10 Things You Didn’t Know about The Cocker Jack
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The Cocker Jack is a designer dog. Based on that, interested individuals should have no problem guessing the dog breeds used to create it. After all, there aren’t a lot of dog breeds that have “Cocker” in their name. Similarly, there aren’t a lot of dog breeds that have “Jack” in their name. As such, it should come as no surprise to learn that the Cocker Jack was created using the Cocker Spaniel and the Jack Russell Terrier.
1. Recent Creation
It is possible that Cocker Spaniels have bred with Jack Russell Terriers in the past. This is particularly true because the two dog breeds have existed in the same places for quite some time. However, designer dogs are a phenomenon that started up in recent decades. As a result, it seems safe to say that the deliberate creation of Cocker Jacks is a recent thing.
2. Less Consistent than Purebred Dogs
This means that Cocker Jacks are less consistent than their purebred counterparts. The latter have been bred for a specific set of characteristics over the course of multiple generations. Meanwhile, Cocker Jacks are much more recent, which isn’t even mentioning how they are much less standardized. Thanks to that, interested individuals should expect each such dog to boast a mix of characteristics from both sides of their heritage. As such, some extra caution can be very useful when looking for a Cocker Jack.
3. There Can Be Multi-Generation Mixes
Speaking of which, not every Cocker Jack will be a first-generation mix. Instead, some of them will be multi-generation mixes, meaning that they aren’t necessarily the product of a union between a Cocker Spaniel and a Jack Russell Terrier. This can be a good thing. After all, if someone wants a dog that is closer to either a Cocker Spaniel or a Jack Russell Terrier, they should look for multi-generation mixes that are more descended from that part of their heritage. Something that should increase their chances of inheriting the relevant characteristics.
4. Cocker Spaniel Is a Very Descriptive Name
Sometimes, the name of a dog breed can be very descriptive even though it doesn’t seem like it. For proof, look no further than the Cocker Spaniel, which actually provides a considerable amount of information about these dogs using words with meanings that aren’t particularly well-known in the present time. First, Cocker refers to how the first Cocker Spaniels were used to hunt woodcock, which have been a very popular gamebird since ancient times. Second, Spaniel comes from an Old French word meaning “Spanish,” which in turn, came from Latin meaning “Spanish.” Unsurprisingly, the dog breed is called thus because it is believed that it can trace its roots to said country.
5. Be Warned that Cocker Spaniel Can Refer to Two Related Dog Breeds
It is important to note that Cocker Spaniel can refer to not one but two related dog breeds. In the United States, it tends to refer to a dog breed called the American Cocker Spaniel in other countries. Meanwhile, in those other countries, it tends to refer to a dog breed called the English Cocker Spaniel in the United States. The two dog breeds are related to one another. Cocker Spaniel tends to refer to the English Cocker Spaniel rather than the American Cocker Spaniel for the simple reason that it came into existence first before being used to create the latter.
6. No Longer Ideal As a Working Dog
As mentioned earlier, Cocker Spaniels were once meant as working dogs. However, the popularity of hunting has been fading for decades and decades, so it should come as no surprise to learn that they have made a transition from being working dogs to being show dogs. Thanks to that, Cocker Spaniels have been bred for conformity with the breed standard, with the result that they are not as suitable for working as their ancestors were. To name an example, their long coats are great for showing off but not so great for their ancestral role.
7. The Jack Russell Terrier Was Meant for Fox Hunting
Meanwhile, the Jack Russell Terrier was meant for hunting foxes rather than woodcock. This makes sense because the dog breed was started up by a parson who happened to be very enthusiastic about hunting foxes. Supposedly, one of the main reasons for the creation of the Jack Russell Terrier was the need for a mostly white dog, which was necessary to make it easy to distinguish it from its target. Besides this, these dogs have also been used to hunt everything from groundhogs to badgers and otters.
8. The Jack Russell Terrier Has Retained More of Its Working Ability
A lot of Jack Russell Terrier breeders valued its working ability. Thanks to that, these dogs tend to have retained more of their working ability than Cocker Spaniels. This means that Jack Russell Terriers tend to be athletic, fearless, and extremely intelligent. However, the downside is that they need both physical and mental stimulation. Without both, Jack Russell Terriers can exhibit destructive as well as otherwise undesirable behaviors.
9. Cocker Jacks Might Not Get Along with Young Children
Cocker Jacks might not get along with young children. This is because they are small dogs, meaning that they can be hurt by young children who don’t understand how to handle them. Something that will cause Cocker Jacks to lash out. As such, supervision is important. Furthermore, early socialization should help them get used to other people as well as other animals.
10. Cocker Jacks Can Have Different Exercise Requirements
Exercise requirements are one of the areas in which Cocker Jacks can exhibit considerable variation. Some of them are more laidback like Cocker Spaniels. In contrast, others are more energetic like Jack Russell Terriers. Regardless, interested individuals should expect these dogs to require a daily walk at the very least. For that matter, Cocker Jacks tend to benefit from the presence of a yard, though they can also live indoors so long as they get plenty of play-time as well as other forms of stimulation.
