Field Spaniel

If you and your active family are looking for a medium-sized dog with energy to spare, consider the Field Spaniel. He is larger than the English Cocker Spaniel and smaller than the English Springer Spaniel.

He's a wonderful companion for family that can meet his needs for exercise, training, and companionship, and he will give you years of competition in such dog sports as obedience, agility, rally, tracking, hunt tests and conformation. Hunters will appreciate their ability to quarter in dense cover - that means he hunts by running a zigzag pattern through heavy brush — and flush birds such as pheasants, quail, and chukars.

Field Spaniels love people, and they are eager to please, loyal, and loving. At playtime, their water-loving nature comes out. They will sometimes use their water dish as the local swimming hole, making quite a mess around the house.

While they can sometimes be reserved with strangers, they should never be fearful, shy, or aggressive. Some Field Spaniels bond with just one family member, but most accept everyone in the family as their best friends. They are excellent with children but aren't fond of rough, loud play, preferring to walk away and find a quieter activity. Field Spaniels are alert and will bark a warning when visitors approach, but they are not guard dogs.

Training, whether it's for dog sports or nice household manners, helps prevent your Field Spaniel from becoming bored and getting into mischief. It's important to work around the independent streak that allows this breed to perform so well in the field. If you use motivational methods and frequent rewards, you will end up with a happy dog who is a joy to work with. Field Spaniels are extremely sensitive dogs and do not respond well to loud tones of voice or harsh handling.

Field Spaniels require less grooming than most other spaniel breeds. Even to get them ready for the conformation show ring is not an involved process as they are to be shown looking as natural as possible. No fancy trimming necessary!

The Field Spaniel is a rare breed that can be hard to find. Take the time to research breeders and find one who is willing to help you find just the right puppy. A responsible breeder will ensure that your puppy's parents are screened for any genetic conditions that may exist in the breed and will be diligent in removing from the gene pool any dogs with serious health conditions for which no screening test is yet available.

The Field Spaniel was developed in England in the latter half of the 19th century to be a medium-sized, all-black dog, which was unusual at the time as most hunters preferred dogs with some white so they could be easily seen in the field. The Field Spaniel was created at the same time that dog shows were becoming popular and is considered the first spaniel developed for conformation showing while at the same time retaining his excellent skills in the field.

Until 1901, spaniels were divided by weight, so if one puppy in a litter grew to be more than 25 pounds, he was called a Field Spaniel. If he weighed less than 25 pounds, he was classified as a Cocker Spaniel.

The breed started out as a popular dog, but through some not-so-successful cross-breeding, fanciers turned him into a dog that was longer than he was tall, with short legs, a large head, and too much coat. That didn't make for a very good or very attractive hunting dog, and the public expressed its displeasure. The Field Spaniel's popularity bottomed out. Fortunately, a man named Mortimer Smith made the effort to bring back the Field Spaniel's functional good looks.

The AKC registered its first Field Spaniel, Colehill Rufus, in 1894, but when a fire destroyed a major kennel in 1909, the breed practically disappeared in the United States. The last registration of a Field Spaniel occurred in 1930. The next importation of Field Spaniels occurred in 1967, and those three dogs along with subsequent imports are the basis of the breed today. Despite his fine qualities, he remains a rare breed compared to other spaniels.

Field Spaniels are generally healthy, but like all breeds, they're prone to certain health conditions. Not all Field Spaniels will get any or all of these diseases, but it's important to be aware of them if you're considering this breed.

If you're buying a puppy, find a good breeder who will show you health clearances for both your puppy's parents. Health clearances prove that a dog has been tested for and cleared of a particular condition. In Field Spaniels, you should expect to see health clearances from the Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) for hip dysplasia (with a score of fair or better), elbow dysplasia, hypothyroidism, and von Willebrand's disease; from Auburn University for thrombopathia; and from the Canine Eye Registry Foundation (CERF) certifying that eyes are normal. You can confirm health clearances by checking the OFA web site (offa.org).

Ear Infections:

Field Spaniels can be prone to ear infections because of their floppy ears. The ears trap moisture and should be regularly checked.

Hip Dysplasia:

A degenerative disease in which the hip joint is weakened due to abnormal growth and development. This disease is found in many breeds. Although it is a genetic disease that breeders screen for, it can be found in a puppy with parents free of the disease. When it is found in such a puppy, it is usually linked to environmental factors such as poor nutrition or too much weight gain during puppyhood.