English Springers or English Cockers are versatile. They will flush most anything and do acceptable water retrieving as long as the conditions are not extreme.
However, examples from the best breeding will usually take a few years to calm down and be low key. My current English Cocker is now three and around the house has settled in. Get him outside and it becomes obvious why they call them "pocket rockets."
Don't make the mistake of confusing the English Cocker with the American Cocker.
Having had both a great Boykin Spaniel and now a 2 1/2 yr. old field bred English Cocker, Battue knows what he's talking about. They're very versatile and make wonderful house dog companions as they mature but once they're in the field they live to hunt. I love the size and both have been great upland dogs, but mine almost needs to be out running at least 45 min./day to run off the energy. My dog is my cardio workout.
