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.

The English Cocker Spaniel is considered as a gun dog but has two varieties which are the working/field cocker and the show cocker. The working cocker is a companion during hunting but instead of retrieving the game, it actually flushes them towards the guns. The show cocker on the other hand joins conformation shows most often joining 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.

The English Cocker Spaniel is a sturdy, compact and well-balanced dog. It has dark eyes and floppy ears that should reach the nose tip when pulled forward. The tail is usually docked to give its body balance especially in hunting but docking is not allowed in other countries.

There are a lot colors for the English Cocker but some are unacceptable depending on its variety. The show cocker can only have some specific colors but the field cocker can be of any color. There are cockers found in solid colors but there are also some that are found in tricolor and roan.

Some of the solid colors are black, silver, tan, chocolate, blue, red, gold, copper red and white. Some of the 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 so much more! Both the field and conformation varieties may be found in the same colors but hunters prefer their cockers to have a white color for more visibility.

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.

Studies revealed that the temperament of the cocker spaniel has relevance to its coat color. According to a study by the University of Cambridge, the solid-colored cockers are more likely to be aggressive than the others. Additionally, a separate study have shown that the Red/Golden colored cockers are the most aggressive towards humans when they are being disciplined or sometimes even for no apparent reason at all.