Breeds of Dogs And Other Dog Breed Information

The American Water Spaniel is a gundog breed of dog little known outside North America.

Appearance
American Water Spaniel overview
Weight: 25–45 pounds (11–20 kg)
Height: 15–18 inches (38–46 cm)
Coat: Crisp-textured, tightly curled or wavy outer coat lined with a protective undercoat
Litter size: 4-6 puppies
Life span: 12–15 years

Weighing 25 to 45 pounds (11 to 20 kg): females usually 25 to 40 lb (11 to 18 kg); males 30 to 45 lb (14 to 20 kg) and standing 15 to 18 inches (38 to 46 cm) in height. They have a curly to marcell coat that is dense and well-suited to resist cold water and inclement weather. The coat’s color is liver, brown, or chocolate. (A small amount of white on chest or toes is permissible, and spots become smaller in size as pup grows to adulthood.) The American Water Spaniel (AWS) should have a rocker-shaped tail and be somewhat compact in size with well-proportioned features that give the dog an air of balance. Its head should be broad and spaniel-like with no topknot. Eyes are yellowish brown to brown, hazel or of dark tone and should harmonize with coat. Yellow eyes are a disqualification in the show ring.

Temperament
An American original, this competent retriever also doubles as a flushing spaniel. Like many of the spaniel breeds, it hunts both feather and fur (and even fish) with equal enthusiasm. Friendly, intelligent, and often willing to please, this dog is also very protective of its owner. In old age the dog may become temperamental. This dog is very soft-mouthed but can be trained to play tug-of-war. It will be very attached to the alpha of the house and think of children as kennel mates until they grow up. Unspayed females will have a mind of their own when in heat (even when very well trained). This little brown dog also has many of the common spaniel characteristics.

The AWS has a mind of its own at times and reaches peak performance with the owner who is dedicated to teaching the dog just what is expected of it. The breed takes well to training, and especially excels at training that offers some variety rather than rote training drills. Harsh training techniques do not work for the majority of AWS. In fact, such techniques often cause a dog to become shy or even bite out of fear. This is a breed for the trainer that is consistent and fair when dealing with the dog.

American Water Spaniels do not have to hunt to be happy. They make fine companion animals and, because of their size, they fit well in cramped quarters. However, the breed does need exercise and training to mature into a loving friend that some people look for. To avoid possessiveness, excessive barking, and a willingness to take over the household, novice owners should attend a local obedience class and set aside daily play time for their companion.

Health
While there is no one health issue that plagues the American Water Spaniel, neither is it free of health concerns. A variety of problems have cropped up from time to time in the breed including cardiac abnormalities, cancer, hip dysplasia, diabetes, allergies, hypothyroidism, follicular dystrophy, epilepsy, and cataracts. All AWS used for breeding should receive health clearances from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals for hips, heart, and hypothyroidism as well as an eye clearance from the Canine Eye Registration Foundation. All reputable breeders offer and supply the puppy buyer with a written health guarantee covering these more common health concerns.

History
The American Water Spaniel originated around the mid-1800s but its true origin is a mystery. Most experts have come to accept that it was likely developed in the Fox River and Wolf River valleys of Wisconsin. There is no documentation as to the specific breeds that were used to develop the AWS. Doc Pfeifer of New London, Wisconsin, the man credited with obtaining recognition for the breed in the 1920s, believed that the AWS was developed by crossing extinct English Water Spaniel and the Field Spaniel. Others have disputed this claim and it is currently accepted that the breeds involved in the development of the American Water Spaniel include the English Water Spaniel, Field Spaniel, Curly Coated Retriever, Irish Water Spaniel, Tweed Water Spaniel, and possibly the Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

The American Water Spaniel was developed as a hunting dog in the market hunting days of America’s history. Hunters needed a dog that could function on land as well as in the marsh and that could easily fit into a canoe or skiff without taking up much room. The AWS fit the bill and most breed historians note that Midwest market hunters made wide use of this dog. The AWS was not formally recognized as a purebred dog until the United Kennel Club did so in 1920, followed by the Field Dog Stud Book in 1938, and finally by the American Kennel Club in 1940.

Having reached its peak of popularity probably sometime in the 1920s and 1930s, the AWS has become the “Forgotten American” at many times in its history. Still, with the tenacity of spirit that exemplifies this little brown dog, the breed’s enthusiasts have managed to maintain a reasonable population that is not likely to disappear from the scene any time soon.

The American Water Spaniel was likely one of the primary contributing breeds to the Boykin Spaniel.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Water_Spaniel

The American Cocker Spaniel is a medium size breed of dog. It is one of the Spaniel type breeds, similar to the English Cocker Spaniel, and was originally bred as a gun dog. In the United States, the breed is usually referred to as the Cocker Spaniel, while in Canada and elsewhere in the world, it is called the American Cocker Spaniel. The word cocker is commonly held to stem from their use to hunt woodcock in England. Although the Cocker Spaniel type originated in the United Kingdom, by the 1940s the American breed was recognized as distinct from the English breed.

The American Cocker Spaniel is a medium sized dog of normal proportions, with medium long silky fur on the body and ears, hanging down on the legs and belly (feathering). The head has a rounded look and the ears hang down (drop ears). The tail is often docked. Coat colors are described extensively in the Standard. The English Cocker Spaniel has a more rectangular head, a shorter coat, and is larger.

