Oggy
Oggy
Hi my name's Libby and my pup is called Oggy. Oggy is a working cocker spaniel from Wales and I am from the West Midlands. Both of us love adventuring and I think that's the main reason why I got him - I love exploring and needed a partner in crime!
The farmer we got him from said he was the dopey one and, from there, I knew he was the one. Our journey together so far hasn't been easy. But it has been 100% worth it and I wouldn't trade it for anything.
Day to day life with Oggy
As much as we love our cuddles and watching silly films together, we truly belong outside finding new routes and, of course, splashing in a nearby stream. Oggy makes me get up to go outside even when i'm exhausted - he has always shown me there's still light outside even on the darkest of days!
In the future we would love to get into some dog sports. However, we need to build Oggy's confidence first as he can be quite wary of new people.
Why did I choose a working cocker spaniel?
My childhood dog was a springer and I always knew I needed those black curly ears back but my house wasn't suitable for anything too big so a cocker it was.
My childhood dog was a springer and I always knew I needed those black curly ears back but my house wasn't suitable for anything too big so a cocker it was.
Our favourite Woof and Snout product to accompany us on our adventures is definitely the pure collar. I'm a plain Jane when it comes to colours so that collar is perfect for us. Not only is it super easy to clean but the bright colours and quality means I never have to question safety.
I'm a small business owner myself and we share the same values of making dogs and their owners smile! We have recently started a blog on their called Oggy's Outdoor Adventures so if you want to see what we get up to or need a new walk check out www.smilingspaniels.com
I would have to say my favourite adventure is an evening stroll watching the sunset on Llanfairfechan beach! It's so peaceful and not many people go to it so it makes it the perfect place to practice recall. However because it is so quiet there tends to be a lot of stuff that's been washed up. Oggy once found a dead shark to eat... he thought it was a great game of 'you can't catch me'.
The beach does go on for miles which is great as you can vary the length of the walk to suit how your feeling. You could simply just sit on a bench and watch the tide go in or out.
Another amazing walk as I can't only pick one has to be the Cannock Chase as it's a beautiful forest with an endless amount of routes you can follow. I may also be a bit bias as this is where I grew up however I havnt explored it much with Oggy so that's some of our plans for the summer!
Our other plans include doing weekend aways in different places around the UK, I want to try and go on as many adventures as we can (hopefully meet some of our friends!). This is mainly to build my confidence up as I've had it knocked and being a young female can make exploring places by yourself a little bit more tricky. However we are determined to make it the best summer yet and not be held back!
Our favourite Woof and Snout product to accompany us on our adventures is definitely the pure collar. I'm a plain Jane when it comes to colours so that collar is perfect for us. Not only is it super easy to clean but the bright colours and quality means I never have to question safety.
We have recently started a blog called Oggy's Outdoor Adventures so if you want to see what we get up to or need a new walk check out www.smilingspaniels.com
An extra question please for the pack pages
As an extra to “why did you choose a *insert breed here*… “what advice would you give to other people considering the breed?”
Enrichment, enrichment... Oh and enrichment. Do you research on working breeds and know how to fulfill their needs. Most cases a walk is not good enough!
Straight after the top bit 👆🏽
For Oggy we love using enrichment mats, we have a lovely one in yellow that has so much suction on the bottom that it's impossible to move! It's a great way to keep them occupied while you're doing something like cleaning the house.
I would have to say my favourite adventure is an evening stroll watching the sunset on Llanfairfechan beach! It's so peaceful and not many people go to it so it makes it the perfect place to practice recall. However because it is so quiet there tends to be a lot of stuff that's been washed up. Oggy once found a dead shark to eat... he thought it was a great game of 'you can't catch me'.
The beach does go on for miles which is great as you can vary the length of the walk to suit how your feeling. You could simply just sit on a bench and watch the tide go in or out.
15kg puppy
Winnie
Hi, I’m Emma. I’m Winnie’s mum and best friend! Winnie is a working cocker spaniel. She is currently unemployed, and an August Leo - just like me. I’m 25 and live with just Win up in Newcastle. I got Winnie in October 2023. A couple of my favourite things about her when we met were that she was the biggest puppy in the litter and she had little white socks on her back paws and a white patch under her bottom lip. She still does have these but they’re not as distinct as they were.
