Gun dog training: Should I train my cocker as a peg dog or hunter?

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Should I train my cocker spaniel as a peg dog or hunter?

I never let them do too much free hunting until they are almost fully trained.

By Mark Whitehouse

Tuesday, 23 December 2008

My new cocker spaniel puppy is eventually going to replace my 10-year-old springer spaniel. I have spoken to several people and have received different views on training a cocker spaniels. I would appreciate some advice.

Mark Whitehouse says:
The popularity of working cockers has increased over the past 10 years and they have become a dominant figure with beating and picking-up teams throughout the country.

Although they are one of the smaller spaniel breeds they can undertake most tasks. They are capable of retrieving all types of quarry, this includes cock pheasant and hares.

They can be trained to sit on a peg, but I would say that they are really at home when questing and seeking out game and rabbits to flush for the gun.

There are a great variety of colours within the cocker breed.

There are blacks, tans lemons, golds and roans. When training cocker spaniels, I always get them retrieving at a young age with puppy dummies or tennis balls and I never let them do too much free hunting until they are almost fully trained. Most cockers are natural hunters but not natural retrievers.