Do Cocker Spaniels Like Water? [Answered]

You already know how difficult it is to keep a Labrador Retriever, Golden Retriever or Chesapeake Bay Retriever out of the water, but if you enjoy water sports, certain spaniels can help.

Many spaniel breeds, a medium sized dog , which were originally intended as sporting dogs, take to water as naturally as ducks.

Water-repellent coats and webbed feet are features of some spaniel breed.

Many spaniel breed today are bred for companionship rather than hunting abilities, and are known for their sweet dispositions.

Do spaniels enjoy swimming?

Entering the water with your Cocker spaniel

Cockers enjoy water and mud and will get wet and dirty in puddles and wherever else they can, but running water or big amounts of water can be frightening to a young dog.

Play is the simplest and most enjoyable approach to introduce your spaniel to water.

Spaniel Breeds of the American Kennel Club

Spaniel dog breed exist in a variety of sizes, hair textures, and colors, and are recognizable by their long, floppy ears like the cavalier king charles spaniel who is the most very common of all.

Small american cocker spaniels like the English toy and the Cavalier King Charles are more commonly known as lap dogs than hunters, yet they enjoy swimming.

Not every american cocker spaniel has an insatiable need for water.

The Clumber spaniel, which is medium in size but less energetic, and the Tibetan spaniel are not recognized for their love of water.

The words “water” appear in the names of two spaniel breeds.

The rare American water spaniel was initially bred to collect objects from boats.

This wavy-coated medium-sized brown spaniel is an excellent companion and sporting dog.

The American Kennel Club refers to the Irish water spaniel as the “clown of the spaniel family,” with a hypoallergenic, poodle-like coat and a naked, “rat” tail.

His webbed feet enhance the breed’s excellent swimming skills.

Features of the Breed

The majority of english cocker spaniel are medium sized dog like the irish setter and english setter dog with drooping ears, a large nose, and a curly or silky, wavy coat on the ears, tail, and legs.

Colors such as liver and white, red and white, black and white, and occasionally deep brown or black are common.

Long-haired breeds will almost certainly require regular brushing to keep their coats mat-free, and those with long, dangling ears are more prone to ear infections.

Spaniels have a reputation for being intelligent, loyal, obedient, and affectionate.

They are prone to separation anxiety if they are left alone for a lengthy period of time.

Cocker Spaniels and Springer Spaniels

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The most well-known spaniel breeds, springers and cockers, were once the same dog.

While their larger siblings “sprung” game, the cockers focused on woodcock.

The AKC’s Sporting Group’s smallest dog, the cocker spaniel, is now predominantly a pet.

Cockers, on the other hand, enjoy water and make an excellent tiny hunting dog.

For hunting in dense cover, the English cocker, a larger and distinct breed, is used.

The web-footed Welsh springer spaniel is built for swimming, while the English springer spaniel enjoys it.

Are Cocker spaniels good swimmers?

Cocker spaniels were initially bred as hunting and shooting dogs, and they are still frequently employed in many countries for this purpose.

Although the American and English Cocker spaniels are now classified as separate breeds, they were originally developed in England as hunting dogs.

Both types of Cocker Spaniels like swimming and can become extremely strong and competent swimmers with proper training and practice.

Their webbed paws and water-repellent double coats equip them with the protection and potential to be good water dogs.

Cocker spaniels swim for a variety of reasons.

American Cocker Spaniels are typically used as hunting dogs, finding and flushing game before being shot.

This is easily picked up by either the dog or the hunter in the event of ground game such as rabbits or hares.

When we kill poultry like as ducks or geese, they may fall into water, such as rivers, ponds, or the sea, and our spaniel will need to be able to recover them.

We can utilize training dummies or tennis balls that we can throw into water for him to retrieve as part of our Cocker’s training; when he is older and more confident, we can replace them with the real thing.

Entering the Water with your Cocker Spaniel

Although putting your spaniel into water should be quite easy, there are a few things to keep in mind if you are having issues.

Cockers enjoy water and mud and will get wet and dirty in puddles and wherever else they can, but running water or big amounts of water can be frightening to a young dog.

Many old wives’ stories indicate that if a dog won’t get in, you should throw him into the water. This is completely false.

If you do, your dog will be startled, and you may have to chase him down to keep him from drowning.

Play is the simplest and most enjoyable approach to introduce your spaniel to water.

Take your dog to the river, lake, or sea on a nice, calm day.

Allow your dog to go about and get hot; you could even play fetch with a ball to get him moving.

Take him to the water’s edge when he’s warm and panting and encourage him to paddle; if necessary, remove your shoes and paddle with him. If it’s freshwater, get him to drink it and splash him a little.

Toss in a few stones and see if he’ll go looking for them.

Encourage him and use these early days to help him gain confidence in the water.

Your Cocker Spaniel’s Safety in the Water

Swimming is strenuous labor for humans and spaniels alike, and you must always keep an eye on your Cocker to ensure he does not exhaust himself.

Water, in addition to providing energy and exhaustion, also poses dangers in the form of accidents and currents, both of which can have disastrous results.

If you’re on vacation and your adult dog will be in the water a lot, such as at the beach, boating, or somewhere else, make sure you keep an eye on him and make him take regular rest intervals.

It’s a good idea to get your spaniel a flotation vest so he can wear it when swimming.

This is especially important among all dog owners if you perform a lot of water activities with your dog.

Spaniels That Are Less Well-Known

The uncommon Field spaniel, a cocker spaniel puppy offshoot, was bred as a water and thick cover hunting dog in the past.

The brown Boykin spaniel, South Carolina’s state dog, is a relatively new breed that was created primarily for turkey hunting in the Wateree River Swamp of the Palmetto State.

The Sussex spaniel, with its long, low body, was designed to hunt upland game, not waterfowl.

Despite not being born near water, he drools profusely — Sussex spaniels are known droolers.

Breeds To Stay Away From

Some dogs with the name “spaniel” are not spaniels.

Brittany Spaniel are commonly known to as Brittany spaniels.

However the American Kennel Club (AKC) dropped the name “spaniel” from the breed’s classification in 1992 due to the dog’s similarity to pointers.

Brittanys are physically similar to spaniels, with long pendulous ears, a long, wavy coat, and a high-energy hunting drive; however, they point out their prey.

Due to the fact that they are not hunting dogs, the Tibetan spaniel and the Japanese chin (sometimes known as the Japanese spaniel) are two toy breeds.

And, they do not strictly qualify as spaniels.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)