Golden Cocker Retriever is a cross of the Golden Retriever and the Cocker Spaniel, also known as Dakota Sport Retriever. It's a medium-sized dog breed at about 20 to 24 inches tall, weighing between 30 to 45 pounds. The lifespan of this crossbreed is around 10 t0 13 years.
A full-grown Golden Retriever Cocker Spaniel Mix still looks like its a baby with its sweet demeanor and fluffy coat.
I put this article together to explore the pros and cons of the forever puppy. Obviously, it looks cute, but is it the right dog for you?
The first step in making this important decision is to meet the parent breeds. So, here we go!
Say Hello To The Golden Retriever
This breed is the third-most popular household choice in the world.
Originally bred in the United Kingdom as a gun dog, the Golden Retriever has since become a classic family pet — and movie superstar.
It’s best recognized for its golden coat, kind expression, and long hair.
This dog’s temperament can best be described as friendly, intelligent, and devoted, making it an all-around good choice for owners with children.
Tapping into its gun dog instinct, the Golden Retriever is a highly active breed that loves to chase after tennis balls and frisbees.
It requires a lot of stimulation like most Sporting Group dogs.
A full-grown Golden Retriever reaches a height of 21 – 24 inches (53 – 61 cm) and a weight of 55 – 65 pounds (25 – 29 kg). These measurements count for males and females.
This golden dog is generally considered a healthy breed with just a few minor health concerns to watch out for.
The most common ones are hypothyroidism, elbow and hip dysplasia, and seizures. These are frequent illnesses in the dog world.
The only major concern that requires immediate attention is mast cell tumors, which are related to cancer.
A healthy Golden Retriever can live between 10 – 13 years.
Remember this information when we start talking about its mixed breed. Every detail listed here could reveal itself in the Golden Retriever’s offspring.
Get To Know The Cocker Spaniel
Next up is the Cocker Spaniel.
Like the Golden Retriever, this dog belongs to the Sporting Group, which makes it naturally alert, active, and intelligent.
It has a gentle and happy personality and is not afraid to get a little mischevious.
Combine that with its big dreamy eyes and the Cocker Spaniel can get away with pretty much anything if you let it.
This breed is loved with for its floppy ears and a long coat that flows in the wind as it runs.
The Cocker Spaniel is a very whimsical dog, which gives it that forever puppy feeling that you’ll see in the upcoming mixed breed.
When full-grown, a Cocker Spaniel reaches a height of 13.5 – 15.5 inches (34 – 39 cm) and a weight of 20 – 30 pounds (9 – 13.5 kg).
This picturesque breed almost sounds too good to be true, except for the fact that it may suffer from a variety of serious health concerns:
- Cataracs (could lead to blindness)
- Glaucoma
- Congestive heart failure
- Liver disease
- Seborrhea (a skin disease)
The Cocker Spaniel may also experience hip and elbow dysplasia like the Golden Retriever.
This breed has a life expectancy of 12 – 15 years.
What Does The Forever Puppy Look Like?
OK, now we can finally talk about the Golden Cocker Retriever. Keep in mind that the following information is based on its parent breeds.
These are all predictions that vary from case to case depending on genetic makeup.
In terms of physical appearance, the Cocker Spaniel comes in a variety of coat colors, so the forever puppy may not always be golden.
It could be a mix of blue, black, brown, and white.
The ideal attributes a Golden Cocker Retriever should have is a medium-length coat, floppy ears, and a smaller build than the Golden Retriever.
The size of a full-grown crossbreed will be a median of its parents' numbers.
We can predict the height of the Golden Retriever Cocker Spaniel mix will range from 20 to 24 inches (51 – 61 cm).
As we mentioned above its weight will range from 30 to 45 pounds (13 – 20 kg).
The health concerns of a Golden Cocker Retriever are also based on its parents.
Both the Golden Retriever and Cocker Spaniel are capable of experiencing seizures associated with epilepsy and hip and elbow dysplasia.
On the Cocker Spaniel side, however, you have more serious illnesses to worry about like glaucoma and cancerous tumors.
On the bright side, both parent breeds have a good life expectancy, so your Golden Cocker Retriever will live a long and happy life of at least 10 years!
Want to see how this mix grows up?
Meet Sadie — her owner claims she’s mostly Golden Retriever with a little Cocker Spaniel mixed in.
There’s A Toy Version, Too… But There’s A Catch
Here’s a quick reality check: the term “forever puppy” is relative and subjective.
What if your mix is 75% Golden Retriever and 25% Cocker Spaniel?
For owners who really want a teacup-sized Golden Cocker Retriever, there are some toy ones on the market.
This happens when a Cocker Spaniel is mixed with a mini Golden Retriever, which is a mix of the Golden Retriever, Cocker Spaniel, and Poodle.
So you kinda make a Golden Retriever smaller by mixing it with Cocker Spaniel and Poodle. And then you mix it once again with Cocker Spaniel to get an even smaller dog.
