The origin of the breed, its purpose, standard of appearance, character, description of the health of the animal, advice on care and training. Price when buying a puppy. Field spaniel. It is simply impossible for a person to remain indifferent while communicating with this wonderful hunting dog. It is difficult to resist the urge to stroke him or lightly pat his ears. And in order to forever fall in love with this sweet, sincere in its affections and almost omnipresent creature, it is absolutely not necessary to be a hunter. It is enough to go out with him for a walk once. Better in the forest, in the field or in the park. It is there that this amazing dog is able to show itself in all its glory. It is there that he will teach you to listen and understand nature, demonstrate his magnificent hunting talents. It is there that you will learn all the charm of friendship with such a wonderful dog-hunter.
The origin of the Field Spaniel breed
The Field Spaniel breed, like most of the existing spaniel breeds, was bred in Great Britain in the 19th century. The main breeder of a new variety of these wonderful hunting dogs is the Englishman Finis Bullock, who first crossed a cocker spaniel with a Sussex spaniel. Wanting to get a dog similar to a cocker, but black in color, with stronger bones and a slightly larger physique, the breeder received a slightly different result, which few spaniel lovers liked at that time. The body of the animal turned out to be larger and heavier than expected, and the legs are almost as short as that of the Sussex. With the working qualities of the dog, not everything was smooth either.
And although this state of affairs did not contribute to the special popularity of the newly introduced breed, nevertheless, its first standards were officially approved in 1892. True, in the whole of England then only four individuals of these first received animals were registered. The official name of the breed was approved with the prefix "Field", which in English means "field". The English dog breeder Mortimer Scott was already engaged in the final revision of the breed, the definition and improvement of its working hunting performance. He actually managed to create exactly that wonderful gun hunting dog, with a remarkably strong body and excellent working skills, which we see, appreciate and love today.
The Second World War severely damaged the Field Spaniel population. Like many other breeds, the Field Spaniel is on the verge of extinction. Only through the efforts of many enthusiasts, fans of the field, it was possible to revive the breed. In the late 40s of the XX century, a new standard for these wonderful hunters was developed and approved.
Nowadays, Field Spaniels are most widespread in the UK, France, Belgium and the Netherlands (second only to Cocker Spaniels in popularity). These dogs are also found on the territory of Ukraine, Poland and Russia (where they are often confused with Russian spaniels).
There are not so many true pedigree Field Spaniels in the United States (Field Spaniels were first introduced to the United States in 1880). And this constitutes certain difficulties with their breeding. Occasionally, breeders have to mate representatives of this breed with springers or cockers.
It must be said that until 1901 in the United States, field and cockers were divided entirely by weight, and not by any external standards. All dogs of this type weighing more than 12 kg were automatically considered field, and all the others with a lower weight (up to 12 kg) were considered cockers.
In South America, Australia and Asia, this breed is still practically unknown, only Cocker and Springer spaniels are known there. However, it seems that the breed has a future.
Purpose and use of Field Spaniel dogs
The main role of the representatives of this breed is, of course, the hunting one. These spaniels are excellent gun dogs for scaring and feeding small game. The main specialization is game birds of forests, meadows and fields.
Also, the field is quite capable of finding and scaring a hare, rabbit or fox. But with waterfowl, the situation is not so clear. If this "field" dog is not taught in a timely manner (preferably from a very young age) the art of raising a duck on the wing, taking it out of the water after a shot and feeding it to the owner, then the hunter himself will have to climb into the lake or swamp. The peculiarity of these dogs is that they usually go into the water reluctantly (only at the insistence of the owner) and do not like to swim.
In recent years, they have been trying to start these dogs as pets - people are attracted by the cute appearance and benevolent nature of these born hunters. And although as a pet they are really excellent: obedient, disciplined, patient and not even particularly gluttonous. But still, such a share is undesirable for these dogs, especially if the owner, for some reason, cannot organize a full-fledged walk, never goes out into nature, does not go to the forest and does not visit parks. With such an owner, the dogs are forced to drag out a miserable existence, no matter how well the owner takes care of them. The main and main passion of these wonderful animals is hunting. Or, as a last resort, a long free walk (without any leash) through a forest, meadow, or at least a square.
