ENGLISH COCKER SPANIEL

COUNTRY: Great Britain

WEIGHT: 26-34 pounds

HEIGHT: 15-17 inches

COAT: Flat and silky on body; well, but not excessively, feathered

COLOR: Various solids, or those colors in a broken pattern with white; often have roan patterns

OTHER NAMES: Cocker Spaniel

GROUP: Gun Dog

As the use of flushing spaniels became widespread in England, the smaller ones were called "cocking" spaniels. The name may have come from their use to spring or "cock" the game for the net and, later, the gun. Yet others feel it came from their usefulness on small game such as woodcock. At any rate, the merry little spaniels of England have been popular since the 19th century.

When the Kennel Club of England was cre-ated, just before the turn of the century, it soon recognized the Field, Springer and Cocker Spaniels as separate breeds. Each breed's individual development started from that time. The Cocker of England continued a rise to popularity that took him to the number one spot in his homeland during the 1930s and kept him there for 20 years. He also gained tremendous popularity in other Commonwealth nations.

While the Cocker Spaniel in England was rising to perfection, on the other side of the Atlantic, Americans using basically the same original breeding stock were developing a slightly different Cocker Spaniel. When imports from England were brought here during the 1930s, although there were separate classes for the English variety, there was still interbreeding between the English Cocker and the now native American Cocker. Because the two had become so divergent, most breeders felt that interbreeding was detrimental to both varieties. In 1940, the Kennel Club of England separated the breeds into the Cocker Spaniel and the Ameri-can Cocker Spaniel. Soon after, the AKC followed suit but called the resulting breeds the English Cocker Spaniel (called Cocker in England) and the Cocker Spaniel (called American Cocker in England). FCI used great sense in defining both breeds by country, and the rest of the world calls one the English Cocker Spaniel and the other the American Cocker Spaniel.

The English Cocker in America holds a steady interest, mostly among exhibitors. He is a moderate dog, a bit larger, longer headed, and less coated than the American version. He sports the classic land spaniel tail which is level with the back and constantly wagging in extroverted joy of life. Neither the tail tucked in anxiety or pushed straight up, as seen with some misinformed handlers in the show ring, is typical of the breed. The breed's hunting instincts abound—if any would care to use them. He works close to the gun and uses his good nose to flush out a variety of game. Happy, willing and obedient, he is easy and fun to be with.

Tails are docked on pups. Coat care is a necessity but, if kept up, is not a problem.