The World’s Merry Cocker, The English Cocker Spaniel
Posted on July 5th, 2009 in Sports |
Everyone knows what a Cocker Spaniel looks like but be in the know that there is actually an English Cocker Spaniel and an American Cocker Spaniel. These two are completely separate breeds but with seemingly similar uses. Both are most often used as gundogs or as conformation show contenders.
There are two varieties of the English Cocker Spaniel and they are the field/working cocker and the show cocker. The working cocker is used as a hunting companion wherein it drives game towards the guns instead of retrieving it. The show cocker on the other hand joins dog sports in conformation shows.
Because of its infinitely wagging tail that suggests a state of happiness, many have dubbed the English Cocker Spaniel as the “merry cocker”. This dog is also well-known for being stubborn and having a mind of its own although training this breed is not at all difficult. This breed also manifests characteristics of intelligence and alertness.
The body of the adorable English Cocker is sturdy, compact and well-balanced. The eyes should be dark and the ears should be floppy and long that it should reach the tip of the nose when pulled forward. The tail of this breed is docked except in those countries where this practice id banned.
The coat colors of the English Cocker come in different varieties but some are acceptable only depending on the cocker’s variety. For the show cocker, there are only some colors that are allowed but for the working cocker, all colors and combinations are practically accepted. The color variety for this dog ranges from solid, tricolor and roan.
Examples of the solid colors are black, silver, tan, chocolate, blue, red, gold, copper red and white. Other color combinations are black and white, black and tan, blue tick, blue roan, chocolate and tan, lemon and white, orange and white, red and white, and a lot more! In hunting, hunters prefer that their field cockers have color white in their coats in able to see them properly in the woods.
The English Cocker is well-known for a domineering and stubborn disposition but it can also be extremely loyal, likes to be around people and loves to get close with just one member of the family. This dog is also known to be very affectionate, optimistic, flexible and intelligent. According to Stanley Cohen’s the Intelligence of Dog, the English Cocker ranks 18th in working and obedience intelligence.
There have been studies about the cocker spaniel which states that there is relevance between the cocker’s temperament and its coat color. A study by the University of Cambridge concluded that solid-colored cockers are more likely to be aggressive than other colors. Similar studies have also concluded that Red or Golden colored cockers are the most aggressive towards humans during discipline or sometimes even for no clear reason.
