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ENGLISH COCKER SPANIELS


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Are cocker spaniels hard to find in France and has anyone an idea of price?  The reason I ask is I have a cracking blue roan dog and if I move permanently I am trying to think of ways to earn a living.  I know it wouldnt bring in a fortune but I always intended to breed from him anyway, just not commercially.  If anyone has a rough idea this would be helpful.  I know of a dog breeder who moved to France for the lifestyle etc but they get a better price for the pups in the UK so take the bitch back to have the litter in England..... not so nice for the bitch though and I reckon it would be way too much hassle for me!

This breed are adorable -  medium size dogs with great personalities and temperaments. Bramble is our second spaniel and is very talkative (tries to communicate with us using some very strange noises!) amd great fun .Any advice appreciated.  I only showed mine once at 6 months but he won the mixed pup class without even a bath or brush, much to the professionals annoyance especially as I only went to watch!   What regulations would I have to comply with for breeding?

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Hi

Just adore Cockers so couldn't resist posting this photo of our departed Blue Roan! Don't know whereabouts you're originally from Scotslassie but we bought our Cocker from the breeder, Patricia Shaw from Barry, near Dundee in 1989. We had him for 14 years, latterly in France. We called him Sweep (as in Sootie and Sweep!) and he was a real rascally character although his mother was "Lochdene White Dove"...Crufts Winner. We kept reminding him of that fact...to no avail!!

We've not seen many Cockers in our part of the Dordogne. We're near Riberac. Seen 1 Blue Roan and just a few tan coloured.

[IMG]http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii67/Anna-dordogne/Picture.jpg[/IMG]

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  • 3 weeks later...
He's gorgeous!  I will try to find a pic of mine, wee Bramble.  He is darker blue roan than yours.  We're in Blairgowrie but the breeder I purchased from was near Arbroath.  Lovely lady whose husband bred German Shepherds and Pointers.  He also showed them too.  Wish I could remember their names but it will come to me.  They also told me that the roans have the best natures.  Self colours like black or tan can be a bit dominant and snappy, though I think half the time its the way they are brought up. Did yours give you dirty looks or frown at you - mine has perfected the art!  He is a little monster but we adore him.  I am sure I made enquiries with the lady that you got yours from but her next litter wasnt born and I was devastated at losing the old one and wanted a pup asap. 

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I have an English lttle lady called Molly. She thirteen years old now and partially deaf and blind and a little bit Arthritic but she loves to wander around our garden and sit in the sun. She has outl ived two of our Boxer dogs and is now " boss " of a rescue French Labrador who we named Murphy. I know we will not have her for too much longer now but she has honestly been the best dog we have ever had, so obedient and loving. We rescued her when she was two years old so she has been with us for eleven years now and it will be such a very sad day when we lose her...it does not bear thinking about.
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Hi Scotslassie,

It's a small world really! We lived in Kinclaven, near Ballathie House Hotel, between Blairgowrie and Stanley, for 25 years until we came over here in 2001 !! I do agree that the blue roans have really got beautiful natures. They are adorable!

ValB, I do empathise so much with you. It's always so sad when we have to say goodbye but we have to be comforted by the fact that we have given our pal a good home and they have given us their all. We have always found that, for us, it works to help ease the pain to go out and give another dog a home to fill the void. It's amazing how quickly the pain eases (of course, you never forget!) when you are occupied with the needs of another. Hopefully, you will have Molly for a good while yet.

 

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Well, well, small world indeed.  I work at another nice hotel, Lands of Loyal and live in Rattray, Blair with partner, labrador, cocker and two previously ferile cats which are killing machines but adore people!. The lady who owns the field I rent for my horses lives out Kercott Beats (?) past Kinclaven but on way to Murthly (huge new house on hill) so I have a reasonable knowledge of your neck of the woods although you could be on the Stanley road if you're actually closer to Ballathie...  Do you still have a home in this area or just family to visit?  I am confused as you are travelling back to France to a new house but you have pets with you and are in Scotland!!  Have you been in the art Gallery in the Wellmeadow?.  The couple that own it bought a house in France a few years ago and stayed over there for almost 6 months.  They sold up and came back but would probably go back to France if the family and grandchildren leave this area.  I cant remember where abouts they were but they seemed surrounded by Brits!

Val,  I lost Bobby a few years ago and still miss him very much.  He moved 9 times with me in his lifetime and went everywhere I went, to the point of howling the entire street down  if I even considered leaving him behind.  Poor neighbours in his younger days when I worked in an office and had a terrace house!! He was happy so long as he got left in the car but not the house so came to the pictures, shopping, courses for work, just to give the neighbourhood some peace!  In his latter days, he got to ride out with me on the farm I kept the horses at and loved it, often attempting to chase deer across a 50 acres field and giving up half way across!!  When he eventually couldnt manage to ride out (or it was raining-hated the rain) he used to look at me as if to say Nope - see you later, and would curl up in the barn on a bale of hay until I returned.  I hope you have Molly for some time yet and I am sure she knows how much she is loved!

