Is the cocker under threat?

My first-ever dog was a remarkably handsome blue-roan-and-tan cocker spaniel. I loved him dearly, but he was inbred, neurotic and not really a nice dog at all. He was show bred, but I took him shooting and it was an infection of tetanus, picked up on a shooting day, that led to his early death at the age of five. Many years have passed since his demise and cockers — both show and working bred — have changed enormously, mainly for the better.

“Cockers — both show and working bred — have changed enormously, for the better”

To understand the cockers we have today, it’s essential to look back at the breed’s history. Perhaps the most surprising fact is that the cocker is an