I’ve had Cockers since 1979. I am very careful to only get them from show breeders. These three are everything a cocker is supposed to be, from size, disposition, health, etc. If people who stop getting dogs from puppy mills via dog shops or internet and backyard breeders our shelters would be empty and our pets would all be better off. I have seen people say they have cocker puppies and brag about them having a merel (sp) gene — that happens to be a very undesireable gene and no cocker with it in their line should ever be bred, but most buyers who are not knowledgeable haven’t a clue and unscrupulous breeders make it sound like something special. I love the parti- with sable markings. Sable is not an undesireable health-wise, but you cannot show them with sable.
People tend to go for the unusual colors (hence the popularity of *white goldens* which in fact are simple a cream color, popularized by Oprah Winfrey). I always think it’s funny that chocolate labs are so popular, since they are simply brown dogs. I think people like the idea of chocolate (if anyone has a chocolate lab, I’m not saying they aren’t pretty, but I think marketing them as chocolate was a stroke of genius!)
BTW I have a good friend who shows parti cockers, she also does obedience, tracking and agility with her dogs.