Spaniels are heavily built dogs with short and very wide skulls rising suddenly at the eyes.
They may be divided into field spaniels, water spaniels and the smaller breeds kept as pets.
Field spaniels are excellent shooting dogs, and are readily trained to give notice of the proximity of game.
The Cockers are smaller spaniels, brown, or brown-and-white in the Welsh variety, black in the more common modern English form.
Dog lovers are now numbered by their tens of thousands, and in addition to shows of their favourites, owners are also liberally catered for in the shape of working trials, for during the season competitions for bloodhounds, pointers, setters, retrievers, spaniels and sheepdogs are held.