The American Cocker Spaniel is a small, sweet, happy and playful breed. They are known for being very cheerful little dogs made famous by Lady from Disney’s Lady and the Tramp.
One of the smallest sporting breeds, they can cope with flat or apartment living. They are very playful, so as long as they get their daily walk and plenty of playtimes, they will be fine.
This breed is known to suffer from separation anxiety, so consider this if you will have to leave them on their own a lot. A bored dog will usually become mischievous, whether it be nuisance barking, chewing or digging. Try to ensure they are occupied with jobs, playtime or plenty of exercise to keep them out of trouble.
They are great family dogs as they are very playful and will spend hours playing endless games of fetch in the garden. This breed is best avoided If you have young children as they do have their limits on how much they are prepared to be pulled around.
They can be wary of strangers and slightly timid. With good socialisation, you should be able to curve this. They are OK watchdogs and will soon alert you to people at the door, but once inside, people will usually be treated as new friends.
The Cocker is sweet-natured and will usually live peacefully with other dogs, cats and small animals if, brought up within the same household. They were bred as gun dogs, so they will likely chase small animals and neighbourhood cats.
Cocker Spaniels are intelligent and easy to train. They are very sensitive dogs, so make sure you keep training fun and playful. Any harsh treatment will make these guys very defensive. Try to identify their motivation reward early on for the best results. For this breed, it is normally food. They are also known for peeing a little when they get excited!
The Cocker Spaniel are medium shedders, shedding a little all year round but more when the seasons change. Daily or at least weekly brushing will help combat the hair. They also will need to have their hair clipped. This is something you could learn to do yourself.
American Cocker Dog Stats
The American Cocker Spaniel resembles the English Cocker Spaniel, one of his peers in Sporting Group, and formerly the two breeds were considered one. However, a number of Spaniel fanciers noticed the different strains of Cocker and sought to preserve separate breeds and discourage the interbreeding of the English and American varieties.
- Size – 38cm –41cm
- Weight –14kg –15kg
- They live for 14-16 years