According to breeders, the end result should have 50% – 75% Golden Retriever genes, just in a smaller package.
Sadly, there’s a second way to “create” a mini Golden Retriever that might make you want to think twice about buying one.
There’s a chance these lab-made dogs will suffer from dwarfism, which is a skeletal defect.
A dog with dwarfism may look cute and small but it causes them a lot of pain throughout their entire lives.
So, before you go shopping for a toy Golden Cocker Retriever, keep in mind that it may have this genetic/medical defect.
Do you really want to keep a dog knowing that it’s in agony? Come on, that’s just cruel.
Don’t Mistake It For A Goldendoodle
During my research, I noticed a lot of people were curious about the Golden Cocker Retriever’s relationship to the Goldendoodle.
In case you didn’t notice, these are not the same breeds, although they do have the Golden Retriever genes in common.
Like the mini Golden Cocker Retriever, there’s also a mini Goldendoodle.
The height of a standard Goldendoodle reaches 20 inches (50 cm).
The weight ranges from 50 – 90 pounds (22 – 40 kg).
If more Cocker Spaniel genes are mixed in, the Golden Cocker Retriever will be smaller than the Goldendoodle.
Additionally, the coat of a Goldendoodle will be much curlier than the Golden Cocker Retriever thanks to its Poodle parent breed.
That’s how you can easily tell them apart.
Thanks to the Poodle genes, a mini and standard Goldendoodle have a good chance to be “hypoallergenic.”
It’s a great option for owners with allergies or who want a clean house with minimal shedding.
Living With A Golden Cocker Retriever
If you’re still reading, you must be highly interested in this mix for a number of reasons.
Before buying one, consider if a Golden Cocker Retriever is your best match in the long run.
How will this dog fit into your daily schedule and hobbies? Let’s find out!
Does This Mix Shed?
Both parent breeds have long-haired coats that invite moderate to heavy shedding throughout the year.
The Golden Cocker Retriever is not considered “hypoallergenic.”
With such a long and luscious coat, the Golden Retriever Cocker Spaniel Mix needs to be brushed several times a week.
In the world of grooming, it’s pretty high-maintenance.
Clip its toenails and give it baths as needed — but not too many or you’ll dry out its coat.
Do I Need A Backyard?
Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES.
Since both parent breeds belong to the Sporting Group, chances are you’ll need to give your Golden Cocker Retriever a lot of physical exercises.
45 – 60 minutes a day (at the very minimum) is recommended. Purebred Golden Retrievers sometimes need two sessions.
A fenced backyard or a playpen is also essential to keep your Golden Cocker Retriever from wandering off.
Both parent breeds have a long history of being hunting dogs with a strong prey-drive.
If your Golden Cocker Retriever sees or smells a small animal in the distance, it will run as quickly as it can to track it down.
That’s why owners of this mix shouldn’t live with rodents, birds, or small cats.
Dogs are just fine.
Is Training Easy?
Training levels and abilities are based on the temperaments of this mix’s parent breeds.
For example, any sign of stubbornness or independence can lead to harder training.
Thankfully, we don’t see much (if any) of that in the Golden Retriever or Cocker Spaniel, so it should be easy to train your mix.
Start training as early as possible as puppies are easier to handle than adults.
The Cocker Spaniel-Golden Retriever Mix Personality
Since both the Golden Retriever and Cocker Spaniel belong to the Sporting Group, we can make more accurate predictions about this mix’s personality.
The temperament of a Golden Cocker Retriever should be:
- Happy
- Intelligent
- Sweet
- Active
- Playful
All of these traits make for a great family dog that’s responsible around children.
Is This Mix Aggressive?
The Golden Cocker Retriever is not known to be aggressive since both its parents have friendly personalities around adults, strangers, and children.
However, all dogs of different shapes and sizes are capable of biting or nipping, especially in nervous or unfamiliar situations.
Help your dog overcome these fears by bringing it in public.
If needed, you could always buy a muzzle for your mix.
Taking Home A Golden Cocker Retriever
The price range of the Golden Retriever Cocker Spaniel Mix varies from $500 – $1500.
For adoption and rescue places, check out Puppy Find, Golden Retriever Rescue in Maryland, and Puppy Finder.
If you’re willing to spend a little extra on Golden Cocker Retrievers from breeders, visit Taylormade Mini Goldens in Utah, Dakota Winds in South Dakota, and Dakota Sport Retrievers.
I can’t promise they’ll have any Cocker Spaniel Mixes right now, but these websites are a great place to start looking.
Final Thoughts On This Breed
OK, we’ve approached the end! Now it’s time to decide if this mix is right for you!
In my humble opinion, the right owner for this dog is someone who loves exercise, has a fenced backyard, and doesn’t live with small animals.
The Golden Cocker Retriever is a great fit for families, too!
The wrong owner for this dog is someone who lives a relaxed lifestyle inside of an apartment.
Owners with allergies or sensitive noses should pick a different breed as it comes with a long coat and frequent shedding.
