More recently, the American Cocker Spaniel was the most beloved companion dog. The reviews of the owners especially noted his friendliness, activity and curiosity - you will not get bored with such a pet and will not be left without regular physical exertion. Over the past couple of years, the excitement about the breed has subsided, but to this day such dogs can often be found on the street, and breeders do not complain about the lack of demand for the puppies that are born.
Breed formation
The American Spaniel, no doubt, has the same roots as the English Spaniel, although experts were unable to accurately trace the details of its origin. There is vague evidence that the first settlers were brought to the freshly opened mainland by the progenitors of modern breed representatives. For quite a long time they crossed with local dogs, and in the 18th century they deliberately began to improve the breed - first of all, again, by English cockers. However, the purpose of the selection was mainly the intention to get a small hunting dog. The goal was achieved: now the American Spaniel (photos confirm this) is one of the smallest of the existing hunters. But the reference point for the emergence of such dogs appeared a hundred years later. It was only in the 19th century that the American Cocker Spaniel was officially recognized. James Ferrow Kennel was breeding only this breed. And the best specimens grown in it, became the founders of the state spaniels. The breed was fully formed by 1915, although the British did not want to recognize it for a long time. Britain agreed with its existence in the second half of the 20th century. In Russia, the American spaniel first appeared in the seventies, then it was considered a very rare and even exotic animal, which is why it was very expensive.
Note that the English resistance was initially doomed to defeat. The breed differs from the British counterpart not only in much smaller sizes, but also in the shape of the head (in particular, the famous snub-nosed), and physique, and liberty of color. As for the ancestors - so they are common to all dogs.
Breed standards
What does an American cocker spaniel look like? Its description can be quite short, but at the same time capacious, and it will not be difficult to recognize a dog from it even to someone who has never seen such a dog. To begin with, he is small - an adult male does not grow above 39 centimeters. And if this still happens, then his mother took a walk with a representative of another breed. The maximum weight is thirteen kilograms. Exceeding this indicator with regular growth is a serious reason to take care of the pet's health. The physique of the American cocker is strong and proportional, a beautifully shaped head with large eyes, hanging low-set ears and characteristic snub-nosed. The coat is long, shiny and thick. Its color can be anything - monotonous, and two-tone (usually black and white and very valuable black and tan), and piebald, and tricolor. Thanks to such a wide range, anyone can find a pet with a color that matches their aesthetic preferences.
Character Features
For many people, the American Cocker Spaniel (a photo of it can be found in our article) is perceived as a companion dog. He is really magnificent in this role, the main thing is that you don’t have to “be led” into a plush appearance and treat him like a toy. Do not forget that in front of you is a hunter, albeit not used now in this capacity. The character remained serious! Yes, and unclaimed abilities can ruin it. Therefore, it is worth introducing some rules in communicating with a dog:
- On walks, not just wander around with your pet, but arrange active games and work out at least the simplest teams. In a word, make him work: he will feel necessary, and he will become better obedient.
- To develop certain prohibitions and to demand their observance: for example, do not carry around from the table and do not beg under it or do not get into bed with the owners. If you at least once give slack, a charming American spaniel literally sits on your neck, considering yourself the main thing in the pack.
- Pay attention to the psychological state of the dog. If she is inflated, then she should be reassured and given a break from communication. But at the same time, you should not be allowed to growl at yourself, and even more so - to show physical aggression. Your pet should not feel dominant.
In all other respects, if you do not succumb to provocations and do not follow the touches of a touching appearance, the breed American Cocker Spaniel is absolutely trouble-free. Its representatives easily get along with any pets, treat children, even the smallest ones, take into account the peculiarities of the rhythm of life and the temperament of the owners.
