Youll have to put in some miles to tire out this dog! Our Cockers are not what they were, to many are slow, indifferent hunters and many are poor retrievers with bad mouths. The American cocker spaniel comes in a variety of colors and markings, though black, brown, tan, buff, and red are the most common colors. The issue is now more commonly known as Sudden Onset Aggression. For example, be sure to lock up the trash and avoid letting your puppy jump on people, or youll have a hard habit to break. At a minimum, the cocker spaniel needs a long walk every day, and some puzzle toys to exercise his clever mind. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'animals_net-box-1','ezslot_8',112,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-animals_net-box-1-0')};report this ad. The cocker spaniel is known for intelligence and responsiveness. Their trainability means you certainly can train a cocker to guard the house but if you want a guard dog, look at larger and more naturally suspicious dogs. If you live in a hot area, be sure to keep your dog cool by avoiding exercise during the hottest parts of the day. The cocker spaniel generally lives into its early to mid teens. The ultra-long hair around their chests and bellies can be quite a pain to keep clean, so many owners opt to trim this shorter though again, do not shave this area. Truth be told we were getting bored. Up went my old Browning, bop , bop, one clean miss and a slightly more careful second shot, down tumbled a duck crashing into the blackthorn copse. It generally shows up between six months and two years of age. The cocker spaniels ultra-long ears are prone to infection, so regular ear cleaning is a must for these dogs. My Brother bless him never wavered. He was highly strung, possessive and with a tendency to nip anyone who tried to correct his vices. So I sent her in and she walked across the sticks, swam around the sticks, pushed the sticks about and eventually dived and pulled out the drake mallard. They were moving but within range and in more time than it takes to write, over they flew . Despite Sandy, my desire to own a proper dog was undiminished and many years later as a young teenager with a strong hunting instinct, my Folks found my Brother and I a much more suitable dog. I quote from memory, but the message he was voicing was clear. The American variety is slightly less long-lived, with an average lifespan of 10-14 years. What matters is that the breed was put back on the road to soundness and hunting drive by breeding for ability and not appearance. BUT she was, as I quickly learned quirky and quite prepared to wave your training aside as and when the fancy took her. She even won my Brother over, with her hunting and skill on difficult retrieves. With a well-earned reputation of loving people, and being outgoing with strangers, the cocker spaniel is not a natural choice for personal protection. He followed us from the age he had his jabs, fishing and poking about. Popularized by the famous Disney movie, Lady and the Tramp, the cocker spaniel is far more ancient than television. Please note that he said many, it is true that some shooting people had kept good lines. Aside from Sudden Onset Aggression, which is undoubtedly a very severe concern, this breed is not known for behavior issues. The cocker spaniel can excel in most environments, when provided proper grooming and training. All our efforts and that of our dogs failed, for if the ground is blank its blank, so to speak. This breed weighs between 20 and 30 pounds, with males generally weighing five pounds more than the females. They are a joy to train, quickly picking up on obedience and tricks alike. The text interspersed with pictures of mainly partly coloured Cockers, carrying game and frozen on camera mid quarter, was a warning from one of the Doyens of the breed. This breed is popular with almost every sort of home out there. So we must recognise how much progress has been made between then and now and I suggest that the improvement was instigated by and maintained by the trialling fraternity Many times I have heard the accusation that horror of horrors, springer blood was introduced. Though these days I hope for, but dont always get a steadier dog. However, in other cases, no treatment is effective, and euthanasia is the only humane and safe option. . Most owners opt to learn how to use a slicker brush and dematting tool almost every day. This breed should not be shaved, meaning they will need regular and extensive brushing and trimming instead. The cocker spaniels extensive coat means that he does not generally do well in extreme heat. His springer worked one bank, my Cocker the other, buzzing along the waters edge, in and out of stick piles dumped by the winter floods and under and through thick bramble and blackthorn. They are natural athletes that generally love fetch and swimming. The English cocker is taller with a shorter coat, and is more similar to the original hunting dog.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[468,60],'animals_net-medrectangle-4','ezslot_2',121,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-animals_net-medrectangle-4-0')}; Both varieties of the breed have long, floppy ears that frame an alert face. Pair long walks with more rigorous exercise, like fetch or swimming, and let your cocker play with puzzle toys to earn his meals. Many shooting people felt even in the late seventies that the Cocker was a poor second against a Springer. Amongst the growing collection of sporting books and magazines, I had amassed, was an old blue and white coloured Shooting Times which contained a report on the Cocker Spaniel Championship of the early 1960. Correction-based training can muffle their spirit and reduce their drive to learn.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[336,280],'animals_net-banner-1','ezslot_3',116,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-animals_net-banner-1-0')}; Cocker Spaniels excel at almost every dog sport out there, from agility to dock diving. This can be quite challenging for inexperienced groomers, so be sure to take your dog in if youre not comfortable with this yet. Well it was quite a retrieve, the duck when we rounded the corner , was sitting like a decoy up against a large raft of flood deposited sticks, maybe ten yards by ten yards square. This breed is a good option for families with children, elderly owners, and everyone in between. Animals.NET aim to promote interest in nature and animals among children, as well as raise their awareness in conservation and environmental protection. To be fair, she knew ducks and had often hunted a winged duck along the water edge and in the water, but it looked impressive and an eye wipe is an eye wipe! Whether you are looking for a good dog to be around kids, or to keep you company as you age, the cocker spaniel will fit nicely into your home. Anyone who has been in a similar situation knows the feeling, what was it, anything coming my way? My reply was as anyone with faith in his dogs abilty should be. They are surprisingly