This beautiful dog breed originated in Spain and they were taken all around the Mediterranean on Roman merchant ships long before ending up on British soil in the 4th century AD. Spaniels were used to flush out prey from the undergrowth so hunters could catch game with their nets.

A century later they became known as ‘gun dogs’ because they had the ability to work with their gun-wielding humans to hunt and retrieve game. Later distinctions between different types of spaniels began to emerge. The English and American breeds have a slightly different appearance. The word Cocker was named after the Woodcock bird which the dog was known for hunting, the breed was recognised by the English kennel club in 1892. They have fluffy single layered coats and come in solid colours varying from black, brown, gold, blue and lemon roans.
The Springer Spaniel is Welsh and was developed in the 20th century, it is generally heavier and bigger than the cocker and was given its name because of the way it caught prey, by surprise – literally springing on it. According to the American Kennel Club, Springer spaniels should never have a solid coat colour, but always a combination of black, white, red and liver. The springer type has shorter ears and longer muzzles. They also have shorter fur with feathering around their legs and stomach and they have an undercoat which makes them well equipped to work in cold and wet weather. Both types of spaniels are easy to train and they have loads of energy that needs somewhere to go, they make great family pets and are gentle and good with children. Both types need regular coat grooming and the occasional trim.
The English Border Force uses cocker spaniels to stop smuggled goods entering the United Kingdom. They use this particular breed of detection dog wherever people or goods enter or leave the UK. At one time the cocker became so popular they were overbred, which resulted in some highly-strung bred dogs with health problems. A similar over breeding happened with the Dalmatian following the popular film “101 Dalmatians” in 1996.
The cocker was the first cancer detection dog, following a study done in England in 2004 with an 80% success rate. They were also the stars of “Lady and the Tramp” a heart-warming animated Walt Disney classic of 1955 and 2019.
Pam Brandis,
Dip. Canine Prac.