English Cocker Spaniel breed guide

Balance is the key word in understanding the breed, which is balanced in temperament, construction and movement. With a merry, devoted disposition, it was developed to follow instructions in the field and is still very eager to please.

The English Cocker is easy to train and enjoys working with its person as long as only positive methods are used. It reacts poorly to a harsh or negative approach.

English Cocker Spaniels live 12 to 14 years. AKC says some genetic conditions occur occasionally: progressive retinal atrophy, hip dysplasia, familial nephropathy and adult onset neuropathy and a responsible breeder tests for them.

Most English Cocker Spaniels have a fairly thick coat that needs a thorough brushing and combing at least once a week to prevent mats and tangles and the dog is usually trimmed every month or so around the feet, on the face and in other areas.

An upbeat, active sporting dog, it needs daily exercise for physical and mental well-being, such as long walks or hikes or ball play in the backyard. Its hunting instincts remain strong, so it should be on a leash for walks and in a fenced yard.

The AKC Sporting Group's breeds were all developed to assist hunters of game birds and of those subdivisions, which include spaniels, pointers, setters, retrievers and the European utility breeds, the spaniels are considered the oldest.

English spaniels were developed centuries ago from dogs of Spanish stock, the word spaniel deriving from Spanish, long before reliable hunting rifles, when bird hunters used dogs in tandem with nets, bows and sometimes falcons.