Good looking babies.
I’ve found that temperment of a dog is largely influenced by the owners.
If you expose a dog to as many environments as possible helping them understand it’s okay, something to be enjoyed and what is appropriate or acceptable behaviour they can have a stress free life of fun.
I never liked Cockers for the same reason a good many people don’t.
I have learned that applying the trainging, discipline and fun that we used on our Collies they are actually very smart dogs who like to whatever you want to do and very disciplined.
My Grace, who passed last year, was exceptional.
I trusted her off leash and she would respond immediately to my commands when she go into her genetic programming and start to chase after birds, squirrels, etc.
She once ran out the back door and toward a squirrel across the parking lot.
I turned and yelled “Sit! Sit! Site!”.
She immediately stopped and sat. She looked sheepishly as I walked to her.
I picked her up and rubbing and scratching her everywhere said “Good Girl! Good Girl!”.
I said it over and over again as I walked back into the house.
She earned being off leash that very day and we walked without the leash around the neighborhood.
I trusted her to Hell when called and not break until I verbally released her.
I’m sure Grace was a wonderful friend and I imagine you miss her quite a bit. Collies are a very intelligent breed. Do you have any other dogs?
I have rescued hundreds of pit bulls over the last 20 years and have only encountered one that could not be rehabbed. They are a very smart breed. I have taken them to the dog park off leash and never had any problems.
I also have a similar story. A cat came over the fence into our yard and my 90lb pittie went to leap off the deck after the cat. All it took was “no, stop” once and he turned to look at me in mid flight, landed, came back up the stairs to the deck and sat and watched the cat. He never attepmted to chase a cat again although he wasn’t fond of birds. He also never met a child he did not like. In a simplier time they were called nanny dogs for a reason.