English Cocker Spaniel: description of the breed. The nature of the dog, maintenance, training

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

The English Spaniel is an impossibly playful animal. A small tail, hanging ears and huge eyes create a special atmosphere of absolute happiness and joy around this little dog. And the soft, flowing under the fingers, full of shine, the wool just begs to be stroked.

In the Middle Ages, when this breed was just born, Cocker Spaniels were used in hunting as water hounds. The English Spaniel breed (see photo below) originated, you guessed it, in England. Today, these pets are not just hunting dogs, they have become true friends for people thanks to their light and cheerful disposition.

English Cocker Spaniel. Breed description

They are not tall, on average 39–41 cm, the knots are slightly smaller. For exhibition individuals, there are quite serious requirements for appearance. The pet must be of small stature and weight. According to the rules of the standard, its weight must vary in the region of 12-15 kilograms. Truth,the focus of the test is on body fit, not weight. The dog should be moderately well-fed, with a beautiful and shiny coat. Without signs of rickets and other deviations in he alth. Eyes bright and shiny, wet nose, well-groomed ears. Here is the first thing you should pay attention to when buying an animal for yourself. For breeding or participation in exhibitions, the requirements are much wider.

So: there are certain standard rules for the English Cocker Spaniel dog. The description of the breed, presented below, will allow you to figure out how a thoroughbred dog should look right.

Standard rules

• The head has a well-defined, regular skull, with a pronounced transition from the nose to the frontal lobe.
• The ears are located on the same level with the eyes, thin, teardrop-shaped. Since they are quite long and at the same time set low, they easily reach the nose of the dog.
• The eyes are quite large, but not protruding and always dark in color. Bright and shiny pupils. But for chocolate-colored animals, light brown eyes are allowed.
• Nose - straight, with a large tip and developed nostrils. The color is black, with the exception of chocolate-colored breeds, they allow brown color of the nose pad.
• Bite: cheekbones even, not protruding. The incisors should be strictly vertical, and the bite should be shaped like scissors.
• The body is well developed with a regular topline and a slight slope from the waist to the beginning of the tail.
• Chest deep, beautifully built, mediumsizes.
• The back is rather short, straight, with strong muscles.
• Forelegs straight, short and full padded.
• The hind limbs differ from the forelimbs in more developed musculature. They have impressive hips, giving power and speed of running. The shins are straight, parallel to each other.
• The tail is below the line of the back. Cut in half or two-thirds of the length.

Summing up, we can say that the requirements for these dogs are quite stringent. And when selling a puppy of the English Cocker Spaniel breed, the price is set based not only on the personal qualities of the animal, but also on the status of its parents.

Haircut

Since this breed of dog was bred in the UK, the haircut must be done according to the rules of this particular country. It is done in a very natural style, and when looking at a four-legged friend, it seems that his hairstyle was a creation of nature, and not the result of the painstaking work of a master.

The English Cocker Spaniel's haircut has its secrets, the main of which is the use of thinning scissors. The haircut can be divided into two parts - first they process the head and body, not forgetting to thin out the undercoat of the animal, and then they start cutting the hair on the ears and paws. The English Spaniel (pictured below) is groomed to the breed standards.

Character

Distinguished by an extremely good-natured disposition and extreme energy. Dogwill become a great friend to children and a wonderful assistant in hunting. With the right upbringing, you can participate in agility exhibition competitions with this cheerful animal.

Spaniels are very affectionate, becoming faithful comrades and companions for their owners for life. Due to their very light nature, they get along well with the rest of the animals in the house. But you should not indulge their whims while they are still puppies, otherwise a very wayward and harmful dog will grow up in the future. These dogs do their best to play the leading role in the family.

Training rules

They are superbly trainable. These are magnificent athletes, in whose blood lives a real hunting passion. Knowing the characteristic features of the behavior of the dog, you should make classes as intense as possible and establish equal relations. Under no circumstances should you beat a pet, he will never forgive you for this. But it's also not worth giving a trigger, otherwise your four-legged partner will grow up as an extremely selfish beast.

Care and maintenance

This is a very beautiful dog, with a shiny, flowing coat and bright bottomless eyes. But, as beautiful as she is, she also demands attention. The greatest advantage of this breed is wool. True, she is also the biggest drawback, bringing a lot of trouble and problems for those who keep a dog like the English Cocker Spaniel at home. The description of the breed presented below touches upon very important nuances in the care of this dog.

