Tuesday, April 14, 2026

Petfinder Post: American Cocker Spaniels, and some Birds

The control freaks who want to render sixty-some dog breeds extinct also disapprove of the American Cocker Spaniel, one of the most popular breeds in the United States. That is, when Americans pay for pedigreed dogs, one of the breeds for which they are most likely to pay is a Cocker Spaniel.

The American Cocker Spaniel is a descendant of the English Cocker Spaniel, but the breeds have evolved different traits due to selective breeding. American Cocker Spaniels are smaller, with rounder heads and shorter muzzles. English Cocker Spaniels have longer legs. Weights can overlap--20 to 30 pounds for a show-quality American Cocker Spaniel, 25 to 35 pounds for its English cousin--but those longer legs are supposed to make all English Cocker Spaniels stand up to six inches taller than any American Cocker Spaniel. American Cocker Spaniels can be up to 15.5 inches tall; English Cocker Spaniels should be over 15 inches tall.

They're called "Cocker" because they were especially good at hunting woodcocks, a game bird species humans used to like to eat in times when chickens and turkeys were less widely available. They're called "Spaniels" because, although it's not documented, the breed was said to have originated in Spain. Both breeds were originally developed for hunting and are now usually kept as pets because of their docile, eager-to-please pawsonalities and long fluffy coats, with lots of fluff on their long floppy ears. They have "big hair," with a mix of straighter and wavier hairs bulking out their ears and feet like a mid-1980s wig.

So, of course, the pretext for a plan to render Cocker Spaniels extinct is that humans, horrid species that we are, aren't going to groom the coats and lift up the ears enough to check for, discourage, or treat infections. 

Consider the Cocker Spaniel owners you've known. How many of them let their dogs be infested with fleas, ticks, mites, or fungus? How many turned grooming their lovely fluffy dogs into daily meditations?

Many people don't want to spend time grooming Cocker Spaniels and should adopt short-haired dogs, but if you're the right human for a Cocker Spaniel you love to comb and brush its long, thick coat. I do mean you love this daily ritual. Wouldn't miss it for anything. A day without combing can be enough for clumps of hair to felt together and form unattractive mats.

Cocker Spaniels usually live ten to fifteen years, like cats. They tend to be good with other dogs and children. They are notoriously affectionate, sometimes even fawning on abusive humans, and motivated to please and stay close to their humans. They like to catch and fetch toys. They don't need a lot of walking; disabled humans sometimes keep two spaniels and let them get their exercise by playing together, but Cocker Spaniels kept as only pets do usually need daily walks to prevent their becoming fat, lazy, and unhealthy. They are about as likely to become couch potatoes as their humans are; they typically like to lie at the feet of an idle human. There can be genetic problems in this breed, but they're seldom seen because breeders work to keep them out of the pool. Spaniels' main health concerns are obesity and infections. Fur needs to be trimmed away from their eyes. 

Show-quality Spaniels seem hairier than they used to be, to me, and I think the change has not been an improvement, but people who love Spaniels still think their pets are the prettiest dogs in the neighborhood. 

Few people put Cocker Spaniels in shelters and, if they stray, these dogs are usually claimed from the pound, but, being so popular, Cocker Spaniels and crossbreeds are fairly often available for adoption. They are often crossbred with other hounds and with poodles (producing a registered hybrid breed called the Cockapoo). 

On the cat side of things, once again we will consider long-haired cats...and, in memory of all those poor little woodcocks, why not some birds?

As always, Petfinder photos are for sharing. We want to Picture Them Homes if possible. If you're feeling munificent you can even sponsor an animal for adoption by people who are nice but don't have the full adoption fee in their pockets.

Zipcode 10101: Vallie (Valentina) from Haskell, New Jersey 


Her full adult weight is 17 pounds. She was the smallest puppy in the litter. She's learned several commands and had all the standard veterinary care.

Sonata from NYC 


Long-haired cats are often aloof. They're not cold and they just finished grooming their coats--why would they want to let anyone mess up their coats now? Sonata is not like that. Dumped out on the streets of the Bronx as a kitten, she might even be described as clingy. She likes to snuggle and even seems to like being groomed by humans.

Keelie and Haku from New Jersey


Tame budgerigars. You'll need to get to know the humans before you can meet the birds; Keelie and Haku are living in a foster home.

Zipcode 20202: Sasha from Hollywood, Maryland 


Sasha may be wary of new people. She's still in the process of learning that treatment for eye irritation and ear infections is helping, not hurting. You'll need to trim the hair away from her eyes and clean and dry her ears. 

Ellie from DC


In transition from a city shelter to a foster family in Maryland, Ellie is thought to be seven years old and weighs a little over twelve pounds. 

Ollie from Fairfax 


Parrots and even parakeets aren't for everyone. The organization will ask you to attend a class on parrot care and spend some time with experienced parrot handlers to find out whether Ollie, or perhaps another adoptable bird, is a good match for your family. Parrots are intelligent birds who can go feral, but are in danger, both of being harmed and of becoming a nuisance, if they do. They live a long time and have opinions about humans that...there's a reason why so many parrots seem to like to learn to say very rude words. Adopting a parrot is a long-term, sometimes multigenerational commitment. If that introduction doesn't scare you off, you might be someone Ollie wants to meet. She will let people she trusts pet the back of her head. She likes to fly.

Zipcode 30303: Cruella from Anniston


This retired breeding dog probably shouldn't have been used for breeding. She's deaf and has some loss of vision as well. She does well with other dogs and can't get enough human attention. She's only four years old; might have been retired when the breeders noticed she was less than ideal breeding stock, despite that adorable black-and-white face.

Sebastian from Atlanta 


"The Last Litter Project" sounds ominous. You might want to support another organization. Anyway Sebastian is a big furry cat whose purrsonality gives rescuers ideas. Is he part Siberian? Norwegian Forest Cat? They think he has the presence of a Norwegian Forest Cat, though that breed tend to be oversized and Sebastian is only on the large side of normal. 

Rah Rah Rasins from Locust Grove 


She's a Conure, one of a bird species in the parrot family that is less often chosen as a pet. Frankly I know very little about Conures and it sounds as if the organization aren't familiar with them either. They are not familiar to North Americans. They can be described as small parrots or large parakeets; the extinct Carolina Parakeet was one of the Conure species. Most species naturally live in large flocks and can be a bit of a nuisance to humans, in their homelands in South America or if they manage to go feral in North America. But such exotic, distinctive pets. If you want to adopt this Conure, please learn what you can about the species and try to be sure you can treat her right.
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