Black Cocker Spaniel Guide – Everything You Need To Know!

The Black Cocker Spaniel is a purebred dog from the UK that was originally bred to be a hunting dog for Eurasian woodcock. While black is a standard coat color for Cocker Spaniels they nowhere near as popular as buff or golden coats. This has led to the perception that Black Cocker Spaniels are rare when in reality they are very easy to breed.

If you are interested in Black Cocker Spaniels keep reading this article to find out the all the answers to your questions about this dog breed!

Table of Contents

What Is A Black Cocker Spaniel?

A Black Cocker Spaniel is a Cocker Spaniel that features a solid black coat however there are variations on this such as black parti coats and roan coats. The breed standards allows solid black Cocker Spaniels to have very small white markings on throat or chest however white markings anywhere else are not desireable.

Black is a very common Cocker Spaniel coat color and is recognized as a standard color by the American Kennel Club (AKC). While it is so common, it is not as popular as other coat colors like golden or buff so it often doesn’t come to mind when you think of a Cocker Spaniel.

Black Cocker Spaniels look just like any other Cocker Spaniel except they have a jet black coat, dark brown or black eyes and a black nose. Their most distinctive feature are their super long feathered ears that give them quite a regal look. They have round heads and broad square muzzles and silky or slightly wavy coats.

Are Black Cocker Spaniels Rare?

Black Cocker Spaniels are not rare. In fact, they are one of the most common Cocker Spaniel colors. You are very likely to see a Black Cocker Spaniel at the dog park or when you are out and about.

Some people think that Black Cocker Spaniels are rare because they are not as popular as lighter colored coats such as buff, golden or red. You can read about all the different Cocker Spaniel coat colors in our extensive guide here.

Black Cocker Spaniel Characteristics

Black Cocker Spaniel Characteristics
Size	Depends (either a Mini or Standard Cocker Spaniel).
Temperament	Mild-mannered, cuddly and affectionate.
Activity Levels	Moderate to high.
Exercise Requirements	30 to 60 min per day.
Lifespan	12 to 15 years.
Coat	Black silky or slightly wavy coat.
Eyes	Dark brown or black.
Shedding	Moderate.
Apartment Adaptability	Can live in an apartment if given enough exercise daily.
Good with Children	Yes.

Black Cocker Spaniel Breeders

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Black Cocker Spaniel Temperament

Black Cocker Spaniels are mild mannered, cuddly and affectionate. They are very gentle, loving and a good family companion as they are great with children, the elderly and other pets.

Cocker Spaniels can be very sensitive and nervous so they need to be socialised from an early age. Additionally, they have a tendency to bark, so teaching them the “Quiet” command is vital. While they have a medium tendency to bark, their suitability as a guard dog is very low as they are just too friendly.

If barking does become an issue, it’s best to firstly try to retrain your dog out of the habit with positive reinforcement techniques. If this doesn’t work, try distracting them from their barking triggers with toys. Look for boredom-busting dogs toys such as ones you can hide treats inside. Other options include using ultra-sonic sound devices.

Cocker Spaniels are a medium energy dog and need to be given a reasonable amount of exercise each day. One of their favorite past times is swimming and playing in water so it’s great to take them to lakes, rivers, beaches or other dog-friendly waterways.

Are Black Cocker Spaniels More Aggressive?

There have been studies done that are published in the Applied Animal Behaviour Science Journal, that reveal that there is some relationship between Cocker Spaniel coat colour and aggressiveness.

It is reported that gold and red cocker spaniels are the most aggressive and dominant. The second most aggressive are fully black cocker spaniels and the most mild-mannered are parti-color Cocker Spaniels.

While Black Cocker Spaniels may be considered to be slightly more aggressive than other coat colors, the breed is overall not aggressive. Cocker Spaniels are people pleasers and are very friendly companions if they have been properly socialized from a young age.

Black Coat Variations

Black and Tan Cocker Spaniel

Black and Tan Cocker Spaniels feature a mainly black coat with tan points in specific locations. The tan points are only allowed to cover 10% or less of the Cocker Spaniel’s body and should only be in specific locations. These locations include: above the eye, on the side of the muzzle, on the paws or legs, under the tail, under the ears and on the chest. Black and tan is recognized as a standard color by the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Black and White Cocker Spaniel

A Black and White Cocker Spaniel is a mainly white dog with black patches on its coat. They often have black ears with black patches around their eyes. Black and White Cocker Spaniels can also have large black patches on their back and stomach. Black and white is recognized as a standard color by the Amercian Kennel Club (AKC). They are a type of Parti Cocker Spaniel as their white base coat covers 50% or more of their body. It’s the most common parti coat type.

Black, White & Tan Cocker Spaniel

black, white and tan cocker spaniel — Black, White & Tan Cocker Spaniel

Black, White & Tan Cocker Spaniels look a lot like Black and White Cocker Spaniels except they also have tan points. Like the Black and Tan Cocker Spaniel, the tan points are only allowed to cover 10% or less of the Cocker Spaniel’s body and should only be in specific locations. These locations include: above the eye, on the side of the muzzle, on the paws or legs, under the tail, under the ears and on the chest.

