A Dog is a Man's Best Friend

Key Facts:

Size: Small Height: 35 ' 38 cm (14 ' 15 inches) Weight: 10 ' 13 kg (22 ' 28 lb) Life Span: 13 years Grooming: Extensive Exercise: Medium Feeding: Reasonable Temperament: Cheerful & intelligent Country of Origin: United States AKC Group: Sporting Other Names: Cocker Spaniel

Temperament: The American Cocker Spaniel is cheerful, lively and active. American Cocker Spaniels make great family dogs and are good with strangers, children and other dogs. They are eager to please and respond well to correct training. Although American Cocker Spaniels are friendly to everyone, they should be well socialized when young to prevent a tendency for timidity.

Grooming: American Cocker Spaniels require regular brushing and combing to keep them knot-free. Professional trimming is required every two to three months to keep the coat well groomed. The excess hair inside the ears and between the pads if the feet needs to be trimmed.

Exercise: American Cocker Spaniels like to play and frolic and they are easily adaptable to country or city life. They have an average demand for exercise.

History: The spaniel family can be traced back to the mid 14th century in Spain where 'spaynells' were used for either water or land retrieving and 'cocking' spaniels for their proficiency with woodcock. It was approximately 1880 that the Cocker Spaniel arrived in America from Britain and from those dogs the Americans developed their new strain, giving us the American Cocker Spaniel that we know today.

Physical Characteristics:

General Appearance: Small, long-coated and well-balanced. Colour: Parti-colours (two or more colours appearing in clearly defined markings), black or ASCOB (i.e. Any Solid Colour Other than Black) ' with or without tan markings. Coat: Silky, flat or slightly wavy. It is short and fine on the head and longer on the body with feathering on the legs and abdomen. Tail: Commonly docked. Ears: Set low, well feathered with long silky hair. Body: Compact body with short, strong back slightly sloping to the tail and wide muscular quarters.

Additional Comments:

American Cocker Spaniels make excellent family pets however they are high maintenance when it comes to grooming. The owner needs to be prepared to pay for regular professional grooming when choosing an American Cocker Spaniel.

About the author: This article provided courtesy of http://www.dooziedog.com/dog_breeds/american_cocker_spaniel/