American Cocker Spaniel
Temperament:
The American Cocker Spaniel is a very lively and happy dog. He loves to captivate his family with his friendly and outgoing nature and is up for any fun. An absolutely child-friendly four-legged friend, he is also well received by his peers due to his outgoing nature. All in all, he is simply the perfect family dog.
Characteristics
The American Cocker Spaniel is one of the happiest dogs there is. If you are looking for a new lovable and cuddly family member, your choice should fall on this cute four-legged friend.
Thanks to his open-minded and affectionate nature, he is the suitable family dog. Especially for children he is a great playmate. He is always eager to form a close bond with his people. Friends of the family should also have no problems with this lively fellow, as he is always open-minded towards strangers as well as his peers.
If you are looking for a guard dog, the American Cocker Spaniel is not the right choice at all. At most, he would run towards the burglar wagging and hoping for petting. Nevertheless, even this friendly four-legged friend must know his limits. Therefore, the education should be carried out lovingly but consistently because of his sometimes quite stubborn character.
You should always keep in mind that the American Cocker Spaniel was originally bred as a hunting dog. Therefore, his hunting instinct for cats and other small animals is very pronounced. Through the right training, which he accepts very well and also participates with enthusiasm, you should not have too many problems.
Coat care:
Shedding:
Energy level:
Trainability:
Children suitable:
The right food
The American Cocker Spaniel is an absolute glutton. Therefore, you should make sure that no food scraps are accessible to him, because he really eats everything that is within his reach with the utmost care. Therefore, you also need to keep your eyes open on your walks, as dangers such as poison bait can lurk here and he will not stop at it.
For the education, his greedy nature is of course a great advantage. You can always encourage and motivate him with all kinds of treats during training.
However, due to its distinct eating behavior, the American Cocker Spaniel tends to be overweight. Here you should absolutely stick to the recommended amount of food and not overfeed him with treats.
Especially at the beginning of his education, be sure to adjust the amount of food to the rewards in training.
American Cocker Spaniel Care
Since the American Cocker Spaniel has very long hair, it is best to brush him daily and possibly even have him trimmed regularly. You must make sure that his coat does not get knotted or even matted. If you take care of his beautiful coat regularly, you can enjoy the shine of his silky appearance.
Especially on his paws and ears the fur tends to mat. You should also regularly clean his big floppy ears from dirt and possible parasites. In this area he is unfortunately somewhat susceptible to diseases.
You should therefore check his ears regularly and present him to the vet if anything abnormal occurs. His eyes are also a bit sensitive and should be checked regularly. If you notice redness or other such changes, he should also be examined by a veterinarian.
Suitable accessories
Since the American Cocker Spaniel belongs to the class of hunting dogs, he needs a lot of employment and exercise. Agility training is definitely suitable for him. Check with a dog school in your area for suitable courses. There are great offers. He will have a lot of fun with you and get the exercise he needs.
Also for many other toys you will be able to inspire him easily, because the American Cocker Spaniel is very playful. His distinctive intelligence is particularly noteworthy.
Therefore, logic games are especially suitable for your new four-legged friend. He will love them and will surely amaze you very often when you see what he can do. In specialized stores there is a wide range of various logic games and other toys that are very suitable for him.
Origin & History
As its name suggests, this spaniel comes from the United States of America. In 1880, this breed was bred for the first time in Canada, and a little later in the USA. It is a bred variation of the English Cocker Spaniel.
In addition to its usefulness as a hunting dog, it is also often used as a show dog because of its beautiful appearance. He comes in many different and colorful coat colors. Since the American Cocker Spaniel has quite a long coat, he is nowadays rather less used for hunting, but mainly for shows.
When exactly his breeding began, can only be estimated. What is clear, however, is that the English and American Spaniels did not have much in common after about the 1930s. The American Cocker Spaniel was initially smaller and more dainty than his English ancestor and had a rather round head and lusher coat.
His appearance changed over time to a beautiful and elegant dog, which nowadays hardly differs in size from his ancestor. In 1940 there were the first standards for his breed and then in 1951 the American Cocker Spaniel was recognized by the FCI as a separate breed.
