As its name suggests, the American Cocker Spaniel comes from a woodcock hunting dog with Spanish origins. What we know today as the American cocker breed first came from England in 1620 on board the Mayflower, together with the pilgrims; in 1930, because of the differences between this dog and its English counterpart, the American cocker spaniel became a new breed, accepted by all of the major canine associations.
The American Cocker Spaniel is a small dog, with a compact, robust and well balanced body that gives the impression of strength. It has a round head, with long ears and large round eyes that are slightly almond shaped, dark brown in color. The dog's fur is silky, richer around the ears, chest, abdomen and legs. The hair is smooth or slightly wavy and the breed standards accept different colors such as black, brown and tan, but it is not ok for this dog to have a complete white coat. For those with coats in many colors, the associations have allowed combinations of black, brown, chocolate, tan, and gold, together with white coats.
The American Cocker Spaniel is not a big dog, actually being the shortest of the sporting dog breeds. The height is of a male adult is around 36-39 cm and for females a little less (34-37 cm), and the average weight is 11-13 kilos. The dog's life expectancy is 11-16 years.
These dogs are susceptible to a variety of illnesses, from cancer (20%) to cardiac diseases (8%). The most frequent problems are with the eyes, like cataract and glaucoma. Progressive retinal atrophy can also occur, especially in the old animals and it can evolve to the stage of complete blindness. Also, the autoimmune hemolytic anemia is a problem for this breed, and last, but not least, they can develop ear infections, but this is characteristic of all dog breeds with long ears. To prevent these ear problems it is recommendable to carefully cut the hair inside the ears, and to maintain the areas clean all the time.
The American Cocker Spaniel is a breed initially created for hunting. Skilled in hunting on land and water, this breed is very intelligent and agile. Its temperament is typically happy and confident, always ready to play, to run, to jump - its surname: “the clown with curls” being the most suggestive portrait of this breed. With its allure, this dog can easily conquer the heart of any viewer.
These dogs can easily accept strangers in their living environment, as long as this is well-balanced and, most importantly, as long as the owners are present. They are very active, agile, and energetic, fatigue-resistant and are recommended to active owners.
When it comes to training, the breed has some advantages from the get go, such as their above the average intelligence, their energy and their affinity for playing games. But being so active and playful, they may experience difficulties in staying focused during training for longer periods of time.
The “Merry Cocker”, as the American Cocker Spaniel is called, is a good family pet, especially when the family has little children and other pets around.
