The English Cocker Spaniel, also known as the Cocker and the Merry Cocker, is a breed of dog in the Sporting Group. There are two types of English Cocker Spaniels, the working spaniel and the show spaniel, which look very different from one another. The average Cocker stands 15 to 17 inches high at the shoulder and weighs between 26 to 34 pounds. Their coat should be brushed daily and they require periodic grooming.
English Cocker Spaniels, like many dog breeds that originated as working dogs, have some genetic lines that focus on working dog skills and others that focus on ensuring that the dog's appearance conforms to a breed standard. These are referred to as the "working", or "field bred", and "show dog" strains.
The English Cocker Spaniel is a sturdy, compact, well balanced dog. It has a characteristic expression showing intelligence and alertness. A significant difference in appearance exists between field bred and conformation show bred dogs.
Cocker Spaniels are known for their friendly, faithful, playful, quiet and affectionate natures. They are easily trained and make a good medium-sized family pet. Very few Cockers have temperament problems: in a 2002 survey, with a sample size of 487 Cockers, only one percent of the dogs were aggressive toward people and two percent were aggressive toward other dogs. English Cockers have a loving temperament and make excellent family pets. They will often bond to one person in a family.
English Cocker Spaniels in United Kingdom and United States and Canadian surveys had a median lifespan of 11 to 12 years, which is a typical longevity for purebred dogs, but a little less than most other breeds of their size.