Spaniel
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/Three_Cocker_Spaniels.jpg/220px-Three_Cocker_Spaniels.jpg)
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Aspanielis atypeofgun dog.Spaniels were especially bred to flush game out of denser brush. By the late 17th century, spaniels had been specialized into water and land breeds. The extinctEnglish Water Spanielwas used to retrieve water fowl shot down with arrows. Land spaniels were setting spaniels—those that crept forward andpointedtheir game, allowing hunters to ensnare them with nets, and springing spaniels—those that sprang pheasants and partridges for hunting with falcons, rabbits and smaller mammals such as rats and mice for hunting withgreyhounds.During the 17th century, the role of the spaniel dramatically changed as Englishmen began hunting withflintlocksfor wing shooting. Charles Goodall and Julia Gasow (1984)[1]write that spaniels were "transformed from untrained, wild beaters, to smooth, polished gun dogs."
The word "spaniel" would seem to be derived from the medieval Frenchespaigneul— "Spanish" —to modern French,espagnol.
Definition and description
[edit]TheOxford English Dictionarydefines Spaniel as "a breed of dog with a long silky coat and drooping ears".[2]
Not much has changed about spaniels in general over the years, as can be seen in this 1921 entry inCollier's New Encyclopedia:
Their distinguishing characteristics are a rather broad muzzle, remarkably long and full ears, hair plentiful and beautifully waved, particularly that of the ears, tail, and hinder parts of the thighs and legs. The prevailing color is liver and white, sometimes red and white or black and white, and sometimes deep brown, or black on the face and breast, with a tan spot over each eye. The English spaniel is a superior and very pure breed. TheKing Charlesis a small variety of the spaniel used as a lapdog. The water spaniels, large and small, differ from the common spaniel only in the roughness of their coats, and in uniting the aquatic propensities of theNewfoundland dogwith the fine hunting qualities of their own race. Spaniels possess a great share of intelligence, affection, and obedience, which qualities, combined with much beauty, make them highly prized as companions.
History
[edit]The origin of the wordspanielis described by theOxford English Dictionaryas coming from theOld Frenchwordespaigneulwhich meant "Spanish (dog)"; this in turn originated from theLatinHispanioluswhich simply means "Spanish".[2]
InEdward, 2nd Duke of York's workThe Master of Game,which was mostly a 15th-century translation of an earlier work byGaston III of Foix-BéarnentitledLivre de chasse,spaniels are described as being from Spain as much as allGreyhoundsare from England or Scotland.[3]Sixteenth-century English physicianJohn Caiuswrote that the spaniels of the time were mostly white, marked with spots that are commonly red. He described a new variety to have come out of France, which were speckled all over with white and black, "which mingled colours incline to a marble blewe".[4]
Celtic origin theory
[edit]In the appendices added to the 1909 re-print of Caius' work, the editors suggested that the type of dogs may have been brought into theBritish Islesas early as 900 BC by a branch of theCeltsmoving from Spain intoCornwalland on into Wales, England and Ireland.[3]Theories on the origin of theWelsh Springer Spanielsupport this theory, as it is believed that the breed specifically is a direct descendant of the "Agassian hunting dog"described in the hunting poemCynegeticaattributed toOppian of Apamea,which belonged to the Celtic tribes ofRoman Britain:[5]
There is a strong breed of hunting dog, small in size but no less worthy of great praise. These the wild tribes of Britons with their tattooed backs rear and call by the name of Agassian. Their size is like that of worthless and greedy domestic table dogs; squat, emaciated, shaggy, dull of eye, but endowed with feet armed with powerful claws and a mouth sharp with close-set venomous tearing teeth. It is by virtue of its nose, however, that the Agassian is most exalted, and for tracking it is the best there is; for it is very adept at discovering the tracks of things that walk upon the ground, and skilled too at marking the airborne scent.[6]
Roman origin theory
[edit]Another theory of the origin of the spaniel is that theancient Romansimported spaniels intoBritanniaby way of the trade routes to theFar East.Colonel David Hancock[7][page needed]adds a belief that the sporting type of spaniel originated in China from the short-faced ancestors of dogs such as thePekingese,PugandShih Tzu.The theory goes that these ancestors were introduced into Southern Europe and evolved into the small sporting spaniels of the period around AD 1300–1600. The issue of how a short-muzzled dog could evolve into a longer-muzzled dog is addressed by pointing to the evolution of theKing Charles Spanielinto theCavalier King Charles Spanielin less than a century.[8][self-published source?]
