We are purchasing 2 male cocker spaniel puppies. The mother's owner says that she is a miniature cocker because she weighs under 15 pounds. The vet says that her puppies will probably be miniature too. Is that true? We have never heard of a miniature cocker.

That's because there is no such thing. They are just small for their breed although I wouldn't have thought 15lbs was that small bearing in mind cockers should be no more than 16 inches at the shoulder!

Jesse

Just as a guide Cavaliers should ways & between 12lb & 18lbs so 15 lbs for a cocker would be way too small My 3 year old cavalier weights !5lbs & looks very small in the breed ring

I have American Cockers, which are meant to be smaller than Cockers. My bitches weigh 10 kg, (near enough 21lbs) so a 15lb cocker is going to be tiny.
Dawn R.

Be careful????

Hi, dont know about this in English cockers (Jane S may be able to help here) but in American Cockers in the USA there is a "loony fringe" actively breeding Miniature Cockers. If I recall correctly they are aiming at between 12 and 15 lbs. Generally they are so focused on smallness (and high cost) that they do not carry out all the usual, essential health checks, and of course the dogs do not meet the breed standard. There is an incidence of dwarfism in American Cockers - possible in English too? However, this is a different thing, and I sincerely hope no one at all would concider breeding from any animal affected with dwarfism.

In our parti colour lines we have produced a couple of very tiny bitches (about 12inches tall at maturity). These were sold (for a minimal sum) as pets, with "must be speyed" contracts. They were incredibly cute, and if we produced them I presume others have had them too. Have also produced tiny ones which were the runts, and who stayed substantially undersize.

Guest, I would be very, very cautious about buying these pups, no ethical, caring breeder would breed from a bitch substantially outside of the breed standard. The potential health risk to the bitch as no one could be sure if she would pruduce large, normal pups, this danger alone would give a responsible person enough qualms to not go ahead with a mating!
bye
Gwen

Cockers in the UK should weigh 28 to 32 lb - 15lb = a health problem. Like a human being dwarfed by a hormon inbalance. Would suggest you stear well clear.

We have an american cocker spaniel that weighs 14 pounds.  She is perfectly healthy and we have been looking for other "miniature" cockers.  Everyone that sees her out at the park whispers, "Oh, look, there's a miniature cocker."  I never thought anything about it until I started looking at all of the cocker websites and noticed that other cockers weighed much more.  How hard was it to find smaller cockers.  We would like to breed Stella, but would like to do so with a small, or "miniature", cocker spaniel.

''Guest, I would be very, very cautious about buying these pups, no ethical, caring breeder would breed from a bitch substantially outside of the breed standard. The potential health risk to the bitch as no one could be sure if she would pruduce large, normal pups, this danger alone would give a responsible person enough qualms to not go ahead with a mating!''

Perhaps you missed Gwens last paragraph, if so I reproduced it above for you. Breeding from your bitch is a shocking idea, given her serious fault.

Dawn R. (fellow American Cocker owner )

PS my bitches are 10 kilos and quite small enough.

Well said Dawn.  Iluvmycockers, this is a very old thread you have brought up, and I wont repeat myself by giving the advice I gave the original  poster yet again, but it is still valid.  I am sure you love your tiny girl, and she is adorable, but please do not even consider breeding from her.  It is very dangerous.  If you want another smaller than breed standard size I suggest ringing breeders and asking to be notified if they have any unusuallly small pups born who will be sold - they coudl then consider you as a prospective home for the tiny one.  Howeve,r you need ot be aware that just becasue a pup is substantially smaller than its litter mates it will not necessarilly stay that way.  We can usually tell at 6 - 8 months that they are not going to have a final growth spurt and reach size, but lots of teensy pups at under 8 weeks do reach normal size.
bye
Gwen

My Yankee boy weighs just over 12 kilos and he's a little too tall for the breed standard, so that does sound far too small. Like others have said, enjoy your tiny girl, but don't risk her life by breeding from her!

If you want a small spaniel then why not buy a Cavalier. Whydo you want to breed from your 'miniatue' Cocker?

I always thought that Am Cockers were called Yankees?? It's the same with people wanting to breed MINIATURE Yorkies!! They don't understand tha A) there is NO SUCH thing as a Min Yorkie and B) It would probably kill the bitch if they mated a tiny Yorkie!

Hi Newfiedreamsn, American Cockers are referred to as Yankees.
bye
Gwen

I must learn to be more ironic!! :D :D :D

There should have been a wink ( ) after my last post!  Don't know whyy it did not appear.  Hope that makes it better, Newfiedreams
Bye
Gwen

I can only do these...:D :D :D Ha ha!

Glad the irony made it through!