Cocker Spaniel, Springer Spaniel, or Newfoundland?

Question

I took the dog breed selector test on the Animal Planet website like suggested and my best matches were Newfoundlands, Springer Spaniels, or Cocker Spaniels. I'm definitely going to do my research first but I wanted to hear from others who have owned these breeds. What was your experience like?
I gave all the details about my lifestyle in a previous question:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20120714195433AA7ShiE&desktop_view_default=1

Answer 1

I can't really comment on the spaniels, I've never owned one, but I do know Newfies. I have had the pleasure of their company for almost a dozen years now. At the moment, I have 3 Newfs, and each of my daughters have a Newf, as well. The key to finding a great Newf is finding a great breeder. A breeder that does all of the health checks and posts them to an open database. Two of my Newfs have OFA Excellent Hips, the third Newf isn't old enough to have his hips tested. OFA is the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals - a database of health records. I do not worry about my dogs having bad hips. A good breeder will have their hearts cleared by a cardiologist before they go to their homes at 10 weeks of age (shouldn't leave their mama before 10 weeks). Even though you don't want to do conformation or performance sports with your dog, choose a breeder that participates in these venues. Conformation to make sure what they are breeding looks like a Newf, performance sports to make sure the Newf can actually do what it's bred to do. These breeders know their lines inside and out and can pick a great puppy for you dependent on your lifestyle (more active versus less active).



What's it like to own a Newf? The downside- You cannot be a house proud individual. You will have slobber on your walls and hair on your floors. Newfies need to be brushed a lot during spring and summer as they shed their downy undercoat - this will prevent mats. A Mars Coat King #20 will pull out a lot of the undercoat making the job much easier. During fall & winter I just brush a couple of times a week to keep the coat looking nice and mat free.



Upside - I love this breed and really won't consider any other breed. I love their gentle demeanor. My two older Newfs (CGC/TDI dogs) go with me to teach 2nd and 3rd graders how to stay safe around dogs with our Bite Prevention Program. I have a 4 year old grandson, all of my Newfs love him. Generally speaking, most Newfs are great with children. They are affectionate, loving dogs that want to be with their people.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/0903/Garden_girl/James-Murphy.jpg



Newfs are easy to train, easy to housebreak, they follow directions well. They are naturally very social dogs. Your Newf would love to go to work with you, btw. They can be active dogs, it just depends on the activity, lol. They aren't long distance runners and they don't like this extreme heat we are having. To maintain a Newfs weight, 1/2 to 1 hour walk every day is sufficient. I walk them early in the morning while we have this heat spell.



This could be an upside or a downside- depends on how you feel about it. Wherever you go with your Newf, people will stop you to ask about your dog or to comment on them. First they want to know if they can pet them. Then they want to know how much they eat, what they weigh, if you have a big house, who your breeder is or if you breed them, how much do they drool, how much do they shed, and then there are stories, people always want to tell you stories about Newfoundlands that they know. A Newf can literally stop traffic!



As adults, they eat about the same amount as a Golden Retriever or Lab. While they are puppies, they can eat as much as 6 cups a day.

Some meds are less expensive, some meds are more expensive. I can treat all three of my Newfs for heartworm/worms for $45 a year. Frontline Plus is more expensive, yes. Supplements are less, I can purchase *human* supplements for them because of their size. Likewise, some prescriptions are less because I can get their prescriptions filled at a pharmacy for $4, again because of their size - they can take human meds.



I'm not trying to sway you one way or another, any dog takes a big commitment on your part, a Newf takes a HUGE commitment. They must be well socialized and well trained while young, that would make your life a whole lot easier.

Newfoundlands steal your heart when you aren't looking, and you'll wonder how you ever got along without one.

Answer 2

Animal Planet Cocker Spaniel

Answer 3

I own both a springer and a cocker spaniel (never owned a newfie, but this is my advice based off two of the dogs)



Cocker spaniels are occasionally called 'pocket rockets' because they can seriously GO when they are chasing something. They're very very loving, but at the same time question your authority as alpha of the pack often (this happens less so if you make it very clear from very early on. My puppy is a mama's boy:)). Anyways, they have a more high strung demeanor than springers in a way, they have a lot more energy and can be hyper, but when they crash they sure do crash haha. The one i have and the others ive seen are very entertaining, and i love them, but if you are looking for more of a companion then I'd suggest springers. If cockers in the mood to cuddle and sit on your lap, they will. They're also more of the type to have fits and possibly ignore you when you yell at them (some springers do this, but i've also seen springers go sulk in shame). They are seriously intelligent, but most of the ones i've seen are slightly evil:)



I've had two springers (one dead, one alive). Both weren't exactly cuddly, but they were/are loyaler than loyal can be. These are the type of dogs that sit by the fire instead of in your lap (most cockers ive seen would sit in your lap) at the end of a long day. If you love them right they'll never stray far from you, since they're bred to hunt they like to stay within visible distance from their owners. They're the most entertaining things to watch while running through high grass, i mean they really do spring. They enjoy fetch a lot, but when they get tired you'll know (they'll likely forget about finding the ball and go sniff at something else instead, either that or give you a 'really? You're throwing it agaiinn?' look. Cockers usually just get distracted). Springers are very intelligent (more so than cockers in some ways) and use their brains for more good than bad (cockers would use their brains to get the food off the counter, springers would try to use theirs to get YOU to get them the food off the counter).



I'm sure there are always exceptions, but those are my observations. I also have the sporting type, which is really really different than the showdog sector. Practically a different breed if I say so myself. Anyway, hope I helped:) I'd recommend both/either of these dogs to anyone:) In the sources box I gave the name of the kennel from which i've gotten all my dogs. I'd recommend a visit as well.

Answer 4

The cocker and springer are quite similar, but the newfie is a totally different type of dog. Cockers and springers are working dogs and need a lot of exercise. They are scent dogs, so unless you put time into training them, they might not be able to go off leash. Being small to medium size, they usually don't have the same osteo issues that a larger dog would have such as hip and back problems. They'll need moderate amounts of grooming to keep their coats from matting.

A newfie is a huge dog that can drool a lot and needs daily grooming as they have a very long coat with a heavy undercoat. While they need exercise to stay fit, they are content to lounge around the house. Because of their size, they can be more prone to hip problems. And any meds they may need (heartworm, flea treatments etc) throughout their lives cost more due to their size. When they get older, their care is much more involved, again, due to their sheer weight as newfies can get upwards of 150 pounds. Newfies are great family dogs that love kids and other animals. Cockers adn springers can be not as forgiving when it comes to small children.

Answer 5

Hilarious.