Luna, the English Cocker Spaniel

She is an English Cocker Spaniel (ECS). In the United States the term "cocker spaniel" generally refers to the American Cocker Spaniels (ACS), however outside of the United States this typically refers to the ECS. There are subtle differences as they were the same breed until 1946. The English Cocker Spaniel is a bit taller, being between 16 and 15 inches tall versus the 15 to 13 of ACS, yet both weigh about the same.

One very visible difference is the pronounced "stop" that American Cockers have. The stop being the point where the muzzle joins the head. An English Cocker has a gentle slope.

Why Cocker?

This term refers to their history of hunting woodcock. Many will show bird hunting tendencies even with lack of training. The breed is also known as "the merry cocker" due to their happy nature and almost always wagging tail. This is part of what makes the Cocker Spaniels different than other spaniels.

English Cockers also are very loyal, while they bond with a family, there will typically be one person in particular to whom they attach. The breed is known for being extremely loyal and affectionate. They are also intelligent, adaptable and optimistic. It is a good breed to use as a service dog, hunter, or just a companion.

My parents each had cocker spaniels growing up. At that time, the American and English were still splitting. What they had was more like the English Cockers are now. Then they had one together when I was a baby.

My birthday present

In high school, my best friend gave me an English Cocker Spaniel. She did not have a pedigree, but her lineage was very clear. Her mom came from South Africa. We, Michelle and I, gave her a name to remind us of that heritage and named her Belle as in Southern Belle. Her personality fit exactly what I wanted from a companion dog.

Belle had heart problems, and just before her 10th birthday she died unexpectedly. While there are many other beautiful breeds in the world, the "merry cocker" is the personality I love. Plus they are not too big for being a companion and not too small for 2 mile walks. Not too loud, not too energetic, not slothful either.

Breeders did not often have websites, so my mom and I had to hunt for my new companion. After a months we found a breeder that was just a few hours south. He mailed us pictures of the 4 available puppies and the parents. The parent's pictures were for reference, to see the lineage and appearance of the parents. From those pictures I picked out one dog. I had her named before we visited.

Her name is Luna.

In the picture they sent, the top of her head reminded me of the moon, so her name is moon in Spanish. Her mother's name is Bella, which means beautiful, in both Spanish and Italian. Bella's owner was Italian. It also was a reminder of Belle. Thus the name became La Luna Bella. The Moon Beautiful in both Spanish and Italian although pronounced differently.