CATXDOG

American Cocker Spaniel

Appearance: The signature trait of the Cocker Spaniel is is its dark, expressive eyes that reflect a happy, loving, and active nature. This is a beautiful spaniel with very long hanging ears, a rounded head, and a profuse, silky, feathered, medium-length coat. The head is chiseled with an abrupt stop. The muzzle is wide, deep and broad with a square jaw. The upper lip hangs down, covering the lower jaw completely. The teeth are strong and should meet in a scissors bite. The nose is always black on black dogs, but may be brown on other dogs. The eyes are round, set on so they look straightforward. The eye rims are slightly oval. The body is compact, with a short back. The topline should slope gently downwards from front to back. The front legs are straight, with good bone. Dewclaws on front and rear legs should be removed. The coat comes in buff, black, and other solid colors, black-and-tan (like a Rottweiler or Doberman Pinscher), parti-color (white with black, white with buff or red, white with black and tan points) Some requirements for correct markings are specified in the standard. Cockers weigh an average of 15 to 30 pounds. The ideal height of an adult female at the withers is 14 inches; the ideal height for males is 15 inches. An adult male who is under 14.5 inches, or an adult female under 13.5 inches would be penalized in a show. Bone and head size should be in proportion to the overall balance of the dog. Cockers are divided by the breed standard into three varieties: Black, ASCOB (Any Solid Color Other than Black), and Parti-colors. Black Variety includes, solid blacks, black and tan. ASCOB includes solid colors ranging from light cream (buff) to dark red and brown. Parti-colors have white spots and must be have at maximum 10% coloration. Tri-colors have white spots and are considered parti-colors. They include, black, tan and white, brown, tan and white, and red, tan and white (often difficult to discern because the tan is difficult to distinguish from the red.) Roans are shown in the Parti-color variety and can be black with white hairs mingled among the solids, or red with white hairs. Sable coloring is seen in solids or Parti-colors, but are not a recognized color by the American Spaniel Club. The American Cocker Spaniel is smaller than the English Cocker Spaniel and has a different conformation.

History: The Cocker Spaniel originated in the United Kingdom and was brought to Canada and the United States in the late 1800s. Cockers 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 Cocker Spaniel. The name "Cocker" comes from the woodcock, a game bird these spaniels flushed particularly well.

Temperament: Their temperament is typically joyful, trusting, and intelligent. The ideal Cocker temperament is merry, outgoing, and eager to please everyone. They tend to be "softer" dogs who do not do well with rough or harsh training. this dog needs brisk walks and playtime every day. The popularity of the American Cocker Spaniel led to a considerable amount of irresponsible breeding in an attempt to keep up with the demand. The results have included fearful or aggressive behavior in some of the dogs, submissive urination, and resource guarding. Responsible breeders have worked diligently to eliminate these negative characteristics while trying to educate the public regarding responsible breeding. Temperament of the American Cocker Spaniel should always be the primary concern when breeding these dogs. As with all puppies, owners are advised to choose their breeder carefully. If you obtain an American Cocker Spaniel, begin obedience classes and socialization with children, other animals and adults imediately. Cockers are good for city dwellers.

Health issues: Cocker Spaniels should be brushed and combed two or three times a wekk and trimmed every two to three months. The ears should be cleaned weekly, and the ear flaps, which tend to end up in the food bowl, need to be wiped off daily. Cocker Spaniels are susceptible to a variety of maladies, particularly infections affecting their ears and, in some cases, their eyes. It is important to keep the hair clipped from both sides of the ear about one third down the ear flap. This helps to keep air flowing through the ear canal and reduce risk of ear infections from bacteria, injury or parasites. Major concern in American Cocker Spaniels are cataracts, glaucoma and patellar luxation. Some minor concerns are hip dysplasia, ectropion, entropion, PRA, allergies, seborrhea, lip fold pyoderma, otitis externa, liver disease, urolithiasis, prolapse of nictitans gland, CHF, phosphofructokinase deficiency, and cardiomyopathy. Occasionally seen are gastric torsion and elbow dysplasia. Also IMHA (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia) One owner stated, "Our cocker never had a sick day in her life until she suddenly became lethargic and urinated blood. Six days later, and $3000 in vet bills, she died. I know you can't list every illness due to space limitations, but the internal medicine specialist that treated our dog said that IMHA is relatively common in cockers, and almost always fatal.