Gosh - this ended up a long one!

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Molly is the same, only happy if she is with us and she knows when we are going out and sits by the car. She will travel quite happily in the front with me and as she is so elderly she normally sleeps the whole journey there and back. The Labrador will miss her dreadfully when she does go as he tries to play with her and she just looks at him in disgust, he is only two years old. Yes, we hope the dreaded day does not come yet as I cannot imagine her not being around.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Hi Scotslassie

No, we're not travelling back to France. We used to live in a bungalow up the farm road between the Old Smiddy and the old Kinclaven school house, just round the corner from the entrance to Ballathie Hotel, on the Blairgowrie to Stanley road. We sold up and came over to the Dordogne in 2001 with our Cocker and Jack Russell cross (who we got from Perthshire Abandoned Dog Society at Forgandenny, to keep the Cocker company after our Lab departed) and also our old Scottish rescue cat. Both the Cocker and the cross JR enjoyed a few good years here but now have a special spot next to each other in our garden. Our Scottish cat, Smokie, is still on the go and is 18 now! She loves the heat of the French summers!

We have also got 2 French cats (rescued from a barn opposite our local bar!) and now we have our rescued Podenco, Roqui, who we got from EDL (a French rescue association).

We still have a son and his family in Scotland. They live in Methven. Our oldest daughter and her family have moved to Australia and we have our youngest daughter here in France. She was 10 when we came over and she is now at Hairdressing school and will start a 2nd year apprenticeship in Hairdressing after the summer. She enjoys her life very much in France and most of her friends are French, including her boyfriend, so she feels very French! She and her boyfriend went back to Scotland in February for a holiday but we don't go back very often these days as mostly family and friends come here.

That's our life story!

Funny that you, us and Val all had/have a Lab and a Cocker together. Ours certainly were the best of pals and I truly believe that getting the Cocker puppy gave our Lab a new lease of life and she went on to live until the ripe old age of 16!

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Hello Anna

Yes, we have our old lady with a labrador but as I mentioned in a previous thread here she has also tolerated two rescue Boxers as well. Sadly, they have now gone and we have always had two dogs so, yes, when Molly does go we will definately give another dog a home and here in france there are certainly enough to choose from on various rescue sites. You said that you rarely go back to UK now, we have only been here for two years and although when we lived in England very little happened for years. We moved here and three months after we arrived our eldest daughter became pregnant again, our eldest grandaughter decided on a date for her wedding, our youngest son is getting married the end of this month and another baby due late September. We seem to be in UK more than we are here and it costs somuch each time we go back but we cannot miss all these family occasions. Serves us right for having four children and hoards of Granchildren.

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Hi Christine,

Just got the message I tried to send returned.  However, we would be delighted to offer a home to this Harley (Ours is a Harley as well!!)   If you send your email address I will forward some photos of our Harls and the field here.

Please could you contact Madame for us and see what the situation is?  We have always had big dogs (two danes at one time) so its not an issue for us but we would give him a wonderful life here in the Orne, one of family and companionship where he will be happy again.

Look forward to hearing from you Christine.  Merci bien!

 

Sorry for hijack folks!  Back to topic now

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That's wonderful news Framboise.  Sorry folks for butting in on the Cockers, this is for a Dogue de Bordeaux, but we'll now move elsewhere and I'll give you my email direct.  Can't believe your dog is called Harley too, I forgot that !  [:D]

Framboise please edit and delete your post taking out your phone number and post code.  I've got it.

 

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  • 2 weeks later...
Sorry to repeat myself but breeders told me it was particularly solid colours that could be dominant and a bit aggressive.  The roans tend to be of a more even nature but I am sure everyone who has a solid that is good natured will be up in arms now!! Sorry, didnt mean to offend.

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Don't know anything about dogs but do know our own little working cocker spaniel (the official breed, by all accounts; I wouldn't know, I just gave her a home when she was unwanted).  She is sort of speckly, brown, ginger and white.

Her temperament is unbelievably good-natured.  She's even good and gentle with young children who don't always behave well with animals.  Believe me, I wasn't a dog fan before I had her but now I really wouldn't want to be without her to brighten my life.

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                            Photo - chien trouvé type cocker

Here's one who has just been abandoned at Niort.  His name is Riguel and he was born in November 2000.  I don't know the reason, maybe someone going into a home, but if anyone would like him I can find out.

 

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  • 3 weeks later...

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