Please use the links below to find out more information about where to buy your new puppy; how to tell if a breeder is reputable and what questions you should ask the breeder when you visit the breeder.

The Cocker Spaniel is a relatively small, compact dog, with a height of approximately: dogs: 39-41 cms (15 ½ -16 ins); bitches: 38-39 cms (15-15 ½ ins) and weight approximately: dogs 14.5kg's and bitches 12.7kg's (28 - 32 lbs). A Weight Chart for cockers from birth to adulthood can be seen here.

The Cocker is classed as a medium sized dog. The average life span of a well cared for and healthy Cocker is approximately 10 - 12 years although there are many dogs who live to fifteen plus.

The Cocker was originally developed from its larger cousin the Field Spaniel. Cockers were bred to flush out birds from under bushes & hedgerows etc.

There are a wide variety of colours (the base colours are black, red and liver in solids and in parti-colours there are blue, orange and liver [chocolate]). In the parti-colours each of the base colours can be roan (mottled) or open marks (clear areas of white). In addition to the base colours both the solid and parti-colours can have tan points. However, tan points are not easily discernable on solid red or orange roan/orange and white dogs. Lemon roan/white does not occur very frequently in show bred cockers but does occur in the working bred cocker. To see drawings of each of the colours please visit our Coat Colour Page.

The Cocker Spaniel is a gundog, and he will enjoy (given the opportunity!) many happy hours investigating interesting smells & looking for the opportunity to flush out wildlife from the surrounding countryside. Equally, a Cocker is at home on his owner's lap or in front of the fire. Most Cockers (although not all) like water and relish the occasional swim. Cockers are adaptable dogs & can be easily trained to retrieve as well as flush.

For full details of the Breed Standard please go the UK Kennel Club site via this link.

Cocker Spaniels are a popular breed; however, this popularity can create problems. Unfortunately far too many cockers are being bred simply for profit, so it is wise to seek out a responsible breeder with a track record of commitment to Cockers, whether it be a show or working type.

The history of the cocker spaniel and the other spaniel breeds in the Gundog Group. For more information please click see our history of the breed page.

Cockers are friendly & busy little dogs who thrive on human company and really prefer to be around people most of the time. A Cocker likes to be with the family & and if allowed will follow you from room to room. They are merry and happy dogs, they are happy to work, happy to play & above all they are happy to be cuddled and fussed!

They are generally quite intelligent and can be lively & often look for mischief! They are an eager to please breed who want nothing more than to please their owners, however due to their intelligence they can be quite manipulative and will attempt to steer situations to their advantage if not kept in check! They can also be quite strong willed and determined.

Cocker Spaniels make brilliant family pets due to their wonderful temperament. The Cocker's reputation goes before him as a friendly, happy & well-mannered dog. They are easy to train (with patience and consistency), eager to please & make devoted companions.

The Cocker Spaniel has a long and silky coat. The Cocker coat, if not clipped will require regular and thorough grooming in order to prevent matting & to keep the dog comfortable. Heavily coated cockers can get very woolly quite quickly and this is uncomfortable for the dog and adds to the time taken to keep the dog mat and tangle free.

A well-trimmed Cocker is a pleasure to behold, however it does take time (lots of time!) and practice to keep a cocker in full coat without the dog looking like a sheep in need of shearing! To see before & after trimming photos visit our trimming page.

New owners should take time to familiarise themselves with the coat care of a Cocker (your breeder should be a good source of information, they will perhaps be willing to advise you or in some cases they will trim dogs for a living).

There are two "styles" of trimming a cocker, the first (used by show breeders) is to "hand strip". Hand stripping is the removal of surplus hair coat by gentle plucking until the dog is neat and tidy. Only the old and dead hair is removed & when done correctly this method of trimming does not hurt the dog. Delicate areas, the feet and the ends of the feathering are finished using scissors. Hand stripping leaves the coat soft and natural looking. It is however a technique that needs to be learned & it is also time consuming and can be quite arduous! The aim of trimming a cocker is to trim the coat so the natural shape (construction) of the dog is visible but in such a way as to appear as if the coat grew that way naturally!

The other method of trimming a cocker is to use electric clippers. Skilful use of the clippers can produce a dog that looks to be in "show trim" but without the hours of work hand stripping involves. It is important to note that if a dog is to be shown its coat must be hand trimmed, the use of clippers is not acceptable.

If you wish to have your Cocker professionally trimmed, find a grooming parlour who knows about Cocker Spaniels. Most grooming parlours will clip cockers in a short "gundog" clip i.e. all hair & feathering taken off to within 2 - 3 millimetres! Some will clip and leave feathers on but owners should be aware that most grooming parlours do not know where to leave feathering and where to take it away which often results in a rather "misshapen" appearance compared to the look of a show trimmed cocker.

Due to the time consuming nature of hand stripping most if not all grooming parlours will not hand strip a cockers coat. Occasionally a grooming parlour will be willing to strip the coat, however this is usually done with tools (i.e. a terrier stripping knife) as opposed to removing surplus coat by hand (plucking). Once a dog has had its coat trimmed by tools it can be difficult to revert to hand stripping due to the "damage" done to the coat.

The average Cocker will require clipping on a six to eight week basis or if hand stripped, the coat will need attention more frequently.

There are a number of diseases seen in the breed such as the eye diseases progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), glaucoma and the fatal kidney disease familial nephropathy (FN).

Responsible breeders are helping to eradicate these diseases by testing their dogs before breeding from them using the the OptiGen prcd-PRA DNA test and the OptiGen and Antagene DNA test for FN. DNA testing should be undertaken on all animals used for breeding (unless the animal is genetically free of both diseases via its parentage).