Size
American Cocker Spaniels have an ideal size of 15 inches (38 cm) at the withers for male dogs, with females smaller. The breed standard states that size over 15.5 inches for males and 14.5 inches for females is a disqualification at a breed show, in order to discourage the breeding of oversize dogs.

Head
The head of an American Cocker Spaniel makes the breed immediately recognizable, with the rounded dome of the skull, well-pronounced stop, and square lip. The drop ears are long, low set, with long silky fur, and the eyes are dark, large, and rounded.

Coat
The American Cocker Spaniel is usually kept as a companion dog, since “very few are used for hunting any more.” As pets and showdogs, the breed’s coat and the colors of the coat have taken on great importance, as they are very beautiful if well groomed and cared for. The coat should never be curly or have a cottony texture, but should be silky and flat, short on the head and medium length on the body, with an undercoat. Colors are divided in to categories:

* Black, including
o Solid black
o Black with tan points
* ASCOB (Any Solid Color Other than Black), defined as any color with or without tan points, and only a very small amount of white
* Tricolor, including
o black and white with tan points
o black and white
o brown and white
o brown and white with tan points (brown tri)
o red and white.
* Parti-color and other colors
o Roan (individual colored hairs mingled in with white hairs), with or without tan points
+ blue roan or black
+ orange roan or red
+ liver or chocolate roan, shades of brown
o Sable (no longer recognized by the American Spaniel Club, meaning that breeding dogs of this color is discouraged.)
o Merle (controversial color that is linked to various ailments; not recognized by the American Spaniel Club, and not registrable with the American Kennel Club.)

History
Spaniels were hunting dogs brought from Spain to England, where the type was developed into a gun dog for hunting small game, especially birds, and the name Cocker was described in 1904 as having been derived from its use in hunting woodcocks.

The Cocker Spaniel was recognized as a breed in England in 1892, separating it from Springer Spaniels; until that time, Cockers and Springers would be born into the same litter, and were only separated out into the distinct types when fully grown. Another dog used in the development of the early Cockers was the English Setter, resulting in the roan coats still seen in the breed. Brought to North America in the late 1800s, the development of Cockers in England and Cockers in North America began to diverge into two different breeds, although breeding between the American Cocker Spaniel and the English Cocker Spaniel was permitted until 1946, when the stud book was closed.

The first Cocker Spaniel registered in the United States’ American Kennel Club was “Captain”, in 1878, and the American Spaniel Club was formed in 1881, although both the English and American varieties were very similar at that time. The Westminster Dog Show was won in 1921 by a parti-color Cocker (black and white), Ch. Midkiff Seductive.

Over time, the Cocker Spaniels in the United States became smaller than the English dogs, and, in dog shows, separate categories (called ‘classes’) were created in 1935 for the English variety and the American variety of Cocker Spaniel. In 1938, the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America decided to discourage breeding between the varieties, and defined the English Cocker Spaniel as those whose pedigrees included dogs that were or were eligible to have been registered with The Kennel Club (UK) before 1930. Much research of pedigrees was done by Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge and others, and in June, 1946, the English Cocker Spaniel and the American Cocker Spaniel were recognized by the American Kennel Club as separate breeds.

Mortality
American Cocker Spaniels in UK and USA/Canada surveys had a median lifespan of about 10-11 years, which is on the low end of the typical range for purebred dogs, and 1-2 years less than other breeds of their size. The larger English Cocker Spaniel typically lives about a year longer than the American Cocker Spaniel In a 2004 UK Kennel Club survey, the most common causes of death were cancer (23%), old age (20%), cardiac (8%), and immune-mediated (8%). In a 2003 USA/Canada Health Survey with a smaller sample size, the leading causes of death were cancer, hepatic disease, and immune-mediated

Morbidity
American Cocker Spaniels are susceptible to a variety of maladies, particularly infections affecting their ears and, in some cases, their eyes. An unknown percentage of the breed may require medical attention. Although the number or percent of afflicted dogs is not known the following eye conditions have been identified in some members of the breed: Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), glaucoma, and cataracts. The American Spaniel Club recommends annual eye exams by a veterinary ophthalmologist for all dogs that are bred. Autoimmune problems in Cockers have also been identified in an unknown number or percent of the breed, including autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA). Ear inflammations are common in drop-eared breeds of dog. Luxating patellas and hip dysplasia have been identified in some American Cocker Spaniels. Puppy buyers should make sure that breeders have checked their sires and dams for these conditions. Dogs free of hip dysplasia can be certified by the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA).

“Rage Syndrome”
Rage Syndrome is described as when a dog attacks suddenly and savagely, without any warning and during the attack the dog often has a glazed look and appears to be unaware of its surroundings. A study in the 1990s of English Cocker Spaniels in Britain found it is more common in solid colored Cockers than in particolors and also more common in darker colored Cockers than lighter colored Cockers, being most common in solid black colored spaniels. Rage syndrome is most often associated with the English Cocker Spaniel breed, although cases have been found in other breeds. Cases are relatively rare even within the English Cocker Spaniel breed. Rage syndrome cannot be accurately predicted and can only be diagnosed by EEG or genetic testing and these tests are not conclusive. There are no studies linking ‘rage syndrome’ to the American Cocker Spaniel.

Temperament
The American Cocker Spaniel breed standard defines the ideal dog of the breed as having an outgoing, friendly temperament. They tend to be soft dogs who do not do well with rough or harsh training. The breed ranks 20th in Stanley Coren’s The Intelligence of Dogs, a rating that indicates good “Working or Obedience Intelligence”, or trainability.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Cocker_Spaniel