Basic Show Characteristics of American Cocker Spaniel

Here are some general show characteristics of American cocker. So I’ll try to give you a peace of useful information on how show-cocker should look like.

The head of the American Cocker should be well developed and rounded with eyebrows and stop clearly defined.

The muzzle should be broad, deep and square.

The jaws should be strong with a perfect scissor bite.

The eyes should be full, round and looking forward, with an alert, soft and appealing expression.

The ears are lobular, long and well clothed with long silky hair which may be straight or wavy.

The neck is long and muscular and the body short, compact and knit together, giving an impression of strength.

The chest is deep with well sprung ribs.

The legs should be moderately short and strongly boned, the feet compact and round.

The tail is carried on a line with the back or slightly higher and in the past has been docked to two fifths of its length.

The coat is silky, flat or slightly wavy, it is short on the head and of medium length on the body.

On head, short and fine; on body, medium length, with enough under coating to give protection. Ears, chest, abdomen and legs well feathered, but not so excessive as to hide body lines or impede movement and function as a sporting dog. Texture most important. Coat silky, flat or slightly wavy. Excessive coat, curly, woolly or cotton texture undesirable.

The ears, chest, abdomen and legs should be well feathered but not excessively so as to impede movement and function as a sporting dog. There are strict rules covering the colours of American Cockers which come in three varieties. These are Black, Any Solid Colour Other than Black (ASCOB), and Particolours. Blacks and Browns may have some tan in the coat but never white.
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