The Golden Retriever-Cocker Spaniel mix is a unique dog with many adorable traits and a very amusing personality. If you want a dog that will keep you occupied, then this is the breed to have. DogAppy provides some more information about this mixed-breed dog.
The Golden Retriever-Cocker Spaniel mix belongs to the sporting breeds group and ranks high in agility and obedience training.
Also known as the Golden Cocker Retriever, the Golden Retriever-Cocker Spaniel mix is a cross between the Golden Retriever and the Spanish or English Cocker Spaniel. It is a wonderful example of great things coming in small packages. Do not be mistaken by its size, as this dog will keep you on your toes. But along with it, it will also give you tremendous love, happiness, and an unforgettable experience for life. Read on to know some more facts about this wonderful pooch.
Recognized Breed Names
The Golden Retriever-Cocker Spaniel mix is known by different names. The American Canine Hybrid Club, Designer Dogs Kennel Club, and the American Cocker Spaniel x Golden Retriever recognize this breed by the name Golden Cocker Retriever.
The International Canine Designer Registry recognized it in 2009 as the English Comfort Golden. The first Comfort Retriever originated in 2003, and the breed’s name has since been registered to avoid misuse. It is also known as the Dakota Sport Retriever.
Physical Aspects
Appearance
This breed looks like a smaller version of the Golden Retriever. It takes physical traits from both the parents. Its head is broader than a Cocker Spaniel’s. The eyes are slightly almond-shaped and deep-set. The tail is long, curved, and points upwards. The ears are longer than a Golden Retriever’s, and they touch its cheeks. The eyes can be green, parti-colored, blue, or shades of brown. This breed sometimes has tufts of fur between its toes.
Coat
The coat of this breed is silky and smooth. It may be straight and flat like the Golden Retriever, or curly like the Cocker Spaniel. The coat is water-resistant. It also has an undercoat which keeps it warm. Coat colors come in a large variety. Although the golden or cream color is most commonly found, other colors and patterns that are seen include red, chocolate, black, white, black and tan, white and tan, merle, roan, and parti-color.
Height and Weight
This breed weighs between 30 to 65 pounds (13 to 30 kg), and the average weight is 35 to 45 pounds (15 to 20 kg). The height is lesser than a Golden Retriever’s, but slightly more than a Cocker Spaniel’s. It is in between 14 to 20 inches tall, with 15 to 17 inches being the average. Males are slightly bigger than the females.
Temperament
This breed is playful, loving, gentle, and a lot of fun to have around. It is very loyal to its family, gets along excellently with children, interacts well with other dogs, and is a very good watchdog. It has a friendly personality and loves to socialize. It needs to be around people and must not be left alone for a long time. The following paragraphs list the personality attributes of both the parent breeds that the Golden Cocker Retriever inherits.
Golden Retriever
The Golden Retriever is a very friendly, energetic, gentle, loyal, and playful dog. It absolutely loves people, and is always ready to socialize. It is excellent with kids and other pets and is very accepting of everyone. It is an intelligent dog that needs to keep busy. It needs to be around people or it can get disturbed and experience separation anxiety if left alone for too long.
Cocker Spaniel
The Cocker Spaniel is also a loyal, sweet, and friendly dog. It likes to be around people, and loves playing with children. However, it should not be left unsupervised with kids. It is extremely faithful to its family and needs to be around them. This breed is quite intelligent and has a very good understanding of commands. If trained, it can do many things. However, this dog gets stressed easily. Hence, it needs to be treated with love and gentleness.
The Golden Cocker Retriever is a very active and smart dog. It does not like to sit idle for very long, and when it gets bored, it will find itself some chores to do. It will hunt a bird or small animal and bring it home, or it may chew things in the house, run, and dig, who knows! But rest assured that it will come up with unique ways (unique for itself, not for you!) to keep itself occupied.
Training
This breed is a quick learner and will grasp the commands that you teach it in no time. It is not very difficult to housebreak either. Training is important to avoid behavior issues in the future. Be assertive; make sure that the dog knows you are in charge and that you will not be pushed around. Socializing from an early age is also important. However, children must be taught to treat the dog nicely and not in a harsh manner. They should also be told not to disturb the dog while it is eating, as this will disturb it.
However, remember that this breed is a people’s dog and is sensitive, so it will get hurt easily. Thus, training must be conducted using kind words, a loving tone, and positive reinforcement. The dog must be awarded for every command that it does right, but you must never yell at it, or worse, hit it. Do not resort to such measures; it is the worst thing that you can do, and it affects the dog in ways we may never realize.
Grooming
When it comes to grooming, this breed goes a little (not much) easy on its owners. Although it’s not a heavy shedder (going easy), it needs to be brushed every two days (not much, told you!). The shedding frequency is moderate. Use a brush that has hard bristles, and comb the undercoat thoroughly as well. However, be very gentle and do not brush very vigorously. Take care that the coat does not get pulled, as this will cause pain to your dog. A bath should be given only when required.
Exercise
Being a highly energetic breed, this dog needs plenty of exercise. A daily walk or jog is good, but a run is better. Playing games like fetching a ball, a stick, or a frisbee, running and playing catch, or undertaking activities like trekking will greatly help in strengthening your bond with your pet. If this dog does not get enough exercise, then it will become obese, which will lead to health issues. It does best in a country setting or in a house with a big yard. However, if you live in an apartment, then take it out daily and it will be fine.
Health Issues
The Golden Cocker Retriever is prone to health issues that both the parent breeds are susceptible to. However, being a mix breed, it is stronger than its pure breed parents. It can be affected by hip dysplasia, which is common in large breeds like the Golden Retriever. It is also prone to cataracts or glaucoma, kidney diseases, luxating patella, congestive heart failure, entropion, etc. It gets its susceptibility to ear infections from the Cocker Spaniel. Thus, after giving your dog a bath, make sure that you dry its ears completely. The lifespan of this breed is 10 to 13 years, but can go up to 15 years as well. Thus, it is a long-living breed and a long-term commitment for you. Buy this dog if you are absolutely sure that you can take care of one.
The Golden Cocker Retriever is a bundle of joy and energy. Its quirks and personality will always give you something to laugh about, and its understanding and loving nature will never fail to surprise you. Care for this dog, give it lots of love, and you will get it back tenfold.