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Tags: Small Dog Breeds, The Versus Theory
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Cocker Spaniel vs. English Cocker Spaniel
Under the untrained eyes, it is not easy to differentiate Cocker Spaniel from English Cocker Spaniel—after all Cocker Spaniels were developed from early imports of the English Cocker Spaniel in the late 1800s.
Besides their coat length and sizes, the other distinct difference is their heads. Cocker Spaniel has a rounded skull with pronounced stop and shorter muzzle than the English Cocker Spaniel.
With their charming nature and beauty, it’s no wonder these Cocker Spaniels remain very popular breeds among dog owners and exhibitors in their respective countries over many generations.
FYI: Shortly after Lucky’s (my first mutt at age 2½) death at 10, Dad got me an English Cocker Spaniel who we named him Bohmar (sold to us by an Englishman who lived in India hence that name). Because of my carefree (careless, according to Dad) attitude, Bohmar was stolen when I left him to sunbath in the yard. Though my time with Bohmar was shortlived (about 10 months), I can still visualize his extra silky black shiny coat—the most beautiful coat I’ve ever seen!
If you are seriously thinking of owning a Cocker Spaniel, I suggest you look for reputable breeders like in all other purebreds. Because of their many health concerns, stay away from backyard breeders. Make sure the breeders have the pups tested for eye, knee, hip, thyroid, and temperament soundness. Also keep in mind that deafness usually occurs in parti-colors and hip dysplasia in solid color.
Cocker Spaniel vs. English Cocker Spaniel
| Breed | Cocker Spaniel | English Cocker Spaniel |
| Country of Origin | United States | England |
| AKC / KC Groups | Sporting Group / Gundog Group | Sporting Group / Gundog Group |
| Original Function | Bird Flushing and Retrieving | Bird Flushing and Retrieving |
Physical Appearance
| Coat Color | Black, ASCOB (any solid color other than black), or parti-colored, with or without white marking at the chest and throat or tan points | Solid black, liver or shades of red, black and tan, liver and tan, and any these colors on a white background either parti-colored, ticked, or roan |
| Coat Type | Silky and flat or slightly wavy, not overly long and has a dense undercoat | Silky, flat or slightly wavy, with some feathering in medium length |
| Head | Rounded skull with pronounced stop | A strong, softly contoured head |
| Eyes | Hazel to black—depending on the coat color—nevertheless the darker the better, always soft and appealing with alert expression | Dark brown, never pale, full but not prominent |
| Ears | Long and lobular, set level with or below the lower part of the eyes | Low but set level with the eyes |
| Body | Small, compact, square in shape with deep chest, back slopes gently towards the tail | Slightly taller than length yet very strong and compact, topline sloping gradually towards the tail |
| Tail | Carried level with or just above the back, docked | Docked, carried horizontally |
| Height | 14 to 15 inches | 15 to 17 inches |
| Weight | 18 to 25 lbs | 26 to 34 pounds |
Temperament, Needs, and Learning
| Overall Temperament | A highly sociable, lively dog with strong work drive, intelligence and a capacity for training | An intelligent, cheerful, loving, and highly sociable dog, a hard worker and devoted companion |
| General Activity | Moderate | Moderate |
| Exercise Requirement | Moderately high, a long daily walk with weekly romp in the park is adequate exercise for this breed. | Moderate high, at least one daily long (30 mins or more) walk and a good run in the park/field or a lively game at the yard. |
| Grooming Requirement | Regular brushing, and some trimming on the feet and ears. Pay extra attention to the ears and eyes cleanliness. | Regular brushing, and some trimming on the feet and ears. |
| Ideal Home Environment | Although they can live in urban area with plenty of walks, they’re much better living in rural or suburban area | Fare well in rural and suburban areas |
| Ideal Owner | Ideal for family with older children | Suitable for owners (even seniors) with active lifestyle or family with older children with plenty of spare time |
| Special Needs | Have a tendency to become overweight without proper nutrition and adequate exercises | Attention, training, and socialization |
| Intelligence / Ranking | fairly high / ranked no. 20 | fairly high / ranked no. 18 |
| Trainability |
Moderate high | Highly trainable |
| Cold / Heat Tolerance |
moderate / moderate | moderate / moderate |
Behavior
| Excitability | Moderate, otherwise carefree attitude | Moderate, otherwise carefree attitude |
| Playfulness | High, game for almost any activities | High, game for almost any activities |
| Demand for Affection | Low, not much a attention seeker | Low, not much a attention seeker |
| Watchdog Barking | High | High |
| Protection | Low | Low |
| Dominance Over Owner | Low | Low |
| Good With Dogs | High, a team player | High, a team player |
| Good With Pets | High, a team player | High, a team player |
| Good With Children | Fairly patient with toddlers but fare better with older children | Fairly patient with toddlers but fare better with older children |
| Good With Strangers | Good but occasionally wary, will do well with early socialization training | Good but occasionally wary, will do well with early socialization training |
| Problematic Areas | Do not display destructive behaviors unless deprive for prolong period. Some do have temperament problems. | Do not display destructive behaviors unless deprive for prolong period. Some do have temperament problems. |
Health
| Life Span | 12 to 15 years | 12 to 14 years |
| Major Aliments | Cataracts, PRA (patent ductus arteriosus) , luxating patellar, glaucoma | Luxating patellar, PRA (patent ductus arteriosus), allergies |
| Minor Aliments | Hypothyroidism, epilepsy | Cateracts, hypothyroidism, hip dysplasia |
| Recommended Food | Poultry, low carbohydrates, and average fat content | poultry, lamb, oats, and potato |
Click here to download a free copy of Cocker Spaniel vs. English Cocker Spaniel Chart
Source on Intelligence Ranking:
The Intelligence of Dogs: A Guide to the Thoughts, Emotions, and Inner Lives of Our Canine Companions
Page 192 to 193
Jan 25th 2008
7:00 PM
please tell me some recipes for an english cocker spaniel puppy and what to feed her and how many times a day do i feed her and when do i switch to a nother food and at what age should i do that.
thanks and i love ur site
please reply
bye bye
Jan 27th 2008
9:37 PM
Hi Sarah,
Wow! Quite a hand of questions you have there. I’ll tackle each of them in my best ability. As you can see in this blog I don’t write articles for a specific breed but for all small dogs under 18 inches or 25lbs (whichever comes first) and Cocker Spaniel fits perfectly in the category.
For recipes, I’ve got about 40 or more posted here. Pick those that appeal to you and suitable to your dog’s requirement.
As to your following 2 questions, most owners use the trial and error method as they go along. Nevertheless, you post very interesting questions which I’ve overlooked. As to weaning or switching to adult food, it requires a few articles (series posts) to cover the topic. Again, I will get to them in the following weeks/months.
Thanks for your patient and understanding.
Feb 3rd 2008
9:46 AM
I find it interesting that they are able to determine such a fine difference in intelligence between the two breeds - 18 versus 20.