Why Cocker Spaniels Make Great Pets

Cocker spaniels are the smallest of the sporting breed dogs and were originally bred in the UK to help hunters flush woodcock birds (hence the name ‘cocker) out of long undergrowth. When they were introduced to the USA, they were classed as the same breed as the UK Cocker. However, American breeders bred dogs to be smaller, with a rounded head and longer coat. These became classed as a different breed and known as American Cocker Spaniels. These lovable dogs are among the top ten most popular dog breeds, and here are x reasons cocker spaniels make great pets.

Looks

These dogs have got to be one of the cutest dog breeds with their long ears, curly hair, and soulful eyes – anyone would appreciate cocker spaniel posters as a present! Unlike most dog breeds, these little beauties come with coats of many colors such as black, red, golden, liver, sable, and silver ash or any two combinations of these colors. Cockers can also have patterned coats known as ‘roan,’ a base color interspersed with flecks of white. Black and white roan and liver and white roan coated dogs are the most common variety. Their coats are beautiful and silky, with feathering on the ears, legs, underside, and chest. Show dogs can have a serious amount of fringing on their legs and underbellies, which require intensive grooming.

Cocker spaniels can grow up to a height at the withers of 38cm and can weigh up to 12kg. They have rounded heads with a square muzzle, long feathered ears, and a sloping back. 

Personality 

Cocker spaniels are loving and happy dogs, but they do need a large amount of attention and do not do well when left alone for long periods. They are good with children and other dogs and do not make great guard dogs as they are so friendly. Overbreeding has led to some behavioral issues developing in cockers, and some dogs display nervous outbursts and can be highly strung.

Good Sense of Humor

These joyful little dogs love to have fun. They are bred to be hunting dogs and do a job, so they are very intelligent and keen to please their owners. If you want a lap dog, do not get a cocker spaniel as these canines love to run around and require at least an hour of exercise every day. They enjoy having plenty of time off their lead so that they can sniff around and investigate new things. They need to be intellectually stimulated; otherwise, they will become bored, and this is when anti-social behavior occurs in most dogs.

Cocker spaniels are generally easy to train and enjoy learning new things. They can be sensitive to loud noises and overly forceful trainers, but this can be prevented by doing conditioning training with them from when they are puppies. Because they are happy and excitable, cockers are known to be frequent barkers. Again, with quality training, an owner can prevent or at least decrease the instances of barking in these dogs.