Cocker Spaniel

This page is educational reference material for preparing questions. A licensed veterinarian examines the animal, makes the diagnosis, and sets the treatment.

Affiliate links may earn a commission. Affiliate disclosure.

Feathers, ears, and a sporting dog

American cocker spaniels stand about 13.5 to 15.5 inches and weigh 20 to 30 pounds. Lifespan runs about 10 to 14 years. They are happy, people-oriented, and capable of being a nuisance if the only exercise is the backyard. An hour of walking and training fits the breed better than the lap-dog story.

The coat mats behind the ears and in the feathering. Plan on a groomer or learn to do it. Children usually do well. Other dogs usually do well. A cocker that has never been told to get off the table will not invent that rule during a dinner party.

Ear canals, glaucoma, and immune disease

Ear infections are the weekly illness. Glaucoma and cataracts are the eye emergencies: a suddenly red, painful, cloudy eye is not "allergies" until a vet says so. Autoimmune hemolytic anemia shows up in the breed. So does intervertebral disc disease. VCA has a clear ear-infection page. Head shaking that goes on for a day is the itching and ear page.

Cocker spaniel questions

How often do cocker ears need cleaning?

Check them weekly. The heavy leather ear traps wax and yeast. A head shake and a smell are an infection, not a breed quirk you wipe and forget.

What is rage syndrome?

A rare, sudden aggression seen in some spaniel lines, different from ordinary growling over a bone. It needs a veterinary behavior workup. Most cockers never show it, and food guarding is still ordinary dog behavior.

Are American and English cockers the same?

No. The American cocker is smaller, with more coat. The English cocker is a sporting dog with a different head and a different energy. Buy the one you meant.