With a regal and elegant bearing, thanks to which it sports a truly stately appearance, combined with an extremely sweet and balanced character, this animal will win our hearts with that tender look in milliseconds. These dogs are the ideal companions for all those willing to give them their love and on our site we will discover the reasons why so many choose them as a faithful companion. Keep reading and discover all the characteristics of the American Cocker Spaniel, their care, possible greeting problems and curiosities.
Origin of the American Cocker Spaniel
In the 19th century, the first English cocker spaniels arrived in North America, and during the last decades of that century the breed spread throughout the American territory until the first official club was founded in 1881, called the American Cocker Spaniel Club. However, it must be borne in mind that the American Cocker and the English Spaniel are not the same breed, since the Americans arose thanks to the work of various breeders who sought a standard more akin to their interests. In this way, new lines of work were established in breeding and cocker specimens more oriented towards being show animals instead of hunting dogs.
This decision raised quite a bit of controversy between those who wanted the cocker as a hunting animal and those who were looking for a show animal, which is why both variants began to be differentiated, beingthe smallest Americans and with a thicker coat. In 1935 it was even prohibited to cross animals of both breeds, and in that same year the first American Cocker Spaniel club in the world was created. Thus, in 1946 the American Kennel Club formally accepted the existence of two distinct breeds , recognizing to the American Cocker as a breed differentiated from the English Spaniel.
Since then the American Cocker has enjoyed well-deserved fame and recognition worldwide, becoming famous in the rest of the globe and being the pet of well-known celebrities, as well as families of all places and cultures.
Characteristics of the American Cocker
The American Cocker Spaniel is the smallest breed within the FCI category “sporting hunting dogs”, weighing weight between 10 and 12 kilosin females and 12-15 kg in males, and a height at the withers between 33-36 centimeters in the case of females and 36-39 cm in males. The distance between the highest point of the withers and the ground must be somewhat shorter than the one between the point of the sternum and the point of the buttock, without the animal ever having a long and low body.
Continuing with the physical appearance of the American Cocker, the head is rounded, with long and wide snout, ending in a nose proportionate and balanced, with a color in harmony with that of his fur, and also with that of the edge of his eyelids. Unlike the English cocker, the American cocker's muzzle is slightly flatter or shorter
On the other hand, the coat of the American Cocker is slightly longer than that of the English. In general, the hair present on its head is usually short, except in the upper part of the skull, while the rest of its body has a medium-long, smooth or wavy coat with an inner layer that protects it. Both on the legs and on the chest, abdomen and even the ears, there is a series of fringes that make him a really adorable and funny dog. As for the color range, solid black is accepted, black with tan markings or white spots on the chest and neck, cream, dark red, brown and brown with tan markings. The combination of two or more solid colors is also accepted as long as they are well defined and one of them is white, such as black and white.
The life expectancy of the American Cocker Spaniel is usually between 12 and 14 years in the longest-lived specimens, provided they have received timely care and their needs are covered in the best way.
American Cocker Spaniel Character
As he lets us see with his tender and sweet gaze, the American Cocker Spaniel is an extremely affectionate and friendly dog , who He will offer all his love and will pour himself into his own with infinite loy alty. Cockers in general are very affectionate and cheerful, their cuddly appearance reinforces that sweetness, as we will want to cuddle them constantly due to how attentive and affectionate they are to their guardians, as well as the delicacy with which they treat children and Other animals.
These are very balanced dogs, which are active but calm, affectionate but not sticky, they are certainly smart and respond quickly to environmental stimuli. These are animals that like games and exercises, especially those that simulate hunting due to their origins as hunting dogs, but they adapt perfectly to life indoors as long as they are given regular walks.
American Cocker Spaniel Care
To keep our American Cocker's coat shiny and tangle-free we must brush it at least once a day It is also recommended to bathe it regularly, and if we want to keep their fur in the best conditions and with the appearance of the breed, we will have to turn to professionals, visiting a trusted dog hairdresser so that our dog looks amazing. These cares are vital to keep his coat in good condition, since otherwise his abundant and dense fur will always be tangled and that will give him a neglected image. If we want the grooming of the coat to be typical of the breed, we have to look for a professional who knows the standard perfectly and performs the cut with the required skill. Likewise, neglecting it completely can lead to the development of parasites and, therefore, the appearance of problems such as canine myiasis.
One of the most important care that must be given to the American Cocker Spaniel is keeping their ears always clean and cared for, since they are tending to problems of the auditory apparatus. In addition, we must be attentive to the possible presence of spikes or residues that could cause edema or otitis, which could be complicated and end up triggering permanent deafness. To clean the ears, a product approved by our trusted veterinarian must be used for this purpose, likewise, he will be the one who explains to us step by step how this cleaning must be carried out. In this way we will prevent our pet from suffering discomfort and itching, which will be evident because it will shake its head, it will hurt when touching the area and it will constantly scratch its ears.
American Cocker Spaniel Education
American Cockers are generally quite docile, which, added to their wonderful intelligence and learning ability, should make it easier to train our pet. But there is a factor that could interfere with our educational work, which we must not fail to take into consideration, and that is that they tend to be quite stubborn and stubborn, for which may cost us a bit to get them to understand and carry out the orders that are sent to them.
This is why we must be constant with regard to their education, never resorting to physical or emotional punishment, as there are appropriate techniques to teach them without creating discomfort or harming them in any way. To do this, we will resort to positive reinforcement, which in short consists of rewarding the animal in some way when it performs a behavior that we want it to maintain, or target behavior, so that you understand what to do and what to avoid in order to get the desired reward. In this way we will prevent our animal from being afraid or being reluctant to be trained, at which point it would show its stubbornness.
American Cocker Spaniel He alth
Despite being a fairly robust animal, we must pay attention to the incidence of some diseases in American Cockers that will require specific veterinary check-ups and follow-ups for their prevention and good evolution. The first one is deafness, since, as we have mentioned, the accumulation of wax and mites in your ears can trigger otitis, which if not treated properly can degenerate into temporary or permanent deafness. To avoid this, we will have to carry out regular cleaning and monitor the state of our dog's ears frequently.
Even if we have all the care in the world, it must be said that a 7 % of American Cocker Spaniel puppiesare born with congenital deafness , either in one or both ears, but if we are able to adapt to it, our animal will be able to live a full and happy life without any problem.
We will also have to pay attention to their eyes, as many specimens have conditions such as progressive retinal atrophy, cataracts, ectropion or glaucoma, accentuating both the incidence and severity of these disorders as the animal gets older, it being relatively common for the oldest to have some vision deficiencies. To detect them and avoid them in time, regular ophthalmological examinations are recommended.
Other important conditions that can affect the American Cocker are autoimmune hemolytic anemia or joint pathologies, such as elbow dislocation or hip dysplasia, although all of them are relatively rare and could have a good evolution with timely veterinary monitoring.
