I know a beautiful wocker lab cross, a small petite black lab with shorter legs,longer ears and softer fur.

I am a little wary of all the suggestions that wockers are less wired then springers. I think both are very very similar in terms of energy levels, working drive and training needs. The biggest difference is that springers tend to be clever mentalists and wockers tend to be clever but dappy mentalists!!!

Wockers are smaller, but like springers their working background, parents and training will make a big difference on how mental they are. Lovely dogs, in fact both breeds are my favourite and I'd never be without a spaniel.

If you're seriously considering a wocker or springer please meet a few yourself before you chose. My friends think my springers insane but after a life time of contact with working springers and wockers I know he's one of the calmer ones 😯

We have a working springer that we got from the local rescue centre and he had clearly been badly mistreated in that if I shout at my very stupid german pointer for doing something like eating a whole loaf of bread (last night) the springer will quite often pee himself!
The biggest challenge for me is giving him exercise first thing in the morning – he is wired as soon as he hears someone get up and starts bouncing off the walls so you have no chance of a lie in- once he has had a runaround for half an hour he is as calm as you like and will curl up and sleep.
Overall though I really like the springer temperament but do wish I'd had him from a pup

If you're seriously considering a wocker or springer please meet a few yourself before you chose

This is top advice.

We have a three year old springer who thinks shes a puppy. When you have one you soon learn they are bright animals who need mental and physical stimulation.

Going through your hit list,
Cats, we have two – no issues.

Kids, no dog is 100% guaranteed child safe but we have had no issues.

Cycling, loves running alongside bikes, only chance she gets to run with me at the pace she wants to.

Camping – Total disaster. Hates not knowing what the noises on the camp site are. Free range chickens, sheep and horses make for a sleepless night.

Large Garden – good news.

It does seem that a lot of people on this forum have springers, so you may get a slightly skewed set of responses,,, best of luck however you proceed but the advice above of meeting a few is very sound, whatever the breed.

On your idea re staffie/lab cross I had a collie/staffie cross and he was a brilliant dog- lived to 14 but upto about 12 loved coming out with me when I was riding- staffies are much maligned and I wouldnt have a pedigree one due to the chav image thing but as a cross worth considering.

If you go to a rescue centre be prepared to see every variation of staffie/pit bull/rottie known to man- real real shame.

Harry at the top of Goat Fell, nose to nose with a springer for size comparison (he is a little bigger than that now, but only a couple of kg's)

That looks like a welsh springer to me.

I still think your all wrong and lurchers are the best dogs in the world. 😆

Here's our two chilling post walk

They can live for a bit on an hour a day physical exercise, as long as you do a bit of 'head' work with them. If you have a collie, you need to accept that you have one of the smartest dogs around, so they need a bit of mental stimulation, but the big upside is that they're really easy to train. Fern, our tricolour, is frighteningly fast at picking things up, to the extent that sometimes she only needs to be shown something once to 'get it'.

Both of ours come from different working stock – little ginger is welsh, the tricolour is scottish – but we've not found it a problem.

Despite the rep that collies sometimes have, they are both good with kids – I'm a youth worker and the girls come with me to a lot of my work as the kids generally love them.

Cycling with them is great fun – they drop into line and trot along. I do modify my rides to suit, with regular stops for sniffing and drinking. I also don't push it in terms of length of ride, although they'll both happily walk 20 miles over hilly ground of a day – it's what they're bred for.

Camping can be a bit of a pain – as someone already said, odd noises through the night can have them up and growling, but they definitely add a bit of warmth to a tent on a cold night.

Rescue dogs can come with their own set of problems, which can be more hassle in the long-term than getting a puppy and putting the initial work into raising them. We got both ours as pups, which meant about a month of interrupted sleeps, and another 2-3 months of a fairly intensive regime of regular outings to the garden. Getting a rescue dog can avoid all that, but sometimes they come with 'baggage from previous owners' – our last dog was a rescue lab/collie cross who was brilliant, but I know some other folk who have had to put a bit of work into socialising and building confidence in dogs that have had some crappy stuff done to them.

get yourself a proper working dog

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/8-XRrCBkSPkOUFRZ9YG0Qw?feat=directlink

cassie is getting on a bit now, still loves the walks but cant do much compared to before, about 45 min walk arond the estate is fine,

very soft and well tempered, walks to heel if you tell her and will always come back… aslong as she can hear and see you, she iss a bit deaf and blind!

Not convinced with collies – my folks have had two.

I don't trust them around kids at all and I find some quite aggressive – they are one breed our lab is nervous of.

Amazingly bright but almost too much so – very highly strung and I'd say not a good first dog. They also need huge amounts of exercise.

Jacko – great pic!

Springer Spaniel!!!

S**t scared of other dogs. Cats and Hens get pounced by her, they get up, peck or bat her and carry on. Does't do tricks etc. but she NEVER runs away. Beautiful coat. Sounds Viscous when she barks so intruders would be pretty scared but the worst she'll do is lick you to death. Scared of the vacuum so fun to chase round with it

ACE DOG!!!

i think in general dogs are what you make them. so long as you do the checks and research your chosen breed you cant go far wrong. training is a must, especially with a working dog. and as mentioned, working dogs need mental stimulation. retrieving work and that sort of thing will keep them and you happy.
my point about springers and cockers (and labs aswell although ive never had one) is they are great breeds to start with. soft mouthed so never (extremely rarely) bite. as someone else mentioned, popular for a reason.

RSPCA all the way!

I've presently got a yellow Lab (Toby, 15) and a Tri-colour Cardigan Corgi Cross with a Collie (Danny, 13).

Have a look at the OZ Kelpie too, but please, visit a rescue home first and fall in love with the dog of your dreams – he / she might not be what you had first considered (I went looking for a 2nd, replacement Lab and came away with a bespoke "Danster"!

Another vote for Working Cockers!

Baxter is 15 months now and has been coming out with me on the bike for the last 3 months.

Will run along side on paths etc no problem, but discovered last night that he's really good at getting in the way in front of you on the local downhill track!!

My two. They're both great out with the bike. The collie will run all day. The Lab is happy out for a couple of hours, anything more and she starts flagging. The Lab is no good when its hot either, she really suffers. I always try and finish a ride near a river or stream so they can cool down.