English Cocker Spaniel

Breed: English Cocker Spaniel I Size: Medium I Average lifespan: 12+ years I Character: Affectionate, stubborn, and playful I Coat: Medium-long I Origin: England.

The English Cocker Spaniel is an affectionate, playful, and dynamic dog breed. While they were originally hunting dogs, nowadays, they are loyal companion dogs.

The origins of the English Cocker Spaniel

The English Cocker Spaniel’s earliest sightings

To begin with, the English Cocker Spaniel appeared for the first time during the 18th century. At the time, this breed was used to hunt small game. In particular, they were used for woodcock hunting, which is where the name “Cocker” comes from. The name “English Cocker Spaniel” was cited for the first time during the second half of the 19th century. Then, they were officially standardized and recognized in 1892 by the Kennel Club in England. The breed was introduced to France during the following years and in 1901, the French standard of the Cocker Spaniel was established. These dogs were imported to the United States and that is how the American Cocker Spaniel breed came to be.

From hunting dogs to companion dogs

While English Cocker Spaniels were originally used for woodcock hunting, they quickly became companion animals appreciated for their numerous qualities. They then became more and more present in households.

The breed reached its peak of popularity during the 1970s in France. However, due of their success, some people did not handle their breeding correctly: inbreeding, poor weaning, etc., resulting in dogs that were sometimes aggressive and unbalanced. Fortunately, nowadays, thanks to conscientious and passionate breeders, the qualities of this dog breed are being preserved.

The English Cocker Spaniel’s character

The English Cocker Spaniel is an loving and playful companion dog.

What are the qualities of the English Cocker Spaniel?

English Cocker Spaniels are very affectionate dogs who like spending time with their owners. In addition, as they are very playful, they are excellent companions for children. They are also very energetic dogs who can be great running companions. These dogs are known for being naturally playful and mischievous, always putting a smile on their owners’ faces.

Are there any downsides to having an English Cocker Spaniel?

As the breed has a strong character, they can be quite stubborn. Because of this, they need firm and constant education to not dominate the entire home. Additionally, this very active dog needs a lot of daily exercise to put their energy to good use.

As this breed can get very attached to their owners, they have a hard time handling solitude. Therefore, it’s important to make sure they get used to being without you progressively from a very young age. If they are left without company for too long, the English Cocker Spaniel can start compulsively barking or even be destructive.

This Letsgetpet article might interest you: How to teach your dog to stay home alone

The physical characteristics of the English Cocker Spaniel

General

To begin with, the English Cocker Spaniel is a medium-sized dog with a thin and muscular body. They have a large chest for their size. Their wavy hair is medium-long to long and is never curly. This breed is known for its long falling ears that are covered in hair. Their tail is medium-long and constantly wags.

Head

The head is really round with a long muzzle. The stop (part where the muzzle touches the forehead) is really marked and located mid-distance from the nose and the occiput. When it comes to the muzzle, it is rather long and square. It ends with a large nose that gives them a very well-developed sense of smell for hunting. Their jaw is powerful and their cheeks are a little protruding.

The eyes of this breed are large, but not bulging. The colors varies from dark brown to hazelnut based on the color of the coat. However, their eyes are never light-colored.

The characteristic ears are in the form of lobes. They start rather low on the skull around the eye level. They are covered with long and luscious hair.

Body

The English Cocker Spaniel has a compact and muscular body with a short neck. It is not covered with long hair. Their chest is large. When it comes to the tail, it starts low on their back. It thins out towards the end and is covered with wavy hair that is the same color of the coat. Their tail is perpetually moving.

The legs of the English Cocker Spaniel are both short and powerful. They have wavy hair that gives the dog breed an elegant look. They toes are compact and have thick paw pads.

Coat, color, and grooming

Coat

The coat of the English Cocker Spaniel is luscious and can be slightly wavy. The body and legs of the breed have long, wavy hair.

Colors

The coat of this breed can be unicolor, bicolor, tricolor, or roaned. A unicolor English Cocker Spaniel can be black, red, fawn, or brown. This breed cannot be entirely white and it is only accepted as a patch on the chest.

Bicolor English Cocker Spaniels are black and white, brown and white, or lemon and white. Tricolors dogs are black, white and tan, or brown, white and tan.

A roan hue is a mixture of colors with a dominant color: roan blue, roan orange, roan lemon or roan brown.

Grooming

While the English Cocker Spaniel is robust, they need regular grooming to stay in good health and to keep their impeccable coat clean. Their grooming should mainly be focused on their coat, ears, and eyes.

To begin with, you need to brush the coat once per week minimum to avoid knots. After each outing, you should check their coat for foreign matter like leaves, thorns, and dirt. It can be worth taking your dog to the groomer for a maintenance trim.

Their ears are sensitive and need to be checked regularly. By washing them with an appropriate product, you can avoid frequent infections. We can also trim the hair a bit to lighten the area and avoid penetrating the inner ear.

You should also monitor the eyes of the breed. This is because they can be sensitive to infections as well. In case of redness, a physiological serum can be applied. If the redness persists, it is best to contact a vet.

Did you know?

Lastly, as proof of this breed’s popularity, it has appeared in many fictional works such as Bill in the comic strip Billy & Buddy and Lady in the film Lady and the Tramp.