HistoryAndDevelopmentOfTheSpaniels

Origins of the Cocker Spaniel

There is no doubt that the Cocker Spaniel originally came from Spain,but he was known by the English as far back as 1340, when he was mentioned by Chaucer in one of his works. By the sixteenth century the spaniels were used in Falconry in England. In those early days they were divided into two varieties : land and water spaniels. It wasn't until after the advent of the gun in 1775 ,that the term "cocker" was given to the smallest compact members of the spaniel family, who were being used for hunting woodcock.

Cockers As A Separate Breed

By 1837 in England the Spaniel was in great demand because of its superiority as a hunting breed. It was the ancestor of today's cocker. By 1859 the Spaniels were divided into two groups : English Water Spaniels and Field Spaniels.At this time the first dog show for Sporting Spaniels was held in Birmingham, England. Afterwards the "cocker" was not designated as a "breed".

By 1874 the cocker was entered in shows as a Field Spaniel. Weight divisions were established and the cocker was put in the group Field Spaniels under 25 pounds. In the late nineteenth century the American Spaniel Club was interested in the cocker and eventually in 1901 abolished weight limitations. Type became more important than weight.

Cockers In America

The cockers recognition as a separate breed truly began in 1879 with the Obo Kennel in England. Obo II was imported into the USA in 1883. Obo II's offspring contributed to elevating the cocker to its high position in the dog world today.When the AKC changed the rules and permitted cockers to be shown in more than one variety there was an increase in showing,breeding, and prominent kennels. The cocker had arrived.