Let's talk English Cocker Spaniel

All you need to know about the breed

Don’t let the posh coat fool you: The English Cocker Spaniel is as rugged as they are captivating, suited to the great outdoors having been bred as a hunting dog. An ever-faithful companion, they’re always eager for a long walk, or even a hike, no matter the weather. The main attraction, besides the chance to stomp around in nature? You. Whether out and about or cosied up by the fire, the breed is never not content to be around his humans. They are devoted by nature.

Using gentle yet firm training from a young age will help entrust your English Cocker Spaniel. The breed can have a mind of its own and with hunting as its instinct, they can sometimes be undecided about coming when called. The English Cocker Spaniel bark can be an issue--as it can be for any hunting breed—but here, too, training can help.

The English Cocker Spaniel earned its reputation as an expert retriever of game birds, thus known as a bird dog or a gun dog. The smallest of the Sporting Group, their instinctual drive to find and retrieve could translate to picking up objects on the homefront and carrying to another spot. Try a healthy game of fetch if your dog seems restless. Steadiness is the breed hallmark, and their stable bodies will glide through the field--or the yard--with the greatest of ease.

The English Cocker Spaniel emanated from a sporting past. Developed as a bird dog or gun dog, the breed was used widely throughout England and Europe to retrieve small birds, particularly woodcock from which the breed derives their name. A utility dog, English Cocker Spaniels are thought to be the oldest.

The breed can trace its origins back to Spain, the word “Spaniel” actually meaning “Spanish dog.” English Cocker Spaniels gained tremendous popularity throughout Europe over the ages for their acumen as sporting dogs and with birds before the invention of the rifle. Spaniels are classified as either water Spaniels or land Spaniels, specialized in the intricacies of hunting in either milieu, with the English being the smallest of the land variety. The dogs went on to flourish in England in the 19th Century when showing was in full swing and breed standards started to be established. For both their temperament and personality, the English Cocker Spaniel soon stood out from the pack of various Spaniels.

The breed then diverged on the breeding track from their American cousin as the 20^th Century took hold, with both established as official breeds by the American Kennel Club in 1946. The English distinguishes itself with a longer head and nose and shorter-haired coat.

The breed gained tremendous popularity as well with the 1955 Disney movie Lady and the Tramp, with Lady portrayed as an elegant and warm Cocker Spaniel.