We are pleased to bring you this great selection of Cocker Spaniel dog breed posters, photos, and fine art prints. Please enjoy browsing these cool posters of dogs.

The American Cocker Spaniel
By Hans Lynch

Is the Cocker Spaniel the Best Breed for You?
By Jason Montag

 The English Cocker Spaniel: Game Bird Dog
By Michael Russell
The traditional sport of hunting the "gamecock" is the foundation of the word "Cocker". The term "Cocker" denotes those spaniels which were used for hunting this bird. Many years ago hunting dogs were classified according to size. Those over 25 pounds were classified as Field Spaniels and those under 25 pounds were classified generally as Cocker Spaniels. Selective breeding of Spaniels and other hunting breeds in the nineteenth century began to distinguish and discriminate between the different types of Spaniels.

Cocker Spaniel - The Facts Every Owner of This Dog Breed Should Know
By Robert Benjamin
The American Cocker Spaniel was bred from the English Cocker Spaniel and is smaller than its English cousin. A Cocker Spaniel will average about 14 ½ to 15 ½ inches in height and 15 to 40 pounds in weight and will live 12 to 15 years. Cocker Spaniels have long silky coats that need to be brushed almost daily, but are considered average shedders. Cocker Spaniels like to run through the grass and woods and their coats will become tangled and matted. If this is not taken care of immediately by brushing the dirt and debris out, it could lead to some uncomfortable skin infections. Trimming the coat regularly is necessary and some owners prefer to keep the coat at a medium length.

Cocker Spaniels - A Guide to the Breed
By Steve Batchelor
Initially spaniels in England were divided among land and water spaniels; The English Cocker is one of the oldest types of land spaniel and can be traced back to 14th century Spain. Spaniel type dogs have been found in art and literature for around 500 years and prior to 1600 all types of spaniel were categorized together, the larger ones were used to spring game and the smaller ones to flush out woodcock. This is where the name Springer and Cocker came from when the differentiation among spaniels occurred in the mid 1800’s. The rural sports encyclopedia states that cockers were between 12 and 20 lb and it was not unusual for Cockers and Springers to come from the same litter. In the 1930’s the cocker spaniel was the most popular breed in Britain and stayed there for nearly 20 years.

Cocker Spaniel Puppy And Dog Information
By Mitch Endick
The Cocker Spaniel is a generally even tempered, loving dog that is affectionate and loving. She is a good watch dog and when properly bred, a great child companion. She can do well in an apartment as long as she gets frequent long walks. A properly fenced in enclosure is better for exercise.

My English Cocker Spaniels
By Rose Long

Everyone has their special love and adoration for a specific breed. My fondness is for the Spaniels. The well-bred, trained English Cocker Spaniel is happy, playful, gentle, loyal, trusting and affectionate toward everyone. They desire to be included in all activities. Eager to please they usually do well in obedience training. These dogs are good with children and socializes well with other animals with the exception of some males becoming aggressive with other males. Some females are aggressively possessive with their owners. They bark to alert the family of a visitor. Cockers that are left alone too much may retaliate becoming aggressive and relieving themselves in places unknown.

Cocker Spaniel Wallpaper Image

Cocker Spaniel Facts
The American Cocker Spaniel is a breed of dog that originated in the United Kingdom and was brought to Canada and then Spain and the United States in the late 1800s. American Cocker Spaniels were given their own AKC Stud Book in the early 1900s. By 1946, the English Cocker Spaniel was distinct enough in type from the "American" variety, that the American Kennel Club established it as a breed separate from the English Cocker Spaniel. It was given its own Stud Book and that left the "American" type to be known as the Cocker Spaniel in the United States. They are in the sporting breed group of dogs and are the smallest of their group. American Cocker Spaniels were used to flush out birds and prey from the brush so their masters could shoot them.

