breed for me.

Many times I have said, already, I want to let him go, but hubby says not. Give me another Irish Setter any day

I do appreciate all your posts though.


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## Cinnamontoast (7 August 2018)

Clodagh said:



			I would still happily donate her to a puppy farm!! (OK, maybe not...). I did demand an easy one from the breeder, her difficult ones went to the police. 

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Liar! I&#8217;m afraid I ignored all advice about asking the breeder. I picked up every puppy, dismissed the bitches, poked and prodded the boys and chose the most cuddly one. He can be wild, but boy, is he bonded and affectionate! 

I disliked my two at first, took me quite a while to like them, but it&#8217;s so worth it, they&#8217;re amazing now (took til they were about 4!)


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## Cinnamontoast (7 August 2018)

happyclappy said:



			Actually feeling quite depressed after reading the later posts here. I think buying him was the worst decision I have made, mainly for his sake.
I adore him, but....not the right breed for me.

Many times I have said, already, I want to let him go, but hubby says not. Give me another Irish Setter any day

I do appreciate all your posts though.
		
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Honestly, like I said, I really didnt like mine for quite a while, but now theyre the best dogs. 

I think changing breeds is very hard on you psychologically, you expect certain behaviours and when they dont appear, its surprising, maybe even disappointing. Is he your only dog? Maybe he can be your husbands and you get another setter? Two dogs are definitely better than one. 

I think it often just takes time, I was the same with the horse, wondered what the hell id done going from a warm blood to a cob, took me ages to reconcile that one! 

Once he develops and shows you his true personality, you might be amazed at what a great dog he is. Keep us updated, maybe find a gundog trainer to help you realise his potential?

A poster on here has 3 springers, shes in Cornwall, do you want me to ask for recommendations?


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## Clodagh (8 August 2018)

happyclappy said:



			Actually feeling quite depressed after reading the later posts here. I think buying him was the worst decision I have made, mainly for his sake.
I adore him, but....not the right breed for me.

Many times I have said, already, I want to let him go, but hubby says not. Give me another Irish Setter any day

I do appreciate all your posts though.
		
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Re read mine, HC, I would much prefer not to have her, but have to deal as OH says no to rehoming. It will improve. (CT keeps telling me!). Look, only 3 and a half more years and you might like him.


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## Abi90 (8 August 2018)

This is Boots. He is 2 now. When he was a puppy I very nearly sent him back to the breeder several times. He had limited recall (although I could control his direction with this way) and he never ever went to sleep. I had to put him in his crate to get him to sleep so I could eat or have a cup of tea as he was go go go go all the time. 

He was relatively easy to train, but even now we said hes a fully trained dog... half the time. 

But hes gone from bonkers non stop to this 







He will not move from that position until I go home from work, he will then resume the nap on the sofa... hes only had 40 minutes walking so far today.

It does get better!


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