Cocker Spaniels

Qualities of beauty, showmanship and companionship make the Cocker Spaniel the most popular dog in the United States, perhaps in the world. Year after year he leads all the rest in registrations by big margins. The American variety is the smallest of the sporting Spaniels and as such makes an ideal house dog. The value of the dog in the field, however, has been dimmed because of the accent on pet and show breeding. He is, however, a natural hunter and efforts to restore him to that vocation are proving successful.

Cocker Spaniel

The American Cocker Spaniel stems from the English Cocker. About fifty years ago American breeders began to develop their own type and in time brought forth a somewhat smaller dog which, while resembling his forebear, nevertheless had points of difference. The two varieties now are regarded as two distinct breeds and are entered separately at dog shows, with the American variety far and away the more numerous.

You can read about "Clumber Spaniel" here

In the ring, also, the American type is divided by coat color. There are three color classifications--solid black; any other solid color, but including black and tan; and parti-color. The blacks have the numerical edge over the others. The standard calls for a weight minimum of 22 pounds and a maximum of 28. The weight had an important bearing on whether a dog was a Cocker Spaniel or a Field Spaniel at early dog shows. If he was over 28 pounds, he was a Field Spaniel, if under, a Cocker. 

There are tales of a dog winning as a Cocker Spaniel in the morning, eating a hearty meal and returning in the afternoon to score as a Field Spaniel. The Spaniel family, given the name because it came from Spain, is among the world's oldest. As in the case of other breeds, the Cockers have undergone style changes-long legs and short; long back and short, etc. Today's American Cocker has a short body and a chest that is broader than in other Spaniels; a rounded skull; the eyes round, full and soft; the ears lobular and clothed with long, silky hair. 

The coat may be flat or slightly waved, soft and dense and well feathered about the ears, chest, abdomen and legs. America's leading breed has been established in this country longer than most others. He was already well known when the American Kennel Club was organized in 1884. The early dogs here were mostly light parti-colors or tans. In the Westminster show of 1882 a large black Field Spaniel, weighing 40 pounds, caused a considerable stir.

The present color varieties trace back to two dogs, Obo and Chloe, imported in whelp about 1880 by F. F. Fletcher of Claremont, N. H. One of the sons, Obo II, sired large litters of solid black dogs. Another son sired mixed colors and they, with others of the same breeding, held down the weights and helped fix the type. English and American Cockers competed as the same breed until 1946, when prolonged efforts by enthusiasts of the English version gained separate recognition from the A.K.C.

The Cocker is indeed a friendly dog, amenable to the human family and the home. Children are perfectly safe with him, and he makes an ideal companion at play. In 1924, field trials for Cocker Spaniels were started in this country and have been continued since. Like other Spaniels, the Cocker can be adept at both flushing and retrieving. 

Cocker Spaniel Characteristic

An excellent hunter and an affectionate, adaptable housedog: good with children; very responsive to training..

Height: Dog 14--1572 in bitch 132-1412 in 

Coat type: Silky, flat or slightly wavy, needs daily brushing and combing, bath and trim every eight weeks professional trimming needed at regular intervals.

Color: Black variety is jet black any solid color other than black any uniform shade black and tan parti-color-two or more definite colors in clearly defined markings

Exercise: Needs a lot.

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