Id really like to get another dog after I get a job and I have a few breeds which im looking into but lately I have been putting more thought into maybe getting another cocker spaniel. . what would be the pro's and cons for having another one that for those of you with more then one cocker have come across? I am considering greatly as to weather or not to rescue though I can see a number of disadvantages to this. Id like to say that cocker spaniels often come with behaviour issues which is why they are given up but I guess that can be true of any breed found in rescue. I know Millie gets on much better with her own kind and seems a lot happier and would benefit from having another dog around though I am not sure a puppy would be best which is why I am more leaning into the idea of rescue.
Hi Pippam, I adopted a 3 year old Cocker bitch last year. She came to me in quite a state mentally, as she had been rather mistreated. She was terrified of older men (especially if they had grey hair!), other dogs, the outdoors, in fact everything! She did not know any commands, or how to be walked on a lead ( I don't think she was ever walked)! I honestly think that other than being bashed around, nothing had been done with her. She was very anxious all the time and would not settle down and rest. She shied, barked and ran away at every little noise, and one of the things that upset me the most, was that unlike all other Cockers I had ever known, she would never EVER wag her tail, instead, keeping it tightly tucked under her all the time.:-( Despite the above, she had a very sweet and gentle nature, and was just in need of some TLC to to settle down her nervousness, build her confidence, and reassure her that nothing bad was going to happen to her any more. I was keen to work on rehabilitating her, however due to her mental state, I knew I would have to take things very, very slowly, as her level of anxiety really restricted her ability to learn. After six months of letting her settle in to life with me with lots of cuddles, gentle walks and general stress-free living, she was really starting to change into a more confident and wonderfully affectionate companion. She loves nothing more than curling up on my lap and snoring loudly! (In fact she is sprawled out on the sofa next to me happily out of it as I type). At this point I started doing some gentle training with her. She will have been with me a year come next month, and she is truly a lovely dog. She is always with me, following me from room to room wherever I go. She still barks from time to time, especially if someone unknown to her comes to our house, but generally settles down quickly. Other than a bit of barking, she really doesn't have any problems. She is now great on the lead, never runs away, is very good around other dogs, and now LOVES going out for walks. My point in saying all this is that, if my Cocker, who was in a bad way, can still be a wonderful dog just by being given the right attention, time and love, then I believe most rescue dogs (who haven't previously shown any aggression) shouldn't be a problem at all, and I would highly recommend helping a dog who needs a great home. If your existing Cocker is generally chilled out and happy, it would easily help build the confidence of a new dog; it helped no end with mine. I love taking her for walks now and seeing her holding her tail high and happily wagging it. If you have the time; rescue! I say go for a second!
Thats a sweet story ^^ Im glad your dog has a happy ending and a good life now! Millie is pretty laid back now. I can even cuddle her at last! She would not let me do this before I'd have my fingers off otherwise. She we'nt through a really stressed out phase but is now really relaxed with life. She is happy to sit on her bench, pooter around the garden while I water the plants and feed the chickens or go for a walk I think she would really enjoy having her own around with her. I guess one of the others things I am not really sure about having another energetic dog.
