im a bit chuffed

** GED ** · Posted: Sun Jul 19, 2015 11:38 pm Post subject: im a bit chuffed

about a year ago we rescued a 6 month old springer cocker cross bitch that was living in a cage and only coming out for an hour a day.

she wasnt trained in any way, including house trained and jeez did we underestimate what we had let ourselves in for.

the dog is like a nuclear powered WMD. the explosive power is unreal. Vtrax (judas) sort of warned me as he has a spaniel but he missed out the bit about the endless energy.....

even after a couple of 3 mile walks every day she was quivering and ready to go...

she even looks mental....

so, i started training her.

and after a year, we entered her into her first local show...

in the speed obstacle course she got a first, clearing the course in 3.77 seconds (her closest rival, a greyhound got 4.17)

next up was the speed agility.

she came second....

although i have it on good authority that if i hadnt been such a SPAM ******* and ran quicker she would have won :-[

she then got a 5th place in the long jump and Third best in show...

and to top it all, she was offered a place in a top flyball team.

i`m a little bit chuffed Cool

cynic-al · Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 5:53 am Post subject:

Well done. We've got one that's blind. My wife walked 49 miles with her mostly off the lead so who knows what she walked and she was still ready to go. There's no way I'd take her to a show, she's a lovely dog but hard hard work! Especially as I really didn't want a dog.

vtrax · Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 7:58 am Post subject:

Excellent result mate - good effort!! Cool

Trouble is she'll need more mental stimulus now, & more ... & more ... & more .......... Shocked

We try to keep ours as disinterested as possible in everything Laughing

mike328 · Posted: Mon Jul 20, 2015 7:25 pm Post subject:

I'd be more than a bit chuffed! She's a good looking dog... One of ours is a Boarder terrier X Cocker spaniel (corker). He's disobedient and got all the yappy aggression of a small terrier crossed with the energy and enthusiasm of a spaniel! Confused

Cute when he's asleep though.... Smile

vtrax · Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2015 7:08 am Post subject:

That's a great expression!

Not sure if he wants to teach me Latin or bite my arm off!! Confused

RichardD · Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2015 8:15 am Post subject:

Are you sure she's Springer? She looks more working strain Cocker not that makes much difference to how mad they are.

I one met a woman who'd just taken in a rehomed dog and she has exhausted herself trying to tire it out. She was walking 4 hours a day and the dog just looked for more so she tried cycling 4 hours a day but still was up for it. I asked what kind of dog and she said "half springer spaniel, half border collie".

Once I stopped laughing I had to explain to her what that meant and suggested she trained the dog to fetch tennis balls and she can stand in one spot and practice her forehand. That's what I did with my first Cocker spaniel, Harry.

My current dog, Libby, is a lazy sod and 2 half hour walks a day do her fine, although get her out into the heather and she'll run all day.

** GED ** · Posted: Tue Jul 21, 2015 7:56 pm Post subject:

yeah, hence the "sprocker" name given to them

the welsh have been deliberately breeding them for about 50 years, and it depends on the bloodline and which way round the parents are as to how they look. like you, some swear she is pure cocker, but with long legs, as she is filling out, she is getting a springer rear end.

meh, all i know is shes spanielish and brilliant.

theres five of us meet up , all with sprockers and no two look the same.

theres a big row with the kennel club and the hardcore breeders too. the KC says they are mongrels whereas the breeders say if you breed two spaniels, you still get a spaniel.

or a WMD.. Laughing

we are off to newark on trent for a few days camping with the new tent and we are in the woods in the grounds of a stately home.

she`s gonna be full of mud and brambles by the end of the week. Cool

h4rri · Winch Assistant Joined: 01 Oct 2012 Odometer: 71

Grab a ball thrower and tire her out. We adopted our Springer from a friend who was unable to excersize him and it took him some time to settle down and get used to the routine but he's good as gold now Smile

I know our Springer is nutty on walks but settles down quickly after, our Cocker is a plodder and would rather stay at home than go out. Our friends Cocker is nuts all night and on the walks and just doesn't settle down Sad

Have you checked the food you are feeding her? The higher SPAM foods tend to give them more energy, we were using Dr Johns Silver until recently as we found it was affecting their teeth [colour, plaque etc].

Favourite spot:

Hers too though so often a battle!

So he ends up on the other sofa:

And she relaxes on her own:

But it's sometimes too bright for her there in the sunlight:

And occasionally he gets a bit 'gassy':