Cocker or Setter - help please

[KC and the boys]

This will be a lighter discussion topic - or maybe not - one can never be sure with this forum....   ;)

 

Those who bother to read the personal section of individual member's pages will have noticed that I have labelled myself "1930s incarnate: vintage girl - period property - classic hound". This is not strictly true as apart from red dogs I like most things with a bit of history attached. So much that I have combined my two main interests and have become a collector of vintage photographs, postcards etc. showing Setters. However, I try to restrict myself to Setters and people and the periods 1930s - 1950s (with the odd exception here and there).

 

Now, I received a long awaited book delivery today called "Forties Fashion" and to my delight I found a picture on the back sleeve showing a model holding the front paws of an IS.... or so I thought... Now here's where you good people come in (and please don't slate me for my ignorance):

 

The 1 Mio Dollar Question is: Is the dog in the photo an Irish Setter or a Cocker? I mean it seems too small for an IS (and considering the feathering it just cannot be a pup) and it appears too big for a Cocker. Over to you....

 

P.S. Photo is attached btw.

[Sue and Cash]

Not a funny question, here is my similar story from last week.  I have this calendar from Eukanuba hanging in our home office.  When I looked ahead to July, there is this adorable red dog and my husband and I both thought, oh an Irish Setter puppy, how sweet.  Then looking further we notice it is not, it is a red english cocker spaniel.  I fell in love with that face.

We thought how fun to get a red one and have a "mini me" for Cash to live with!  The english cockers versus the american cocker is what I would want.  Met a lady who has two of them and they are adorable and had such great temperments compared to the american ones that we usually see around here.

[KC and the boys]

Sue - I've had similar experiences when trawling the net for new additions to my collection. Often the sellers don't know what type of dog they are looking at and attach incorrect labels which makes the search a bit hit and miss (but more fun).

There seems to be a definite connection between the Spaniel and the Setter world, and not just genetic. A  number of members on ES appear to have owned or still own or even breed Spaniels of one kind or another. Apart from Setters my partner's family owned Springers.... Do let us know if you decide to add a new - albeit smaller - red one to the mix.

[JOANNE]

Lovely photo and the most cute little cocker girl :-)

[Lois McCullough]

Not sure but I thought cockers of that era usually had docked tails!!

[Teresa]

Cocker for sure!

Legs, ears and tail =)

[Delia Bryce]

I can see why you are unsure , immediately I thought young Irish but on looking again I do think cocker.

[Lois McCullough]

Archived history of the Cocker Spaniel states they would have had a 'docked tail' - don't suppose that really answers the question, the Cocker I had as a child had been docked.

[Lois McCullough]

Think you could be right Sue it's easier to see when the picture's enlarged.

[KC and the boys]

Lovely people - you are in unanimous agreement (for once)...  ;)  I am so pleased and thank you for your expert opinions. Cocker it is. I shall be back should the need arise which it probably will in some distant future. The collector’s world is a tricky business and full of pitfalls.

 

For those who have asked for more of the collection please note that my best finds are framed on my wall and would need to be scanned first but I’m not at home right now. However, I still have a scan of my most treasured possession as it came from an auction site: A signed hand-tinted photograph of the British actress Anna Neagle with her dog which is – without shadow of a doubt - an IS…Enjoy!

[silvia]

nice foto!!!! Definitely cocker I believe :) (thick hairs on ears as well...)

[Karen McKelvey]

Definately a field cocker my grand father had 2 just like that!

[Ju & Flyn]

None of  them!!! That's a tutty frutti by sure! :)