The Breed

Colors & Coat Varieties

Few breeds come in as broad a palette as the American Cocker Spaniel. The AKC standard sorts every dog into one of three color divisions — Black, ASCOB and Parti-color — which also determine how the breed is shown.

Color in this breed is more than cosmetic: the three divisions are separate classes in the conformation ring, so a black dog does not compete directly against a buff or a parti. The swatches below are approximate — real coats vary in shade and can carry markings — but they show the range at a glance.

The Black division#

Black dogs should be a jet, solid black — a dull, rusty, or shaded black is less desirable. A small amount of white on the chest or throat is tolerated, but white on any other part of the body is a serious fault in the ring.

• Black
• Black & Tan

Black & Tan belongs to this division. The tan is a defined pattern — over each eye, on the sides of the muzzle and cheeks, under the ears, on the feet and legs, and under the tail. The standard expects the tan to be restrained rather than sprawling across the coat.

ASCOB — Any Solid Color Other than Black#

ASCOB gathers every solid color that is not black, from the palest cream to a deep red or a rich brown. As with black dogs, a little white on the chest and throat is allowed but white elsewhere is faulted.

• Cream
• Buff
• Red
• Brown
• Brown & Tan

Buff is by far the most common color in the breed, spanning a wide range from light cream through gold to a deep, reddish buff. Brown (sometimes called chocolate or liver) is solid throughout, and brown-and-tan carries the same restricted tan pattern seen in black-and-tan dogs. Within ASCOB the standard asks only that the color be sound and even.

The Parti-color division#

A parti-color is any dog carrying two or more solid colors, one of which is white, with the colors well broken up over the body. A primarily white dog with limited color, or a colored dog with too little white, can be penalized.

• Black & White
• Red & White
• Brown & White
• Blue Roan
• Tricolor

Tricolor

A tricolor is a parti dog — usually black-and-white or brown-and-white — that also carries the defined tan points over the eyes, on the muzzle and cheeks, and on the legs. It is judged within the parti-color division.

Roan

Roan is a parti pattern in which white hairs are intermixed evenly through a colored area, producing a soft, ticked appearance rather than clean patches. Blue roan (black roaned into white) is the best known, but red roan, brown roan and others occur. Roaning can be light or heavy, and it may continue to develop as a puppy matures.

Markings & white#

The rule of thumb across divisions is simple: on solid-colored dogs (black and ASCOB), white is acceptable only as a small mark on the chest or throat. On parti-colors, white is required and should be well distributed. Tan points, where present, are always the same defined pattern regardless of the base color.