Saturday, August 1, 2009

The Adoringly Fluffy Gun Dog: The American Cocker Spaniel

By Meredith Blake

The American Cocker Spaniel is a medium sized breed of gun dog that developed from the same family as the English Cocker Spaniel. This breed originated from England and originally hunted woodcock and this is where the name cocker was derived. During the 1940s, the cocker was introduced and developed in the US and this new breed was named the American Cocker Spaniel.

In its native country the US, it is simply called the Cocker Spaniel. In other parts of the world such as Canada and Europe, it is called the American Cocker Spaniel. Before, this dog flourished as a gun dog but today it is more known as a lovable family pet.

Spaniels that came to England were actually brought in from Spain and then later on developed to become good hunters. In the early days, a Spaniel's litter was composed of a cocker spaniel and a Springer spaniel and these two were only segregated in to types when they grew up. But with the help of the English Setter, a different breed for the Cocker Spaniel has been developed.

To know the difference of an American Cocker Spaniel from an English Cocker Spaniel, the size of the former is relatively smaller than the latter. The American version also has a long and low set coat while the English one has a shorter coat. The head of the American Cocker Spaniel is dome-like and the ears are floppy while the English variety has a rectangular head and shorter ears.

The standard height of the American Cocker Spaniel is 15 inches and any dog taller than this is considered disqualified for shows. The weight should be 25 to 35 pounds but the males can be a bit heavier. The average life span is up to 12 years while the English Cocker Spaniel is 13 years.

As a pet and as a dog show competitor, the luscious fur of this breed should be carefully groomed and maintained. The coat should be soft, smooth, long, flat and double coated. There are four categories that the coat colors of this breed fall under and these are: Black, ASCOB (Any Solid Color Other than Black), Tricolor, and Parti Color.

As a gun dog, the American Cocker Spaniel is known to be brave, hard worker, and respectful of the master's authority. As a family pet, this dog is very sociable, amiable, and sweet. It is known to be gentle, devoted, trusting and sensitive.

The American Cocker Spaniel is an energetic dog that needs daily exercise in order to maintain being healthy. Grooming this dog requires daily brushing and shampooing as its coat is long, dense and sheds averagely. Regular nail clipping, coat trimming and eyes cleaning are also necessary.

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