Family-friendly:5/5Exercise needs:4/5Easy to train:4/5Tolerates being alone:1/5Likes other pets:5/5Energy level:5/5Grooming needs:3/5Shedding:3/5

Cocker Spaniel (English)

English Cocker Spaniels are medium-sized, well-balanced dogs. They are active, have a sweet temperament, and are great as family dogs as they love to participate in group activities and can be trained easily. Loyalty is one of their main characteristics so if you’re thinking of getting a Cocker Spaniel as a pet, be prepared to have a permanent, but adorable shadow following you around everywhere.

Lifespan

12 – 15 years

Weight

13 – 14.5kg

Height

38 – 41cm

Colours

Cocker Spaniels come in a multitude of different colours and combinations, including solid colours of black, red, orange and brown, combinations of black with white, liver with white, red and white, blue roan, orange roans, black roans, particolours and tricolours

Size

Medium

Kennel Club Group

Gundog

The need-to-know

Dog suitable for owners with some experience
Extra training required
Generally healthy breed
Enjoys vigorous walks
Enjoys one to two hours of walking a day

Medium dog
Some drool
Requires grooming every other day
Chatty and vocal dog
Barks and alerts to visitors/anything unusual

Generally friendly with other dogs
Gets along with other pets with training
May need additional supervision to live with children
Needs a large garden
Can live in semi-rural areas

Can be left occasionally with training

Generally healthy breed

English Cocker Spaniel can be prone to:
- Ear infections
- Glaucoma
- Progressive retinal atrophy
- Retinal pigment epithelial dystrophy which is where deposits form in the eye and this can result in damage to the eye and blindness in dim light.
- Familial nephropathy which is a serious disease where the kidneys do not work properly.
- Acral mutilation syndrome which is where dogs start to damage their paws as they are unable to feel pain in this part of their body.
- Atopy where the skin reacts to allergens in the environment and becomes sore and itchy.

Priority Kennel Club health schemes and testing:
- Eye screening scheme
- Eye testing for pectinate ligament abnormality testing to look for signs that a dog is affected by glaucoma.

As well as DNA testing to see whether or not a dog has the potential to develop certain conditions:
- DNA test for progressive retinal atrophy, familial nephropathy and acral mutilation syndrome which tests whether or not a dog has the potential to be affected by this condition.

Meet the Spaniel!

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Find out what it's really like to live with this bright, loyal, and energetic dog breed in our video guide with expert insight and advice from Carolyn Menteith, dog trainer and behaviour consultant.

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Cocker Spaniel Appearance

The Cocker Spaniel puppy weighs about 1.4 kg but can get to a weight of 13 – 14.5 kg in adulthood. Their coats are flat and silky with plenty of feathering on the front legs. The Cocker Spaniel colours can range from black, red, orange, and brown, to different combinations of two or more colours.

They have a certain regal appearance with their ears being long and feathered and their coats, beautifully thick and wavy.

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Cocker Spaniel Personality

The Cocker Spaniel is a busy, friendly dog who thrives on human companionship, wanting nothing more than to please their owners. They are ideal pets where there are children about and they get on well with other household animals.

Cocker Spaniels are a very happy breed, constantly wagging their tails and always on the go. They are easily trained, being both clever and eager to learn.

What owners say about this breed...

Meet Bertie

"He’s energetic and loves life, is loyal and very bright. He loves to learn tricks, play with balls and carry his soft toys around."

Read Bertie's story

Meet Dave

"They have endless energy so they need to be kept active and need a lot of walks."

Read Dave's story

Meet Harley

"Harley is a working cocker so needs loads of exercise, and if he smells something he is off like a rocket with complete disregard for his surroundings which can make for an interesting walk if he is off lead."

Read Harley's story

Read more stories

Vet Rating

Family-friendly:	5/5
Exercise needs:	4/5
Easy to train:	4/5
Tolerates being alone:	1/5
Likes other pets:	5/5
Energy level:	5/5
Grooming needs:	3/5
Shedding:	3/5

History and Origins

The English Cocker Spaniel is the most popular of the spaniel breeds and is one of the oldest of the land spaniels. Prior to the early 1800s, the Cocker and the Springer Spaniels were categorised together and called simply the Land Spaniel, but they developed to have different jobs depending on their size - the larger ones being used to ‘spring’ game and the smaller ones to flush out woodcock. The difference between the two became more pronounced, thanks to selective breeding by their various devotees, and in 1893, they were finally recognised as two separate breeds — and this is how they got the names we know today — the Springer and the Cocker.