Field Spaniel external standard
The Field Spaniel is a very beautiful, harmoniously built dog with a strong but elegant body. Stately, with beautiful posture and athletic fit. The height at the withers in males reaches 47–48 centimeters, and the weight of the dog varies between 17–23 kg. Females are slightly smaller in height and body weight. But always over 12 kg.
- Head serves as the most important part of the body for determining the breed of an animal. The skull is oval with a well-defined occipital protuberance. The transition from the forehead to the muzzle (feet) is not very pronounced. The dog's muzzle is elongated, narrow and graceful, with flecks, similar in shape to the shape of a cocker spaniel. The nose is well defined, wide, providing an excellent sense of smell. Teeth - scheme 42 units, white with small canines.
- Eyes the Field Spaniel has a beautiful almond or oval shape, deep set, dark brown, hazel or black, depending on the coat color.
- Ears fielda - very cute, low set, medium in length and width, falling on the sides of the head. The hair on the underside of the ears forms long, wavy curls that visually lengthen the ears.
- Neck beautiful, long and muscular.
- Torso "Field dogs" of medium size, dense and at the same time graceful, muscular. The chest is well expressed (but not wide), which creates a sporty, toned appearance for the animal. The belly is tucked up. The back is straight and strong. The line of the back is slightly lowered towards the croup of the dog.
- Tail set low, docked. Usually lowered down. When showing dominance, the tail is tilted upward.
- Limbs strong, well muscled in the shoulder girdle and thighs. The toes of the field's paws are compactly assembled. The front feet have small webbing between the toes. Paw pads are dense, elastic, black. Nails are short, black.
- Wool soft, smooth, slightly wavy (but never curly), rather long. On the chest and back of all four limbs, rich feathering.
- Color. The classic Field Spaniel color is uniform black. But the standards allow colors: chocolate, mahogany, chestnut-golden and roan. Combinations of gray with black, black with white, brownish red with white standards are acceptable, but less desirable. In black dogs, a white patch on the chest is allowed.
The nature of the "field" spaniel
The Field Spaniel is a very active, intelligent and extremely curious dog. Sometimes it seems like there is no limit to her energy and curiosity. While walking in the woods or hunting, she is able to tirelessly wind kilometers for hours in search of game. It often happens that by the end of the hunt, the animal is completely exhausted, and upon returning it can sleep for a whole day. But even in a dream, this dog dreams of the forest and hunting trophies. And if you inadvertently say the words “walk”, “hunting” or “forest” while sleeping “without hind legs” field, then he will immediately be back on his feet, showing with all his looks that he is again ready for work and absolutely not tired.
Dogs of this breed have an excellent sense of smell, which helps them to easily cope with the task of detecting game, humans or hidden objects. By the way, these spaniels love hide and seek or hidden object activities. And such "fun training" is very good to start from an early, still puppy age, they only benefit.
The Field Spaniel is a very sociable animal, adoring the company of people and other dogs (if they are not too aggressive, of course). During joint walks of the whole family, this dog is constantly "counting" family members, checking whether anyone has lagged behind the "pack".
Loneliness, these dogs do not tolerate, constantly needing the company of at least one person. In the absence of the owner, they are bored, and with prolonged separation they can become depressed. The return of the owner causes a storm of indescribable delight. The dog is just insanely happy and is trying in every possible way to tell how bored he was and what he was doing all this time. And sometimes he can grumble resentfully or even swear. Over time, his language becomes very understandable for the loving owner.
The Fields are very peaceful. Living in the house as a pet, they never come into any conflicts with household members or other pets. Sometimes it seems that they have hellish patience. They are not only incapable of aggression, but sometimes even incapable of snapping back at the injustice shown to them. This amazing dog is just the ideal of benevolence, friendliness and gullibility.
