It is athletic and friendly; it stands out because of its enthusiasm while being in the countryside and its agility to look for a prey in the brushes. This is a very resistant dog, capable of covering much field in a relatively short period of time. Although it is still used for hunting, nowadays it is more common to see it between the brushes of a garden.
ALLOWED COLOURS
History:
It was recognized as a breed in the XIX century. Its name derives from the ancient French “espaigneul”, (‘Spanish Dog’) regarding to the home country of the original Spaniels. They arrived in England with their Spanish owners, and some specimens were given as presents to English aristocrats to work on their farms.
In those days, they were used to classify a special type of hunting dog. As time went by, the breed was divided in two varieties: Water Spaniel (water bird hunting) and Field Spaniel (which worked as a gun dog).
When a new litter was born, the different specimens were separated because of their size: the bigger ones were used to hunt big-sized birds, and the smaller ones to hunt small preys (quails). This last variety was given the name of “Cocker”. It was not until 1892 when the United Kingdom Kennel Club recognized it as an oficial breed, finally distinguishing the two varieties.
Characteristics::
Height bitch: 36~41 cm / Height male: 38~43 cm
Weight bitch: 12~15 kg / Weight male: 13~16 kg
The English Cocker Spaniel is harmonious, strong and compact. It has muscular legs and a good bone structure. The ears are set to the eyes’ level and are covered by some long, straight and silky fringes. The tail is carried horizontally and it is usually docked, but not much. It has a straight and silky coat. It also has fringes over its front quarters, its body and in the hocks. Its coat may be of many colors, except pure white.
It has a broad head, with a light appearance and big nose. The ears are low-set to the level of the eyes, and tend to be lobe-shaped. It has big eyes. They tend to be brown, very dark, but there are some specimens with light eyes. Its eyes have an intelligent, alert, bright and cheerful appearance.
This dog may be seen in different colors. In solid colored dogs it is allowed to have a White marking on the chest.
The coat may be solid colored or of many colors. In solid colored dogs it is allowed to have a White marking on the chest.
The coat is straight and silky. The legs and the lower part of the body must have fringes.
It has long, lobe-shaped ears which go down to the nose. Its skull is perfectly molded and developed, and ends with a squared snout. Its eyes are round and brown or dark Brown colored.
Temperament:
The English Cocker Spaniel is an active, noisy, passionate and docile dog. It has a characteristically tail movement, very cheerful.
These dogs have a good socialization level since they are puppies. They will creat a close bond with just one member of the family, and that person is generally the one who feeds it.
Maintenance:
The English Cocker Spaniel is very lively and needs a lot of daily exercise; it is not enough with two or three walks a day. It also needs a regular brushing.
When the Cocker Spaniel comes back from the countryside, it is important to clean their ears to check if there is any tangled object or spikes.
While the under coat is soft and is attached to the skin, the outer coat is long, silky and straight, and Works as a protection both for the skin and the body. It is necessary for it to brush and cut its coat regularly, and to pay special attention to the ears to avoid tangled hair.
It has a plump appearance because of the biggest part of its body, its skin. The skin does not only have an esthetic role, but also protects the body from many diseases and infections. Its coat has also complementary functions, which consist on insulating the body and protecting the skin from possible traumas and damages because of the sun light, the heat or irritant agents. It usually suffers skin irritations, and that is why it is important the presence of nutrients on its diet, because they maintain the skin functioning.
Health:
The Cocker is a resistant dog but it tends to suffer eye diseases (Progressive Retinal Atrophy, cataracts and glaucoma) and in many cases it turns blind after it is 10 years old.
The ears are another big problem. As they are long and trailing, they are dragged along the ground and this may cause ear infections.
References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Cocker_Spaniel
You can download the FCI (International Cinological Federation) standard at the following link: http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/005g08-en.pdf
on English Cocker SpanielTiago, podrías indicarnos qué foto y qué parte de la descripción estarían mal? gracias.
on English Cocker SpanielHay algunas fotos y descripciones del cocker spaniel americano, la página es muy buena pero hay que precisar en esos...
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Santiago –
Hay algunas fotos y descripciones del cocker spaniel americano, la página es muy buena pero hay que precisar en esos detalles
RaulBlas –
Tiago, podrías indicarnos qué foto y qué parte de la descripción estarían mal? gracias.