Fun English Cocker Spaniel Facts For Kids

Oluniyi Akande
Oct 20, 2022 By Oluniyi Akande
Originally Published on Aug 05, 2021
Edited by Isobel Murphy
English Cocker Spaniel belongs to the sporting group of breeds.

The English Cocker Spaniel is a dog breed that can be the best companion for many different dog owners. They are beautiful, intelligent, polite, and loving; they are very devoted to their owners and make excellent family pets.

The English Cocker Spaniel dog breed is a form of sports dog breed that originated in England hundreds of years ago.

In England, they were bred to hunt and retrieve game birds during days spent hunting. The English Cocker Spaniel is the traditional hunting dog and shouldn't be confused with the American Cocker Spaniel.

There are clear differences between Cocker Spaniels in the United States and in England, and so they are identified as separate breeds. The American Cocker Spaniel is a smaller breed that enjoys a more laidback lifestyle.

The English Cocker Spaniel is more active in terms of working capacity and has boundless energy.

You can even get a field-bred English Cocker Spaniel, which is bred for the specific purpose of hunting. Continue reading these exciting and fun facts to see if the English Cocker Spaniel dog breed is for you!

English Cocker Spaniel Interesting Facts

What type of animal is an English Cocker Spaniel?

English Cocker Spaniels are well-balanced, medium-sized dogs from the Cocker Spaniel dog breed family. The English Cocker Spaniel and the American Cocker Spaniel are two common dog breeds in the Cocker Spaniel family, but the two are considered to be separate breeds.

One of the oldest land Spaniels is the English Cocker Spaniel dog. These energetic, friendly dogs thrive on human contact and are often only interested in pleasing their owners.

What class of animal does an English Cocker Spaniel belong to?

Every dog is known as a mammal, and so is the English Cocker Spaniel. Usually, mammals have hair on their bodies, which can protect them from both the cold and the sun.

How many English Cocker Spaniels are there in the world?

While an exact count of this dog breed globally is unknown, the number of English Cocker Spaniels registered in the UK has remained reasonably constant from 2010 to 2019, with around 21.6 thousand registrations of the breed in 2019.

Where does an English Cocker Spaniel live?

An English Cocker Spaniel lives with humans in their houses. This dog breed is highly adaptable and enjoys being a much-loved family member. They are easy to socialize, energetic, merry, lovable, and affectionate, making the English Cocker Spaniel an excellent companion dog.

It is worth noting that this breed should not be left alone at home for long periods of time and the English Cocker Spaniel likes to be able to stretch his legs outside regularly. They are not lapdogs, despite their adaptability.

What is an English Cocker Spaniel's habitat?

This dog, like most British breeds, is a hardy breed. They couldn't afford to be fussy because they were bred to hunt in often deplorable conditions.

However, nowadays a little care is essential for this dog in summer and winters. These dogs are not well adapted to hot, humid weather because their ears hang down, trapping moisture and risking infections.

Since their coat is not short, they must be trimmed and provided with water and shade in the summer to avoid overheating. In winters below 32 F, or if your pup spends a lot of time romping in the snow, you should dress him in a waterproof winter jacket.

Who do English Cocker Spaniels live with?

English Cockers live with humans in their houses. They are naturally lovely and enjoy being around people and other animals. These aren't troublemakers but are trustworthy companions, especially when their humans provide sufficient exercise.

How long does an English Cocker Spaniel live?

The average English Cocker Spaniel life span is between 12 and 14 years.

How do they reproduce?

The female Cocker Spaniel becomes pregnant after mating with a male. The duration of the female's pregnancy is the same as that of other dogs, at 63 days from conception.

Cocker spaniels may have as many as 12 puppies or as few as three in one litter. Litter size can vary for various reasons, including the mother's health, the parents' size, prenatal care, and simply Mother Nature.

What is their conservation status?

English Cocker Spaniel puppies and dogs are very much available, and their conservation status is officially Not Evaluated.

English Cocker Spaniel Fun Facts

What do English Cocker Spaniels look like?

The English Cocker Spaniel is a strong canine with a long, square muzzle, expressive eyes, long ears that reach the tip of his nose when dragged forward, and a docked tail. They have silky, medium-length coats, that can be flat or slightly wavy.

There are a wide range of English Cocker Spaniel colors. You can find an orange roan, black and white, tan-colored, or blue roan English Cocker Spaniel. Which is your favorite?

How cute are they?

With its long ears, medium-length coat, and expressive eyes, the English Cocker Spaniel can make anyone fall in love with it. English Spaniels are certainly one of the cutest dog breeds.

From the black and white English Cocker Spaniel to the red English Cocker Spaniel, we love them all, but the puppies always get special love in dog shows and on social media. Which color of this breed do you think you love the most?

How do they communicate?

Like all dogs, Cockers also communicate through barks, growls, howls, whines, whimpers, screams, and sighs. Dogs communicate with other dogs through body language too. They greet each other by circling each other and sniffing each other from the head to the bottom. They do this to learn about each other through their sense of smell.

The ability of dogs to understand human body language and intonation is astounding. They can understand the meaning of many words, and they can understand us even better when we speak in the right tone. With their owners, English Cocker Spaniels enjoy cuddling and are likely to reciprocate with a few kisses in exchange for your attention.

How big is an English Cocker Spaniel?

These land Spaniels from England are a medium-sized canine breed. Males stand at 15-17 in (38-43 cm) tall, while females are slightly shorter at 14-16 in (36-41 cm). The English Spaniel is typically larger than the American Spaniel.

How fast can an English Cocker Spaniel run?

