Editing Cocker Spaniel (section)

==Modern breeds==
[[image:Cocker-Graph.svg|thumb|left|alt=A diagram showing the difference in heights and body shapes of two dogs|A graph showing the height and shape difference between the American and English Cocker Spaniel]]

The two breeds of cocker spaniel are the English Cocker Spaniel and the American Cocker Spaniel.<ref name="riggsbee"/> They were bred as [[gun dog]]s, to use their sense of smell to cover low areas near the handler to flush birds into the air to be shot, and to use their eyes and nose to locate the bird once downed, and then to retrieve the bird with a [[soft mouth]]. The major differences between the English and American varieties is that the American is smaller with a shorter back, a domed head, and a shorter [[Muzzle (animal)|muzzle]], while the English variety is taller with a narrower head and chest.<ref name="riggsbee"/>

Cocker Spaniel [[Coat (dog)|coats]] occur in a variety of colors, including black, liver, red, and golden in solids. Also, black and tan, and sometimes liver and tan are known, as well as a variety of color mixtures of those solid colors including [[Roan (color)|roans]], roan and tans, tricolors, and those solid colors with additional white markings.

Rare colours can appear unexpectedly in certain lines, for instance while an all-white cocker is usually bred by selective breeding of very light golden strains, they can still appear very uncommonly to parents that are dark-colored. A noted occurrence of this happened in 1943, when a grandson of [[My Own Brucie]], Best in Show at the [[Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show]] in 1940 and 1941, was born all-white.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FVUEAAAAMBAJ&q=cocker+spaniel&pg=PA40|title=White Cocker: "Brucie" grandson is rare color|date=13 December 1943|publisher=Life|page=40|access-date=25 April 2010}}</ref>

In its native United States, the American Cocker Spaniel was ranked the 23rd-most popular breed according to registration statistics of the AKC in 2009, a decrease in popularity since 1999, when it was ranked 13th.<ref name="akcdogreg">{{cite web|url=http://www.akc.org/news/the-most-popular-dog-breeds-in-america/|title=AKC Dog Registration Statistics|publisher=American Kennel Club|access-date=26 April 2010}}</ref> For 25 years, the American Cocker Spaniel was the most popular dog in America. It was ranked number one first in 1936 prior to the English Cocker Spaniel being recognized as a separate breed, and held onto the spot until 1952, when [[Beagle]]s became the most popular dogs. It regained the spot in 1983 and held on at number one until 1990.<ref name="akcfactsheet">{{cite web|url=http://www.akc.org/press-center/facts-stats/?page=popular_pooches|title=AKC Registration Statistics Fact Sheet|publisher=American Kennel Club|access-date=26 April 2010}}</ref> In the UK, the American Cocker Spaniel is far less popular than its English relative, with 322 registrations compared to the English Cocker's 22,211 in 2009.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/download/3075/Quarterly-breed-stats-gundogs.pdf |archive-url=https://www.webarchive.org.uk/wayback/archive/20081202104605/http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/download/3075/Quarterly-breed-stats-gundogs.pdf |url-status=dead |archive-date=2 December 2008 |title=Quarterly Registration Statistics for the Gundog Group |publisher=The Kennel Club |access-date=26 April 2010 }}</ref>

===English Cocker Spaniel===
{{main|English Cocker Spaniel}}
[[image:EnglishCockerSpaniel simon.jpg|thumb|left|alt=A yellow-colored dog with floppy ears stands in profile: Its tongue sticks out.|A golden English Cocker Spaniel of the show strain]]

Called simply Cocker Spaniel in the UK,<ref name="kcenglish">{{cite web|url=http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/113|title=Spaniel (Cocker) Breed Standard|date=December 2008|publisher=The Kennel Club|access-date=24 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100402005045/http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/item/113 <!--Added by H3llBot-->|archive-date=2 April 2010}}</ref> this is the breed that was originally recognized by [[The Kennel Club]] (KC) in 1892. The [[American Kennel Club]] (AKC) recognized the English Cocker Spaniel as a separate breed in 1946.<ref name="riggsbee"/>

The size of the English Cocker Spaniel according to the KC is {{convert|15.5|-|16.0|in|cm}} at the [[withers]] for males, and {{convert|15.0|-|15.5|in|cm}} for females. The weight of a [[conformation show|show]] dog should be {{convert|28|-|32|lb|kg}}.<ref name="kcenglish"/>

