General

AMERICAN COCKER SPANIEL

Country of origin: United States of America

The American Cocker Spaniel descends from the English Engelse Cocker Spaniel and is regarding his size, the smallest spaniel breed. Both breeds have a short en low legged spanielmale, Ch Obo, born in 1879 as forefather. His offspring in England has led to the English Cocker Spaniel, as the offspring who were exported to the United States, formed the base of the American variation. The whole breed descends of the forefather Ch Obo II. Till 1936 the breeds competed next to eachother in the United States. It was not until 1945 that the American Kennel Club recognized them as two separate breeds. The American Cocker Spaniel is all over the world a very beloved show and companion dog.

The American Cocker is a small, compact and lively dog, with a luxuriant coat and a lively temperament.

Head: curved skull, but not exaggerated, pronounced eye brows, deep stop, smooth snout and cheeks. The snout is broad en right angled. The distance between the nose point till the stop equals the distance between the stop till the back of the head. The rhinarium has to be black with black and tancoloured dogs, brown, liver or black with the other colours.

Eyes: round and ful, aimed foreward, darkbrown, the darker the better, wake and soft, captivating expression.

Ears: lobate, set on low, thin, hairy. They must reach till the noserils.

Teeth: carnassial.

Neck: long, muscled, dry, slightly bend.

Body: short, compact, slightly right angled. Straight back, slightly descending from the shoulder to the tailstart. Deep, well curved ribs.

Limbs: shoulders well set back, straight forelegs, strong bones, pronounced shoulders. Broad, well muscled thighs, good angulation of knee- and hockjoint, low hocks, hindelegs parallel.

Feet: big, round, well closed with strong soles.

Tail: set on and carried in the extension of the back or a little lower, lively.

Coat: luxuriant, silky, slightly wavy, of good quality.

Colour: blac, one coloured except blac, black/tan, more coloured. The partition of the colour and mark are described precisely by the breed standard.

Gait: broad passes with big force.

Size: ideal size male 38 cm, female 35,5 cm.