AMERICAN COCKER SPANIEL

by Dennis Fisher

This article is one of a great many articles written by Dennis Fisher about a very wide variety of subjects concerning different  dogs, such as obedience training, breeding, showing, health matters, training problems and other subjects.  All these articles appear on Dennis Fisher's websites.   Visit  http://www.allaboutgermanshepherddogs.com the site that has been set up specifically for German Shepherd Dog enthusiasts, or http://www.freedogadvice.com  if you interested in a breed   other than German Shepherd Dogs.

Though very similar to the English cocker spaniel from which it developed, there are some differences in appearance.

Whereas the English cocker spaniel is primarily a sporting dog, the emphasis with an American Cocker Spaniel is more on competing in beauty show.  It is a more glamorous that the English variety. This very handsome small dog is approximately 15 inches in high.

The color is either black, black and tan or shades of brown and white.  The coat is fairly long and inclined to be silky rather than coarse.  The hair is profuse around the ears, chest and abdomen.

Because of the fairly long coat this dog does require a great deal of grooming, especially with regard to the head.   In order to maintain the beautiful clean lines of the head, it will be necessary to see that the hair around the head is trimmed regularly.

Although the American Cocker Spaniel is generally a happy, out-going lively animal and good with children, there are some specimens that have an unfortunate tendency to be somewhat timid.  They do not respond well to being touched by strangers and sometimes snap because of this lack of self-assurance.

If your main purpose in getting a pup is to have a well-behaved, friendly, confident family dog, not just a beautiful show specimen, it is advisable to make enquiries about the temperaments of both the Sire and Dam of the pup you are thinking of getting. Do not be influenced by the fact that they  happen to be Show Champions.

The head of the American Cocker Spaniel is very distinctive.  It is rounded with a definite stop.   The muzzle is broad, deep and the jaws somewhat square.

The eyes are almond shaped and the rather long ears have an abundance  of hair,

The body is inclined to be somewhat short in relation to the height, firm and muscular.

This is a breed that can fit in very well indeed in a family home but care must be taken to select an animal that comes from a family of reliable, confident ancestors.