They're All Related...

[Magic Star]

Indie along woth most blue roans has Bitcom in her ped, heres hers if it helps you

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What is Indie posh name?

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Indies posh name is "Beaumaris Bewitched" its not prefixed with anything, except when shes naughty

[Colin]

It's interesting looking at old photos of Cockers, seeing how they went from these very small short legged dogs in the late 19th Century to much longer legged dogs in the 1920s & 30s (before the breed split into two types) - well, interesting to me anyway

I find it really interesting too.

A google search turned up this pic of Obo - the same pic is in the George Caddy book.



He looks like a Sussex Spaniel to me.

This link shows a pic of his great grandson Obo 2 who is apparently the forerunner of the American Cocker.

http://www.showdogs.co.za/infobase/breedno...evelopment.html

I'm no expert but the modern Cocker looks to have a healthier construction to me than some of the ones you see in the really old photos - their long backs seem to really dip down in the middle and their legs look a bit too short to support such chunky bodies, they all seem to be bum-high too.

[Gilly]

Plus he looks like he's got 5 legs  ::

[Magic Star]

Plus he looks like he's got 5 legs  ::

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[Colin]

Plus he looks like he's got 5 legs  ::

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  Check out page 14 in the Caddy book - most of the Cocker boys seemed to have 5 legs back then. Maybe that's the real reason why they were bred to have more coat - to spare the owner's blushes as they jiggled their way round the show ring.

[Luvly]

 

[Mike]

Look at those little legs!  

So if the legs of English cockers used to be that short - in comparison to more recent cockers... I'm just wondering when the official breed standard for cockers was introduced as things have certainly changed? I'm sure I could Google and find out the info myself but I know how much you enjoy talking about cocker history Jane  

[Jane S]

I'm sure I could Google and find out the info myself but I know how much you enjoy talking about cocker history Jane 

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Thanks Mike I think the first breed standard came with the founding of the Cocker Spaniel Club in the early 1900s although it wasn't called a breed standard then but a "description of particulars". There was no mention of height in this standard, just that weight should be 25lbs. At this time, it seems there was a right old battle going on between those that thought Cockers should be long & stumpy legged & those that thought this build wasn't right for an active, sporting dog. The change away from the very small, low dogs came gradually but apparently one bitch, Jetsam Bowdler was very influential as she was the longer legged type & once H S Lloyd's father gave her the top award at Crufts, others started to go for the taller dogs too. The Breed Standard has changed a few times over the years but height wasn't mentioned until I think sometime in the 1960s (prior to that only weight was given, being 25lb to 28lbs at that time, later increased to 28-32lbs as it stands now). In the early 80s, the KC standardised all the breed standards to their current format (much blander than that first "standard") & there haven't been any changes since then (apart from a clause added re undocked tails). Sorry if this sounds a bit vague - I still can't get at all my books at the moment

Jane

[workingcockers]

Reckon mine are the same height as show cockers with similar body propotions - maybe a tad longer in loin but not like a sausage dog. But then my eye goes for proportions and I retain a pup that is pleasing to me alround and I have probs finding stud dogs that I like for all therequirements I want. I dont know how on earth a 10" cocker could carry an adult hare over a reasonable distance

[workingcockers]

I have put a show and working comparison couple of pics up on my acount with Photobox - took Stellas pic tonight  - its not too good but she did her best!!

Kirsten's cockers