Daily Wool Care
The main chores that the American Cocker Spaniel requires are the care of his magnificent skin. The animal is especially beautiful due to its coat, but, like long hair in women, it requires regular attention. You need to comb your hair every day, and American Spaniel puppies should be accustomed to this procedure from the moment they appear in your house. The process of an experienced "hairdresser" takes about five minutes on the strength. If you haven’t had an American Cocker before, and even if you have an unaccustomed puppy, it can take a lot more time. However, forget about combing or putting it off is not worth it. Firstly, it is much harder to deal with warlocks. Secondly, if your pet learns that the procedure is inevitable, then he will treat it patiently. When your dog grows up, it will be possible to comb it much less often - once a week, the puppy fluff will come off, and the coat without extremes in the form of rain will look normal itself.
Mandatory baths
But you can not do only combing the dog. The American Spaniel also needs regular swimming. Most often, washing is done every two weeks. Every month, pets are bathed only if the weather is dry for a long time and he does not walk for long. Before washing, the dog must be combed out to remove the resulting tangles. The water is a little warm. If for the first time it turns out to be too hot for the puppy, then it will take a long time to work on luring him into the bath. Shampoo is bought either special, canine or human, designed for damaged or dry hair. After washing, a balm is applied, on confused places - more, rinsed off, the wool is wrung out with a towel (it is not necessary to carefully wipe it) and is dried with a hairdryer while combing.
A haircut
In order for your American Spaniel (see the photo in the article) not to gradually turn into a shaggy, albeit a pretty cur, it will need to be cut about once a season. At first, all the owners turn to a pet salon for this purpose. Many over time, having looked closely and remembering the sequence of work, provide hairdressing services to the pet themselves. However, with the first haircut you shouldn’t delay too much: if for the first time your American spaniel hears the sound of a typewriter at nine months old, most likely he will be scared and will behave aggressively on haircuts. If you bought a puppy already trimmed, and the hairdresser is unclaimed for a long time, sometimes turn on some device next to it that sounds like a typewriter, such as a mixer, electric razor, etc. The dog will get used to the fact that nothing is wrong with the noise, it will stop pay attention to him and will calmly relate to the procedure.
Paw care
The paw pads of all dogs are a vulnerable spot, especially in a city where there is nothing lying on the roads and lawns, the dogs we are considering are no exception. The American Cocker Spaniel also has thick coat on its paws. As a result of this, it’s not only difficult at times to notice the wound received (the dog himself, in the end, will hint at it with his behavior), something can get tangled in the coat, and injure the leg later. Therefore, after each walk, the paws are not only washed, but also carefully examined. And on a wash day, the hair between the fingers is trimmed.
Some owners cut their claws with their claws. However, it is believed that if the need arises, the dog does not move much. In the city, with sufficient duration of walks, claws without extraneous fate grind on the asphalt.
Ear care
All lop-eared breeds require special attention to their "burdocks". First of all, they are not adequately ventilated, and therefore there is excess humidity and temperature in the sink. Such conditions are ideal for the accumulation of dirt and, accordingly, the development of a variety of diseases. So cocker ears need to be cleaned even more often than their own. They transfer this procedure very philosophically, after the first time they felt significant relief.
The second danger is ticks. From mid-May to the end of September, the ears are carefully examined to detect these parasites, pulled out, if any, and burned.
If the American cocker spaniel (photos of these handsome men is given in the article) behaves uneasily, whimpers, shakes his head constantly, rubs his ears with his paws, and upon examination they reveal uncharacteristic dark discharge with an unpleasant heavy odor, the dog should be taken to the veterinarian urgently. At a minimum, your pet will have otitis media and should be treated under medical supervision.
Dental care
With a proper and balanced diet, American cocker usually has no problems with teeth. To prevent dental difficulties, you need to accustom the dog to milk and cottage cheese - they supply teeth and bones with calcium. Try to instill the puppy in the habit of eating fresh tomatoes. This does not always work out - dogs, like people, have their own taste preferences. However, if you have good tartar in your pet, you will never find it. It should also be given to gnaw raw bones. Just not tubular! Beef mosles are quite suitable. Many "Americans" willingly gnaw apples, and such an intention must be encouraged by all means.
Naturally, you should not give your pet any sweets or pastries. In addition to the fact that the dogs break their metabolism, the stomach spoils, and the animals rapidly grow fat, their teeth have no resistance to sugar. During the year, with such regular feeding, the dog's teeth turn yellow and begin to decay.