Hunting
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/03/Hawking_party_and_water_spaniels.jpg/220px-Hawking_party_and_water_spaniels.jpg)
In assisting hunters, it is desirable that spaniels work within gun range, are steady to shot, and are able to mark the fall and retrieve shot game to hand with a soft mouth. A good nose is highly valued, as it is in most gun dog breeds. They are versatile hunters traditionally being used for upland game birds, but are equally adept at hunting rabbits, waterfowl, rats, and mice. Whether hunting in open fields, woodlands, farm lands—in briars, alongfencerowsor marshlands, a spaniel can get the job done.[9]
On the basis of function and hunting style, theFédération Cynologique Internationale(FCI) draws a distinction between Continental and Anglo-American spaniels. The FCI places Continental dogs of the spaniel type in the pointing group (Group 7, sect. 1.2) because they function more like setters which "freeze" and point to game. Breeds in this group include theBlue Picardy Spaniel,theFrench Spaniel,theBrittany,thePont-Audemer Spaniel,and theSmall Münsterländer.The FCI classifies most other dogs of the spanieltypeas flushing or water dogs (Group 8, sections 2 and 3).[10]
Breeds
[edit]Contemporary
[edit]Type of spaniel | Also known as | Country/region of origin | Min. height | Max. height | Min. weight | Max. weight | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
American Cocker Spaniel | Cocker Spaniel (in the United States) |
United States | 13 in (33 cm) | 15 in (38 cm) | 24 lb (11 kg) | 29 lb (13 kg)[11] | ![]() |
American Water Spaniel | United States | 15 in (38 cm) | 18 in (46 cm) | 25 lb (11 kg) | 45 lb (20 kg)[12] | ||
Blue Picardy Spaniel | Epagneul Bleu de Picardie | France | 22 in (56 cm) | 24 in (61 cm)[13] | 43 lb (20 kg) | 45 lb (20 kg)[14] | ![]() |
Boykin Spaniel | United States | 15 in (38 cm) | 18 in (46 cm) | 25 lb (11 kg) | 45 lb (20 kg)[15] | ![]() | |
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel | Cavalier Spaniel | United Kingdom | 12 in (30 cm) | 13 in (33 cm) | 13 lb (5.9 kg) | 18 lb (8.2 kg)[16] | ![]() |
Clumber Spaniel | England | 17 in (43 cm) | 20 in (51 cm) | 55 lb (25 kg) | 85 lb (39 kg)[17] | ![]() | |
Drentse Patrijshond | Dutch Partridge Dog | Netherlands | 21.5 in (55 cm) | 25.5 in (65 cm) | 55 lb (25 kg) | 77 lb (35 kg)[18] | ![]() |
English Cocker Spaniel | Cocker Spaniel (In the United Kingdom) |
England | 15 in (38 cm) | 17 in (43 cm) | 26 lb (12 kg) | 34 lb (15 kg)[19] | ![]() |
English Springer Spaniel | England | 19 in (48 cm) | 20 in (51 cm) | 40 lb (18 kg) | 50 lb (23 kg)[20] | ![]() | |
Field Spaniel | England | 17 in (43 cm) | 18 in (46 cm) | 35 lb (16 kg) | 50 lb (23 kg)[21] | ![]() | |
French Spaniel | Épagneul français (in France) |
France | 21 in (53 cm) | 25 in (64 cm) | 45 lb (20 kg) | 60 lb (27 kg) | |
German Spaniel | Deutscher Wachtelhund | Germany | 16 in (41 cm) | 20 in (51 cm) | 44 lb (20 kg) | 66 lb (30 kg)[22] | ![]() |
Irish Water Spaniel | Whiptail, Shannon Spaniel, Rat Tail Spaniel, and Bog Dog | Ireland | 21 in (53 cm) | 24 in (61 cm) | 45 lb (20 kg) | 65 lb (29 kg)[23] | ![]() |
