, ▁children , ▁other ▁dogs ▁and ▁other ▁p ets . ▁This ▁bre ed ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁a ▁perpet ually ▁w ag ging ▁tail ▁and ▁pre fers ▁to ▁be ▁around ▁people ; ▁it ▁is ▁not ▁best ▁su ited ▁to ▁the ▁back yard ▁alone . ▁C ock ers ▁can ▁be ▁easily ▁str essed ▁by ▁loud ▁no ises ▁and ▁by ▁rough ▁treatment ▁or ▁handling . ▁ ▁M embers ▁of ▁the ▁bre ed ▁were ▁originally ▁used ▁as ▁hunting ▁dogs , ▁but ▁increased ▁in ▁popular ity ▁as ▁a ▁show ▁dog . ▁It ▁was ▁b red ▁more ▁and ▁more ▁in ▁con formation ▁with ▁the ▁bre ed ▁standard , ▁resulting ▁in ▁certain ▁attributes , ▁such ▁as ▁a ▁long ▁coat , ▁which ▁no ▁longer ▁make ▁it ▁an ▁ideal ▁working ▁dog . ▁ ▁Health ▁ ▁American ▁C ocker ▁Span iels ▁in ▁UK ▁and ▁USA / Can ada ▁surve ys ▁had ▁a ▁median ▁lif es pan ▁of ▁about ▁ 1 0 ▁to ▁ 1 1 ▁years , ▁which ▁is ▁on ▁the ▁low ▁end ▁of ▁the ▁typical ▁range ▁for ▁pure bre d ▁dogs , ▁and ▁one ▁to ▁two ▁years ▁less ▁than ▁other ▁bre eds ▁of ▁their ▁size . ▁The ▁larger ▁English ▁C ocker ▁Span iel ▁typically ▁lives ▁about ▁a ▁year ▁longer ▁than ▁the ▁American ▁C ocker ▁Span iel . ▁In ▁a ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁UK ▁Kenn el ▁Club ▁survey , ▁the ▁most ▁common ▁causes ▁of ▁death ▁were ▁cancer ▁( 2 3 % ), ▁old ▁age ▁( 2 0 % ), ▁card iac ▁( 8 % ), ▁and ▁imm une - medi ated