The World Famous Happy Dog, the English Cocker Spaniel
Most people know what a cocker spaniel looks like but everyone should be aware that there is an English Cocker Spaniel and an American Cocker Spaniel. These two may look the same but they are different in a lot of forms and are definitely separate breeds. Both breeds are being used as hunting companions and as conformation show competitors.
The gun dog English Cocker Spaniel has two varieties namely the field or working cocker and the show cocker. The working/field cocker is used during game hunting but rather than retrieving the game, this variety actually drives the game towards the guns. The show cocker on the other hand is used for conformation shows most often competing in agility and obedience competitions.
Because of its infinitely wagging tail that suggests a state of happiness, many have dubbed the English Cocker Spaniel as the “merry cocker”. This dog is also well-known for being stubborn and having a mind of its own although training this breed is not at all difficult. This breed also manifests characteristics of intelligence and alertness.
It has a sturdy, well-rounded and balanced body. The eyes should be dark and the ears floppy and long enough to reach the tip of the nose when pulled forward together. In most countries, the cocker’s tail is docked except only for those places wherein this practice is prohibited.
The coat color of the English Cocker is restricted according to its purpose. For the conformation variety, some colors are only allowed but for the working or field variety, any coat color is allowed. English Cockers are found in an abundance of color varieties and may be found in solid color, tricolor and roan.
Examples of the solid colors are black, silver, tan, chocolate, blue, red, gold, copper red and white. Other color combinations are black and white, black and tan, blue tick, blue roan, chocolate and tan, lemon and white, orange and white, red and white, and a lot more! In hunting, hunters prefer that their field cockers have color white in their coats in able to see them properly in the woods.
The adorable English Cocker may also become domineering and stubborn but it is also extremely loyal to the family, does not like to be left alone, and loves to get close with only one person in the family. This breed is also loving, optimistic, intelligent and adaptable. This breed also ranks 18th in Stanley Cohen’s the Intelligence of Dog as a measure of the breed’s excellence in working, obedience and intelligence.
Studies revealed that the temperament of the cocker spaniel has relevance to its coat color. According to a study by the University of Cambridge, the solid-colored cockers are more likely to be aggressive than the others. Additionally, a separate study have shown that the Red/Golden colored cockers are the most aggressive towards humans when they are being disciplined or sometimes even for no apparent reason at all.
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