American Cocker Spaniel

The American Cocker Spaniel is the smallest of the sporting dogs recognised by the American Kennel Club. In the United States it is usually just called a Cocker Spaniel, while elsewhere the American prefix tells it apart from the English Cocker Spaniel.

Adults stand about 34 to 39 cm (13.5 to 15.5 inches) at the withers and weigh around 11 to 14 kg (24 to 30 pounds), with females usually a little lighter than males. The coat is medium long and silky on the body and ears, with feathering hanging down the legs and belly. The long ears hang low, the eyes are dark, large and round, and the rounded dome of the skull with a square-shaped lip makes the head instantly recognisable.

Colours fall into three groups: black or black and tan, any solid colour other than black (from light cream to dark red), and parti-colour, which is white with patches of another colour and includes roans. Merle coats also occur, though they are not recognised by the American Kennel Club. Originally a hunting dog, the breed became increasingly popular as a show dog.

The word spaniel is thought to date from the late 12th century, when it named a type of dog brought into England from Spain. By the mid-14th century, selective breeding had split spaniels into water spaniels and land spaniels. By 1801 the smaller land spaniel was called the Cocker or Cocking Spaniel, because it was used to flush woodcock.

A spaniel is said to have crossed to North America on the Mayflower in 1620. The first Cocker Spaniel registered with the American Kennel Club was a liver and white dog called Captain, in 1878. The American Cocker Spaniel Club was formed in 1881 and is now the American Spaniel Club, the oldest breed club for dogs in the United States. Its standard to separate the Cocker from other land spaniels took until 1905.

The father of the modern breed, Ch. Obo II, was born in America to a mother shipped over while pregnant. He was only about 25 cm tall with a long body. Through the early 20th century, breeders on each side of the Atlantic followed different standards, and by the 1920s the American type had a smaller muzzle, a softer coat and a lighter, smaller frame. The American Kennel Club recognised the English type as a separate breed in 1946.

American Cockers reached the UK in the 1950s and 1960s with service personnel, embassy staff and business people. The first UK Kennel Club registered one was Aramingo Argonaught, born in 1956, who was shown at Crufts in 1960. The Kennel Club gave the breed its own register in 1970.

Known as the Merry Cocker, the breed is described in its standard as equable in temperament with no suggestion of timidity. It ranks 20th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, which indicates good working or obedience intelligence.

In mid-20th-century tests, American Cockers did best at showing restraint and delayed response, a trait put down to their bred-in habit of freezing on finding a bird before flushing it on command. They did worst of all breeds tested at handling objects with their paws, such as uncovering a dish or pulling a string.

With good early socialisation, they can live happily with adults, children, other dogs and other pets. They are generally people-oriented and tend to prefer regular human company to long spells alone. Some individuals may be sensitive to loud noises or rough handling.

Originally hunting dogs, they became more popular as show dogs. Breeding to the show standard, including the long coat, means they are no longer an ideal working dog.

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.3 years for the breed, compared with 12.7 for purebreds overall and 12 for crossbreeds.

The breed is one of the more commonly affected for progressive rod-cone degeneration, caused in the breed by an autosomal recessive mutation in the PRCD gene. A US veterinary data study found it predisposed to glaucoma, with 5.52% affected, the highest of all breeds.

Some can develop a nutritional form of dilated cardiomyopathy, linked to low blood levels of the amino acid taurine. They are also predisposed to hypothyroidism and to a range of skin conditions, including allergic skin disease, intertrigo, Malassezia dermatitis, otitis externa, melanoma, plasmacytoma, primary keratinisation defects, sebaceous adenoma and vitamin A-responsive dermatosis.

On a brighter note, a large North American study found hip dysplasia in 0.87% of American Cockers, against 3.52% across all dogs.

This is general awareness only, not veterinary advice. Always consult a vet about your pet's health.

Is an American Cocker Spaniel the same as an English Cocker Spaniel?

No. They are closely related but diverged during the 20th century under different breed standards. The American has a rounder eye, a domed skull, a shorter muzzle and more pronounced eyebrows, and is slightly smaller.

How long do American Cocker Spaniels live?

A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.3 years. That is higher than the 12.7 years found for purebreds on average.

Are American Cocker Spaniels good with children and other pets?

With appropriate early socialisation, they can live successfully with adults, children, other dogs and other household pets. They are generally people-oriented. Some individuals may be sensitive to loud noises or rough handling.

Are American Cocker Spaniels clever?

They rank 20th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, which indicates good working or obedience intelligence. They have average working intelligence in other descriptions of the breed.

What colours do American Cocker Spaniels come in?

There are three main groups: black or black and tan, solid colours other than black, and parti-colours. Merle coats also occur but are not recognised by the American Kennel Club.

Ch. My Own Brucie won best in show at Westminster in 1940 and 1941 and became known as the most photographed dog in the world.

The breed won best in show at Crufts in 2017.

It was the most popular breed in the United States during the 1940s and 1950s and again in the 1980s, reigning for a total of 18 years.

American Cockers have links to US presidents. Richard Nixon's Checkers speech of 1952 made one a household name, and Harry S. Truman received one as an unwanted gift.

Lady, from the film Lady and the Tramp, is an American Cocker Spaniel.