Prior to the advent of DNA testing for PRA, the traditional clinical screening method using the KC/BVA Eye Scheme of examining the eyes of dogs prior to breeding and annually thereafter was employed. However this screening method can only determine that a dog, on the day of examination, is not affected with PRA. It cannot tell if the dog is a carrier and therefore able to produce affected offspring or if it is affected without clinical signs and will therefore develop PRA at some stage in the future. This method of testing is still applicable but its limitations should be considered, most responsible breeders now rely on a combination of DNA testing and KC/BVA screening.

Traditionally the cocker has not been known to be a breed particularly affected with hip-dysplasia, however as very few dogs (when compared to how many have been born over the years since hip-scoring was first developed!) have been tested (scored) it is not a foregone conclusion that hip dysplasia is not widespread within the breed. The hip status of cocker spaniels is currently under investigation at present as there are dogs scored under the scheme with scores of 96 (indicating the dog has severe hip dysplasia) the possibility of the breed being widely affected by hip dysplasia cannot be ruled out.

Conscientious breeders will hip-score their dogs, without hip-scoring how can any breeder know for sure that their dog wouldn't have a high score and therefore shouldn't be bred.

The maximum score for any dog is 106, this equates to a score of 53 for each hip. The current BMS (Breed Mean Score) i.e. the average score for cocker spaniels is 14 (total of both hips).

There are also other diseases/conditions that occur in cocker spaniels that are not breed specific i.e. they occur in other breeds including crossbreeds/mongrels. Please see the Other Health Issues page for more details.

If after a lot of thought you have decided that the Cocker is the breed for you, the next step is to find a reputable breeder. When buying a puppy from a reputable breeder, would-be owners should be aware that reputable breeders do not have puppies available all year round, there may be a wait before a puppy is available. Although it can be hard to wait for a puppy, you should consider waiting. Do not rush out and buy a puppy without doing your homework!

Once you have chosen your breeder, ensure at least one parent (preferably both) are are DNA tested "Normal/Clear" for PRA and FN (or are genetically clear by parentage) and preferably hip scored with low scores to ensure that they are free of hereditary problems. If the breeder hasn't DNA tested the pup's parents for PRA, the parents should have current clear eye certificates under the KC/BVA Eye Scheme.

Make sure you see the pups with their mother and don't be afraid to ask questions. Reputable breeders will expect you to ask questions and should give you honest and knowledgeable answers. Please remember that good breeders will also want to ask would-be buyers questions too and you should also be honest with your answers.

Unlike other breeds there is very little in temperament etc. to choose between a dog and a bitch. Bitches can be calmer and are sometimes easier to house train but they do have seasons approximately every six to ten months. During a season, the bitch will need to kept away from male dogs for approximately three weeks & this may entail altering the bitches normal exercise routine. A bitch in season will also have a bloody discharge, which although normally slight, can occasionally mark furniture etc.

Dogs usually grow slightly larger than bitches and can be a bit stronger, however dogs are generally more loving & faithful than bitches but they can take a little longer to house train and at around the time of puberty can get a bit full of their own importance and need slightly firmer handling through the puberty stage. For more information use the "Choosing A Puppy" link below.

A Cocker puppy should not be over exercised; in fact, when you first acquire your pup the exercise he gets from playing with you & his visits to the garden for toileting will be adequate. From six months, your puppy can safely have approximately twenty minutes free running and half an hour walking on the lead daily.

From about 8/9 months of age (or when he's stopped growing and has reached adult height), you can start to build up the amount of exercise to a level you & your dog are comfortable with.

As an adult, the cocker enjoys as much exercise as you are able to provide. There is one thing to remember, dogs are like athletes in the sense that they build stamina. If you accustom your dog to miles of free running i.e. several hours per day, like an athlete he will require and expect a similar exercise routine! Be careful to build up stamina slowly to avoid injury and be mindful that once a dog is accustomed to a lot of exercise he will expect a similar amount every day!

All dogs require training to a greater or lesser degree. This depends on what you expect from your pet. As a family pet, lead training, toilet training & basic obedience is necessary. This will ensure the dog has a happy co-existence with the family and will behave in a manner acceptable to members of the public who meet him. Training is best started as soon as the puppy has completed his primary vaccinations i.e. at around the age of 10 - 12 weeks.

If you feel you would like to give a good home to a rescue dog please contact your local Rescue Officer, details can be obtained from The Cocker Club. Many dogs require re-homing due to many different reasons, death of the owner, break-up of marriage, moving abroad etc.

	Buy from a reputable breeder (do your homework!)
	Ensure the puppies parents have been OptiGen prcd-PRA DNA tested (or are from two clear parents themselves).
	If the pup's parents have not been PRA DNA tested, the pups parents should have current clear KC/BVA eye certificates
	Ensure the puppies parents have been tested for FN via OptiGen or Antagene (or are from two clear parents themselves)
	Ask if the parents have been hip-scored using the KC/BVA Health Scheme?
	Follow the breeders feeding instructions and any other care instructions carefully.
	Follow the breeders feeding instructions and any other care instructions carefully.
	Don't over fuss your puppy, enjoy him but don't make him dependant upon your every waking moment! He will soon become miserable when he can't be with you.
	Have a routine with your pup/dog and stick to it.
	Be prepared for some happy times, but also expect some trying times. Pups are hard work!
	Keep in touch with the breeder, they can always offer you help and advice.
	Locate a good vet. Ask locals for their advice.
	Ensure your dog is trained, be firm but kind.
	If using a grooming parlour, try and find one with a good reputation for trimming cockers and where the dogs are treated gently and kindly.