Most people know what a cocker spaniel looks like but everyone should be aware that there is an English Cocker Spaniel and an American Cocker Spaniel. These two may look the same but they are different in a lot of forms and are definitely separate breeds. Both breeds are being used as hunting companions and as conformation show competitors.

The gun dog English Cocker Spaniel has two varieties namely the field or working cocker and the show cocker. The working/field cocker is used during game hunting but rather than retrieving the game, this variety actually drives the game towards the guns. The show cocker on the other hand is used for conformation shows most often competing in agility and obedience competitions.

This breed has been nicknamed as the “merry cocker” because of its perpetually wagging tail in manifestation of its happy disposition. However, this dog can be stubborn although it is highly trainable, too. Moreover, the face of this dog should be a manifestation of intelligence and alertness.

It has a sturdy, well-rounded and balanced body. The eyes should be dark and the ears floppy and long enough to reach the tip of the nose when pulled forward together. In most countries, the cocker’s tail is docked except only for those places wherein this practice is prohibited.

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 adorable English Cocker may also become domineering and stubborn but it is also extremely loyal to the family, does not like to be left alone, and loves to get close with only one person in the family. This breed is also loving, optimistic, intelligent and adaptable. This breed also ranks 18th in Stanley Cohen’s the Intelligence of Dog as a measure of the breed’s excellence in working, obedience and intelligence.

Interestingly, studies by the University of Cambridge have shown that the temperament of the cocker has a relevance to its coat color. The studies conclude that solid-colored cockers are more likely to be aggressive compared to the others. Additionally, findings have shown that Red/Golden colored cockers are the most aggressive towards humans when it is being disciplined or sometimes when there is no reason at all.

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