The American Cocker Spaniel is a breed of sporting dog. It is a spaniel type dog that is closely related to the English Cocker Spaniel; the two breeds diverged during the 20th century due to differing breed standards in America and the UK. In the United States the breed is usually referred to as the Cocker Spaniel while elsewhere in the world it is called the American Cocker Spaniel in order to differentiate between it and its English cousin.