English Cocker Spaniels temperament

Occasionally seen: 

glaucoma, cardiomyopathy

Life span: 

12 – 14 years

Note: 

deafness is a major concern in particolors; CHD is more common in solid colors; PRA is of PRCD type

Major concerns: 

PRA

Minor concerns: 

cataracts, CHD, familial nephropathy

Suggested tests: 

hearing (for parti-colors), eye, hip, (knee)

Avg Size of male: 

Height: 16 – 17 inches, Weight: 28 – 34 pounds

Avg Size of Female: 

Height: 15 – 16 inches, Weight: 26 – 32 pounds

English Cocker Spaniel Breed History

A large and specialized group of dogs, land spaniels consisted of two sizes. They were often found in the same litter, and it was in 1892 that the two sizes were considered to be two separate breeds. The smaller spaniel, weighing less than 25 pounds, was called the cocker spaniel because of its talent for hunting woodcock. But the two different size spaniels shared an affinity for hunting. It was in 1901 that the weight limit for the cocker spaniel was no longer recognized, and the breed quickly became popular in England. American breeders, however, tried to modify the breed in ways with which the English disagreed. Until 1936 the English cocker spaniel and the American cocker spaniel were shown together, and considered to be the same breed. But then the English Cocker Spaniels Club was formed in America, and the English cocker spaniel was recognized as a separate breed from the American variety. In the United States, the American cocker spaniel then became more popular than the English version, but the English cocker spaniel enjoys more popularity than its American counterpart throughout the rest of the world, and it is known plainly as the cocker spaniel.