Cocker Spaniel Characteristics

"English Cocker Spaniel Characteristics Are Appealing To Everyone, Particularly Families With Children!"

Cocker Spaniel characteristics are so endearing; with their adoring eyes, long floppy ears, and wagging tail - once you've owned one, you'll never consider any other dog breed!

Their characteristics are unmatchable. They have such an attractive, appealing face with beautiful, expressive dark brown eyes, (sometimes hazel coloured) and the rims of their eyes are slightly oval in shape.

Their ears are long, set low and lie close to the head, and are clad in beautifully soft, flowing fur.

I love the way their ears gently swing from side to side as they trot about their business - they're so adorable, but because these pendulous ears dangle as they do, they often end up in their food and water bowls!

This breed is sturdy, compact, and medium-sized, with a deep chest, a short back, and chunky, cat-like paws.

Their skull is domed and slightly flattened; the muzzle is softly shaped and the same length as the skull.

Their American cousins are slightly different, and it's obvious when you see them together - if you'd like to learn more about their American cousin just follow the link.

Coat Characteristics

Their coat has two layers; an undercoat and a silky top coat which is flat and straight, but sometimes wavy, and very soft and silky to the touch, with heavy feathering on the legs.

You'll also see feathering on their ears, chest, and underbelly.

To say that Spaniels need frequent brushing is probably a bit of an understatement as their coats can be fairly high maintenance if not looked after properly.

Ideally, you should be brushing your dog every other day, especially if you regularly walk them in the countryside, otherwise you may get away with brushing only a couple of times a week.

I brush Max every other day but I tend to concentrate more on his ears and his legs.

I may only do his ears one day, but the next day I'll brush and then comb through his legs, and the following day his underbelly (including under his 'arm pits') gets the quick once-over.

Grooming your Spaniel regularly will keep his wonderful coat looking in tip-top condition!

My Beautiful Cocker Spaniel (Max) sporting
a docked tail and a well-groomed coat!

Docked Tails Are No Longer A Typical Cocker Spaniel Characteristic!

In the past, it was customary for them to have their tails docked when they were very young puppies - between two and five days old (ouch!).

Today however, opinion seems divided; some seem to think that docking is cruel and done simply for cosmetic reasons.

Others feel that it's necessary to dock their tails because enthusiastic tail wagging, bolting through hedges after quarry, (or just for the heck of it!) often resulted in damaged or broken tails.

However, since 6th April 2007 the automatic docking of tails became illegal in Europe.

English Cocker Spaniel dogs will grow to somewhere between 39 and 41cm in height. The bitch is usually smaller, and as an adult, will reach between 38 and 39cm. The ideal weight for both sexes is somewhere between 13-14.5 kg.

If well-cared for, you can expect your dog to live a long and happy life, somewhere between 12 and 15 years, however, this can often vary considerably.

As with us humans, I think longevity very much depends on their 'lifestyle', for example, if your dog is fed a very healthy diet, is regularly exercised, well-groomed, and has regular trips to see his vet, the chances are he'll live a long and healthy life.

I'll drink to that!

Relevant Titles:

I'm sure you'll agree that Cocker Spaniel characteristics are very endearing, making this breed of dog very loveable indeed! If you'd like to learn more, simply click on any of the links below:

Learn more about the Cocker Spaniel breed

This breed is so very loving and have such a wonderful temperament, that's one of the reasons they make great family pets.

Learn more about their well-being and which health problems, illnesses and diseases, they may be prone to.

The Cocker coat can be seen in some beautiful colours, simply follow the link if you'd like to see more.

Click on this link to learn more about the different types of Spaniel breeds, click on the link.

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Photo Credits - In order of viewing:

1. Isselee at http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-front-view-cocker-spaniel-sitting-image12910648
2. About Cocker Spaniels.com
3. Thearle at http://www.dreamstime.com/royalty-free-stock-photos-puppy-cocker-spaniel-blue-roan-image7837238