Despite the fact that the second name of this dog is "kindness itself", it is a very brave dog, capable of fighting for itself if necessary. Yes, his fangs are small, and the grip of the jaws is weak (more intended for a tray of game, and not for a bite), but he has a very persistent and strong character. And often, Field overcomes an opponent not so much with the strength of his jaws, but with his calm self-control, courage and fortitude. In the language of dogs, confident calm and static posture means a lot. Repeatedly it was necessary to observe how the larger and always angry dogs retreated from the completely calmly standing Field Spaniel, not showing aggression, but only sniffing and stepping aside.
Possessing a good and clear voice, these dogs rarely bark. And they do this only in exceptional cases or at the request of the owner. True, it happens that they bark and squeal slightly in their sleep, but this is a completely different story. Fields are the smartest creatures with an innate intelligence of behavior. Easily learn almost any command and skill. From experience, only one team causes some difficulties. Field is hard to teach to walk on a leash calmly next to him. Inborn curiosity (and there are so many traces around and all of them need to be studied) makes him constantly pull on, or even tear the leash and go to the side. And if you are not strong enough, this hunter is able to pull you far away from your route (these are very strong dogs that can even break a not very strong leash).
The dog is really very strong. When transporting prey, it is able to bring shot game by weight exceeding its own weight. In dog games, when there is a mutual pushing chest-to-chest standing "on hind legs", the field is able to "push" even young dogs of larger breeds, such as the Dalmatian or the Boxer.
So, if you need a loyal, benevolent, energetic and smartest dog of all, feel free to get yourself a Field Spaniel and you will never regret your choice. But your lifestyle should be in harmony with the active and energetic behavior of this wonderful dog.
Dog health
In general, Field Spaniels are in fairly good health and usually do not cause much trouble for the owner by going to the veterinarian.
However, these animals also have so-called breed diseases. First of all, it is a predisposition to hip dysplasia, which often affects dogs of medium and large breeds.
The second problem, which often occurs with age, is progressive retinal atrophy. Therefore, Field Spaniels often end up almost completely blind.
Sometimes there is a problem with a dysfunction of the thyroid gland, which does not directly threaten the life of the animal, but significantly reduces its activity, disrupts the endocrine system, contributes to weight gain, deterioration of the skin and coat, and significantly shortens the life of the dog.
Also, veterinarians have recorded a predisposition of this breed to the flat form of bladder cancer, which is often the cause of the premature death of the animal.
But, be that as it may, and with normal care and healthy eating, Field Spaniels live on average up to 13-14 years. And this is not so little for such an active and rather large dog.
Tips for caring for a Field Spaniel
This breed does not require any indescribably difficult maintenance, however, it is very important to regularly comb and bathe your pet periodically. Especially after hunting or long walks in nature. Unfortunately, the quality of the fur of the field spaniel is not ideal and the rich edging on the chest and paws of the animal often clings to burdock and all kinds of thorns of plants. Also, the coat on the long ears of the dog gets dirty very quickly, because it is with them that it constantly "picks up odors" from the ground. Therefore, it is necessary not only to regularly wash and comb the spaniel's ears, but also to pay attention to examining and cleaning the auricle from dirt and sulfur secretions.
Regular hair trimming or hair clipping is necessary. And it is better if it is done by a professional dog hairdresser.
Fields are very dynamic dogs, and therefore need an increased and complete diet. Which dog diet is preferable and more convenient for you (natural or commercially made feed) is up to you.
The nuances of training a Field Spaniel
These dogs are superbly trainable. But training must be regular, strictly consistent, without the use of arbitrary or rude methods. These amazing dogs perfectly understand words, intonations and gestures, respond well to affection and encouragement. Even at a very young age, they are easy to learn and adore all kinds of educational games.
Price when buying a Field Spaniel puppy
The Field Spaniel breed is not something out of the ordinary for the Russian region. This breed has long been known and deservedly popular among spaniel lovers and hunters.
Often, people who are far from understanding the nuances of the breed consider pedigree fields to be the most common Russian spaniels. And sometimes unscrupulous pet sellers try to sell the puppies of the regular Russian spaniel as puppies of the rarer and more expensive Field Spaniel. So, when buying, be careful and it is better to buy field dogs in good nurseries.
The price of a thoroughbred field puppy in Russia ranges from 19,000 to 23,000 rubles. and more expensive.
Learn more about Field Spaniel dogs in this video:
