The English Cocker Spaniel is one of the oldest land spaniels. His ancestry
can be traced to Spanish spaniels. He was used to flush woodcock in Wales
during the seventeenth century, thus the name "Cocker." In 1892,
the Kennel Club of Great Britain recognized the English Cocker Spaniel as
a separate breed from the Field and Springer Spaniels. Selective breeding
has reinforced them as separate breeds. The English Cocker is also considered
by some to be an ancestor of the American Cocker Spaniel but they are two
separate breeds today in both England and the United States.
The English Cocker is obedient, cheerful, loving and good with children.
While making a wonderful companion, it is also a hunting dog. It is ideal
for flushing and retrieving game from dense cover. As a hunting dog, it
requires plenty of exercise. Due to it's long coat, regular grooming is
also a must.
The English Cocker's head is slightly flat at the crown with a definite
dropoff (stop) between the skull and muzzle. The muzzle is well defined
and square in shape with a scissors bite. The ears are long and low-set,
covered with long wavy hair. The eyes are medium-sized and either dark brown
or hazel, expressing dignity, alertness and intelligence. The legs are straight
and muscular. The chest is broad and deep. It's body is square in build
but longer than the American Cockers'. The topline slopes gently from shoulders
to loin. The tail is usually docked and carried horizontally when the dog
is in action. The coat lies flat against the English Cocker's body and is
of medium length and either straight or slightly wavy but not curly. It
is short on the head and lower legs but full on the rest of the body. There
is a dense undercoat. Colors include buff, black, black and tan, black and
white. Average height is from fifteen to sixteen inches for females and
sixteen to seventeen inches for males The average weight for females is
between 26 and 32 pounds while the male is 28 to 24 pounds.
shellwat@msn.com of Queensland, Australia writes:
A loyal, affectionate and adorable member of the family.
We adopted a red roan EC aged six months. This was the best decision
we ever made. He is young enough to break habits and achieve in obedience.
ECs want to spend every minute of the day with their owner and love oodles
of love and affection. Ours makes many friends whislt out, both two-legged
and four-legged, he is not scared of strangers and mixes well with other
dogs. From my knowledge ECs don't cope with harsh training. Ours always
looks for reassurance that he has done the right thing and loves the rewards.
He wakes me in the morning with his wagging tail (wiggle butt) and goes
to bed with the same happy merry nature. If you are not home very much an
EC is not the right dog for you, these dogs live for your love and affection.
I must say I am hooked I would not want any other dog. In summation, they
are loyal, affectionate, excitable, funny and the best friend you will ever
have.
harrica@loreto.vic.edu.au of Victoria, Australia writes:
The best breed in the world.
English Cocker Spaniels are fantastic. They have been my only breed
of dog for my entire life and I wouldn't have it any other way. Other dog
owners are jealous of the temperament of the ECS p; nothing can be faulted!
dovelygirl@excite.com of Pensacola, FL writes:
Reliable, loving best friend.
My ECS. was a female blue roan. She was my best friend and we passionately
loved one another. She was bright and alive every morning just waiting to
go for a walk. But also the first to protectively cuddle me if I was sick
and remain diligently at my side. She was playful, always careful not to
bite and so good with the children. She is gone now and we miss her. Now
we are searching to rescue another blue roan girl like she was. Once you
look into the gentle eyes of an ECS and see those floppy ears a-flapping
as an English Cocker runs up to greet you, you will be hooked too.
Name withheld by request of Atlanta, GA writes:
Have one and fall in love for life.
I have had English Cockers for over fifteen years and currently have
two, an eleven-year-old male that I have had since a puppy and a six-year-old
female that I have had for two years. I can't imagine my life without them.
They are small enough to be lap dogs, travel well, and handle easily, but
are also large enough to be solid and energetic.
ECs are happy swimming, playing fetch, and rolling around on the floor.
They MUST be with people and will whine if left by themselves. Left to their
own devices, they will find trouble. Mine wouldn't hear of not being let
on the bed or the couch. But having them curled up with me on the couch
are some of the best moments we've shared.
ECs LOVE food and can become terrible beggars. Their sad looking faces are
good for tricking you into passing out treats. But because of their smaller
size, they can gain weight quickly. They also have some other minor health
problems such as ear infections and infections in their lip folds. A few
minutes of preventative maintenance will keep these problems in check. I
have never had any serious health issues with any of my ECs and you would
never know my older one is eleven. He acts like a four-year-old.
Overall, ECs are loving and affectionate, energetic not hyper, playful and
curious, intelligent and eager to please, and sometimes just plain silly.
You'll never have a dog that will bestow upon you so many "kisses"
and make you laugh more.
PUPdogHOUSE@aol.co.uk of Gloucestershire, UK writes:
Cockers are brill!
A lovely breed. They are compact, affectionate, and look good.
Name withheld by request of Canada writes:
The most loving little creature in the world.