Description

Temperament

Their temperament is typically joyful and trusting. The ideal Cocker temperament is merry, outgoing, and eager to please everyone. When a Cocker Spaniel is excited, they tend to not only wag their tail, but their whole back end! They can be good with children and usually sociable and gentle with other pets. They tend to be soft dogs who do not do well with rough or harsh training.

 Health

American Cocker spaniels have health problems including separation anxiety, and the common dog illnesses. Ear infections are also common.

English Cocker Spaniel

The English Cocker Spaniel is a breed of gun dog. It is one of several varieties of spaniel and somewhat resembles its American cousin, the American Cocker Spaniel, although it's closer to the working-dog form of the Field Spaniel and the Springer Spaniel. Outside the US, the breed is usually known simply as the Cocker Spaniel, as is the American Cocker Spaniel within the US. Due to the breed's happy disposition and continuously wagging tail, it has been given the nickname "merry cocker".

Description

Appearance

Health
Common health issues with English Cockers are bite problems, skin allergies, shyness, cataracts, deafness, aggression towards other dogs, and benign tumours.

Some uncommon health issues that can also have an effect on English Cocker Spaniels include canine hip dysplasia, patellar lunation, canine dilated cardiomyopathy, and heart murmurs. Hip dysplasia is an abnormal formation of the hip joint. Patellar Lunation, also known as luxating patella, refers to the dislocation of the kneecap. Canine dilated cardiomyopathy involves heart failure.

Skills

A field-bred cocker spaniel is first and foremost an upland flushing dog. In performing this task there are some skills the dog must be trained to perform.

* Hup This is the traditional command to sit and stay. To be an effective hunter the dog must comply with this command absolutely. When hupped the dog can be given direction called to the handler. The ability to hup a dog actively working a running bird allow the handler and any gunners to keep up without having to run.
* Retrieve to Hand The majority of hunters and all hunt test or field trial judges require that a dog deliver a bird to hand, meaning that a dog will hold the bird until told to give it to the hunter directly.
* Quarter Dogs must work in a pattern in front of the hunter seeking upland game birds. The dog must be taught to stay within gun range to avoid flushing a bird outside of shooting distance.
* Follow Hand Signals Upland hunting involves pursuing wild game in its native habitat. Gun dogs must investigate likely covers for upland game birds. The dog must be responsive to hand signals in order for the hunter to be able to direct the dog into areas of particular interest.
* Steady When hunting upland birds, a flushing dog should be steady to wing and shot, meaning that he sits when a bird rises or a gun is fired. He does this in order to mark the fall and to avoid flushing other birds when pursuing a missed bird.
 

Working Cockers

This breed, like many others with origins as working dogs, has some genetic lines that focus on working-dog skills and other lines that focus on ensuring that the dog's appearance conforms to a breed standard; these are referred to as the "working" (or "field-bred") and "show dog" strains, respectively.

After World War II, the show-bred Cocker Spaniel increased enormously in popular appeal and, for a while, was the most numerous Kennel Club registered breed. This popularity increased the view that all Cockers were useless as working dogs. However, for many dogs this is untrue, as even some show-bred Cockers have retained their working instinct.

Today, this breed is experiencing a resurgence in usage as a working and hunting dog. Dogs from working lines are noticeably distinct in appearance. As is the case with the English Springer Spaniel, the working type has been bred exclusively to perform in the field as a hunting companion. Their coat is shorter and ears less pendulous than the show-bred type. Although registered as the same breed, the two strains have diverged significantly enough that they are rarely crossed. The dogs that have dominated the hunt test, field trial and hunting scene in the United States are field-bred dogs from recently imported British lines.

Working-dog lines often have physical characteristics that would prevent them from winning in the show ring. This is a result of selecting for different traits than those selected by show breeders. The longer coat and ears, selected for the show ring, are an impediment in the field.

Cuban authorities train and use English Cocker Spaniels as sniffer dogs to check for drugs or food products in passengers' baggage at Cuban airports.

Links

 The Cocker Spaniel Club breed club in England
 English Cocker Spaniel Club of America, Inc.