Cockerdale

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A Cockerdale is a mixture between a Cocker Spaniel and a Patterdale Terrier. If you’re thinking of introducing one of these to your home, then this is the guide for you.

The Patterdale Terrier

The Patterdale Terrier is a breed that descends from the terriers of the 18th century. Despite being a terrier, a breed known for being ‘yappy’, Patterdales are significantly less ‘yappy’ than other terriers.

They have short legs and quite a strong looking snout with triangular ears that hang down. Their tails tend to be docked, meaning that they are cut in order to avoid injury when the dog is hunting. The dog’s coat tends to be black with sometimes white markings on the chest and feet. However, it is not uncommon to see Patterdale Terriers in a range of other colours such as chocolate, and bronze. The fur is either smooth or rough. 

The personality traits of a Patterdale Terrier include being bold and confident. They are more of a working dog which is not uncommon among terriers, known for their ability to search for prey with their energetic nature and determination. They are extremely high energy animals that can be difficult to socialise with other dogs for this reason. They were originally bred to be energetic and to pursue prey, however because of this it makes them rather too energetic for an ordinary household. This makes the breed particularly popular amongst farming households. They are often used to guard sheep and other livestock from foxes and other animals. Making them good hunters as well. However, due to this instinct, it does add to their difficulty in socialising as anything smaller than them they often see as prey. They can be known for being aggressive and stubborn, so when owning one, it is important to show them early on who is boss and to socialise them. 

The Cocker Spaniel

Cocker Spaniels are of course descendants from the Spaniel family, Spaniels date back to the ancient times. However, by the 1800s’ there were two groups of Spaniel. Toy Spaniels that were primarily kept as pets, and larger hunting Spaniels. The hunting Spaniels were made of other groups, including the Cocker Spaniel who was/is excellent at field hunting. 

English Cocker Spaniels tend to weigh around fifteen kilograms. They have thick coats that vary in length, it is short on the head and back, but they have long hair on their droopy ears, their tail, chest, belly, and legs. Their fur is either black, cream, red, or brown. Although you do get many Cocker Spaniels who are two-toned, either white and black, white and cream, or white and brown. Due to their long coat, Cocker Spaniels require quite a bit of grooming. This may add to your expenses when caring for one, they should have their coat washed, brushed, and trimmed around every two months by a groomer, while also making sure to brush them daily in your own home. Due to their long and droopy ears, Cocker Spaniels also require you to clean their ears once a week as dirt can get stuck in them and cause infections. 

Cocker Spaniels are friendly companions that make good family dogs. They get along well with children, as long as they are raised alongside them, and they are also sociable with other animals. They are kind, caring dogs with a good temperament for family life. They are playful and energetic so you will need to make sure that they have plenty of exercising time. They are also quite sensitive dogs, meaning that they can be defensive if they are scared. 

Cockerdale

Cockerdales tend to look primarily like Patterdale Terriers in shape, however, they often have Cocker Spaniels colouring, ears, and face. This means that crossing the two may be your way out of spending so much money on grooming fees due to the Cockerdale primarily inheriting the Terrier fur type.

Cocker Spaniels and Terriers are two very different breeds. Mixing the soft, sociability of a Cocker Spaniel with a not so sociable and feisty Terrier comes with a variety of personalities. Even within Cocker Spaniel x Terrier litters, the puppies will all have varying personalities, all of which a mix of both of their parents. With cross breeds you can never guarantee what personalities the pups will inherit, you have to be ready to face either a feisty and energetic, soft pet, or a loving, but unsociable dog. 

This dog may be good for you if you are ready to deal with any combination of the Cocker Spaniel x Terrier temperaments and qualities. If this is the case, then a Cockerdale may be the perfect pet to introduce into your family. You should also keep in mind that both breeds tend to be quite energetic, so a lot of exercise is required. 

If you enjoyed this article you might also like to read about Springerdale – Patterdale Cross Springer Spaniel.