How active are cocker spaniels?

Question

I'm looking at a 20 month old cocker spaniel.

After having a terrier breed, I'm looking for a more mellow dog. of course it'd get daily walks and whatnot, but the terrier I had to take for 2 hr HIKES just to keep him from bouncing off the walls. An hour walk and then play time is something I'd perfer. =D Would this breed work? I read on dogster that they're very adaptable.

Answer 1

If you want a mellow dog I definitely would not recommend a cocker spaniel.  These dogs were bred for hunting and could run all day and not get tired.  An hour walk would suffice, but the dog will still be hyper in the home if it doesn't have any other physical outlet and mental stimulation.  If you're set on a cocker spaniel, get an older one. Any spaniel under 5-6 years is still going to be bouncing off the walls. Have you considered other dogs outside of the terrier and sporting dog groups?  If you want a mellow dog that requires minimum exercise then neither breed category is a place to be looking for such a dog.  

Answer 2

Well, Cocker Spaniels posses the skill of hunting dogs and are able to run great distances for fun, burning no energy at all. Unfortunately in you case, I would have to say that Spaniels (especially puppies) are active. A good idea to help it burn energy would be to leave it in a enclosed area (a large park for example) for about an hour. Continuously keep throwing a ball, it will get tired eventually.  

Answer 3

Make sure if you are getting this dog that it is a very well breed dog. Cocker Spaniels can be delightful dogs if they are of good quality and have been socialized very well. If not they can tend to have lots of problems. Medically they can have life long skin/ear problems and personality wise they can be very aggressive and have neurologic problems. Also they require a lot of up keep. I would be concerned if someone is rehoming this dog unless it was for an obvious reason like moving out of state.

As far as activity goes I would say they are middle of the road. You should be able to get along fine with an hour walk and play time. Though of course puppies require more than older dogs.

Hope this helps. If you know the pros and cons then I wish you lots of fun times with your potential new family member