• Moulting dogis not intermittent, but continuous. It needs to be combed every day to remove dead "hair". For the same purpose, trimming should be done periodically. Daily combing will get rid of tangles, which are easily formed on a curly thin fur coat.
• Don't wash your pet often, it can cause dandruff, and the coat itself will fade and become completely ugly. But you need to clean it daily, especially since the dog just loves to be scratched. To do this, use a special brush, with teeth of various lengths. Brushing is a very useful procedure, as during it massage is carried out, which improves blood circulation and, accordingly, the metabolism of the animal.
• Claws are trimmed as they grow, using a nail cutter. Do not forget about the hair that grows between the pads on the paws, it must be trimmed.
• In winter, when coming from the street, always wash off the s alt from your pet's paws, it can provoke severe inflammation.
• Ears also need close attention. Somewhere once or twice a week they are cleaned with a special solution, and periodically, with the help of a cotton swab, various secretions are removed. During feeding, ears need to be tied up, or buy a bowl for cocker spaniels. Excess hair in the ears is trimmed.
• About three times a week, you should wipe your eyes with tea leaves or a certain solution that is sold in a veterinary pharmacy.
• Teeth also need regular brushing with animal toothpasteand brushes. Don't rely on food to clean your own teeth.

Remember, you need to teach your four-legged friend to hygiene from childhood. And then the procedures, the implementation of which has already been brought to automaticity, will not take much time. And your dog will be he althy and beautiful.

Don't buy an English Cocker Spaniel if…

The animal has a very beautiful coat that requires constant attention. If you are not ready to devote a considerable part of the time from your personal life to the dog, then you should not start it, in this way you will only ruin the life of both yourself and your pet.

Who should definitely get an English Cocker Spaniel

If you have never had a dog, but you are ready to take care of your dog, giving him all the affection and care; or you have children, and your whole family decided to buy a four-legged friend into the house - then this is exactly the dog that you need. Incredible mobility and friendly character will not leave anyone indifferent. For hunters and those who simply love to travel in nature, this dog will be a great companion.

He alth

The Spaniel lives about 15 years and is generally in good he alth. True, some representatives of the breed with age are overcome by eye diseases such as glaucoma and cataracts. Keep in mind that solid colored dogs tend to be aggressive and require more rigorous training. A prerequisite for maintaining the he alth of the animal- a large number of walks in the fresh air and active physical activity.

Features of knitting

If you decide to breed puppies for sale, you should be aware that this is a rather complicated process. Think carefully, clearly assess your capabilities, and only then start looking for a partner for your dog. After all, in order for English Cocker Spaniel puppies to be born in the near future, you should invest a lot of effort and money in caring for your pregnant pet.

Before mating, it is imperative to conduct all the necessary tests so that the bitch is completely he althy. You also need to do a genetic test. Estrus should be repeated 2 times a year - this is an indicator of the norm. It is after going through all the procedures before estrus that the mating of the English Cocker Spaniel will become the most fruitful.

The mating process itself must be tightly controlled. First, the animals are given time to get to know and adapt to the new environment. Further, so that the bitch does not break out, it is held by the head and under the stomach, until the moment of the so-called lock. The duration of the castle is usually about ten minutes. After a couple of days, it is recommended to repeat the mating.

Pregnancy and childbirth

An ordinary pregnancy, without any problems, lasts 56-63 days. To accurately determine the day of onset of labor, rectal temperature is measured. When it drops and stays around 37 ° C, you can begin to prepare for the process of the birth of puppies.

Primary births are best done in the presence of a veterinarian, as it may be necessarycaesarean section. Puppies appear in fetal membranes, do not interfere, the bitch will gnaw them herself and free the kids. Childbirth is a rather long process, usually the second puppy appears only three hours after the first. Things move a little faster from there.

English Cocker Spaniel puppies require a very careful attitude. If the bitch does not have milk, or there is too little of it, then you will have to feed the babies yourself. Every two hours, including at night, they will need to drink warm milk from a bottle.

Around 2.5 months, puppies are vaccinated. And only then, plus a week of the incubation period, you can go out with the kids for a walk. When selling puppies of the English Cocker Spaniel breed, the price for promising young animals is much higher and may differ greatly from the usual market value.

Color

The black English Cocker Spaniel is actually not always completely solid. This color has many variants, for example: black and tan, black and gray, black and piebald. A pure, unadulterated black tint is quite rare.

In the English Cocker Spaniel breed, colors are very diverse, and different countries have their own wishes for colors. So, for example, in Eastern Europe they love the golden-red variant of the color, and the rare, pure white color is considered undesirable, as it can go hand in hand with congenital deafness.

Summing up, let's say: if you have childrenand you want to get a dog, then take a closer look at a puppy like an English Cocker Spaniel. The description of the breed provided in this article makes it clear that he will grow into an amazing four-legged friend who will delight you with his cheerful disposition day after day.

English Cocker Spaniel reviews are always very favorable. Many owners note that this is a wonderful dog, a little timid, but very kind. Everyone likes her touching muzzle and beautiful coat. And always the owners note her playful character.