English Cocker Spaniel vs Golden Retriever

Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

Photo: Johan Spaedtke

Side by side

English Cocker Spaniel

Golden Retriever

Adult weight

13–14.5 kg (29–32 lb)1

Males 29–34 kg (65–75 lb); females 25–29 kg (55–65 lb)2

Height

No sourced figure

Males 56–61 cm; females 51–56 cm3

Lifespan

Median 13.3 years4

Median 13.2 years4

Fully grown

10 months, both sexes5

12 months, both sexes5

Group

Retrievers & water dogs6

Retrievers & water dogs3

Coat

Coat with feathering6

Coat with feathering3

Shedding

Sheds through the year

Moults most as the seasons change

Grooming

Brushing a few times a week

Exercise

Plenty

Health

Dry eye (far more likely); Ear discharge (far more likely)7,8

Blood blister in the ear flap (much more likely); Underactive thyroid (much more likely)9,10

Class

Family

Which suits you

Size

The Golden Retriever is much larger: about 29 kg (65 lb) as an adult, against 14 kg (30 lb) for the English Cocker Spaniel.

Shedding

Their coats shed differently: the English Cocker Spaniel sheds through the year, the Golden Retriever moults most as the seasons change.

Temperament

They differ most on loyalty (English Cocker Spaniel: bonded to its family; Golden Retriever: friendly with everyone) and on intelligence (English Cocker Spaniel: learns readily, likes games; Golden Retriever: needs daily brain work).

Alike

Both are rated the same on affection: a lap or leaning dog.

Neither is the better dog in general. Which suits you depends on your home, your days and the care you can give.

Take the breed matcher

What they're like

English Cocker Spaniel

Retrievers & water dogs · Medium

In temperament it is cheerful and affectionate, and it is often called the merry cocker, a nod to its lively nature and busy tail. It is keen to please and closely attached to its people.

Golden Retriever

Retrievers & water dogs · Large

The Golden Retriever's temperament is friendly, intelligent and devoted. It is eager to please, gentle, keen to work alongside people and seldom a good guard dog.

The English Cocker Spaniel page →The Golden Retriever page →

Breed traits

Day to day

English Cocker Spaniel

Golden Retriever

Activity

Differs

A good daily walk and play

Needs lots of exercise

Intelligence

Differs

Learns readily, likes games

Needs daily brain work

Handler demand

Differs

Needs steady training

Suits a first-time owner

With people

English Cocker Spaniel

Golden Retriever

Affection

A lap or leaning dog

Loyalty

Differs

Bonded to its family

Friendly with everyone

Independence

Keen to work with you

Around the home

English Cocker Spaniel

Golden Retriever

Sensitivity

Differs

Needs a calm, predictable home

Average

Voice

Barks to alert, then settles

Prey drive

Differs

Chases; needs managing

Usually fine with small pets

Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour11. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home12,13.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes

Summary

Detail

The Golden Retriever grows to the heavier adult, about 29 kg against the English Cocker Spaniel's 14 kg.

English Cocker Spaniel

Golden Retriever

More comparisons

Compare the English Cocker Spaniel with

Golden Retriever vs Labrador Retriever English Cocker Spaniel vs English Springer Spaniel American Cocker Spaniel vs English Cocker Spaniel Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs English Cocker Spaniel Flat-Coated Retriever vs Golden Retriever Golden Retriever vs Hovawart All breed comparisons →

Sources

1
The Kennel Club. English Cocker Spaniel breed standard. ↑
2
American Kennel Club. Golden Retriever breed standard. ↑
images.akc.org/pdf/breeds/standards/GoldenRetriever.pdf
3
FCI. Breed standard no. 111. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. © FCI. ↑
www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/111g08-en.pdf
4
McMillan et al., 2024. Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death. Scientific Reports 14, 531 (VetCompass). CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w
5
Hawthorne et al., 2004. Body-weight changes during growth in puppies of different breeds. Journal of Nutrition 134(8 Suppl): 2027S–2030S (WALTHAM). ↑
doi.org/10.1093/jn/134.8.2027S
6
FCI. Breed standard no. 5. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. © FCI. ↑
www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/005g08-en.pdf
7
O'Neill et al., 2021. Keratoconjunctivitis sicca in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK: an epidemiological study. CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1111/jsap.13382
8
Engdahl et al., 2024. English Cocker Spaniels under primary veterinary care in the UK: disorder predispositions and protections. CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1186/s40575-023-00136-x
9
O'Neill et al., 2021. Reporting the epidemiology of aural haematoma in dogs and proposing a novel aetiopathogenetic pathway. CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-00352-0
10
O'Neill et al., 2022. Frequency, breed predispositions and other demographic risk factors for diagnosis of hypothyroidism in dogs under primary veterinary care in the UK. CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1186/s40575-022-00123-8
11
Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
doi.org/10.1126/science.abk0639
12
Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/getting-dog/choosing-dog/finding-a-breeder
13
American Kennel Club. Screening puppy buyers: how top breeders find the best homes. ↑
www.akc.org/expert-advice/dog-breeding/screening-puppy-buyers-how-top-breeders-find-the-best-homes/
14
Salt et al., 2017. Growth standard charts for monitoring bodyweight in dogs of different sizes. PLoS ONE 12(9): e0182064 (WALTHAM). CC BY 4.0. ↑
doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0182064

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