About
Cocker Spaniels are a smaller Spaniel breed with lots of love to give. They are very affectionate and love spending time with people.
You’ll find Cocker Spaniels in all sorts of colours and their size can range a little too. A key feature of the Cocker Spaniel is their large floppy ears.
Cocker Spaniels make fantastic family pets. They are gentle around children, and cope well in families with other dogs. Eager to please, Cocker Spaniels will pick up good behaviour quickly with a little training.
Health
Cocker Spaniels don’t have many common health issues as a breed but there are a few things to keep in mind. Some issues are hereditary and so making sure to visit a reputable breeder can avoid these all together.
As ever, proper exercise, a good diet, and regular check ups are always a good idea.
Ear Infections
Symptoms: red or swollen ears, discharge from ears, dog scratching at ears
Cocker Spaniels have large floppy ears and they can be more prone to infection than other breeds. Regular grooming of their ears can help avoid infections.
Luxating Patella
Symptoms: skipping or hopping, avoiding using one or more legs
A luxating patella is a condition where a dog’s kneecap has been dislodged and causes pain for the dog when they use it. Catching this early can avoid long-term issues.
Progressive Retinal Atrophy
Symptoms: bumping into things, less responsive to visual cues or stimulus
This degenerative disease affects a dog’s eyes and will get worse over time leading to blindness. It’s an inherited condition so it’s important to check with your breeder, and make sure the parents are healthy.
Appearance
You can spot a Spaniel a mile away as they have large ears, especially the Cocker Spaniel!
Most Spaniels also have wide noses, passed down from their time as gundogs, helping to hunt game.
A Cocker Spaniel is one of the smaller Spaniel breeds.
Cocker Spaniels have a wide variety of recognised coat colours as well as many combinations of coat colours.
You’ll find Cocker Spaniels in a range of coat combinations including: Black, Blue, Chocolate, Golden, Lemon, Liver, Orange, Tan, Red, and White.
Behaviour
A pretty easy going breed, a Cocker Spaniel is just as likely to enjoy a quiet day relaxing on the sofa, as it is exploring a new walk.
Cocker Spaniels are fast learners and can learn good behaviours with minimal training. As well as being fast learners, their gentle nature means Cocker Spaniels are calm dogs.
Across the board, Cocker Spaniels are friendly with everyone. Children, strangers, and other dogs will become fast friends with a Cocker Spaniel.
