Plate 028 · The Americas
Cocker Spaniel
美国可卡犬
“A woodcock hunter that America turned into a family favourite.”
- Origin
- United States · United Kingdom
- United States (from English cocker stock)
- Country of origin
- The AKC 'Cocker Spaniel' is the American breed, developed in the United States from English cockers; the English Cocker Spaniel is registered separately.
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- Late 19th – mid 20th century
- Today
- Companion · Show dog
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
Historical context · Today
Context · 1900Ch. 'Ted Obo' (1900), of the British Obo line — a long, low field cocker, part of the shared breeding history of the English and American Cocker Spaniels. It is not today's American Cocker.
This image depicts a related historical dog type, not necessarily the modern breed.
R. H. Moore, in Charles Henry Lane's All About Dogs (1900) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
NowArturo Pardavila III from Hoboken, NJ, USA · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons
History
01 · Origin
United States (from English cocker stock)
Developed in the United States from small English hunting spaniels used on woodcock, which gave the 'cocker' its name.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Its ancestors flushed woodcock and other game birds for hunters.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
American breeders favoured a smaller dog with a rounder head and more abundant coat. The AKC separated the American and English Cocker Spaniels into two breeds in 1946, and the American type became one of the most popular dogs in the US in the mid-20th century.
04 · Today
Companion · Show dog
Mainly a gentle family companion and show dog; its heavy coat needs regular grooming.
Personality
- Gentle
- Happy
- Affectionate
- Sensitive
- Playful
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: this atlas’s editorial summary on a 1–5 scale, for rough comparison between breeds here — not a measurement or a standardised assessment.
- Size
- Small
- Lifespan
- 10–14 years
- Coat
- Silky, medium-to-long coat with well-feathered ears, chest, belly and legs
Field note
The name 'cocker' comes from the woodcock, the bird these little spaniels were used to flush.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Sporting Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (as American Cocker Spaniel), The Kennel Club (UK, as American Cocker Spaniel)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC registered cocker spaniels from 1878; the American and English types were split into separate breeds in 1946.
Kept as a family companion in the United States. AKC registrations: ranked 33 among breeds in 2025.
Chinese names include 美卡 and 可卡.
Sources2 references
- Cocker Spaniel — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/cocker-spaniel/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-07 · Registry status and AKC group; AKC recognition 1878 per AKC "Breeds by Year Recognized". Used as a registry reference only.
- American Cocker Spaniel (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Cocker_Spaniel
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-07 · Secondary overview; cross-check claims against primary breed-club sources.
Image credits
R. H. Moore, in Charles Henry Lane's All About Dogs (1900) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Arturo Pardavila III from Hoboken, NJ, USA · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: The AKC 'Cocker Spaniel' is the American breed, developed in the United States from English cockers; the English Cocker Spaniel is registered separately.
