Cocker Spaniel Information

Cocker Spaniel History

The Cocker Spaniel was known to be originally developed from the English Cocker Spaniels. They were carefully bred here in the U.S. and now are called the American Cocker Spaniels. The American Cocker Spaniel is smaller than the English breed and has a different conformation.

The name Cocker in Cocker Spaniel comes from the bird named the woodcock. The dog breed was used to hunt and catch these game birds. Today, the breed is known as a wonderful family dog and has a very glamorous look.

Cocker Spaniels' Appearance

The Cocker Spaniel is known as a beautiful long haired dog breed. They have very long hanging ears, a rounded head, and a long silky beautiful coat. The muzzle on the Cocker Spaniel is wide and deep. The teeth are very strong and form in a scissors bite. The nose is always either black or brown depending on the coat color. The eyes are round and deep in color and are set to look straight ahead.

The body of the Cocker Spaniel is very compact and the back is short. They appear very glamorous and dainty at first glance. The long feathery coat comes in various colors such as black, buff, black and tan, and also parti-colored as well.

Cocker Spaniel's Temperament

The Cocker Spaniel is by nature a bold working dog, used as a gundog yet would be perfectly well suited to be a house pet. The Cocker is known to be sweet and loving. They are very respectful of the family and its owner. They can be used a watch dog if need be. They are very endearing and very intelligent as well. They pretty much love everyone they come in contact with and love to be around lots of people even children. They have a tendency to be quite shy; to avoid this, the puppy should be well socialized from a very early age. They also can be difficult to housebreak as well, this is why early training is important.

The Cocker Spaniel is known to be a bit temperamental so you must make sure you are getting the dog from a reputable breeder. The Cocker Spaniel is good with children as long as they are coming from good bloodlines and well socialized but beware of cockers that are not coming from good pure lines as they can be aggressive in nature and have uneven temperaments.

Cocker Spaniel's Role

The Cocker Spaniel plays the role of the loyal family dog. The breed is meant as a gundog but now in recent years has become more of a companion dog. They are sweet natured and intelligent. Their beauty has made them very popular over the years, and with proper training and socialization, they have grown to be a top choice as a family dog.