Ambassadogs
Goose & Goji
Goose and Goji are a blue roan and orange roan working cocker spaniel duo from West Yorkshire. The sweetest pair, Goose loves to explore everywhere with Taylor whilst Goji recovers from her sad beginning before she found her forever home. Taylor and the girls favourite Woof and Snout items are their Aurora Explorer Harnesses.
Goose is a small working cocker spaniel who weighs approximately 9.5kg. She wears a size small1 (10.25"-14", 19mm or 25mm) in our waterproof collar range and a size small in our Explorer harness range. Goji is a medium working cocker spaniel who weighs approximately 12kg. She wears a custom size 11"-15" (25mm) in our waterproof collar range and fits into both sizes small and medium in our Explorer harness range. You can find a selection of Goose and Goji's top choices from our collection by clicking the button below.
Goose & Goji
Helloooo! I’m Tay and the pups are Goose and Goji. They are 1 and 5 year old cocker spaniels.
Goose was our first dog. Me and my partner had been in our own house about a month... a month which I had spent spamming him with every single spaniel I came across looking for a home. But every time I showed him a spaniel, it was a no. Eventually, I came across Goose’s sister, a lemon roan, and fell a bit in love. I sent a message to the breeder without asking my partner. She replied that the dog I enquired about wasn’t available but that there were 3 still left. One of these was a tiny little blue roan girl and as soon as I showed Matt it was an immediate yes! We met her the next day, and picked her up the day after - our Goose. The most unique thing about Goose is that she’s missing a toe bean on her front right foot.
Goji kind of fell into the family, and we couldn’t be more grateful. The poor girl had been passed from home to home for multiple reasons. Before, eventually, ending with my great uncle’s neighbour who enquired if anyone I knew wanted a spaniel. He asked me as he knew I worked with animals. We were sent photos of Goji and told she would be “free to a good home”. This is, quite frankly, a phrase that terrifies me and I knew then we had to take her. When Matt agreed to meet her I knew it was meant to be. We went to meet her as soon as I finished work that night, and brought her home about 20 minutes later. She jumped up at us so gently and looked at us with so much love, we knew she was ours. She then spent the entire ride home with her head on Matt’s shoulder. Her unique thing is also about feet - she has extra back toes and dew claws!
Day to day life with Goose & Goji
I love taking the girls wherever I can with me. Walks, pubs, dog shows, the beach, and everywhere else! We have to do things a bit differently with Goji as she is nervous and reactive on lead. This means she can’t currently go to dog shows due to the stress it would cause her. But the shows are always Goose’s favourite days. She enjoys playing with her friends and showing herself off - she’s pretty and she knows it! Hopefully with training and helping Goji build her confidence, we can take her one day.
We don't currently do many sports. Me and Goose have been on one run together…does that count? I do eventually want to get Goose into agility or flyball as I think it would be a great way to burn off some of her chaotic energy. She’s a wildfire! Goji is much more of a homebody than a sports gal. As an ex-breeding girl her little body has been through enough. Although, she still loves a good run around a big field when she’s in a good mood.
Why did I choose working cocker spaniels?
I have wanted a cocker spaniel since I was little and saw Lady and the Tramp for the first time. That little bit where she’s in the box with a bow on? Delicious! Next on my list is a show cocker or a golden retriever.
I also absolutely adore the crazy energy. I’m a chaotic person and often struggle with my mental health if I’m in one place or not doing anything for too long. I also struggle with motivating myself to go out alone. I wanted a dog that would really give me the drive to just get out and explore more and the girls have definitely done that!
If you are considering adding a working cocker spaniel to your family, make sure to do your research. You will need to be prepared for constant grooming particularly around their ears to avoid matting. Plus, pay close attention to breeding temperament, especially if they are an only dog.
Working cocker spaniels are honestly not as high maintenance as people think in terms of exercise. However, they definitely need a lot of mental stimulation on low exercise days or they can be very naughty (in my experience). From my veterinary experience I have also found the breed to be quite bad in guarding their kennels and resources so will need a lot of training to overcome this.
Finally, make sure to hide your socks! Actually, hide anything you don't want to be destroyed - they are called crockerdiles for a reason.
Our Favourite Woof and Snout Product
Our favourite product from Woof and Snout is hands DOWN the Aurora Harness! It’s the first time I’ve ever bought the girls matching harnesses because I just loved the pattern so much. Not only is it absolutely gorgeous, it feels so sturdy too. The girls are very strong pullers when they’re excited or desperate to go out and this is the first harness I’ve had that doesn’t make it feel like my arm is going to be pulled off. I don’t know how they do it, but I’m glad they do!
Our Best Adventure Yet!
One of our favourite adventures we’ve been on recently was a trip to Talacre Beach in North Wales. We holiday in Prestatyn a lot as Matt has family there and we would normally go to Barkby Beach. But we fancied something new last time. Talacre beach is completely dog friendly and the benefit of a beach trip means the day can be as long or short as you would like it to be. The girls love running around like crazies in the sand and having a little paddle, plus the lighthouse is a very cool and unique photo opportunity too.
But, our best adventure is also yet to come. My favourite place in the world is the Yorkshire dales. We haven't been yet as a family and I cannot wait to take them with us, especially to Aysgarth Falls.
Our five top dog-friendly places to visit in West Yorkshire:
- Temple Newsam
- Golden Acre Park
- Roundhay Park
- Ogden Water
- Nostell Priory
These are in no particular order. If visiting Roundhay Park, the Roundhay Fox Pub is well worth is a visit. It is dog friendly and the food there is delicious!
Follow along with Taylor, Goose and Goji's adventures
You can follow Goose and Goji on Instagram (@gooseberry_cocker) and Tiktok (@gooseberry_cocker). Plus, you can help support Taylor through her photography on Instagram (@txylortxylorphotos). If you are local to West Yorkshire, please also take a look at Taylors petcare business too - Instagram @sillygooses.petcare or click here for the Silly Gooses Petcare website.