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American Cocker Spaniel Puppies for Sale
American Cocker Spaniel
(Cocker Spaniel)
Brady at 2 years old.
He was adopted from a Cocker Spaniel Rescue in Florida
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Pronunciation |
American
Cocker Spaniel |
| Description |
The Cocker Spaniel has 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. The tail is
docked to 2/5 it's original length and is carried on a line with its back; it is
constantly in motion. Field lines generally have shorter coats which are
better suited to work in brush. They also have better hunting instincts. Both
types make good pets. |
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Temperament |
Bold and keen to work, the American Cocker Spaniel
is equally suited to life as a gundog or as a household pet. Cheerful, sweet,
and sensitive. The Cocker Spaniel is
respectful of its master's authority without much challenge. Merry and
endearing. A happy tail-wagger. Gentle and trusting, with average intelligence.
They are lively, playful and devoted, but should be socialized well when they
are young to avoid a tendency for shyness. Usually good with children. Cockers
love everyone and need people to be happy. They can be difficult to housebreak
and some like to bark. However they are mostly easy to train and get along well
with other animals. Note: This is a very popular breed; the above is the typical
temperament of the American Cocker Spaniel, like any breed there are always
exceptions. Due to this breeds popularity one must be careful to choose a Cocker
from a reputable breeder; as some have reported in to the Dog Breed Info Center®
reports of Cockers that
have not had great temperaments and were not good with children. Cockers with
this type of temperament are not typical of the breed. Before adopting an American Cocker, be sure to
give it a puppy temperament test and if
possible ask to meet the parents. Beware of poorly bred puppy-mill Cockers as they
may have bizarre temperamental changes and behavioral problems. This would
include shy-sharpness, which is a combination of fear and dominance that can
cause viciousness. Also Submissive urinating; aggressive guarding of objects,
people and places, hyper-sexuality and roaming. |
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Height, Weight |
Height: Dogs 15 ˝
inches (38cm.) Bitches 14 ˝ inches
(36.8cm.)
Weight: 15-30 pounds (7-14 kg.) |
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Health Problems |
Some 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.
It's a fast-acting, silent killer. |
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Living Conditions |
Cockers will do okay in an apartment if they are
adequately exercised, and are fairly active indoors. A small yard is sufficient. |
Exercise |
American Cockers have plenty of stamina and need
regular exercise. They should be taken on
daily, long walks. When walking, avoid brushy thickets that can tangle the coat. |
| Life Expectancy |
About 12-15 years. |
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Litter Size |
1 - 7 puppies - Average of 5 |
| Grooming |
The eyes need regular cleaning. Some owners prefer
to leave the coat long, brushing daily and shampooing frequently with quarterly
scissoring and clipping. Others prefer to clip the coat to medium length to be
more functional. Either way, the dog will need regular trimming. When brushing,
be careful not to pull out the silky hair. This breed is an average
shedder. |
Origin |
The popular Cocker Spaniel, sometimes called the
American Cocker Spaniel, was originally developed from careful breeding of the English
Cocker Spaniels brought to the United States. The American Cocker Spaniel is
smaller than the English Cocker Spaniel and has a different conformation. The
name "Cocker" comes from the woodcock, a game bird these spaniels
flushed particularly well. Today, the Cocker Spaniel serves primarily as a
companion and glamorous show dog. It can also be used for hunting, tracking,
retrieving, watchdogging and agility. |
| Group |
Gun Dog, AKC Sporting |
| Recognition |
FCI, AKC, UKC, KCGB, CKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC, CKC,
CCR, APRI, ACR |
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FCI = Fédération
Cynologique Internationale
AKC = American
Kennel Club
UKC = United Kennel
Club
KCGB = Kennel
Club of Great Britain
CKC = Canadian
Kennel Club
ANKC = Australian
National Kennel Club
NKC = National
Kennel Club
NZKC = New Zealand
Kennel Club
CKC = Continental
Kennel Club
CCR = Canadian
Canine Registry
APRI = American Pet Registry
Inc.
ACR = American Canine Registry |
Cocker Spaniel Posters and Prints!
Kiara, a black Cocker Spaniel
Photo courtesy of Michael Allen
 
Two Week Old Cocker Puppies
"This is my American Cocker Spaniel named Reiley. He is one year old. He is very happy and always in a good mood. One of his little quirks is that he climbs everywhere. Couches, chairs, ledges, and even cars, you name it, he's climbed it. He loves to play fetch in our backyard. He also likes to hunt with me. He is very intelligent and figures out many ways to entertain himself (good, and bad) and I. One of his bad habbits is that he likes to run after rabbits and birds when he's off-leash. Part of it is the hunting instincts and another part is his mental immaturity. He still has alot of maturing to do. If you notice, he has a longer nose than the average cocker spaniel. He was bred more for field and hunting work rather than being a show-quality dog, but he is still a very handsom dog that has an awesome personality."
American Cocker Spaniel Pictures Pages 1
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Cocker Spaniel Breeds
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