I own an orange and white ECS female and what I learned with her is
that if I ever turn out to be half of what she thinks I am, I will be the
best person on the planet! These dogs' whole world is their owner, in other
words if you don't plan on turning them into a big part of your life and
your time, do not get them. They cherish you and devote their little lives
to you, so be ready for lots of displays of affection (even when you don't
feel like it). Another important thing to consider is the health issue,
no matter how much breeders try to sell them as healthy dogs, if you don't
intend on cleaning ears, teeth and eyes at least once a week, get ready
for trouble. Even with proper care (I am a veterinarian) my
dog still has ear infections sometimes. If after reading a lot about them
and knowing the specifics of this breed, you decide they are right for you,
be sure that the love you are going to experience with those little long-eared
creatures is beyond any explanation. Tip: get a video camera because they
are quite funny.
kitty99_hn@yahoo.com of Tegucigalpa, Honduras writes on 11/1/99:
The best dogs ever!
Having an English Cocker Spaniel is one of the most wonderful experiences
in my life. After getting "Emily" as a birthday present over three
years ago I discovered that this was a breed different from others. The
puppies , unlike many breeds, are playful, curious ,sympathic , friendly
, intelligent, have a great ability of learning every trick possble. They
count with a great dispossition to do everything you ask them for and follow
you anywere. As adults they continue having those qualities and make wonderful
companions - able to change your bad mood with only looking into their dark
sad eyes and their frenetic tail wagging.
The ECS is not a toy breed. They are a sporting breed and need lots of excercise
(half an hour walk may do), if they don't they tend to get nervous and move
all around. Their ears need lo be cleaned every once in a while and their
eyes tend to need a little bit of attention. They look pretty good without
been trimed but they look even better if you do. They need to be brushed
frequently too. Be careful if you are willing to get one of these find a
reputable breeder ,do not buy the first puppy with long ears you find (many
of them are a mix with American Cocker spaniels). Behind all these special
attentions (which won't take more than 10 min a day), the only thing you
have to do is give them tons of love and you'll have the best do and most
baeautyful dog you ever imagined.
canecs@glasscity.net of Swanton, OH writes on 10/13/99:
Loving, energetic, beautiful, and a joy to show and live with.
I got interested in the breed when my son got one for jr. handling. I became
so enthusiastic, I gave up my former breed. Small enough to have a few,
big eneough not to be fragile. Energetic eneough to do all the things I
enjoy: long walks in the woods, obedience, therapy visits, couch cuddlers
and breed ring champions.
SAllbark@cs.com of Wauwatosa, WI writes on 10/10/99:
I love these dogs!
I have owned many breeds in the past. However after having the English Cocker
Spaniel, I will never be without one! They are excellent family dogs, and
wonderful companions. If you are not looking for a dog that will want to
be with you 24 hours a day do NOT get an ECS. They live to be near their
people. And to be honest I have never had a breed that has made me laugh
so much, they are so amusing and fun. I cannot say enough good about these
wonderful dogs!
cedarbrook@mindspring.com of Alabama writes on 10/7/99:
Special dogs for special people
I have owned and bred English Cocker Spaniels in the US for over 17 years.
During that time other breeds came and went from our household, but the
English Cocker has remained a permanent fixture. I think ECs are proof that
Mother Nature loves to laugh. Truly the clown of the dog world, they are
just as happy laying on the couch watching TV with the family as they are
trotting merrily through the field searching for birds. While some hunting
dogs may seem more "high-strung" and hyper, the typical EC is
a very mellow, loving dog. Very much a family dog, they definitely should
not be considered for a busy family that has no quality time to spend with
their pet. Easily bored, they can become destructive and/or noisy when left
alone for long periods of time. I have found that those who shared our life
and home (and that has included champions and top producers of the breed
as well as our "pets") to be very eager to please, the main problem
being that they are SO smart they sometimes can outfox the owner! They are
challenging but satisfying students of almost all performance events including
agility, hunt tests, obedience, etc. Temperaments vary from bloodline to
bloodline, and indeed some say from color to color, but a typical EC will
greet strangers at the door with wariness until they receive the OK from
you, at which time they'll usually shower this new friend with kisses (and
hair <g>). They require grooming every couple of months, and brushing
several times weekly (depending on the amount and type of coat, which also
varies from color to color, and bloodline to bloodline). As with most breeds,
there are several genetic health problems possible. Any reputable breeder
should be willing to explain and discuss these with you.
If I could only have one dog, it would be an English Cocker Spaniel. And
I would have no preference of dog or bitch. Unlike some breeds, the males
of this breed are usually quite soft and loving, and no harder to housebreak
than any other dog. Also as with most any other breed, pets should be spayed
or neutered as young as possible to not only avoid unwanted pregnancy but
to avoid medical problems in later years.
There are many well-educated, knowledgeable and responsible breeders of
English Cocker Spaniels around the world. . .unfortunately there are also
those that choose to profit from producing EC puppies. The ticket to finding
the perfect dog for your family is to keep looking until you find a responsible
breeder you can trust, and then trust them to choose the right dog for you.