Purebred cocker spaniel?

trumpetjock · 01-07-2008, 08:37 PM

My dad owns what he says is a purebred cocker spaniel named Colby. He never got papers for him, just wasn't interested in registration or anything. Out of curiosity I looked up the breed standard for cockers at the AKC website and the maximum height allowed is 15.5 inches. Well... Colby is a staggering 20.5 inches high at the withers, and weighs in at 55 pounds, without being obese. Is it even possible for a purebred cocker to get that big, or did my pops get a raw deal on his "purebred"?

peace36 · 01-07-2008, 10:19 PM

He looks like a giant Cocker Spainel to me. But I have no idea. I have a dog that I was told was a pure bred shih-tzu. Well she looks like one but giant, LoL. I was hoping for a small purse dog. LOL now her purse is her doggie bag.

Dakota Spirit · 01-07-2008, 10:27 PM

He looks to be an off-standard Cocker.

Depending on where your dad purchased Colby from, he could just be the result of several generations of off standard breeding.

TeddieXRuxpin · 01-07-2008, 10:29 PM

Just because he's Pure bred doesn't mean he's up to standards. Teddie is 99.9% chance pure breed Shih tzu, but I don't have papers.

I did have a Miniature Schnauzer who was 20 pounds. We were told he would be at the most 15 pounds. And we did have papers on him.

I can't believe he's 55 pounds. Are you sure?

He does look a bit on the heavy side, but I would never guess 55. That's more than my malamute/Corgi mix..And she's not skinny.

EDIT: Dakota beet me to it!

briteday · 01-07-2008, 10:34 PM

Litters ocassionally have pups that outgrow the standard, or have the potential to, and are sold as pet quality dogs. But they can still be AKC registered.

trumpetjock · 01-07-2008, 10:40 PM

Yeah, he's definitely 55 pounds, just weighed him today myself. Hopped on the scale alone, and then holding him in my arms and subtracted the difference. He's definitely a bit overweight, my dad's a trucker and Colby is his co-pilot. He gets to hunt a few times a season, but he's definitely a bit on the heavy side. I couldn't believe he was 55 pounds either, I was totally shocked.

Good to know that there can just be giant individuals of a breed, just kind of boggled my mind he could be that far off standard.

TeddieXRuxpin · 01-07-2008, 10:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by trumpetjock

Yeah, he's definitely 55 pounds, just weighed him today myself. Hopped on the scale alone, and then holding him in my arms and subtracted the difference. He's definitely a bit overweight, my dad's a trucker and Colby is his co-pilot. He gets to hunt a few times a season, but he's definitely a bit on the heavy side. I couldn't believe he was 55 pounds either, I was totally shocked.

Good to know that there can just be giant individuals of a breed, just kind of boggled my mind he could be that far off standard.

There are dogs that are even mmore off standard and it happens all the time. Do you know where your dad got him from?

My Miniature Schnauzer was all white which is a HUGE fault of the standard. He was bigger, wrong color, and his ears were cropped wrong.. but a great dog. I know a whole heck of a lot more now about dogs then when I got him. I would have gone in to the breeder knowing white is faulted. I didn't love him any less, but the fact a breeder would sell a dog that is so off standard just shows how bad of a breeder they really are.
He was my first dog and since I wasn't breeding him or showing him I couldn't care less how he looked. Everything was just right for me.

trumpetjock · 01-07-2008, 10:59 PM

Yeah, he got him from a farmer in the area who had two purebreds. Definitely a backyard breed program, the entire litter went for hunting dogs, as is standard in rural Minnesota. You're totally right though, offstandard doesn't mean much, Colby is the sweetest dog I've ever met, absolutely loves you to pick him up and cuddle like a teddy bear - and he's a fabulously talented bird dog to boot.

The interesting part is my dad also owns Colby's sister Vanilla (from a litter born a year later to the same pair), who is nearly pure white and only stands 14 inches.

chul3l3ies1126 · 01-08-2008, 02:35 AM

He sure is beautiful, but i'm sure off standard as well. Great color on him.

I got to say this!!! LoL, I thought in the first couple of pics there was a cat in the background! Those glowing things that look like cat eyes... I said, man that looks like one POed cat, I now realized they were just shoes. hehe
Nessa

trumpetjock · 01-08-2008, 09:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by chul3l3ies1126

He sure is beautiful, but i'm sure off standard as well. Great color on him.

I got to say this!!! LoL, I thought in the first couple of pics there was a cat in the background! Those glowing things that look like cat eyes... I said, man that looks like one POed cat, I now realized they were just shoes. hehe
Nessa

hahaha, I see what you mean! At first I thought you meant Rocky looked like a cat. He wouldn't like you saying that, even if he does sometimes!

sheltiemom · 01-08-2008, 12:36 PM

Looks purebred to me. There is someone else on here that has a large cocker spaniel too, the person who also has the samoyed??

One of my shelties is oversized, the maximum height in the breed standard is 16" and my boy is 19".