Cocker Spaniels have a fascinating ancestry being descendants of one of the oldest breeds namely the spaniel. There are records of spaniels that date back to the time of Chaucer in the 14th Century and Shakespeare during the 16th and 17th Centuries. However, there are those who believe that spaniels arrived on British shores far earlier than that and it was at the time of the Roman invasion during 54 and 55 BC that these charming dogs were introduced to the country. It is thought that spaniels may well have originated in Spain mainly because the name “spaniel” could come from the word Hispania which we now know as Spain. Others believe their name could have come from a French phrase which is Chiens de l’Espagnol which translated means Spanish Dogs.