The merry and frolicsome Cocker Spaniel, with his big, dreamy eyes and impish personality, is one of the world’s best-loved breeds. They were developed as hunting dogs, but Cockers gained their wide popularity as all-around companions.

English Cocker Spaniel lovers often use the word “merry” to describe their breed. Upbeat in the field and mellow at home, this compact, silky-coated bird dog is widely admired for his delightful personality and irresistible good looks.

The Cocker Spaniel is one of the AKC's most popular breeds. But did you know there is another Cocker Spaniel breed? That's right, the Sporting Group also contains the English Cocker Spaniel. To add to the confusion, in the rest of the world, the English Cocker Spaniel (ECS) is known simply as the Cocker Spaniel [...]

Did you know that the Cocker Spaniel and English Cocker Spaniel are two different breeds? Learn more about the breed with these Cocker Spaniel fun facts.

Lisa Gaertner of Pinecliff Cockers is a lifelong New Jersey resident and has owned Cocker Spaniels for the past 30 years. She is an AKC Breeder of Merit, member of the American Spaniel Club, treasurer of the Keystone Cocker Spaniel Club, and board member of the Cocker Spaniel Club of New Jersey. In addition to putting [...]

With their wagging tails and friendly temperament, the Cocker Spaniel has long been one of the most popular dog breeds. Learn more about this merry breed.

Fanciers of English Cockers cherish the unique combination of qualities essential to this sturdy, merry, small sporting dog. A relatively new breed in the specific sense — records of the “modern” Cocker Spaniel date from about 1850, and the breed was first registered with the Kennel Club (England) in 1873— the flushing spaniel as a type goes back [...]

It all started about seven years ago, when Jim Moritz, a mailman from Somerdale, New Jersey, was browsing Craigslist. “It was 11:30 at night, and I saw him there,” Jim recalls. “I said, ‘Oh my gosh. He’s so cute.’ ” The face that caught his eye—and captured his heart—was Buddy, an 8-year-old Cocker Spaniel [...]

By: Mike Bothwell  A Cocker Spaniel Club of Georgia member shares his experience in taking part in the club's hunt test in December.   The air is crisp and the sky is a rich blue with stars on one horizon and the sun trying to rise on the other. Trees and hedgerows line [...]

If you saw Cherry Pie today, you'd have no idea the athletic, 13-year-old Cocker Spaniel was once a broken-boned puppy, hit by a car, and on the verge of euthanasia. Now in her golden years, the senior dog is healthier than ever, and she has a lifetime of accomplishments to show for it. But before [...]

At 15 ½ years old, Cocker Spaniel Chelsie is probably the oldest dog competing in the AKC Rally Championship (RACH) Invitational.

Originally published in the AKC Gazette. Writing in 1667, Nicholas Cox describes small land spaniels of courageous mettle, “strong, lusty and nimble rangers, of active feet, wanton tails and busy nostrils”—still a good description of the Cocker Spaniel. A less flattering description was given in 1647 by the “Witch-Finder General,” whose [...]

It's the moment we've all been waiting for! After an incredible competition, GCHP CH Silverhall Strike Force, an ASCOB Cocker Spaniel known as "Striker" was named Best in Show at the 2017 AKC National Championship presented by Royal Canin. "Striker" triumphed over nearly 5,000 dogs to earn a $50,000 cash prize in addition to the coveted title of [...]

Every year, football fans look forward to seeing the year's Super Bowl commercials. But when dogs join the most significant sports event of the season, the clever canines always blitz the views. For this big-time contest, two breeds will appear for the first time in a major pigskin promotion. "Saz" Ch de Rafale Reve de [...]

There's many reasons to love a long-eared dog breed, but how many are there? We've rounded up the dog breeds known for their long ears.

Spaniels go back to at least the 14th century, but their ancestry may be even older. As of 2025, the AKC recognizes 15 types of spaniel breeds.

COCKER SPANIEL “STRIKER” WINS BEST IN SHOW AT LARGEST EVER AKC NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP PRESENTED BY ROYAL CANIN National Champion Beats Dogs from 50 States and 44 Countries   GCHP CH Silverhall Strike Force, an ASCOB Cocker Spaniel known as “Striker” triumphed over nearly 5,000 dogs to earn a $50,000 cash prize, a paw print pendant [...]

  The Sussex Spaniel is a True Original: Among the First AKC Registered Breeds in History "Stump" and owner-handler Scott Sommer won Best in Show at the 133rd Westminster Kennel Club Show. The American Kennel Club®, a non-profit organization whose rules govern more than 20,000 canine competitions each year including the famed Westminster Kennel Club [...]

(Originally edited and written by A. Hamilton Rowan, Jr.; updated by M. Sue Richey from material submitted by Evelyn Monte Van Horn and Lisa Brown as cited in the Poughkeepsie Journal.) American sportsmen used Spaniels for hunting game birds and waterfowl long before there were Spaniel field trials. The Cocker Spaniel, recognized by The Kennel [...]