English Cocker Spaniel
The English Cocker is no doubt one of the oldest types of land
spaniel. Their origins can be traced back to 14th century Spain.
Prior to the 1600's all types of spaniels were categorised together;
the larger ones being used to spring game and the smaller ones to
flush out woodcock. Hence the names Springer and Cocker were derived.
In 1892, the Kennel Club of Great Britain differentiated the two
breeds separately. In the 1930's, the Cocker was the most popular
breed of dog in Britain and there he stayed for almost 20 years!
On the other side of the Atlantic, Americans were using the same
breeding stock to develop a slightly different Cocker. In 1940,
the Kennel Club then split these Spaniels into American and English.
General Appearance
Merry, sturdy, sporting; well balanced; compact; measuring approximately
same from withers to ground as from withers to root of tail.
Characteristics
Merry nature with ever-wagging tail shows a typical bustling movement,
particularly when following scent, fearless of heavy cover.
Temperament
Gentle and affectionate, yet full of life and exuberance.
Head & Skull
Square muzzle, with distinct stop set midway between tip of nose
and occiput. Skull well developed, cleanly chiselled, neither too
fine nor too coarse. Cheek bones not prominent. Nose sufficiently
wide for acute scenting power.
Eyes
Full, but not prominent. Dark brown or brown, never light, but
in the case of liver, liver roan and liver and white, dark hazel
to harmonise with coat; with expression of intelligence and gentleness
but wide awake, bright and merry; rims tight.
Ears
Lobular, set low on a level with eyes. Fine leathers extending
to nose tip. Well clothed with long, straight silky hair.
Mouth
Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite,
i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square
to the jaws.
Neck
Moderate in length, muscular. Set neatly into fine sloping shoulders.
Clean throat.
Forequarters
Shoulders sloping and fine. Legs well boned, straight, sufficiently
short for concentrated power. Not too short to interfere with tremendous
exertions expected from this grand, sporting dog.
Body
Strong, compact. Chest well developed and brisket deep; neither
too wide nor too narrow in front. Ribs well sprung. Loin short,
wide with firm, level topline gently sloping downwards to tail from
end of loin to set on of tail.
Hindquarters
Wide, well rounded, very muscular. Legs well boned, good bend of
stifle, short below hock allowing for plenty of drive.
Feet
Firm, thickly padded, cat-like.
Tail
Set on slightly lower than line of back. Must be merry in action
and carried level, never cocked up. Previously customarily docked.
Docked: Never too short to hide, nor too long to interfere with,
the incessant merry action when working.
Undocked: Slightly curved, of moderate length, proportionate to
size of body giving an overall balanced appearance; ideally not
reaching below the hock. Strong at the root and tapering to a fine
tip; well feathered in keeping with the coat. Lively in action,
carried on a plane not higher than level of back and never so low
as to indicate timidity.
Gait/Movement
True through action with great drive covering ground well.
Coat
Flat, silky in texture, never wiry or wavy, not too profuse and
never curly. Well feathered forelegs, body and hindlegs above hocks.
Colour
Solid Colours
Black; red; golden; liver (chocolate); black and tan; liver and
tan; No white allowed except a small amount on chest.
Particolours
Bicolours
Black and white; orange and white; liver and white; lemon and white;
All with or without ticking.
Tricolours
Black, white and tan; liver, white and tan.
Roans
Blue roan; orange roan; lemon roan; liver roan; blue roan and tan;
liver roan and tan.
Any colour or marking other than the above is undesirable.
Size
Height approximately: dogs: 39-41 cms (15.5-16 ins); bitches: 38-39
cms (15-15.5 ins). Weight approximately: 13-14.5 kgs (28-32 lbs).
Faults
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a
fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded
should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon
the health and welfare of the dog, and on the dog’s ability
to perform its traditional work.
Grooming
Their coats must be brushed regularly. The excess hair around the
ear passages and beneath the ears must be removed to ensure the
ears are adequately ventilated and that no infections set in. The
hair around their feet and that between their pads also needs regular
attention. 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. |