Cockers vs American Cockers
Brief History
The Cocker Spaniel is a very old English bird dog breed. Linguists have found a word interpreted as spaniel in a legal text from the 14th century. The word "spaniel" appears for the first time in a poem from the 1320s.
In a book about bird dogs, published in the 1790s, the word "cocker" is mentioned for the first time. It was 1901 before the Cocker was officially separated into and registered as an independent breed.
A typical cocker spaniel is lively and friendly, making a great companion dog. But also a versatile working gundog, making it been consistently one of the most popular dog breeds in many countries.
This popularity spread and the first cocker spaniel arrived on the Mayflower in 1620.
Over time a divergence in type occurred from the original breed imported from England and what was breed in America, which were smaller, shorter-muzzled with more profuse feathering.
In 1947 the two were split into different breeds, and the name anomaly developed.
Most people don't even realise this anomaly exists (including many vets) which can cause confusion particularly when looking at international research or health information.
Added to this is the difference between working and show lines, which have developed into considerably different dogs.
The Name Anomaly
Its vital to understand the name anomaly, as international information referring to the "Cocker Spaniel" may not be the breed we associate it with here in NZ or most parts of the World.
Our breed is referred to in the USA (and some other countries) as the English Cocker Spaniel. This name anomaly is due to the USA modifying the breed when it first arrived on its shores from England and creating what we call the American Cocker Spaniel.
They are 2 separate breeds with significant differences in appearance and health issues.