American Cocker Spaniel Photo

The American Cocker Spaniel photo is easy to find on the Internet, as this breed has been exhibited in the USA since 1880 and remains one of the most popular canine pets. It originates from the English Cocker Spaniel in the early 20th century. The American Cocker Spaniel was developed as a gun dog for retrieving waterfowl. It takes to water readily and can work for many hours.

In an American Cocker Spaniel photo, it’s evident that this breed is small compared to other gun dogs. Actually, this is the smallest of the Spaniels and of the Sporting Group of breeds. Today, these dogs are rarely used for their original purpose, but they make wonderful family companions. Many American Cocker Spaniels are kept as watchdogs, playmates for children, or companions for sports. The best representatives of the breed are bred for participating in shows. They correspond to the breed standard and can produce high quality offspring.

American Cocker Spaniel photo galleries can help learn the breed standard, but when choosing a high quality puppy, pictures are not enough – a perspective owner has to study the standard thoroughly. The American Cocker Spaniel should be well-balanced, compact, and sturdy, with a chiseled refined head. These little creatures are capable of considerable speed and great endurance. A quality dog of this breed should be sound, active and eager to work.

The ideal size of the American Cocker Spaniel is 14 inches at the withers for females and 15 for males. The main hallmark of the breed is its coat. On the head, the coat is short; on the body, it’s of medium length; the ears, abdomen, and legs are feathered. The undercoat should be dense to give protection from cold. The coat should be easy to maintain, silky, slightly wavy or flat. Trimming in show dogs should enhance the body lines. Curly and cotton-textured coat is a serious fault. There are several coat color varieties of this breed: solid, parti-colored, and pointed. Solid dogs come in black, cream, red, brown, and tan. Small amount of white is allowed on the chest and throat only. Parti-colored dogs come in black and white, brown and white, red and white. Both solid and parti-colored dogs can have tan points. In American Cocker Spaniel photo galleries, you can see examples of tan spots accepted in the breed.