Black Spaniels: description, care and a list of nicknames

The first mentions of Cocker Spaniels were found in written sources from the end of the 19th century. Homeland of these dogs is England. Active breeding of this breed began to engage in the beginning of the XX century. English breeders are often confused by black breeders with American breeders. The fact is that they have many similarities, however, American dogs are slightly different in physique.

These dogs are designed to work with a hunter. They do best with field or marsh game, but they quickly retrain and adapt to any task. English spaniels are one of the best companions of the hunter. These are very curious animals with tender character, they are distinguished by assiduity, they get along well with other animals (including cats).

There are usually no problems with parenting, therefore Such a dog can easily be started by a person who has not previously trained animals. These pets are unpretentious to the living conditions: they can be kept in the apartment or put a booth in the yard. Dogs have good stamina and small size. An adult representative of the breed weighs 13-15 kg with a growth of about 40 cm.

English black spaniel will be an excellent acquisition, it will meet all the requirements of the hunter: the dog loves to walk, while hunting it can bring prey without killing it. This is affectionate and playful dog, feeling the mood of the owner.

For the first time, these dogs were bred in the British Isles, although many people think that Spain is their birthplace. But it actually relates to this breed. According to the letters, similar dogs were first in Spain, then they were transported to Ireland, and only then the animals came to the UK. British breeders were very interested in such hardy animals, so it was decided to create an English hybrid that would not picky about conditions and could hunt in a field, dense forest or feed prey from the water.

Many artists in the XVI century depicted dogs in their paintings, very reminiscent of black spaniels, which is very strange, because the breed was officially confirmed only 200 years later. The first dogs of this breed were conditionally divided into water and field. And only at the beginning of the XIX century, the breeders decided to create a universal hybrid that would cope well with hunting and on the water, and in the dense forest.

This is how the smooth-haired spaniels were born - active and aggressive in hunting, but quiet and calm houses. In 1893, this hybrid was approved by the Kennel Club as a new breed. In 1902, the breed standard was approved, and these dogs became popular on almost all continents.

In Russia, dogs appeared in the first half of the 20th century, however, they became popular after the 70s of the 20th century. People began to be interested in the English Spaniel not only because of the innate hunting instinct: these dogs also had an elegant appearance, were well trained in training, and did not require special care.

The first thing that catches your eye when you see a black spaniel is large, hanging ears covered with a short hair coat.Such dogs have large paws, thanks to which they can get trophies even on the water. The skull is domed, of small size, the area between the muzzle and the forehead is smooth, but rather distinctly expressed. The dog is distinguished by intelligent, expressive eyes. They are brown in color, slightly oblong.

Eyelids tight to eyes. Ears are set not too high and fit to the head. Sometimes it seems that their length prevents the dog from hearing normally, however, it is not. The tip of the nose is quite large, black.

If you compare the English and American dogs, then the first face has a greater length. The jaws are well developed, scissor bite, although there are representatives with even bite. Muscular torso can not boast a special length, slightly protrudes from the back, the stomach is taut. The paws are distinguished by strong bone tissue, the fingers are rather large. At rest, the tail is located just below the line of the spine. Most of the representatives of the breed docked it in 1/3 part. The black spaniel has a long coat. Color sometimes tan.

If you start to raise a spaniel from an early age, he will grow up quite calm. Pet will not miss a single family event. He is very active and loves to play. The dog will not give up the exercises: you will like both a slow walk with the owner and long runs. These dogs are famous for sensitivity and good physical performance. They are distinguished by their good nature, therefore they do not tolerate rude attitudes towards themselves. The dogs express their discontent with a growl, but this happens very rarely.

Wool representatives of this hybrid is different. Often it is short and smooth. Black spaniels should be trimmed periodically. However, not every owner is able to independently put in order the wool of his four-legged friend, therefore many turn for help to experienced specialists. Professionals can not only cut, but also to clean the hair and bathe the dog. Grooming should be done no more than once every 60 days. Today you can find a lot of salons that provide such services, so each owner can choose the necessary procedures based on their budget.

Experienced owners of black spaniels recommend making a short haircut. The longer the coat, the harder it is to care for it. But even with short hair there is still a lot left: as you grow, you need to cut the claws and bathe the dog once every one and a half to two months.

Grooming is a big stress for some pets, therefore, wool should be cut and combed from an early age. Thus, a dog from childhood accustomed to this, and will not show discontent. The same applies to brushing your teeth, cutting your claws. The pet must understand that these are standard necessary procedures that are meaningless to avoid. But if your dog has been very difficult to tolerate trimming wool for several years, then you should not groom it forcibly. It is advisable to first contact your veterinarian and find out the reasons for this behavior. Opinions of experienced dog breeders about tail docking differ.

Ears are cleaned once a week, and claws trimmed once a month. Ears should be carefully examined for irritations or inflammatory processes. On the appearance of infection may indicate a sharp smell from the ears. This point should not be neglected, since the body of the black spaniel has a tendency to infectious diseases of the ear cavity. To combat uncomplicated diseases, a special solution is used to wash the ear cavity.

Pet feeding try not to use wide dishes, otherwise the ears will fall into the bowl in the process of eating. The same applies to the drinker. Some owners of short-haired spaniels put their dogs on a leash so that their ears do not touch the food.

English black spaniels are fairly easy to learn. The main thing is to buy goodies for your four-legged friend before the start of training. These dogs are very touchy, so you should be patient before training, it is not recommended to address rudely or show aggression towards them. Otherwise, your efforts will not succeed. After each executed command you need to praise your pet.

If you acquire a representative of this breed not for hunting, but as a decorative dog, then it will be sufficient to teach him to the basic commands: "Place", "To the foot", "Quiet", "Lie", "Voice" and others. The positive side of this hybrid is that These dogs are perfectly developed by nature, so the owner is unlikely to face great difficulties. You just need to show perseverance in training, otherwise the pet will understand that the owner is set up gently, and will not be different activities in training.

In the case of successful execution of the team will be quite simple "Well done!", Pat your four-best friend and present a piece of delicacy. If you notice that the dog does not listen, then you can raise your voice a little. Remember that the spaniel is a hunting dog, so the owner must train the dog from 8 months after completing the study of the OCW course (general course of training).

A typical representative of this breed with a good content lives 13-15 years. These dogs have a genetic predisposition for the following diseases:

• diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• diseases of the musculoskeletal system;
• immunity problems;
• viral diseases.

In order to avoid any illnesses as long as possible, carefully care for the dog. Feed it with good feeds or fresh, natural food, regularly walk, comb your hair and perform all hygiene procedures. From time to time do not interfere with vitamin complexes. If you do everything right, the pet can live for several years longer.

Nicknames Charlie, Cosmos, Jim, Danya or Chris are suitable for the boy. If you want your pet to stand out from the crowd, call him Rolex, Lucky, Tik-tak, Mickey. Some names have a certain meaning: Takara is a treasure, Akito is an autumn one, Shinju is a pearl, Keko is a happy one. The nickname can be chosen based on the color of the dog: Black, Brown, Blackish, Gray.

Popular names for girls: Tracy, Molly, Cleo or Linda. There are nicknames with a Russian accent: Snowball, Bagheera, Toffee, Button. You can also give the dog a nickname with a specific value: Natsuko - summer, Sakura - cherry, Hiro - generous. Remember that this is a working hunting dog, so you can not call her affectionate nicknames: Kuzka, Lapushka, Cutie.

The following video is waiting for you interesting facts about the English Cocker Spaniel.