The English Cocker Spaniel is the most popular dog breed for showing in the UK, [[Crufts]], with seven best-in-show wins since the prize was first awarded in 1928.<ref name="The Telegraph">{{cite news |title=10 things you didn't know about Crufts |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-crufts/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/tv/0/10-things-you-didnt-know-about-crufts/ |archive-date=2022-01-12 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |website=The Telegraph|date=7 March 2019 |last1=Hogan |first1=Michael }}{{cbignore}}</ref> This was mostly due to the success of dog breeder H.S. Lloyd's Ware Kennel, dogs of which won [[List of Best in Show winners of Crufts|best-in-show]] on six occasions between 1930&ndash;1950.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Jackson|first=Frank|title=Crufts: The Official History|year=1990|pages=198&ndash;200|publisher=Pelham Books |location=London |isbn=0-7207-1889-9}}</ref> They are the second most popular dog breed in the UK according to statistics released by the KC with 22,211 registrations in 2009, beaten only by the [[Labrador Retriever]] with 40,943. In third place was the English Springer Spaniel with 12,700.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/download/7748/Top-20.pdf |title=Top Twenty Breeds in Registration Order for the Years 2008 and 2009 |publisher=The Kennel Club |access-date=26 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110516142417/http://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/download/7748/Top-20.pdf |archive-date=May 16, 2011 }}</ref> The English Cocker's popularity has increased steadily since 1999 in the United States when they were ranked 76th in registrations by the AKC, to 2009 when they were ranked 66th.<ref name="akcdogreg"/>

Physical differences exist between the show strain and working strain in the UK. While the show strain is bred to the conformation standard, the working strain is bred for working ability, and as such, several physical differences have appeared. Working-type dogs tend to be larger with flatter heads and shorter ears. The coat also tends to be shorter and finer than the show variety and have less feathering. The working strain seems to be more energetic than the show strain.

===American Cocker Spaniel===
{{main|American Cocker Spaniel}}
[[File:Jakestacksmudgename.jpg|right|thumb|alt=A yellow-colored dog turns sightly towards the camera while standing on a table at a grooming salon.|A recently groomed American Cocker Spaniel]]

American Cocker Spaniels were recognized by the AKC in 1878. Generally smaller than the English, separate classes were created for the two types in America in 1935 and the Cocker Spaniel Club of America discouraged breeding between the two types in 1938.<ref name="riggsbee">{{cite book|last=Riggsbee|first=Nikki|title=Training Your Cocker Spaniel|publisher=Barron's Educational Series|location=Hauppauge, New York|year=2008|isbn=978-0-7641-4035-8|url=https://archive.org/details/trainingyourcock00rigg|url-access=registration|page=[https://archive.org/details/trainingyourcock00rigg/page/3 3]|quote=cocker spaniel 1946.}}</ref> The American Cocker Spaniel was recognized as a separate breed by the KC in the UK in 1970. The American Cocker Spaniel is referred to as the Cocker Spaniel within the United States.<ref name="riggsbee"/>

The American Cocker Spaniel was bred smaller, as American woodcocks are smaller than their European relatives, and the breed's appearance changed slightly during the first part of the 20th century, as the preference by American breeders was for a more stylish appearance.<ref name="dogkennel">{{cite web|year=1999|url=http://www.petpublishing.com/dogken/breeds/cocker.shtml|title=The Cocker Spaniel: Fine Feathered Friend|publisher=Dog & Kennel|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090810103545/http://www.petpublishing.com/dogken/breeds/cocker.shtml|archive-date=2009-08-10}}</ref> The standard size according to the AKC is between {{convert|14.5|and|15.5|in|cm}} at the withers for males and {{convert|13.5|-|14.5|in|cm}} for females.<ref name="akccocker">{{cite web|url=http://www.akc.org/breeds/cocker_spaniel/|title=AKC Meet the Breeds: Cocker Spaniel|publisher=American Kennel Club|access-date=25 April 2010|archive-date=25 February 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100225073832/http://www.akc.org/breeds/cocker_spaniel/|url-status=dead}}</ref> The weight of the breed is typically between {{convert|24|and|30|lb|kg}}.<ref>{{cite book|last=Palika|first=Liz|title=The Howell Book of Dogs: The Definitive Reference to 300 Breeds and Varieties|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|location=Hoboken, New Jersey|date=31 August 2007|page=206|isbn=978-0-470-00921-5|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YB-d9fxVGFQC&q=cocker+spaniel&pg=PA206|access-date=25 April 2010}}</ref>

At the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, the most prestigious dog show in the United States,<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thedailyinquirer.net/westminster-dog-show-2010-results-best-in-show-results/029596 |title=Westminster Dog Show 2010 Results : Best in Show Results |last=Del Rosario |first=Ron |date=17 February 2010 |publisher=The Daily Inquirer |access-date=25 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100220151241/http://www.thedailyinquirer.net/westminster-dog-show-2010-results-best-in-show-results/029596 |archive-date=20 February 2010 }}</ref> the American Cocker Spaniel has won Best in Show on four occasions since its first award in 1907.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/history/biswinners.html|title=Best-in-show Winners|publisher=Westminster Kennel Club|access-date=25 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071225033923/http://westminsterkennelclub.org/history/biswinners.html|archive-date=2007-12-25|url-status=dead}}</ref> The American Cocker Spaniel is judged in three separate breed classes under AKC rules; "black", "parti-color", and "any solid color other than black..." (ASCOB).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2010/results/breed/index2.html |title=2010 Breed Judging Results |date=16 February 2010 |publisher=Westminster Kennel Club |access-date=25 April 2010 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100419022305/http://www.westminsterkennelclub.org/2010/results/breed/index2.html |archive-date=19 April 2010 }}</ref>