Shocker

The Shocker is a somewhat new designer-breed that resulted from crossing an American Cocker Spaniel and a Shiba Inu. The Cocker Spaniel comes from the ancient Spaniel family. It is believed that, due to its name, that this breed originated in Spain. They were later divided into toys, for companion, and large dogs for hunting, and the Cocker Spaniel was known for its abilities in hunting woodcock.  Nonetheless, in England they were considered as a functional category, until 1892 when the Cocker Spaniel was acknowledged as a breed. In the 1870’s this breed was imported to the United States and in 1881 Clinton Wilmerding and James Watson created the American Spaniel Club, the oldest breed club in the United States. Some American breeders were leaning towards a smaller Cocker Spaniel, different from the English Cocker Spaniel. This led to the creation of the English Cocker Spaniel Club of America, recognized by the American Kennel Club. Eventually, there was a motion for not breeding English Cocker Spaniels with American Cocker Spaniels. The American Cocker Spaniel gained popularity after a black dog called “Ch. My Own Brucie” won the Best American Breed in Show at the Westminster Dog Show, two years-in-a-row. This dog was so cherished that his death was published in The New York Times. In 1946 the American Cocker Spaniel and the English Cocker Spaniel were recognized as two different breeds by the American Kennel Club. The Shiba Inu comes from Japan, like their kindred breeds the Akita, Kai Dog, Hokkaido, Kishu, and Shikoku, which are larger dogs. The Shiba Inu’s main purpose was hunting. During WWII the Shiba Inus suffered greatly, lots of dogs died in bombing, and others due to distemper. When the war ended, a Shiba breeding program was established. In 1954 the first Shiba Inu was brought to the United States. The Shiba Inu was recognized in the American Kennel Club Miscellaneous Class and in 1997 they obtained full status within the Non-Sporting Group.