the cocker spaniel and American cocker spaniel are from the same breed lines, which dog started the split?

Answer 1

The English and American Cocker Spaniel had identical histories up until around the 1930's. They were considered one breed of spaniel. The English Cocker Spaniel had been imported from Great Britain to North America and Canada in the 1870's.

The professional breeding of dogs has always been with a purpose in mind. The responsible breeder works on a bloodline for his/her kennel in some instances an entire lifetime. When the English Cocker Spaniel was introduced to North America, it originally was for the purpose of hunting small birds, such as pheasant, grouse, and woodcock. The English Cocker Spaniel under went significant changes within a number of kennels during the 1920's and 1930's, to achieve a different type of dog. There were those breeders who were breeding for conformation, or show purposes, and those who were breeding for field work. The result was an "Americanized" Cocker Spaniel, slightly smaller, 1 to 2 inches shorter at the withers, a smaller head and muzzle, a more dramatic down-slope of the top line, and a longer, silkier, more dense coat of hair. The year 1935 brought about a dramatic change in that the breeders who favored the English style, formed a separate club from the original American Cocker Spaniel Club (established in 1881), and agreed not to interbreed their lines with this new "Americanized" variety. In 1936, the American Cocker Spaniel became the number one A.K.C. breed, and stayed at the top for the next fifty years as the most popular dog amongst the American public. Even in the present day, the American Cocker Spaniel has a place in the hearts and minds of many people as the ideal pet. The English Cocker Spaniel people had to wait until 1946, before the A.K.C. recognized their breed as separate from the American Cocker Spaniel.

I've just copied & pasted some of the information from this site:
http://www.barkbytes.com/history/cocker.htm
& have just realised that it doesn't really answer your question - it only gives you the dates - sorry!

This site DOES answer your question however:
http://www.mycockerspaniel.com/history.htm

It says that the name of the dog considered the father of the American Cocker was Obo II

Answer 2

I breed American Cocker Spaniels; but I believe I read somewhere it was when breed fanciers couldn't agree on the English Cocker Spaniel or the American Cocker Spaniel standards due to the longer muzzle on the English and shorter muzzles on the American cockers. ALong with the height issue since English cockers tend to be larger than American ones.

Answer 3

There are American /English cockers.American cockers are abit smaller and shorter.But Cockers are the best breed.Enjoy your cocker spaniel.

Answer 4

the english cocker spaniel was the first one bred the american came later ,the americans have longer hair usually, they have a curtain of hair if u look at the dog sideways extending from hind legs to the front legs and they have shorter muzzels and they are smaller.English cocker do not have hair curtains in between their legs like the americans ,english c spaniels are larger and have a larger and longer muzzle.