Paoates Pocket Rocket
The Cocker Spaniel is definitely a comical fun loving character, hard working little breed ideal for woodland that has dense close to ground cover. The breed have a keen nose but if encouraged will carry more than their own weight in a retrieve.
Originally used as a bird dog with nets or for Woodcock the breed have sadly split into show & working types in conformation & to some degree in temperment. Ayla is a working type Cocker Spaniel & as such would not be suitable for the show ring although the gamekeepers classes at Crufts are worth a visit & of course if your looking for admirers at any of the gamefairs you are bound to find a Cocker and their owner at the scurries or in the tests. The working Cocker is more likely to be found in a Field Trial or on your local shoot than in the show ring.
The breed was originally part of a single spaniel group that was categorised by both height weight & colour to provide their 'breed'. This meant that in single litters you would often find two or three different types of Spaniel breed registered with the Kennel Club. This can easily be seen with a little research into the pedigree history of any of the working Cockers or English Springers today.
Ayla has been lightly worked to the gun, ideal for flushing purposes & has proven to be a very happy little worker as part of a team. Her swimming has always caused great amusement as Ayla is one of the great snorklers & thinks nothing of continuing her searching patterns under the water as well as on land. A love of water has always been present from day one.
As with all Cocker she likes to be a companion that is into everything with you but unlike the Weimaraner is less insistant in her manner & less questioning of why you want her to do something. Which can be a great asset when working as a shooting team. Ayla has a very keen nose, no fear of undergrowth and a skill at clearing obstacles put in her way. An ideal companion in the home & a great asset when working with a larger breed like the HPR's & Pointers.
Health testing in this breed is still a little like watching an ostrich with its head in the sand where few people like to admit that ALL breeds have problems, this one is no exception. With DNA & other health tests available to be taken advantage of when considering breeding or the likelihood of problems like PRA I see no excuse or reason why the tests should not be undertaken by ALL responsible breeders. Many of the basic tests are carried out by the breeders of Show Cockers but the working community fail to acknowledge their responsibility to the breed, its about time that changed. Buyers have the power in their wallets to help make that change always buy health tested & KC registered pups from a sire & dam that have a least been Optigen tested, a blind dog at three years is an awful shock & should not be happening when tests to avoid this terrible hereditary condition are available.
