The English Cocker Spaniel belongs to the eighth group in this classification: Game Retriever Dogs – Game Retrievers – Water Dogs. The dogs in this group are specialized in different hunting disciplines using different working techniques. They are dogs that are very focused on smell to follow tracks. A problem with this sense of smell is that they are easily lost. They are also dogs that have a voice, which they use to warn their master when they have found game. The English Cocker Spaniel belongs more precisely to the second category of this group dedicated to game lifting dogs. The English Cocker Spaniel is an excellent hunter of furred and feathered game in difficult terrain. Courageous, he does not fear brambles. Endowed with a great sense of smell, it stalks the ground ten or fifteen meters from the hunter. His quest is energetic. After a stop, he stuffs the game and gives voice to the slightest movement of hair or feather. It was also used extensively for rabbit hunting. It is also a good retriever, except in deep water where it is more difficult to make a good retrieve with a duck in its mouth due to its rather short limbs.

The English Cocker Spaniel descends from the Middle Ages Spaniel, present in Great Britain since the 14th century. This was used for the practice of net hunting (“espainholz”: word derived from the old French “s’espaignir”, which means “to lie down”). These so-called “sunset” dogs had the habit of lying down so as not to disturb the hunters who were casting their nets on the birds. Selected by British breeders, the English Cocker Spaniel specialized in woodcock hunting (“cocking”). Subsequently, a supply of English Miniature Spaniel blood was made. It was in 1883 that the English Cocker Spaniel received its official recognition. At the same time, it was imported for the first time to the United States and France. And in 1898, the Spaniel Club was founded. The English Cocker Spaniel is the most popular and widespread breed of Spaniels, although it is mainly considered as a model companion dog today.

The English Cocker Spaniel is one of the medium breeds; the male measures between 39 and 41 cm, the female between 38 and 39 cm, for a weight which can vary from 12 to 14.5 kg. Its general appearance reflects strength, elegance and harmony. It is a dog whose overall appearance is compact and frank in its gait. Its body is stocky and fits into a square. Moderately long, its neck is muscular and without dewlap. Its chest is well developed, its ribs arched, its loins short and broad as is its rump, which is also well muscled. Short on legs, its limbs have good bones. Its feet are round and firm, resting on thick pads. Its tail is set low, carried horizontally but never raised. In action, we observe a continuous wriggling of the whip. Its head is long, its skull well developed and chiseled. It has a square muzzle, containing strong jaws and ending with a large nose. Her brown or hazel eyes are in harmony with her dress. Its ears, set low, have a lobe shape. They are fine and trimmed with pretty fringes with long, straight and silky hair. The Cocker Spaniel's coat can be of various colors. In single-colored individuals, white is tolerated only on the chest. His hair should not be too abundant. It is flat, silky, never like a “wire”, without waves or curls. Fringes are present on the limbs and on the body.

Although the English Cocker Spaniel is a generally healthy animal with an estimated life expectancy of 10 years, it can suffer from certain hereditary genetic diseases such as coxofemoral dysplasia, dilated cardiomyopathy and distichiasis. Coxofemoral dysplasia or hip dysplasia is a malformation occurring during the growth of the dog and which causes early osteoarthritis which can eventually lead to paralysis of the front or rear part of the animal. The symptoms are more or less visible and detectable more or less early, ranging from a change in the dog's behavior, fearing going up and down stairs, jumping, intense exercise sessions or showing a fault in its sitting position, for example. 'to lameness and pain. A palpation can be carried out at the veterinarian from the age of 6 months. Radiological confirmation can be considered at the age of one year. The treatments are medicinal (painkillers and anti-inflammatories, administered in conjunction with a diet recommended for joint health) and, ultimately, surgical (replacement of the femoral head, triple osteotomy of the pelvis or excision of the head of the femur depending on the case). . This risk should never be ruled out and it is therefore essential to go through a responsible breeder, who carries out adequate DNA tests for this genetic and hereditary pathology and who only breeds among themselves those individuals whose descendants present the least possible risks of being affected. Concretely, reproduction must be considered according to the diagnosed stage: individuals of stages A, B and C can be reproduced, but C only with an individual A. The following stages simply cannot be reproduced under any circumstances. Dilated cardiomyopathy is a heart disease characterized by an increase in the size of the ventricle and thickening of the walls, also leading to contraction defects. Symptoms appear in dogs aged 5-6 years and are: cough, dyspnea (breathing difficulty), anorexia, ascites (abnormal accumulation of fluid in the peritoneal cavity) or even syncope. The diagnosis is made through a clinical examination and cardiac auscultation, but in order to highlight ventricular abnormalities and contractile disorders, it is often necessary to undergo a chest x-ray, an electrocardiogram and echocardiography. Initially, the disease progresses to left heart failure with pulmonary edema and, secondly, right heart failure with ascites and pleural effusion is observed. It is a fatal disease with a survival time of 6 to 24 months after the start of treatment. Distichiasis is an abnormality of the eyelids, which have one or more rows of extra eyelashes near the glands that produce a protective fluid. Depending on the number of rows, their texture and their contact with the eye or the cornea, distichiasis can be of no consequence or cause keratitis, conjunctivitis or, in certain extreme cases, cause corneal ulcers. The diagnosis is based on clinical signs and the use of the slit lamp to visualize the supernumerary row(s) of eyelashes. Fluorescein, the Rose Bengal test or even a magnifying glass examination are techniques aimed at controlling damage to the cornea. The treatment consists of hair removal of excess eyelashes. There are no consequences if the cornea is not affected. Otherwise, there is a risk of blindness. For its maintenance, brushing and combing twice a week are necessary. Grooming two or three times a year is enough to keep it looking good.

The English Cocker Spaniel is a vigorous dog, very active, tenacious, lively; he excels as a hunting dog. But he is also a charming companion: cheerful, playful, exuberant, full of life and with a strong, endearing personality. He can sometimes be independent but he always remains very affectionate and gentle. If he can adapt to life in an apartment, it is essential to give him long daily walks.