Cocker Spaniels are hunting and sporting dogs and can show a running speed of up to 30 miles per hour (48 km per hour) over short distances. Cockers can accelerate quickly and are excellent sprinters due to their short legs and strong shoulders and bodies.

How much does an English Cocker Spaniel weigh?

The adult dog of an English Cocker Spaniel typically weighs between 28-32 lb (12-15 kg). Its smaller relative, the English Toy Cocker Spaniel weighs in at just 8-15 lb (3.6-6.8 kg), how cute!

What are their male and female names of the species?

The English Cocker Spaniel dog male and females have no particular names. Both are simply known as English Cocker Spaniels.

What would you call a baby English Cocker Spaniel?

The baby of an English Cocker Spaniel is called a puppy. An English Cocker Spaniel puppy can weigh between 11-14 lb (5-6.3 kg) when they are three months old and between 20-26 lb (9-12 kg) when six months old. They are fully grown between the ages of 14 and 16 months.

What do they eat?

English Cocker Spaniels enjoy eating, and it is a must to keep track of your dog's calorie intake and daily exercise levels to ensure that your dog does not develop obesity.

Be it an adult dog or a puppy, choose a high-quality dog food that meets their nutritional requirements.

One or two cups of high-quality dry food each day, separated into two meals, is suggested for an adult dog of this breed.

When buying puppy food, look for food that has been made explicitly for a puppy and be aware that a puppy will need to eat smaller, more regular meals as the stomach of puppies is smaller than that of a full-grown English Working Cocker Spaniel.

A four-month-old puppy needs to be fed around four meals a day, and between four and six months, puppies can be fed three meals a day.

Are they slobbery?

English Cocker Spaniels don't have a particularly slobbery nature. Like any other dog, when chewing on treats and toys, they can get excited and drool though. They also drool more often when they have tooth pain.

Would they make a good pet?

The majority of English Cocker Spaniels make great family pets. They are naturally loving and enjoy spending time with humans and other animals.

These aren't troublemakers, they are trustworthy companions, and this particularly true when their humans provide sufficient exercise. Any bad behavior can often be put down to boredom, so make sure you keep your pet mentally stimulated throughout the day.

The good thing about the English Cocker Spaniel temperament is that it is a friendly and gentle dog, making it a perfect dog for families. It is suggested to wait until the young children are old enough to communicate properly with a dog before adopting one.

Also, it is a must to teach your child never to touch a sleeping or eating dog or attempt to take the dog's food, and, of course, no dog should be left alone with a child.

Did you know...

Did you know that English Cocker Spaniels only bark occasionally and are far too sweet to serve as guard dogs? However, some Cockers enjoy patrolling a property's perimeter and will bark at intruders.

This dog breed has a high energy level and can be straightforward to train if positive reinforcement is used. Spaniels want to please their owners, making the training process more straightforward. However, it's worth noting that this breed does not respond well to harmful training methods.

If you expect the best performance, remain optimistic and offer plenty of praise. As for all dogs, socialization is vital. It can be particularly useful in avoiding excessive timidity in your dog's temperament.

Although the English Cocker Spaniel has some well-known health problems, these typically do not substantially shorten their lifespan. The English Cocker Spaniel's primary health conditions to look out for are progressive retinal atrophy, obesity, ear infections, dental disease, and hip dysplasia.

Timely vaccinations, exercise, and a healthy diet can help reduce the chance of a dog developing any health conditions.

English Cockers are best known as a sporting dog breed. English Cocker Spaniels are excellent retrievers with sensitive mouths that can hunt in rugged terrain.

They are happy to please and enjoy spending time with their owners, especially outdoors. When outside, however, they are hunting dogs and can be tempted to chase birds or small animals. These English Cocker Spaniel hunting techniques must be kept under control by owners, so proper training and discipline are important.

Having your own English Cocker Spaniel

Many people buy English Cocker Spaniels and they are a popular pet. You can buy an English Cocker Spaniel puppy from a breeder, where the average puppy cost for this breed ranges from $800 to $1200.

Caring for your English Cocker Spaniel

Generally, English Cocker Spaniels love being groomed, so frequent brushing, clipping, and trimming are likely to be enjoyed by your dog. Clipping and shaving the hair of these dogs requires a large pin brush, mating comb, grooming scissors, clippers, and blades.

The first step of the grooming process is to bathe the dog using good dog shampoo and dog conditioner, then properly comb and brush the dogs' hair.

Fit your clippers with a 10 or 15 blade and, starting below your dog's bottom eyelid, carefully shave down to his nose against hair growth direction when holding his muzzle. While you're clipping, keep an eye on the blade to see if it's getting heavy.

Always allow the blade to cool before continuing to clip as the heat could harm your dog's skin.

Similarly, you can clip and shave the dog's tail, ears, feet, and other parts of the body. If this sounds too complicated though, the best option is often to send your dog to a groomer's for the full doggy spa experience!

You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our Cocker Spaniel coloring pages.

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Written by Oluniyi Akande

Doctorate specializing in Veterinary Medicine

Oluniyi Akande picture

Oluniyi AkandeDoctorate specializing in Veterinary Medicine

With an accomplished background as a Veterinarian, SEO content writer, and public speaker, Oluniyi brings a wealth of skills and experience to his work. Holding a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Ibadan, he provides exceptional consulting services to pet owners, animal farms, and agricultural establishments. Oluniyi's impressive writing career spans over five years, during which he has produced over 5000 high-quality short- and long-form pieces of content. His versatility shines through as he tackles a diverse array of topics, including pets, real estate, sports, games, technology, landscaping, healthcare, cosmetics, personal loans, debt management, construction, and agriculture.

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