King Charles Spaniel | English Toy Spaniel (in the United States) |
England | 9 in (23 cm) | 10 in (25 cm) | 6 lb (2.7 kg) | 12 lb (5.4 kg)[24] | ![]() |
Kooikerhondje | Dutch Spaniel | Netherlands | 14 in (36 cm) | 16 in (41 cm) | 20 lb (9.1 kg) | 24 lb (11 kg)[25] | ![]() |
Markiesje | Dutch Tulip Hound | Netherlands | 12.5 in (32 cm) | 15.5 in (39 cm) | 13 lb (5.9 kg) | 18 lb (8.2 kg) | ![]() |
Papillon | Continental Toy Spaniel, Épagneul Nain Continental |
France | 8 in (20 cm) | 11 in (28 cm)[26] | 5 lb (2.3 kg) | 10 lb (4.5 kg)[27] | ![]() |
Phalène | Continental Toy Spaniel, Épagneul Nain Continental |
Belgium | 8 in (20 cm) | 11 in (28 cm) | 5 lb (2.3 kg) | 10 lb (4.5 kg)[28] | ![]() |
Picardy Spaniel | Épagneul Picard | France | 22 in (56 cm) | 23.5 in (60 cm) | 44 lb (20 kg) | 55 lb (25 kg)[29] | ![]() |
Pont-Audemer Spaniel | Épagneul Pont-Audemer | France | 20 in (51 cm) | 23 in (58 cm)[30] | 40 lb (18 kg) | 53 lb (24 kg)[31] | ![]() |
Russian Spaniel | Russian hunting spaniel
(Русский охотничий спаниель) |
Russia | 15 in (38 cm) | 17 in (43 cm) | 28 lb (13 kg) | 40 lb (18 kg)[32] | ![]() |
Stabyhoun | Frisian Pointer | Netherlands | 19.6 in (50 cm) | 21 in (53 cm) | 30 lb (14 kg) | 50 lb (23 kg)[33] | ![]() |
Sussex Spaniel | England | 13 in (33 cm) | 15 in (38 cm) | 35 lb (16 kg) | 44 lb (20 kg)[34] | ![]() | |
Welsh Springer Spaniel | Wales | 17 in (43 cm) | 19 in (48 cm) | 35 lb (16 kg) | 55 lb (25 kg)[35] | ![]() |
Extinct
[edit]Type of spaniel | Country/region of origin | Period of extinction | Image |
---|---|---|---|
Alpine Spaniel | Switzerland | 1830s | ![]() |
English Water Spaniel | England | 1930s | ![]() |
Norfolk Spaniel | England | 1902 | ![]() |
Toy Trawler Spaniel | United Kingdom | 1920s | ![]() |
Tweed Water Spaniel | England | 19th century | ![]() |
Manilla Spaniel[36] | Philippines | Early 20th century |
Misnamed
[edit]The following breeds are not true spaniels, but are named as such due to their resemblance to the spaniels.[citation needed]
Type of spaniel | Also known as | Country/region of origin | Min. height | Max. height | Min. weight | Max. weight | Image |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Japanese Chin | Japanese Spaniel | Japan | 9 in (23 cm) | 10 in (25 cm) | 4 lb (1.8 kg) | 11 lb (5.0 kg)[37] | ![]() |
Pekingese | Chinese Spaniel[38] | China | 8 in (20 cm) | 9 in (23 cm) | 8 lb (3.6 kg) | 14 lb (6.4 kg)[39] | ![]() |
Tibetan Spaniel | Tibet[40] | 9 in (23 cm) | 11 in (28 cm) | 9 lb (4.1 kg) | 15 lb (6.8 kg)[41] | ![]() | |
Brittany | Brittany Spaniel | Brittany, France | 17 in (43 cm) | 20.5 in (52 cm) | 30 lb (14 kg) | 45 lb (20 kg) | ![]() |
See also
[edit]- Dogs portal
- List of dog breeds
- Alanorarius,a keeper of spaniels
- Hunting dog
- Dog type
Citations
[edit]- ^Goodall and Gasow,The New Complete English Springer Spaniel,1984.
- ^ab"spaniel".Compact Oxford English Dictionary.Archived fromthe originalon 2016-09-25.Retrieved2010-03-07.
- ^abEdward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York(1909).The Master of Game.Ballantyne, Hanson & Co. p. 195.