athletic below their incredibly long coats. In my case the dog was a golden Cocker and I was too young to know what training a dog was about. How long, we peered into the gathering dark I cant say. Our plan was to sit and ambush the duck we hoped would flight at dusk, but that wind decided for us and we set out to hunt for a bankside snipe or wayward cock pheasant. They stand 15 to 17 inches tall, again with the males about an inch taller than the females. The Sire belonged to the local head gamekeeper and was a strong headed, old fashioned type Springer, a well-bred, hard going, going gun dog. Read on to learn more about the cocker spaniel. A proper cocker, one that would hunt, find and flush and wait on my bidding to either retrieve or not. For this reason, its best to not leave them unattended without a secure fence. Our goal is to support and preserve all the traditional flushing gun dog breeds. In most cases, simply researching your breeder, attending puppy kindergarten, and focusing on rewarding good choices in your dog (while not allowing your dog to practice bad behaviors) will produce a stereotypically happy and easygoing cocker spaniel. Sudden Onset Aggression is extremely rare, and most trainers have never seen a case its unlikely you will ever see it. He gave us the anticipation and joy, that comes from a questing dogs ability to find and shift quarry and I still to this day savour the eruption of a big cackling Cock Pheasant from thick cover with a dog on his tail. Shy as a pup, but a natural hunter and as she developed she became a fast, hard hunting game finder and the kindest little dog that ever quartered the ground. These dogs have a long, silky coat that requires regular grooming. The river narrowed and on my side became impassable, solid Blackthorn thickets and at dusk I wasnt about to send Bizzy in that lot, where I couldnt follow so we agreed he would hunt the far open bank to our boundary and I would wait and see if a passing Duck or something his Springer flushed came my way, luck of the draw I thought. if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'animals_net-box-4','ezslot_6',115,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-animals_net-box-4-0')};if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'animals_net-box-4','ezslot_7',115,'0','1'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-animals_net-box-4-0_1')}; .box-4-multi-115{border:none !important;display:block !important;float:none !important;line-height:0px;margin-bottom:15px !important;margin-left:0px !important;margin-right:0px !important;margin-top:15px !important;max-width:100% !important;min-height:250px;min-width:250px;padding:0;text-align:center !important;}The American cocker spaniel stands 13.5 to 15.5 inches tall, with males standing about an inch taller on average. All photos used are royalty-free, and credits are included in the Alt tag of each image. They are notoriously bouncy, enjoying fetch, jogging, playtime, and swimming in general. Spaniels in general are good options for first-time owners. They do require regular grooming, but otherwise this cheerful dog is a pretty easy companion to share your life with. Sandy was show or pet bred and not the ideal family dog he was sold to my parents as. The American variety is known for having a rounder face and longer coat, and is more of a true pet dog. Away she went and for a few seconds I heard her passage into the cover as she hunted the downed duck then nothing, save the wind and the branches. Cockers can hold their own with best of any hunting breed, yes they are quirky and you either except that or dont but improved they most certainly are and proof of that is the number of normal shooting people that now keep and hunt them. Nowadays, this breed is much more popular as an all-around pet that excels at cuddling and training. This problem is most common in male cockers that are red or blonde in color. She squeaked now and then, when hard behind a rabbit, but I didnt mind and as a very successful trainer of champions said to me recently, thats Cockers, at least sometimes. He was a natural retriever and I never once threw a dummy for Gillie as we named him. In fact my Brother a lifelong long Springer Man, found my obsession, odd, why would you want something that isnt as good as a Springer? Five minutes is a long time and I was just starting to think, has she missed it, Ducks especially a lively runner, are expert at evading capture and the terrain in that copse gave lots of dense cover, but as my Brother hailed me from the other bank, triumphantly holding a plump late season Mallard aloft, I heard her heading back and out the thicket she popped or pushed a second Mallard Drake, alive and almost her size as she was a small Cocker, we were happy, one for the Springers and one for the Cockers, thats how we were, competitive but pleased we had both achieved ourgoal. Busy as I called her was all I could have asked for. These active dogs are generally affectionate and exploratory, excited to learn and be around you. English cockers should also have knee tests done. How many times he made an otherwise blank day fruitful by finding a Pheasant, Hare or rabbit in unlikely spots I cant say, but he introduced my brother and I shooting over dogs and taught us something about scent. Gillie set about learning his trade without pressure and at his own pace. Ok lets head that way back and see if she can find it. Spaniels in the Field & Flushing Retrievers (SITFFR), is a not for profit 501(C)(3) foundation. Yes he ran in at the sound of my .410 without bidding, but at the time I thought this was what he should do. This breed is generally quite healthy. If your breeder doesnt have these tests, look elsewhere to ensure that youre bringing home a healthy puppy and supporting responsible breeding. Ask your breeder to see proof of an eye and hip exam before bringing home a puppy. It was impressive and I was the proudest of spaniel owners for some time to come. The cocker spaniel, also known as the cocker, is a lovable and cheery dog that was originally bred for hunting. I have a faded black and white photograph of him carrying a Mallard Drake, at the time one of my proudest possessions. This breed should not be shaved, as this can ruin its coat, and it will not grow back correctly.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'animals_net-leader-1','ezslot_10',120,'0','0'])};if(typeof __ez_fad_position != 'undefined'){__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-animals_net-leader-1-0')}; As a former hunting dog, the cocker spaniel requires ample exercise. They weigh 26 to 24 pounds, with the females a bit lighter than the males. So we never chastised him , we just gave him his head and let him go. So off he went and we tucked up under the edge of the wood and waited, a wet little Cocker sitting as quietly as they can while polishing the mud with an egg beater tail. One extremely rare, but concerning health problem in the cocker spaniel is known as cocker rage syndrome. This condition likely has a genetic component, but is poorly understood.