Cocker Spaniel

The American Cocker Spaniel was one of the first Cocker Spaniels introduced into the Americas and it is a breed that has become very popular in the United States. Their ancestors may be traced back to fourteenth-century Spain to a breed known as the "Spanyell."

Legend has it that the ancestor of the American Cocker Spaniel, the English Cocker Spaniel, was on the HMS Mayflower when the boat arrived in the Americas in 1620. Since that time, Cocker Spaniels have been the constant companion of settlers and have played an important role in hunting and guarding the family. The American Cocker Spaniel is much smaller than its ancestor, the English Cocker Spaniel.