The American Cocker Spaniel And The English Cocker Spaniel

What Are The Differences?

At first, the two 'breeds' were differentiated by their size; the smaller of the two became known as the American Cocker Spaniel, and the larger of the two as the English Cocker Spaniel.

Later, they were purposely bred for different traits, so their differences began to grow and, in 1945, both breeds were formally recognised with their own standards.

The American Cocker Spaniel is a medium-sized dog, and is the smallest of the gundog group. It is compact and muscular, and has great endurance and speed - don't let its dainty appearance fool you!

It is outgoing and very friendly, has a rather loveable nature, and is particularly good around children which makes it an ideal family pet.

They are intelligent and respond well to training, however, they are very gentle dogs and don't like rough handling or training. This breed is very eager to please and quite adaptable, making them easy to train for field work, for showing, or simply for companionship.

Although there are similarities between the American Cocker Spaniel and its English cousin, the head and skull are very different.

The American Cocker's skull is much more rounded, with a broad deep-set muzzle, which is much shorter than that of the English Cocker Spaniel.

Their ears are long, low set, and drooping, and are covered with long silky fur which may be straight or slightly waved. Their dark eyes are large, round, and forward looking, rather than set to the sides of the head. Their look is alert, but gentle and appealing.

Their eyebrows are distinct and have a very definite stop, unlike the more gently graduated head of the English Cocker. Their back is shorter, and gently slopes from withers to tail.

Their coats come in three major colours: black, ASCOB (any solid colour other than black), and parti-colours.

The body of their coats (which can be either flat or slightly wavy) is long, silky, and flows luxuriously to floor length. They're heavily feathered on their ears, legs, chest and underbelly.

Their coat needs a lot of attention, from both a professional groomer and the owner, and highlights an obvious difference between the two spaniel breeds.

If the dog is a working dog used in the field, its coat will need to be kept well-trimmed to ensure their movement is not impeded.

Ideally, they should measure between 36 and 39 cm at the withers for a dog, and between 34 and 37 cm for the bitch. Both dog and bitch should weight between 11 and 13 kg.

Their lifespan is approximately 10-11 years, (although some do live longer) which is slightly less than the 12 - 15 years lifespan of the English Cocker Spaniel.

They are susceptible to several health problems and are known to be prone to certain hereditary diseases. They are also susceptible to ear infections which can occur as a result of moisture and poor air circulation inside the ear. This is quite common in dog breeds with long drooping ears.

They can also suffer from eye problems such as progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), glaucoma, and cataracts, and are also prone to luxating patellas and hip dysplasia.

According to the Kennel Club/British Small Animal Veterinary Association Scientific Committee, the main causes of death in the American Cocker Spaniel are cancer, old age, cardiac, and immune-mediated diseases (illnesses which result from abnormal activity of the body's immune system).

A summary of their report entitled, 'Purebred Dog Health Survey for American Cocker Spaniels' can be viewed here.

The Zim Family breeds American Cocker Spaniels in Grover Beach, California. The site features their breeding philosophy, history, lots of cute American Cocker Spaniel puppy pictures.

Although our website is about the English Cocker Spaniels, most of the information given may apply to the American Cocker Spaniel. However, should you want more information on the American Cocker breed, you can get it from The Kennel Club.

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