I first put a deposit down on Winnie before we even met, when her mum became pregnant. I had to drive all the way down to Birmingham to visit her and collect her! An interesting fact is about Winnies history is that her mum and dad have never had a black litter before! I personally never thought I would have a black dog again as it reminded me so much of our previous dog, Ruby. However, a black and gold litter instead of a liver litter came as a total shock. But, I fell in love with the chunky black puppy with the white bib on her chest and two white socks. After that, nothing else mattered.
Day to day life with Winnie
I absolutely love taking Winnie to the beach and woods. She is quite independent so isn’t massively into cuddling - unless she’s been on an adventure to one of these spots and is worn out! We love playing fetch as well as hiring out agility fields. We do agility purely for fun and she is super confident. She gets a lot of enjoyment out of climbing on things and I get to take some lovely pictures in the process. Myself and my family have encouraged Winnie to like water from a very young age after we noticed she would tend to shy away from going to the toilet in the rain and walk around any puddles. Fast forward to 9 months old and now any body of water she can find, she will enter! She absolutely loves the sea, she goes crazy in it! She chases waves and goes for a paddle. More recently she decided to take a dip in a stagnant pond next to a farm we had walked by. It was safe to say she didn’t enjoy the hosepipe shower outside quite as much as the dip!
Around November 2023 I purchased a new camera, a Canon EOS2000D. With help from Meg (the founder of Woof and Snout) and some dog mums I met through Instagram, I’ve started to take some really lovely photographs of Winnie I am proud of. Quite a lot of the photos I take involve some sort of natural treat, usually a trachea or pig ear. Otherwise, they have the common theme of Winnie climbing on agility equipment or anything else she can find.
Another fun fact for Winnie is that she treats her pig ears and tracheas like a toy. They provide constant enrichment for her. It’s a bit of a running joke how cheap her enrichment ends up costing me - she’s easily satisfied! It’s only after a week or so she will finally decide to eat them!
Why did I choose a working cocker spaniel?
I chose a Working Cocker Spaniel specifically because of my family dog, Ruby. Ruby was still plodding along up until 4 years ago. I love the breed and how clever they are, yet how silly they can be at the same time.
My advice to anybody wanting to get a Working Cocker Spaniel is to be prepared for a puppy (and dog) full of energy and always looking to do something! Whether it be playing by themselves or trying to steal a lost sock. Be prepared to train them to settle. I have found crate training really beneficial for this.
Our Favourite Woof and Snout Product
My favourite Woof and Snout product has to be the latest collar we have had made! We custom-designed the “Bookkeeper” style collar in pink and yellow - the perfect summer combo. It gives “sunshine smile” vibes which fits Winnie and me perfectly. I also love how easy it is to clean, and how it doesn’t end up stinking after our woodland walks. I love that you can attach the lead from 2 locations, so sometimes I can have the yellow on display, or have the pink predominantly showing.
Our Best Adventure Yet!
Our favourite adventure so far has definitely been a recent visit to Penshaw Woods in Sunderland. Seeing Winnie running about off-lead, climbing the steep sides and having the time of her life was brilliant. Especially with it being such a scenic place. There were bluebells and lots of greenery as well as wild garlic! Winnie definitely smelt quite strong afterwards, but thankfully her collar did not! We usually spend around an hour walking through Penshaw Woods. But, that’s not accounting for the extra time we spend playing fetch. The length of the walk can vary between 2-3 miles, depending on the paths you choose to take. If you would like to visit Penshaw Woods with your dog, you can find it through What3Words (Card.Retain.Landed).
Our five top dog-friendly places to visit around Tyneside:
- Penshaw Woods & Monument (amazing circular walk too)
- South Shields Beach
- Little Haven Beach (this is a dog friendly beach all year round!)
- Tynemouth
- Bamburgh to Seahouses Walk, Northumberlandia
Follow along with Emma and Winnie's adventures
You can follow Emma and Winnie on Instagram (@winnieworkingcocker) and their growing Tiktok account (@winnieworkingc).