English Cocker Spaniel
Size
Males 39 - 41 cm, females 38 - 40 cm
Weight
11-14 kg
Usage
Hunting
Breed group
Breed group 8: 'Retrievers, Spaniels and Water Dogs'
Coat
Medium length, shiny and silky
Combing / brushing
2 - 4 times a week
Trimming
4 - 6 times a year
History
The English Cocker Spaniel is one of the oldest dog breeds. The first written record of an English Cocker Spaniel dates back to 948.
The English Cocker Spaniel was first spoken of in England in the 18th century. They were ideal dogs for woodcock hunting because of their perfect size and thick coat. The English Cocker Spaniel was not held back by thorn bushes and dense vegetation; Due to their size, they could maneuver through anything. Due to his courageous hunting passion, which regularly caused injuries to their tails, they were docked at the time. This was then included in the breed standard.
In the 19th century, Spaniels were divided into large Spaniels (Field Spaniel) and small Spaniels (Cocker Spaniel). This distribution was related to the weight of the dog. Above 25 English pounds the dog was classified as the Field Spaniel and below that weight as the Cocker Spaniel.
In the second part of the 19th century, a breeding program was started that led to the modern-day English Cocker Spaniel. In England, the first English Cocker Spaniel Association was founded in 1885.
Source:VLECS
Original use
The English Cocker Spaniel was originally bred for hunting waterfowl. The cocker owes its name to the woodcock, which the English cocker spaniel often hunted. The English Cocker Spaniel has now grown into an excellent house dog.
A distinction is made between show line and working line Cockers. The English Cocker Spaniel that we regulary talk about is often the show line cocker. The working line is mostly called “working cocker spaniel”.
Although the dogs are well integrated as a family dog, a cocker is still a hunting dog in nature and will often follow its nose in search of a trail. You will also have to take this into account when choosing an English Cocker Spaniel. Although dogs are easy to train, a dog's nature cannot be changed. A hunting dog always remains a hunting dog.
working cocker spaniel with a pheasant
photo: @lifeashegelund (instagram)
Character
The cocker is generally known for its always wagging tail. A cocker is a real family dog. They are friendly, affectionate, loyal and energetic dogs with a great “will to please”. The cocker, on the other hand, is a sensitive dog and will need to be trained with a gentle but consistent hand. Cockers can also be very curious, stubborn and mischievous. With his soft, friendly look he can literally wrap people around his finger.
Coat care
The cocker has a medium-length, silky coat. This coat must be brushed several times a week to prevent matting. On average, a cocker needs to be extensively combed or brushed 2-4 times a week. Extra attention should be paid to areas behind the ears, under the armpits and the hind legs, where tangles are more likely to form.
A cocker has to go to the grooming salon approximately every 3 months (4 - 6 times a year), where its coat is handstripped and cut into shape.
If you would like more information about the coat care of the English Cocker Spaniel, feel free to contact us here.
Colours
The English Cocker Spaniel comes in 18 different colors, according to the FCI breed standard. We make a distinction between solids, particolours, tricolours and roan.
The images below are examples. Different color variants may actually differ in color and pattern.
Solid colours
black
liver
red
gold
black and tan
liver and tan
Particolors
With or without ticking
black and white
liver and white
orange and white
lemon and white
Tricolors
With or without ticking
black, white and tan
liver, white and tan
Roans
blue roan
liver roan
orange roan
lemon roan
blue roan and tan
liver roan and tan
Sable
The sable colour is not accepted within the official breed standard of the Cocker Spaniel. The origin of this colour variety presumably lies in Germany. Distinctive features of sable include a two-tone hair structure with dark tips and a specific tan-coloured mask on the head. The colour primarily occurs as black sable and chocolate sable, occasionally in combination with white. We breed in accordance with the breed standard and therefore do not use sable colours within our kennel.