My Dogs - Foleys Dog Training

Meet E’s Cocker Crew

The American Cocker Spaniel is my heart breed. They are up for anything—whether it’s training hard or snuggling on the couch watching Netflix. I currently own three – Jadzia, Syrio, and Laszlo.

Jadzia Dax

Mar-K’s Sto-vo-kor Surprise, RL2-AOE, NF, NAJ, SPJ, SPK, CL3-F, CL3-S
born July 5, 2018
MBIS MBISS MBIPS A/C/NZ/Aus Gr Ch. Mar-K’s Prologue (“Grisham”) x Ch. Mar-K’s Hot Topic (“Gossip”)

I took one look at a video of a tiny cocker puppy leaping into the air to repeatedly attack a tug toy and I knew I had to bring Jadzia home and make her my next agility dog.

She is smart, driven, serious, and a dash of sassy. She is really fun to train!

Her littermates are champions in the conformation ring in the US and Canada, but Jadzia will be taking a more academic and athletic route to fame.

We’ve had some major speed bumps in her agility career, first COVID shutting down all the trials for about a year, and then two surgeries for luxating patella. She’s my best girl no matter what, but we’d REALLY like to actually be able to trial regularly one of these years!

Jadzia the black cocker spaniels seriously driving through the weave poles

Syrio Forel

ARCHMX Tell-Tail’s First Sword of Braavos, CSL1, RL1X, RL2X, RL3X
born January 2, 2015
Ch. Tell-Tail’s Son of a Bee (“Sonny”) x Tell-Tail’s Play it Cool (“Shiver”)

Syrio never fails to keep me humble! Just when I think he’s got it all under control, he shows me a new and hilarious way for it to all fall apart. I’m a better trainer because of him.

He started his career in agility but decided that he didn’t like competing in trials because they were too high energy. His brain would fall right out of his floppy ears.

We tried a career change and started training in rally obedience, which Syrio absolutely adores. He recently received his All-Rally Master Champion (ARCHMX) title in World Cynosport Rally (WCRL) and will start trialing in AKC Rally as soon as they get rid of the silly rule that he can’t compete with an orange mohawk.

Laszlo Cravensworth

Mamaradlo’s Staten Island Vampire
born June 26, 2022
GCHG VC’s Chasing the Dream (“Chase”) x Mamaradlo’s Silver Treasure (“Pearl”)

Laszlo is the baby of the family! He’s currently in training to be an agility star. He also enjoys eating paper products and humping Jadzia whenever he can.

A black and tan cocker puppy wearing a Christmas bowtie sits in front of a holiday greenery display.

🌈 Titania (2007-2022)

OBG Cocker Spaniel Rescue’s
Queen of the Fairies, RATN, CL3, CL4-F
gotcha day: October 13, 2011

Titania was my original fearful dog. In her first manners class, she hid behind my legs. But the more we worked together and the more she learned, the more confident she became.

She competed in CPE agility for several years, earning many titles before back problems forced her retirement. She switched gears and trained in Nose Work and dabbled in Barn Hunt, earning her Novice title in her first trial.

In her senior years, Titania enjoyed being Queen of the house and demanding all the belly rubs and pizza crust.

Titania the black and white cocker spaniel, runs out of a yellow tunnel, ears flying.

Interested in a Cocker?

If you are interested in a cocker spaniel puppy, I have connections to responsible breeders across the US and Canada. Even if you are not a student of mine, I will be happy to provide you with suggestions for breeders to contact. I also highly recommend OBG Cocker Spaniel Rescue which is where I found Titania (2007-2022) and Rex (2007-2018) and for whom I foster from time to time.

About American Cocker Spaniels

According to the American Kennel Club (AKC) breed standard, “Above all, he must be free and merry.”

Cocker Spaniels were very popular in the 50s and 60s. Due to their popularity, many backyard breeders and puppy mills were churning out cocker puppies without thought to health or temperament. Thus, cockers became “stinky” and “bitey” and fell in popularity.

The stinky and bitey cocker still exists, but if you get a puppy from a responsible breeder who does the proper health & genetic testing, you will know the health and temperament you are getting ahead of time.

Colors / Varieties of Cocker Spaniels

The American Cocker Spaniel comes in three varieties: Black, ASCOB (Any Solid Color Other than Black), and Parti.

Black includes solid black or black & tan.

ASCOB includes chocolate, red, buff, and silver. Red, buff, and silver are technically all “buff”, just different shades. These can include chocolate dogs with tan points.

Parti-colored cockers have large patches of white. They can be black & white, chocolate & white, and red & white. They can also include dogs with tan points (called tri-color).

Roan and sable colored cockers are less common. Roan dogs have a dappled coat appearance. Sables have subtle color shifts from light to dark.

While merle cockers exist, they are often not from healthy breeding programs. The easiest way to identify many merle cockers is by their blue or green-blue eyes. They are unique-looking, but can grow up to have many (expensive) health issues.

Do not purchase a cocker that is mostly white, especially if they have blue eyes and/or a pink nose. These are often “double merles” (a merle-to-merle breeding) which results in genetic defects and disabilities including vision and hearing loss.

Health Concerns

American Cocker Spaniels should be tested for the following before producing puppies:

Hip Dysplasia (OFA or PennHIP results) – done via x-rays sent in and evaluated by orthopedic experts
Cataracts (OFA) – exam by a canine ophthalmologist
Glaucoma (OFA) – exam by a canine ophthalmologist
PRA (Progressive Retinal Atrophy) – This is a DNA test. It is acceptable for one parent to be a carrier, but not both.
Optional but useful tests: Patella (knees), Thyroid

Your breeder should show you the test results. You can also look them up on OFA’s website.

Why You Will Love a Cocker

Beautiful!

Happy!

Snuggly!

Up for anything they can do with you!

Very owner-focused!

Friendly with everyone!

Small but not too small!

Easy to train!

Long life! (12-16 years)

Why You Will NOT Love a Cocker

Grooming: Cockers must be groomed on a regular basis or their fur will become matted and need to be shaved off. In the DC area, it is about $75-100 for a professional groomer to groom your cocker in a pet trim. It is more if you want to keep them in show coat.

Ear Infections: Dogs with long floppy ears are more prone to ear infections. You will need to examine (and smell) their ears regularly and for some dogs, use ear cleaning solution regularly. Some cockers have no problems with their ears, some are a constant battle.

Barking: Some cockers can be quite vocal. It’s best to ask the breeder how vocal their dogs tend to be. If you live in an apartment or condo, you may want to find a dog from a line known for being less talkative.

Cocker Mixes (Cockapoo, Cockalier, etc.)

Cocker mixes, especially cockapoos (cocker/poodle) are quite popular. If you choose to buy a mixed-breed dog, go into it with full understanding:

The parent dogs should still be health tested. For cocker mixes, this means at a minimum hip x-rays, eye exam for cataracts & glaucoma, genetic test for PRA.
Hypoallergenic mixed breed dogs are not easy to find. If allergies are a concern, try a purebred dog that is a “hair” breed, such as a Poodle, Maltese, or Coton de Tulear.
You may not get the coat type you want. In a cockapoo litter, there may be 3 puppies with coats that are more like a poodle and 3 that are more like a cocker. Some may shed more. Some may be curlier. Some may get matted more easily. Because of the mixed genetics, there is less consistency in the type of dog you get.
Ask the breeder about early life enrichment and socialization. They should have an answer beyond “they live in the house with us.” There is a lot a good breeder does in the first 8-10 weeks to ensure you get a dog with a well-rounded and stable temperament.