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English Cocker Spaniel History
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The English Cocker Spaniel is a member of the spaniel family, which has been known in England and throughout much of Europe for at least five hundred years. For most of the English Cocker’s history, it was considered to be a smaller variation of the English Springer Spaniel, and both dogs could be seen in the same litter. The larger dogs were used to spring game from its cover, and the smaller dogs were used to hunt woodcock – hence the names.
In 1892, the (English) Kennel Club determined that the Cocker and Springer Spaniels were indeed different breeds, and established that the two different sized dogs should no longer be interbred. The English Cocker Spaniel had already come to America, where it was bred down in size through crosses with toys and other small breeds, and recognized as the Cocker Spaniel by the American Kennel Club in 1878. In America, the English Cocker Spaniel initially fell under the Cocker Spaniel breed recognized in 1878, despite obvious differences between the two; once again, the English Cocker Spaniel had to separate and distinguish itself as a unique breed. In 1936, the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America was formed in order to promote the English Cocker and discourage interbreeding with the American, and in 1946 the AKC caught on and recognized the English Cocker Spaniel as a separate breed.
Outside of the United States the English Cocker Spaniel is considerably more popular than its American cousin, and is referred to simply as the Cocker Spaniel.
