English Cocker Spaniel vs Welsh Springer Spaniel

Photo: Jean-Pol GRANDMONT

Photo: Udo Tjalsma

Side by side

English Cocker Spaniel

Welsh Springer Spaniel

Adult weight

13–14.5 kg (29–32 lb)1

Males 18–25 kg (40–55 lb); females 16–23 kg (35–50 lb) (breed club figure)2

Lifespan

Median 13.3 years3

Median 14 years3

Fully grown

10 months, both sexes4

11 months, both sexes4

Group

Retrievers & water dogs5

Retrievers & water dogs6

Coat

Coat with feathering5

Coat with feathering6

Shedding

Sheds through the year

Grooming

Brushing a few times a week

Exercise

Plenty

Health

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

No sourced figure

Class

Family

Field

Which suits you

Size

The Welsh Springer Spaniel is larger: about 20 kg (45 lb) as an adult, against 14 kg (30 lb) for the English Cocker Spaniel.

Temperament

They differ most on affection (English Cocker Spaniel: a lap or leaning dog; Welsh Springer Spaniel: affectionate on its own terms) and on independence (English Cocker Spaniel: keen to work with you; Welsh Springer Spaniel: cooperative, with its own ideas).

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.

Welsh Springer Spaniel

Retrievers & water dogs · Medium

In temperament it is loyal and affectionate, closely attached to its own people and sometimes reserved with strangers.

The English Cocker Spaniel page →The Welsh Springer Spaniel page →

Breed traits

Day to day

English Cocker Spaniel

Welsh Springer Spaniel

Activity

Differs

A good daily walk and play

Needs lots of exercise

Intelligence

Learns readily, likes games

Handler demand

Needs steady training

With people

English Cocker Spaniel

Welsh Springer Spaniel

Affection

Differs

A lap or leaning dog

Affectionate on its own terms

Loyalty

Differs

Bonded to its family

Sticks close to its people

Independence

Differs

Keen to work with you

Cooperative, with its own ideas

Around the home

English Cocker Spaniel

Welsh Springer Spaniel

Sensitivity

Differs

Needs a calm, predictable home

Average

Voice

Barks to alert, then settles

Prey drive

Chases; needs managing

Breed explains only about 9% of how individual dogs differ in behaviour9. Meet the dog. A good breeder breeds for temperament as well as health, and matches each puppy's personality to the right home10,11.

Puppy growth

Reference curves · both sexes

Summary

Detail

The Welsh Springer Spaniel grows to the heavier adult, about 20 kg against the English Cocker Spaniel's 14 kg.

English Cocker Spaniel

Welsh Springer Spaniel

More comparisons

Compare the English Cocker Spaniel with

English Cocker Spaniel vs English Springer Spaniel American Cocker Spaniel vs English Cocker Spaniel Cavalier King Charles Spaniel vs English Cocker Spaniel English Cocker Spaniel vs Golden Retriever English Cocker Spaniel vs Field Spaniel Brittany vs Welsh Springer Spaniel All breed comparisons →

Sources

1
The Kennel Club. English Cocker Spaniel breed standard. ↑
2
American Kennel Club. Welsh Springer Spaniel breed page. ↑
3
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
4
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
5
FCI. Breed standard no. 5. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. © FCI. ↑
www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/005g08-en.pdf
6
FCI. Breed standard no. 126. Fédération Cynologique Internationale. © FCI. ↑
www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/126g08-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
Morrill et al., 2022. Ancestry-inclusive dog genomics challenges popular breed stereotypes. Science 376: eabk0639 (Darwin's Ark). ↑
doi.org/10.1126/science.abk0639
10
Dogs Trust. Finding a good, responsible breeder. ↑
www.dogstrust.org.uk/dog-advice/getting-dog/choosing-dog/finding-a-breeder
11
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/
12
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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