Hansa Dog Cocker Spaniel, 30cm L The English Cocker Spaniel is a breed of gun dog. The English Cocker Spaniel is an active, good-natured, sporting dog, standing well up at the withers & compactly built. There are ""field"" or ""working"" cockers & ""show"" cockers. It is one of several varieties of spaniel & somewhat resembles its American cousin, the American Cocker Spaniel, although it is closer to the working-dog form of the Field Spaniel & the Springer Spaniel. Outside the US, the breed is usually known simply as the Cocker Spaniel, as is the American Cocker Spaniel within the US. Due to the breed's happy disposition & continuously wagging tail, it has been given the cute nickname ""merry cocker"". They can be also dominant & loyal to their companion. Their health issues are typical for a purebred dog breed; however they are closely associated with rage syndrome even though cases are really quite rare. The word cocker is commonly held to stem from their use to hunt woodcock