SCRAPS Breed Profile COCKER SPANIEL

Stats

Country of Origin: England Group: Sporting and gun dog Use today: Family companion and gun dog. Life Span: 12 to 15 years Color: The coat comes in any solid color, black with tan points, merle, solid color with tan points and parti-color. Examples of parti color combinations are white with buff or red, white with black, or white with black and tan points. Coat: The silky coat is flat or slightly wavy. The hairs are medium length on the body but short and fine on the head. There is feathering on the ears, chest, abdomen and legs. Grooming: Wipe under the eyes often as they tend to tear. 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. Height: Males 15 1/2 inches; Females 14 1/2 inches Weight: 15 - 30 pounds

removed. The silky coat is flat or slightly wavy. Profile The hairs are medium length on the body but

In Brief: Despite their small size, the Cocker Spaniel is still an active Sporting breed that needs daily exercise. Regular brushing and a trim every few months helps keep the coat free short and fine on the head. There is feathering of mats. Cockers are intelligent, gentle dogs that on the ears, chest, abdomen and legs. The coat thrive as part of a family. The Cocker Spaniel comes in any solid color, black with tan points, remains one of the most popular breeds merle, solid color with tan points and parti-color. according to AKC® registration statistics. The Examples of parti color combinations are white Cocker has a sturdy, compact body and a silky, with buff or red, white with black, or white with flat or wavy coat. He is a merry, well-balanced black and tan points. Field lines have shorter dog that is capable of considerable speed and coats than show lines. great endurance. Cocker Spaniels can be black, black with tan points, parti-colored or any solid Temperament: Bold and keen to work, the color other than black (ASCOB). American Cocker Spaniel is equally suited to life as a gundog or as a household pet. Cheerful, Description: The Cocker Spaniel is a medium gentle and sweet, this breed is of average sized, sturdy dog. The head is rounded with a intelligence and is respectful of its master's pronounced stop. The muzzle is broad and deep authority. Amusing, trustworthy and charming with square, even jaws. The teeth meet in a with an ever-wagging tail, it is active, playful and scissors bite. The eyeballs are dark, very round devoted, but should be socialized well when it is with slight almond shaped eye rims. Merle young to avoid a tendency for shyness. Cockers Cocker Spaniels can have blue eyes. The long, that understand their place is under humans are low-set ears are well feathered. The topline good with children. They love everyone and slopes slightly from the front of the dog to the need firm, loving leadership and daily exercise back and the legs are straight. The tail is to be happy. They can be difficult to housebreak. docked. Note: docking tails is illegal in most They are mostly easy to train and get along well parts of Europe. The dewclaws may be with other animals. Do not allow this dog to develop Small Dog Syndrome, human induced

behaviors where the dog believes he is pack leader to all humans. This can cause a varying degree of behavior issues and is where a lot of owners go wrong. The goal with all dogs is to achieve pack leader status. It is natural instinct for a dog to have an order in its pack. When we humans live with dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack cooperates under a single Living Conditions: Cockers will do okay in an leader; lines are clearly defined, and rules are apartment if they are adequately exercised. set. You and all other humans MUST be higher They are fairly active indoors. A small yard is up in the order than the dog. Owners who allow sufficient. Not suited to live outside alone in a their dogs to believe they are higher up in the kennel. order and/or who do not provide daily mental and physical exercise will experience a whole Exercise: Cockers have plenty of stamina and different temperament than the one described need regular exercise. They should be taken on above. The dog may develop shy-sharpness, daily, long walks. When walking, avoid brushy which is a combination of fear and dominance thickets that can tangle the coat. Be sure to that can cause viciousness. Submissive have the dog heeling beside or behind the urinating is usually caused by overexcitement, a person holding the lead, as in a dog's mind the lack of daily mental and physical exercise, leader leads the way, and that leader needs to where they are wound up and their minds are be the human, not the dog. not given the chance to calm down on a daily basis. Also aggressive guarding of objects, Origins: The Cocker Spaniel dates back as far people and places, obsessive barking, as the 14th century. The breed originated from hyperactivity and roaming, among other the English Cocker Spaniels which were brought negative behaviors. There are two types, field to the United States. The Spaniels were bred lines and show lines. Field lines are bred for down in size and given the name American working and have better hunting instincts and Cocker Spaniels, officially called simply the shorter coats, which is more practical for "Cocker Spaniel" by the AKC. The American working in the woods. Both types make good Cocker Spaniel is more popular than the original pets when the owners meet their needs as English Cocker Spaniel, which are slightly canine animals. different in appearance, with longer muzzles and larger bodies. The Cocker Spaniel is a hunting- Health: Some major concerns in American gun dog able to work in difficult terrain in both Cocker Spaniels are cataracts, glaucoma and wet and dry land. Excellent at flushing and patellar luxation (dislocation of bone at a joint). retrieving game with a gentle mouth. They listen Some minor concerns are hip dysplasia, to commands well. The name "Cocker" comes ectropion, entropion, PRA, allergies, cherry eye, from the woodcock, a game bird the dogs were seborrhea, lip fold pyoderma, otitis externa, liver known for flushing. Some of the American disease, urolithiasis, prolapse of nictitans gland, Cocker Spaniel’s talents are hunting, tracking, CHF, phosphofructokinase deficiency and retrieving, watchdog, agility and competitive cardiomyopathy. Occasionally seen are gastric obedience. The American Cocker Spaniel was torsion and elbow dysplasia. Also IMHA first recognized by the AKC in 1873. (Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia) is relatively common in Cockers, and almost always fatal. It's a fast-acting, silent killer.

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