Cocker Spaniel (English)

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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).

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

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. For more insight into the energy levels of this breed, read our article here.

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.