The Cocker Spaniel and Brittany ?Two of the Friendliest of Breeds

It抯 been said that the Cocker Spaniel and the Brittany (also known as the Brittany Spaniel) are two of the friendliest dogs in the world. If you抳e ever had the pleasure of meeting either, you can probably attest to this. Spaniels in general are very human-oriented because they worked, and work, so closely with their owners in the field. Both the Cocker and the Brittany were developed as bird dogs and they share unerring skills at flushing and retrieving with gentle mouths. Both are also in the Dog Gun Group in the AKC. There are two Cockers ?the American Cocker Spaniel and the English Cocker Spaniel. The English began in England in the 14th century. The American was derived from the English and is a smaller dog with a shorter muzzle. The Brittany comes from France where he was first shown in 1896. It is thought that he was a cross between the Orange and White Setters and some sort of French breed.

These lovable dogs usually have their tails docked when puppies in the U.S. It is illegal to dock dogs?tails in most of Europe these days and it抯 controversial in the U.S. but AKC standards for both the Cocker Spaniel and the Britanny require this to be done. Defenders of the process say that because the docking is done so young, around 96 hours old, there is no pain and that if done while a pup is sleeping, he does not even wake up. Regardless of how one feels about the process, it has been shown that docking the tail does not cause any balance or communication issues. In contrast to his short tail, the show ring Cocker has a long, silky coat that is either flat or slightly wavy (Field Cockers have a shorter coat). The Cocker Spaniel has an oily residue on his coat that makes it shine. The Brittany is known for his liver and white markings, which can also be more of an orange and white.

These breeds are normally outgoing and friendly but you might run across a shy Cocker or Brittany. These dogs are easily dealt with by providing early socialization and training. Sometimes, a Cocker or Brittany will have trouble with submissive urination. This is usually caused by not enough exercise ?the dogs get wound up and cannot naturally calm themselves down. Daily mental and physical exercise will help cure this problem.

One area in which the Brittany outshines the Cocker is intelligence.

The Brittany is a highly intelligent dog while the Cocker has more moderate smarts. But the willingness of a Cocker to do his job, whether in the field or show ring, makes up for any mental limitations. And it must be remembered that the most attractive qualities of both breeds are their cheerfulness, gentleness and sweetness. Own a Cocker or a Brittany and you are guaranteed a happy, furiously wagging tail all the time, even if it is just a stub.