Please help!

[Whisk_Luva]

Hmmmmm I still think you are all thinking of Springers. My friends have English cocker spaniels and they are so lazy and non hyper...

Collie mixes are way to bouncy for our family.

Maltese, basset hounds and west highlands... my mum just doesnt like them

You know when a dog is in a shelter for a long time... and are hard to rehome they are called 'sticky' dogs well I have a 'sticky' mum

No-one suggest german shepards lol! My dad doesnt like them... (he has scars from one!!!)

Small, medium or large doesnt really matter...

[Seravieve]

If I were you.. Id just go to the shelters near you and look at the dogs they have instead of deciding on a specific breed before you go. You never know what kind of mixed breeds they'll have..

And even if you've seen one or two dogs of a certain breed.. that doesn't speak for the whole breed. Breeds get their reputations from how the majority of them act, and there are always exceptions.

And like a previous reply says.. you'll need to train your dog to your liking, regardless of the breed.

[Tollers-n-Dobes]

English Cockers aren't as energetic as a lot of spaniels, but they can still be very energetic at times. Walking politely on lead and not running off is all in training. Any dog will pull on the leash if not trained otherwise, and most dogs will run off (especially spaniels and hounds, in my experience, as their nose often gets the better of them). Your friends' Cockers might be different when you're around vs. when they're just with their family. Perhaps a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel would be good? They can have a lot of health issues, so you'd have to be sure to get one from a reputable breeder, but I think they fit your needs pretty good. I'm not sure at this moment what else I'd recommend, but I'll think about it and come back. Only you and your family will really know what's best, and if you feel the English Cocker is, then I highly encourage you to spend time with some (besides your friend's) and just see for sure if they're the dog for you.

[luvofallhorses]

Where do you live if you don't mind saying? I can look for some dogs on petfinder for you, if you'd like.

[Hellow]

Try a Pug. They are very friendly, normally do good on a lead, and arent very hyper. But be careful, Pugs arent very tolerent of heat and humidity, so dont keep them outside for more than 15 minutes.

[tikeyas_mom]

My mom used to breed English Cocker Spaniels. W had three at once, one was a show dog.. And They are somwhat playfull/hyper, BUT they are very stubbhorn and hard to train.. Its like they forget what they have just been thought, I foud it took WAYYYY longer to train our cockers then it did to train our Shihtzu... I would suggest taking a look at the homless dogs at your local shelter. You might find your perfect match. No dogs are born with the natural ability to "heal" on a lead, or to never run away.. You have to spend time training a puppy/dog those things.

[Whisk_Luva]

Ok....... pugs and shihtzus my mum hates... and my dad...!!!!

We have been to a few shelters and rung others

Say if the cross breed was part collie, it would be bouncy etc.

King charles... my mum thinks there very yappy? Are they? Because we like the look of them and they seem ok apart from that.

We know not every dog of the same breed is going to be the same but its nice to get a rough idea.

luvofallhorses I live in wiltshire in England. Does pet finder even work in England?

By the lead thing we mean kinda... the breed is usually good on the lead, like collies are big and bouncy so they often pull but a golden retriever isnt as bouncy so wouldnt pull as much.

Thanks for your help so far! Keep it coming!