American Cocker Spaniel

The American Cocker Spaniel is a sporting spaniel and a close relative of the English Cocker Spaniel. The two drew apart during the 20th century, as American and British breeders worked to different standards. In the United States it is simply called the Cocker Spaniel.

History

The first spaniel in America is said to have arrived on the Mayflower in 1620. The first Cocker registered with the American Kennel Club was a liver and white dog named Captain, in 1878. A breed club was formed in 1881. Now the American Spaniel Club, it is the oldest dog breed club in the United States.

By the 1920s American Cockers were smaller and lighter than the English, with a shorter muzzle and a softer coat. The American Kennel Club recognised the English Cocker as a separate breed in 1946. The Kennel Club in Britain registered its first American Cocker in 1956 and gave the breed its own register in 1970.

The American Cocker was the most popular breed in the United States from 1940 to 1952 and again from 1984 to 1990. It has won Best in Show at Westminster four times.

Appearance

This is the smallest of the sporting dogs recognised by the American Kennel Club, at 13.5 to 15.5 inches (34 to 39 cm) at the withers and 24 to 30 pounds (11 to 14 kg). Females are a little lighter than males.

The head makes the breed easy to recognize: a rounded skull, a clear stop, a square lip and large, dark, round eyes. The ears are long, set low and covered in silky hair. The coat is medium-long and silky, with feathering on the legs and belly.

Colors fall into three groups. One is black, with or without tan points. The second is any other solid color, from light cream to dark red. The third is parti-color, white with patches of another color, and it includes roans.

Temperament

The breed is nicknamed the Merry Cocker, and its standard asks for an even temper with no hint of timidity. It rates well for trainability. It is fond of people and prefers company to long hours alone. With early socialization it lives well with adults, children, other dogs and other pets.

It began as a hunting dog, but long breeding for the show ring, and the long coat in particular, means it is no longer an ideal working dog.

Care and health

A 2024 study in the United Kingdom found a life expectancy of 13.3 years, a little above the average for purebred dogs.

The breed is prone to eye disease. In one American study it had the highest rate of glaucoma of any breed, and it is among those more often affected by an inherited form of progressive retinal degeneration. It can develop a form of dilated cardiomyopathy linked to low taurine, which in many cases is reversible. It is predisposed to hypothyroidism and to skin and ear conditions, including allergic skin disease and otitis externa.

Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.