We are thinking about getting a dog, and had thought about getting an ESS. Quite a few people have said that they are full of beans and need of lot of exercise and get bored easily.

I am wondering whether a Sprocker would be a bit calmer - any comments please!?

***falls off chair laughing***

Ok, like that is it!!! LOL

My Sprocker Lily is 15 months old now and I'd definately recommened them as a 'breed', I couldn't be happier with her. At home she's fairly calm and is happy enough to just follow you around the house, but when she's out she really shows her springer side.

You have to remember there's no guarantee which side will be more dominant in cross breeds, so it's important you like both sides of the dog's family. Lily does need a lot of exercise and mental stimulation, but they are very intelligent dogs and that is to be expected.

Good Luck

That's exactly the problem...with a cross breed you can get any mix of features or flaws. Mine has a springer loopy personality mashed with a cocker gob! And I'm not the only one round here with this combination.

I honestly don't think there's a difference betwen going ESS of Sprocker, if the ESS is not the breed for you, then non of its simlar breeds are too. Welshies are supposed to be calmer, but if you're not wanting to do lots of excerise and keep the mind busy then any variety of springer is probably not right.

I love my Sprocker, he's ace but he is absolutely bonkers, he needs constant attention, plenty of walks and a LOT of training!

If a Springer isn't the right breed to fit in with your lifestyle neither woulds any other working breed wether pedigree or cross breed.

As was said on the other thread, don't let go of the idea of getting a Springer just make sure that you get one that can fir in with your lifestyle and that equally you can make sure you can give one enough adequate exercise and mental stimulation that it can cope with being left for part of the day.

Any good reputable rescue wouldn't give you a puppy, sorry guys who have got puppy's and have made it work this is my opinion, but a ny good reputable rescue will work with you to find you a suitable dog but that all depends on wether you're happy to accept an older dog and a dog that the rescue recommends for you and also wether you are willing to be patient so that the rescue can match you up with the right dog wether that takes a week or 6 months.

Cockers are not calmer dogs than Springers, they are very similar in some aspects having both show and working types and some having higher work drive than others. It is not unusual to get calm Cockers or Springers (this would depend on their parents temperament amongst other things) but it also not unusual to get extremely wired dogs in both breeds.

Both breeds require a lot of exercise, are full of beans and get bored easily.

I've had a working cocker and she was a lot more energetic (loopy) than my current springer. I've also met show cockers that were as busy as my springer and springers that were busier than my cocker (you see where I'm going with this?).

Think long and hard about the type of dog you want, the time you have, the training you can commit to and as Selina suggests talk to some rescues and see what there is out there. You will find a dog that suits your lifestyle perfectly, whether or not it's a springer, sprocker or other depends on what you decide would fit with you best.

Good luck

I love sprockers! I agree with the earlier posts though, the breed or cross isn't necessarily the defining factor for temperament - I reckon springers, cockers and sprockers are all high energy its just that some are higher energy and more single-minded than others.

We are lucky with Dexter (3/4 springer : 1/4 working cocker) as he is happy and appealingly daft, but he does get between 90 and 120 minutes exercise a day, most of which is off lead in woods, river (ALWAYS in the river) and fields (one walk in the morning, one in the afternoon plus a quick leg stretch at lunchtime which doesn't count - according to Dexter).

At the risk of repeating myself from other threads (boring! ) I like the description we had of sprockers from his breeders - "active, all terrain dogs who live and love life to the max".