Elderly animals and exhibits brush their teeth. It is advisable to use tooth powder for this purpose . To find it in ordinary stores is now unrealistic, in pet products most often it is also absent. You can use human toothpaste, just choose it without smell and pronounced taste.
Nutrition
How to feed your cocker is up to you. The main thing is that there is everything necessary in the diet. However, regardless of whether you cook yourself or give the dog ready-made food, remember that all cockers - both English and American - do not know how to stop. They eat while they see something in a bowl. Therefore, they need to be given food in a strictly dosed manner, otherwise in six months a thick sausage on its legs will crawl on your leash. If you are encouraging something between feedings, consider this in the total amount of food. And watch the dog closely for a walk: this hunter and the glutton can pick up everything that smells delicious from the ground. In addition to excess calories, this is also a risk of poisoning the dog.
Puppy acquisition
The best place to buy an American Cocker Spaniel is a kennel or club. When purchasing from hand, there is always a risk of buying a puppy with unclean ancestors. And this is fraught not only with deviations from the breed standard, but also with a more aggressive character. Moreover, it is not a fact that the “market” pet will be healthy and vaccinated by age, and also not awarded with hereditary diseases. If you are of principle pure breed, check the pedigree of the puppy. Please note: this document has certain security marks, and is not printed on cardboard with a color printer. Mandatory presence of a veterinary passport indicating all vaccinations made.
When choosing a puppy, take a look at its behavior. He should be moderately active, but not aggressive, play with his siblings, move smartly and be interested in the world around him. If, when a person approaches, the puppy gets into a corner, growls or whines, and even more so lets a puddle, then choose another for yourself: this has problems with the nervous system. Do not take the smallest in the litter. Maybe he is the cutest, but most likely the weakest.
Start of education
In order to make it easier for a small cocker to adapt to a new place, experience less stress and not get a nervous trauma, certain conditions must already be met at the time of relocation.
- It is better to take the puppy from the mother early in the morning - so it will be easier to endure the separation.
- You can’t feed him before the trip, arrange this with the breeder in advance.
- On the road, do not allow outsiders to touch the dog - it is already scared and confused.
- The habitat should be prepared the day before: a place to sleep with bedding is set up, bowls of water and food are put in, a cat pot is prepared (at first, until the puppy learns to tolerate, it needs to be trained to handle the need in one place, and the tray in this regard perfect).
- Upon arrival, the baby cocker will probably try to hide somewhere. Do not forcibly remove him from the shelter - let him sit out. It is necessary to suppress the enthusiasm of the family about the new member of the family and remove them from the room until the puppy gets comfortable and leaves himself.
Keep in mind that the upbringing of the little "American" should begin on the first day. It should be called only with a nickname, without any “lapushka” and “kutia”. The collar is put on, as soon as the puppy began to examine the apartment. Gently, but persistently, you need to teach him to eat in one place and not to drag food around the rooms.
Who should not start an "American"
If you look like an American Cocker Spaniel, reviews about the breed suit you, you have enough money to buy a thoroughbred dog, think about what purpose you are getting a puppy for. To refuse an observed breed should be in two cases:
- If you intend to give a dog to a preschool child. Your offspring is not yet ready to perceive the animal as a partner. A cute appearance will make him a toy in the eyes of the baby. Of course, cocker will not bring harm to the child. But your son (daughter) will spoil him to such an extent that co-existence in the apartment with him will become difficult. Such a dog is a perfect friend to a teenager.
- If your elderly relative feels lonely, and you want to brighten his life. In such a situation, choose a different animal. Firstly, the American Spaniel is very active, and it will be difficult for a middle-aged person to walk with him. Secondly, caring for it is quite laborious, takes a lot of time (that's okay - the old people have enough of it) and strength. Thirdly, the maintenance of such a dog is quite expensive: the services of a dog hairdresser are not cheap, and it will not work to feed the dog with one porridge.
To all the rest, especially lazy people, the American Spaniel is quite suitable as a family dog. The reviews of those with whom he has been living for more than one year are positive.