I agree that the head is not a cocker spaniel head, either American or English. But definitely possible that she’s a spaniel mix; and if liver, could be a Boykin. I think American Cockers can be brown/chocolate/liver but they aren’t very common. At least not at dog shows; I’m not sure I’ve ever seen one. I’ve definitely seen liver colored English Cockers.
If it’s a Boykin, they are great dogs. I know a few and they are happy little things.
Congrats! What a cutie! :yes:
I agree with the others who have suggested seeing if they will shave her down while she’s under for her spay.
For name, what type do you usually go for? People name or more traditional/cutesy pet names?
How about Grace? For some reason my brain is stuck on that one…
I am a Cocker Spaniel person. I have two snoring at my feet right now, and I’ve had many more in the past. I’ll never have another breed of dog. They are great dogs. All of mine are pound puppies or rescues.
Every dog is an individual, but my experience has been they are a medium-energy, great Velcro dogs. They want to be near you and are up for adventure but not crazy-crazy needing hours of exercise. They are the perfect companion size to have and to handle. And my dogs neither bite people nor submissive pee. Yours is a cutie, she looks more English than American (I love the English ones!)
Their coat is a pain, I groom my own now, every 6 weeks or so I clip them down into my version of a puppy cut, where the top half of them is shaved to the skin, ears are trimmed so there’s just the slightest fringe on the bottom, and I leave just a little hair on the bottom half of the body to imitate a normal cocker cut, but it’s trimmed down to maybe 1/2" inch. They don’t look as great as when a groomer did it, but it’s low maintenance and much more economical and works fine. I don’t think it’s a super big deal, it takes maybe two hours per session – to clip, bathe, trim nails, all that good stuff – and I don’t groom them in between. Back when I had my one dog in a full show coat, now THAT took a lot of effort (brushing every day and constant care/attention).
As far as their ears, I make it a habit of sniffing my dogs ears whenever the opportunity presents itself, about once a week. Like lift the flap and take a sniff. If it smells like nothing you’re good. If it has even a whiff of a cheesy smell, it’s the start of an ear issue. I use Zymox Otic Ear treatment (you can buy it on Amazon) and do a squirt at breakfast and a squirt at dinner for about 2 weeks, squirt it in and then rub the ear so it gets in. I’ve never had more serious issues using that method. The problem comes in if you leave it unattended.
Good luck and enjoy her!
Does she have an undercoat? If not, she may be a Field Spaniel. They are not very common these days although some people fancy them for hunting.
I thought the same but if she is an adult and only weighs 20lbs I think that’s not likely. That would be a very tiny Field Spaniel. But - definitely could be a mix and field spaniel could be an influence. I mean - it still could be one; just an unusually small one.
I wouldn’t rule out English cocker, though I’d like to see more pics. She looks quite a bit like my field bred ECS. I have two of them now, had another in the past, and two ACS in the past. I love the English cockers, they’ve been great pets with lots of personality. My two current dogs are very different in many ways. The field bred dog has a coat that grows, but doesn’t tangle. Very easy to keep. The show bred dog has a thick, thick coat that will mat like crazy. I keep them in what Inthinknof as a practical cut, much like Kelo describes. The field dog is extraordinarily playful, and never met a toy he didn’t love. The bench bred dog likes to pick up the toys and put them away or hide them when he thinks the other guy has gotten out of hand.
ENJOY her!
Congratulations! She’s going to be beautiful once she’s been washed and clipped. 😊
Engies are delightful! I’ve had an American cocker and loved him to bits, but Zoe, the English cocker SO and I have, is the most easygoing, sweet, kind little dog. SO and his ex-wife used to breed and show them, though Zoe isn’t a homebred. She’s from field lines on the dam side (and got the field dog size too - a hair too big for the show ring).
Enjoy your new girl!
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