The advantages of the Cocker were that as they were smaller and faster, they could easily push themselves into hedgerows and dense scrubland, and so could flush game that larger spaniels were unable to get to.

Ideal Owner

Cocker owners need to be fit and active to keep up with their dog, but calm and steady to temper their busy, effervescent nature. Be ready for lots of walks, lots of training, and lots of fun. Cockers do need regular grooming and this will be best maintained at home, with top ups from a professional groomer if you wish. Better in a rural setting.

Exercise Needs

The Cocker Spaniel is an active, busy, energetic dog who loves exercise and needs between an hour to two hours every day although will happily take more — but will still enjoy games, training, interactive toys and being involved in all family activities at the rest of the time too.

Given their high energy, you could consider taking them to an off-lead area where they can be safe to run around and enjoy the space. Play some fetch together while you’re there and you’re sure to make your furry friend’s day.

Space Requirements

While they are fairly small dogs, they really need a country home — or certainly a semi-rural environment so they can get the exercise they need. If, however, that’s not possible, you should make sure that they go on frequent walks to run off their excess energy.

Nutrition and Feeding

Your dog's diet needs to have the right balance of all the main nutrient groups including a constant supply of fresh water. It's also important to conduct regular body condition scores to ensure you keep your dog in ideal shape and remember to feed them at least twice daily and in accordance with the feeding guidelines of their particular food. Proper nutrition along with care can contribute to a Cocker Spaniel lifespan reaching 15 years.

Grooming Cocker Spaniels

As they enjoy charging through the undergrowth and into puddles and lakes, their coats must be brushed several times a week and their ears checked regularly, to ensure they are clean and healthy. They should be stripped out 3 or 4 times a year by a professional groomer. It is possible, however, to learn how to do this yourself.

Training Cocker Spaniels

This is an active dog who will need training if you want any hope of a quiet life! A Cocker Spaniel puppy, or a fully grown adult, are a joy to train, though, as they are intelligent and love working with their owner — but they will learn bad habits as quickly as good ones so reward-based training should start early and be ongoing.

This is a great breed for dog sports such as agility or even pet gundog work — and they will love having an active job to do. They will enjoy scent work games too.

It is important to train a Cocker Spaniel to enjoy handling and grooming (as they will need a lot of it) and to happily give up any prizes they may rather hold onto — always using positive, reward-based methods. While a Cocker Spaniel puppy will need less grooming, it’s best to start when they are young so you can get them used to it.

Given they have a working gundog background, they should be well socialised with cats (who they can learn to live with happily) but watched with caution around other small animals and birds.

Are Cocker Spaniels Good Family Dogs?

Cocker Spaniels make great family dogs for active energetic families, but tend to need too much exercise and input for parents of younger children so may suit slightly older children better.

While many dogs are traditionally thought of as being good with children, all dogs and children need to be taught to get on with and respect each other, and be safe together. Even so, dogs and young children should never be left alone together and adults should supervise all interactions between them.

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Cocker Spaniel Fun Facts

There are two very different types of Cocker Spaniels: the English Cocker Spaniel and the American Cocker Spaniel. Enthusiasts on both sides of the Atlantic argue about which one is the ‘real’ one! While the English Cocker Spaniel is taller than they are long, the American one is longer than they are tall. They also have a longer muzzle than the American ones.
A Cocker Spaniel named Tangle was the first cancer-detecting dog, trained to recognise the smell of cancer with a success rate of 80% accuracy.
Cocker Spaniel’s paw pads inspired the sole for the first ever boat shoes when Paul Sperry witnessed his dog running on ice without a problem.

Lady, from Lady and the Tramp was a Cocker Spaniel.
George Clooney has a Cocker Spaniel called Einstein and British royals Will and Kate have one called Lupo.
They make terrible guard dogs as they’re much too friendly.

FAQs

Do Cocker Spaniels shed a lot?

No, compared to other breeds, Cocker Spaniels don’t shed a lot, but it depends on the individual dog and season (spring and fall is when they shed more).

Can a Cocker Spaniel be left alone?

It’s recommended that a Cocker Spaniel not be left alone for more than four hours because they are prone to getting separation anxiety.

What are the disadvantages of a Cocker Spaniel?

Some owners might find Cocker Spaniels to be too energetic as they need a lot of exercise to burn off the excess energy. Also, separation anxiety can cause Cocker Spaniels to be destructive and excessively noisy, which might be an issue for owners that need to leave them alone during the day.

Is it better to get a male or female Cocker Spaniel?

The differences between a male and a female Cocker Spaniel are minimal and while females are generally easier to train and more affectionate, males are more independent, but this also depends on the dog’s personality and character.