What is the difference between American and English Cocker Spaniel?
Cocker spaniels are dog breeds that are most charming, hardworking, and mostly kept as pets. They make good friends to young ones to grow with.
Cocker spaniels are of two breeds. That is the American cocker spaniel and English cocker spaniel. They are mostly mistaken for one another and regarded as the same breed. They share a similar heritage.
The main difference between the American cocker spaniel and the English cocker spaniel is that the American cocker spaniel is comparatively smaller in body size while the English cocker spaniel is larger in body size.
Comparison table (American vs English Cocker Spaniel)
| Characteristics | American cocker spaniel | English cocker spaniel |
| Size | It is comparatively smaller in body size. | It is larger in body size. |
| The shape of the head | They have a dome-shaped head. | They have a substantial flatter skull. |
| Facial features | They have narrow eyes, shorter muzzles, and small ears. | They have wider eyes, long muzzles, and long ears. |
| Coat | The coat is longer and the texture is thicker and dense. | Their coat is shorter and silkier in its texture. |
| Activities | They are less active and energetic. | They are more active and more energetic. |
| Lifespan | They live between 10 to 14 years. | They live between 12 to 14 years. |
What is American Cocker Spaniel?
American cocker spaniel belongs to a sporting breed of dogs. It is considered the smallest sports dog. It was bred by an American enthusiast of the English cocker spaniel as a companion dog of comparable temperament and beauty.
They originated in America and are considered to be the oldest breeds in America.
They have canines covered with silk fur at the ears. Their ears hang down and they have an upturned nose. They weigh between 11 to 14 kilograms. They possess canines as they were considered initially hunting dogs.
They come in different colors. They may be black, tan, and other colors. They may also come in a genetic pattern color called merle.
They are gentle friendly natured pets and they get along with family members and children. It was originally bred as a working breed but it no longer does that.
They face health issues such as deafness. They have to be taken well care of as the diseases may lead to their death. Their life expectancy is between 10 to 12 years.
What is the English Cocker Spaniel?
English cocker spaniel came into existence earlier than the American cocker spaniel. It was first bred in England. It was originally grouped with other hunting breeds but it was separated due to its hunting abilities.
The name was given to it due to its small size and the way they hunted for birds. It now belongs to a breed of gun dogs.
They have a high intelligence level and are alert hence mostly admired as family pets. They can either be field dogs or show dogs.
Their tails can be docked. The breed found in North America has docked tails. The field breed has docked tails to about 4-5 inches while for show dogs their tails are practically docked.
They come in various colors like brown, black, red, golden, and partly colored like an orange without pigmentation.
They face health problems like skin allergies, deafness, heart murmurs, and benign tumors. They have a life expectancy of between 12 to 14 years.
Main Differences between American and English Cocker Spaniel
- The American cocker spaniel is comparatively smaller in body size while the English cocker spaniel is larger in body size.
- The American cocker spaniel has a dome-shaped head while the English cocker spaniel has a flat head.
- The American cocker spaniel has long muzzles and their ears are also long while the English cocker spaniel has short muzzles and small ears.
- American cocker spaniels have wider eyes while English cocker spaniels have narrower eyes.
- American cocker spaniels are less active while English cocker spaniels are more active.
Similarities between American and English Cocker Spaniel
- Both have a common inheritance.
- Both are small dogs.
- Both were bred as companion dogs.
- Both have good temperaments.
- Both breeds make wonderful family dogs.
- They both enjoy learning hence easy to train.
In Conclusion
American cocker spaniel and English cocker spaniel were both separated from other hunting dogs because of their hunting ability and their beauty.
The breeds are often confused but they are different from each other. Although they all appear small, when looked at keenly, you will find out that the American cocker spaniel appears to be slightly smaller as compared to the English cocker spaniel.
The main feature that makes the two different is their size.
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