Looking at getting another puppy...
My field bred springer spaniel is no longer with us.
Absolutely loved the breed but wanting to look into a slightly smaller version of that type of spaniel...

Anybody owned cockers and/or boykins that can offer any comparisons or recommended breeders?

Thanks

Have an English springer spaniel field version. She's only 34lbs. Would not get a cocker. Everyone I have been around barks constantly and isn't very bright.

I'll be in the market for a Boykin soon.

Had a field bred springer as a kid. Still my favorite dog I've ever had.

The spunkiest dog I've ever been around was a black and white field bred cocker named Rigby. That little dog was 25-30ish pounds of flushing and retrieving fury. He was hell on pen-raised quail. Could grab a frisbee out of the air four feet high. He was perfect size to ride front seat in the pickup.

I only hunt wild birds now in big country or I'd have had to get me a cocker. This dog was at Tonkaway Ranch in College Station. No idea if they've still got any but it's worth a call if you're looking.

Springers

I hunted over a Boykin for the first time this past weekend. Pretty neat little breed. The trainer needed to be trained himself, but the Boykin was the best out of the 6 dogs the "trainer" had out there.

The darn GSP he had worked at least a half mile ahead of him and his labs spent half the time just running from hunter to hunter looking for attention.

I would say the Boykin had the best natural instincts, held the closest and used her nose the best, because it was pretty obvious this trainer wasn't teaching them too much. Obviously this is a sample of one, but a Boykin would be my vote out of the two.

Thanks for the input guys.
Like I said I've always loved field springers, we had them since i was a child and actually sold several litters and now y'all are making me want to go that route some again.

Just was kinda thinkin a smaller size would equal less food and less poop.

I'll update with puppy pics once i get a decision made and find a good breeder.

I have a 2 yr old field bred Cocker. She's an excellent retriever and flusher. Very smart little dog, but you do need to be consistent to keep her attention. They're a very biddable breed and easy to train. They're also a bold little breed, but the best temperament you could ask for. Would be a good dog for kids. As far as barking, my other dogs are English Setters that bark all night if left without a bark collar. My cocker has never had to have a bark collar. She rarely barks.

She's a great retriever for dove hunting. I've also used her as a flusher and retriever with quail and pheasant. As far as following big running dogs, we recently returned from hunting prairie chickens in Kansas. She covered the same 20 miles we did on foot over three days. We had 12 other dogs we swapped out during the day to keep fresh, but she was on the ground the entire time. LOTS of energy.

I bought her from a breeder in Bulverde, TX. You can find her at lazymdranchtexas.com. You can also try A.R. Ginn outside Waller, TX. He's at elcorazonkennel.com. Or I'll have a litter of pups in the spring if you want to wait. I've had a number of folks who have hunted over her and are waiting for her to throw some pups.

Only problem with dogs like that in Texas is their coats are magnets for burrs.

Solution
Keep a can of spray Pam and cheap comb in your hunting gear. Spray the burrs and run the comb through. They will fall right out.

Dadgum. Now I want one all over again. How much does yours weigh? How does the dog do in big pieces where all of the grass is waist high? How often can she just not see the birds fall?

I got my field bred American cocker from

http://home.earthlink.net/~performanceacs/

about 6 years ago. He's been the best dog I ever had. Trained him myself and he he was retrieving my birds at only 6 months old. Never barked until my wife's beagles came into the picture. Extremely obedient and a breeze to train. It's all about consistency and making sure anyone interacting with your dog as a pup will hopefully reinforce what you're trying to teach. At the very least not completely derail/undermine your efforts.

And the coat was definitely a burr magnet. After his first hunt I buzzed him. Every year after that he got a buzz cut before opening weekend. It helped him stay cool in the south Texas heat too.

Love my Springer we got from Rachel Allenby. Poop size is highly overrated, at the end of the day you still have poop with a thin layer of plastic in your hand (if you pick up after your pet)

http://i.imgur.com/EjvbGPD.jpg[/IMG]" />

Boykin breeder recs?

My cocker weighs around 30-32 lbs., which is probably average for a female.

We hunted some deep grass outside Headly, TX last winter, and she bounded through the grass, jumping every few feet to get her bearings. We got into some really thick grass up in Kansas hunting prairie chickens last weekend and she had no problems.

If she doesn't see a bird down I take her in the general area and tell her to "hunt dead". I started the hunt dead command at 8 weeks old with pigeons and then moved to quail. It is not hard to train them to hunt dead, but you do need access to birds to be effective. They have great noses. We rarely lose a bird.

This breed was developed to hunt in the brush and undergrowth for woodcock. They make their living where the burrs and briars grow. I trim the feathers off her ears and legs once the season starts. She has a relatively flat coat, so not a lot of problems there. My other dogs are English Setters, so it's no different from hunting with them. They get the same haircut at the start of the season.

I see you took my suggestion from a few months back. Did you get to look at any of the guns she had on hand?

Just got a field English cocker a while back after having English setter and brittanies. Agree 100% with English cocker description above. Good dog.

EyeGuy-

For the Boykin, I'd recommend Outdoor Accents Quail Farm in Devine. Debbie and Tito Killian are the owners.

Strong Gun Dogs in Tivoli, Tx for English Springer Spaniels.