Black spaniels: description, care and list of nicknames

The first mentions of cocker spaniels were found in written sources of the late 19th century. The homeland of these dogs is England. They began to actively reproduce this breed at the beginning of the 20th century. English black spaniels are often confused by many breeders with American ones. The fact is that they have many similarities, however, American dogs differ slightly in physique.

These dogs are designed to work together with the hunter. They cope best with field or swamp game, but quickly retrain and adapt to any task. English Spaniels are some of the best hunting companions. These are very curious animals with an affectionate character, are persevering, get along well with other animals (including cats).

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

The English black spaniel will be an excellent purchase, it will meet all the requirements of a hunter: the dog loves walks, while hunting it is able to bring prey without killing it. This is an affectionate and playful dog that senses the mood of the owner.

For the first time, these dogs were bred in the British Isles, although many people think that their homeland is Spain.But she actually has something to do with this breed. According to the writings, similar dogs were first in Spain, then they were transported to Ireland, and only then the animals came to Great Britain. British breeders were very interested in such hardy animals, so it was decided to create an English hybrid that would be picky about the conditions and could hunt in the field, dense forest, or feed prey from the water.

Many artists in the 16th 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 subdivided into water and field dogs. And only at the beginning of the 19th century, breeders decided to create a universal hybrid that would cope well with hunting both on the water and in a dense forest.

This is how smooth-haired spaniels were born - active and aggressive in hunting, but quiet and calm at home. 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.

On the territory of 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 take an interest in the English Spaniel not only because of an innate hunting instinct: these dogs also had an elegant appearance, were well trained, and did not require special care.

The first thing that catches your eye at the sight of a black spaniel is its large drooping ears, covered with a short coat. Large paws are inherent in such dogs, thanks to which they can catch trophies even on the water. The skull is domed, small in size, the area between the muzzle and the forehead is smooth, but quite clearly defined. The dog is distinguished by intelligent expressive eyes. They are brown in color, slightly oblong in shape.

The eyelids fit snugly against the eyes. The ears are set not too high and close to the head. Sometimes it seems that their length prevents the dog from hearing normally, however, this is not so. The tip of the nose is rather large and black in color.

If we compare English and American dogs, then the former have a longer muzzle. The jaws are well developed, the bite is scissor bite, although there are also representatives with an even bite. The muscular torso cannot boast of a special length, it protrudes slightly from the back, the belly is tucked up. The paws are distinguished by strong bone tissue, the toes are rather large. In a calm state, the tail is located just below the line of the spine. In most representatives of the breed, it is docked by 1/3 part. The black spaniel has long hair. The color is sometimes tan.

If you start raising a spaniel from an early age, then he will grow up quite calm. The pet will not miss a single family event. He is very active and loves to play. The dog will not give up exercise: it will like both a slow walk with the owner and long runs. These dogs are renowned for their sensitivity and good physical performance. They are distinguished by a kind character, therefore, they do not tolerate a rude attitude towards them. The dogs express their displeasure with growls, but this happens very rarely.

The coat of representatives of this hybrid is different. It is often short and smooth. Black spaniels should be trimmed periodically. However, not every owner is able to tidy up the fur of his four-legged friend on his own, so many turn to experienced specialists for help. Professionals can not only cut, but also brush the coat and bathe the dog. The grooming procedure must be carried out no more than once every 60 days. Today you can find many salons that provide such services, so each owner can choose the right procedures based on their budget.

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

Grooming is a big stress for some pets, so you should cut and comb the coat from an early age. Thus, the dog will be accustomed to this from childhood, and will not show discontent. The same applies to brushing your teeth and trimming your nails. The pet must understand that these are standard necessary procedures that it is pointless to avoid. But if your dog has been very hard on clipping for several years, then you should not force grooming. It is advisable to first contact your veterinarian and find out about the reasons for this behavior. Experienced dog breeders have different opinions about tail docking.

The ears are cleaned once a week and the nails are trimmed once a month. The ears should be carefully examined for irritation or inflammation. An infection may be indicated by a strong odor 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 simple diseases, a special solution is used, with which the ear cavity is washed.

For pet feeding try not to use wide dishes, otherwise the ears will fall into the bowl while eating... The same applies to the drinker. Some owners of short-haired spaniels put their dogs on a leash to keep their ears from catching food.

English black spaniels are fairly easy to train. The main thing is to buy goodies for your four-legged friend before starting training. These dogs are very touchy, therefore, before training, you should be patient, it is not recommended to be rude or show aggression towards them. Otherwise, your efforts will not be crowned with success. After each completed command, you need to praise the 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 the basic commands: "Place", "To the leg", "Quiet", "Lie down", "Voice" and others. The positive side of this hybrid is that these dogs are naturally well developed, so the owner is unlikely to face great difficulties. You just need to be persistent in training, otherwise the pet will understand that the owner is in a gentle mood and will not be active in training.

In case of successful execution of the command, a simple "Well done!" If you notice that the dog is not listening, 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 OKD course (general training course).

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

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

To avoid any ailments as long as possible, take good care of your dog.Feed her good food or fresh natural food, walk regularly, comb her coat and carry out all hygiene procedures. From time to time, vitamin complexes will not interfere. If done correctly, your pet can live several years longer.

For a boy, the nicknames Charlie, Cosmos, Jim, Danya or Chris are suitable. If you want your pet to stand out from the crowd, name it Rolex, Lucky, Tick-tock, Mickey. Several names have a specific meaning: Takara - treasure, Akito - autumnal, Shinju - pearl, Kyoko - happy. The nickname can be chosen based on the color of the dog: Black, Brown, Chernysh, Gray.

Popular names for girls are Tracy, Molly, Cleo, or Linda. There are nicknames with a Russian accent: Snezhka, Bagheera, Toffee, Pugovka. You can also give the dog a nickname with a specific meaning: Natsuko is summer, Sakura is cherry, Hiro is generous. Remember that this is a hunting working dog, so you cannot call it affectionate nicknames: Kuzka, Lapushka, Milashka.

In the next video, you will find interesting facts about the English Cocker Spaniel.