DOGS BY BREED :: ENGLISH COCKER SPANIEL

English Cocker Spaniel

The English Cocker Spaniel comes from England and was bred originally to hunt small game. It's origins can be dated back to the 1800's. The English Cocker Spaniel is also known by the other name of Cocker Spaniel. This dog is classified as one of the Sporting Dog Group which we go on to describe in detail in the section at the bottom of this page. The English Cocker Spaniel was first Registered by the AKC (American Kennel Club) in 1878. Name Facts and Dog Names: This dog's name is sometimes misspelled as Cockerspaniel and the word Spaniel is often misspelled as Spanial.

The origins of this dog are quite clearly held in its name. The word spaniel comes from the word "Espagnol" which means Spanish from where all of the Spaniel breeds hold their origins. The word "Cocker" relates to the breeds heritage and its use of hunting Woodcock pigeons.

Coat and Colors

The English Cocker Spaniel's coat comes in a variety of shades. The coat is normally flat and silky.

Potential Health Problems

All owners of dogs and puppies are concerned about the health care of their pets and just as with humans dog health issues arise from time to time. Resolving dog health problems, including those of the English Cocker Spaniel, can prove to be costly and it would be wise to consider the benefits of obtaining dog health insurance. Diseases in dogs may occur because of trauma, infection, immune system abnormalities, genetic factors, or degenerative conditions. Common health problems and questions occur in relation to the Bones, Joints, Muscles, Nerves, Ears, Eyes, Teeth and the Mouth. Other, more serious, issues can relate to the Digestive System, Heart & Respiratory Systems, Immune & Blood Systems, Reproduction and Urinary Systems. Potential health problems of the English Cocker Spaniel can include:

  • Eye Infections, cataracts and glaucoma
  • Ear Infections

Grooming and Care

The English Cocker Spaniel requires weekly care and grooming. All dog breeds require a certain amount of grooming and care is necessary to keep dogs and puppies looking at their best. Grooming consists of not only brushing out the coat and bathing but also giving attention to the eyes, teeth, ears, feet and nails. A regular routine also ensures that any potential health problems are identified as quickly as possible, especially important in puppies and older English Cocker Spaniel dogs.

Life Expectancy Information

The life expectancy for this particular breed is 12 Ð 14 years.

Age comparison between the English Cocker Spaniel Dog Breed and a Human

Age comparisons between dogs and humans are always a matter of debate - we hope that the following information clarifies the situation. After the first year of life, a dog is equivalent to sixteen human years. After two years, they are equivalent to a 24 year old, at three years a 30 year old, and each year after, add 5 human years to determine a dog's age.

Sporting Dog (Gundog) Breed Information

Dogs in the Sporting group, which are referred to in England as Gundogs, which include the English Cocker Spaniel, can be divided into three main categories - Retrievers, Pointers and Setters. These dogs were bred primarily to work with people to hunt game birds. Some of these dogs work in water whilst other dogs are more suited to work on land and many of the dogs in the Sporting dog category are comfortable and capable of working in either land or water environments. Sporting dogs, including the English Cocker Spaniel, are particularly suited to wood and field activities. The Retriever, Pointer and Setter dogs and their main functionalities are as follows:

  • The Retriever dog - Retriever dogs find and return killed game to the hunter. Some Retrievers are especially equipped, for instance with a water-repellent coat and webbed feet, for retrieving downed waterfowl.
  • The Pointer dog - Pointer dogs stand in front of their quarry, with their nose and body rigidly still , thus directing (or pointing) the hunter to its location.
  • The Setter dog - Setter dogs were originally trained to set, or crouch, in front of game preventing the escape of the quarry. The hunter would make the capture with a net.

Sporting Dogs hunt by air scent, as opposed to ground scent used by the dogs categorised as being in the Hound category. Characteristics and features of Sporting Dogs have been introduced and strengthened by breeding with animals who already demonstrated the desired traits. Breeding for appearance was only introduced in the 19th Century. Before this time dogs and puppies were bred to increase useful abilities and traits helpful for the duties they were intended for. Thus, the various Sporting breeds, or Gundogs, including the English Cocker Spaniel, were initially introduced to help man according to his specific requirements such as:

  • Hunting game birds
  • Hunting waterfowl
  • Retrieving game that had been shot and wounded
  • Pointing to game to allow the hunter to catch or shoot the quarry
  • Startling, or flushing, birds from their cover

In this day and age only a few English Cocker Spaniels might undertake these tasks, but nevertheless, they still harbour the skills and characteristics that made the original English Cocker Spanial breeding program successful.

It is said that they are perhaps the most intelligent of the breeds, resulting in their wide variety of uses and their ease of training. These dogs like to be around people and are active and alert and require regular, invigorating exercise and lots of attention.