Blue Roan Cocker Spaniel

A Blue Roan Cocker Spaniel has a coat that features black and white hairs however instead of them being in distinct patches they are mixed together. The equal distribution of black and white hairs throughout the coat gives them a blue-grey tinge, hence the name “Blue Roan”. Blue roan is a recognized coat color by the American Kennel Club however it is not considered to be a standard color. Rather roan is a recognized standard coat marking.

Black Cocker Spaniel Names

Black Cocker Spaniel Girl Names	Black Cocker Spaniel Boy Names
Pepper	Tux
Ash	Jet
Poppy	Cinders
Cindy	Ink
Scout	Charcoal
Panda	Panther
Willow	Batman
Ashley	Teddy
Cruella	Ollie
Bo	Micket

Black Cocker Spaniel Price

As black is one of the most common Cocker Spaniel colors, this coat color has a lower price tag than other coat colors. Usually, a Black Cocker Spaniel sells for a price between $2500USD and $4000USD.

Sheepadoodle Lifespan Guide – How Long Do Sheepadoodles Live?

Black Cocker Spaniel Lifespan

The average Black Cocker Spaniels lives for 12 to 15 years. You can give a Cocker Spaniel the best chance of living a long life by exercising them each day, by feeding them a healthy diet and by keeping on top of vet appointments. Smaller versions of a Cocker Spaniel such as the Mini Cocker Spaniel may have a slightly shorter lifespan than this. At the end of the day, the color of a Cocker Spaniel’s coat does not really have any affect on their lifespan.

*Pro Tip: If you want to ensure that your dog is getting enough exercise daily, you can use a GPS, health and sleep monitoring collar such as the Fi Smart Collar.

Black Cocker Spaniel Size

Mini Black Cocker Spaniel

Mini Black Cocker Spaniels are the smallest Cocker Spaniel size. They are also sometimes called Teacup Cocker Spaniels or Toy Cocker Spaniels.

Mini Black Cocker Spaniels are produced by breeding the runts of two different standard sized Cocker Spaniel litters together. They continue selecting the smallest from the litter and they continue breeding until they consistently get the Mini Cocker Spaniel size.

The reason why a Cocker Spaniel may be called a “Mini Cocker Spaniel” instead of a “Teacup Cocker Spaniel” is because teacup breeds have a bad reputation for being the result of unethical breeding practices. Some breeders have decided to call them “Mini Cocker Spaniel” to make it sound like they are breeding a different type of Cocker Spaniel. It is mainly a marketing tactic.

A Mini Black Cocker Spaniel gets to 9 to 12 inches (22.9cm to 30.5cm) tall and weighs between 10 and 20 pounds (4.5kg to 9.1kg). As it is an unofficial size, some Mini Cocker Spaniels are taller or shorter than this range and/or may be heavier or lighter.

Standard Black Cocker Spaniel

A Standard Black Cocker Spaniel is the regular Cocker Spaniel size. They are a medium size dog and the smallest sporting spaniel recognized by the American Kennel Club (AKC). A Standard Black Cocker Spaniel is 14 to 15 inches tall (35.6cm to 38.1cm) and weighs between 26 and 35 pounds (11.8kg to 15.9kg). They are fully grown between 9 months and 12 months of age.

American vs English Black Cocker Spaniel

The main difference between an American Black Cocker Spaniel and an English Black Cocker Spaniel is the shape of their head. An American Cocker Spaniel has a dome shaped skull while an English Cocker Spaniel has a longer head. American Cocker Spaniels have narrower eyes, shorter muzzles and smaller ears. English Cocker Spaniels have wider eyes, longer muzzles and longer ears. Size wise, an English Cocker Spaniel is usually larger than an American one.

American Cocker Spaniel	English Cocker Spaniel
Narrower Eyes	Wider Eyes
Shorter Muzzle	Longer Muzzle
Smaller Ears	Longer Ears
Longer Fur	Shorter Fur

As for specific differences between American and English Black Cocker Spaniels, there isn’t really any. Both the American and English version come in black.

Black Cocker Spaniel Pros & Cons

Pros	Cons
Black Cocker Spaniel coats stay looking cleaner for longer as dirt can be hidden in it.	There is some evidence that Black Cocker Spaniels are slightly more aggressive than parti-colored Cocker Spaniels.
Black is a very common coat color so it’s easy to find Black Cocker Spaniels.	Black Cocker Spaniels need regular grooming to keep their coat silky and smooth.
Black Cocker Spaniels are people pleasers and very friendly.	Black Cocker Spaniels don’t always get along well with larger dog breeds.
Black Cocker Spaniels are highly intelligent and have high emotional intelligence as well.	Black Cocker Spaniels need lots of exercise each day.