{{cite book}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^Caius, John; Fleming, Abraham (1880).Of Englishe dogges, the diversities, the names, the natures and the properties. A short treatise written in Latine and newly drawne into Englishe.Bradley. p. 15.Archivedfrom the original on 2016-12-10.Retrieved2016-08-18.
- ^"Welsh Springer Spaniel Did You Know?".American Kennel Club.Archivedfrom the original on 4 August 2010.Retrieved11 February2010.
- ^Cited in:Ireland, Stanley (2008)."Chapter 15: Government, Commerce and Society".Roman Britain: A Sourcebook.Routledge Sourcebooks for the Ancient World (3rd ed.). Taylor & Francis. p. 216, §507.ISBN9780415471770.OCLC223811588.
- ^Hancock,The Heritage of the Dog,1990.
- ^Judah, J.C. (2007).An Ancient History of Dogs: Spaniels Through the Ages.Lulu.com. p. 42.[self-published source]
- ^"Spaniel Journal".spanieljournal.com.Archivedfrom the original on 2014-01-02.Retrieved2013-12-21.
- ^FCI – Breeds nomenclatureArchived2008-03-14 at theWayback Machine;FCI – Breeds nomenclatureArchived2008-03-04 at theWayback Machine
- ^Fogle (2006):p. 152
- ^Palika (2007):p. 131
- ^"Blue Picardy Spaniel - Breed Description and Information".Canada's Guide to Dogs.Archivedfrom the original on 2010-01-03.Retrieved2009-11-21.
- ^Fogle (2006):p. 230
- ^Palika (2007):p. 172
- ^Coile, D. Caroline (2008).Cavalier King Charles Spaniels(2nd ed.). Barron's Educational Series. p. 11.ISBN978-0-7641-3771-6.
- ^Smith (2002):p. 128
- ^Cunliffe, Juliette (1999).The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds.Parragon. p. 323.ISBN0-7525-8018-3.
- ^Lambert, Cathy.Getting to Know English Cockers.Animalinfo Publications. p. 20.ISBN978-1-921537-15-8.
- ^Smith (2002):p. 134
- ^Palika (2007):p. 237
- ^Fogle (2006):p. 344
- ^Palika (2007):p. 269
- ^Palika (2007):p. 232
- ^Larkin, Peter (2003).The Essential Dog Book.Anness Publishing. p. 135.ISBN978-0-681-86485-6.
- ^Hungerland, Jacklyn E. (2003).Papillons.Barron's Educational Series. p.11.ISBN978-0-7641-2419-8.
- ^Palika (2007):p. 311
- ^"Breed Information: Phalene".Purina Care: Pet Health Library.Archivedfrom the original on 2011-06-22.Retrieved2009-11-21.
- ^"Picardy Spaniel Information".Sarah's Dogs.Archivedfrom the original on 2018-10-21.Retrieved2018-11-03.
- ^Cunliffe, Juliette (2005).The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds(2nd ed.). Whitecap Books. p. 310.ISBN978-0-7641-5700-4.
- ^Wilcox, Bonnie; Walkowicz, Chris (1995).Atlas of Dog Breeds of the World(5th ed.). TFH Publications. p. 383.ISBN978-0-7938-1284-4.
- ^Cunliffe, Juliette (1999).The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds.Parragon. p. 347.ISBN0-7525-8018-3.
- ^"Ameri-Can Stabyhoun Association".stabyhouns.org.Archivedfrom the original on 2013-04-19.Retrieved2013-02-14.
- ^Spiotta-DiMare, Loren (1999).The Sporting Spaniel Handbook.Barron's Educational Series. p. 122.ISBN978-0-7641-0884-6.
- ^Smith (2002):p. 122
- ^"What Ever Happened to the Manilla Spaniel".Esquire.
- ^Fogle (2006):p. 67
- ^Drury, W.D. (1903). "Chapter LVIII. Chinese Spaniels, Chinese Pugs or Pekinese Spaniels, Pekinese Pugs".British Dogs, Their Points, Selection, And Show Preparation.Charles Scribner's Sons.Archivedfrom the original on 2010-02-19.Retrieved2010-03-07.
- ^Palika (2007):p. 315
- ^"FCI-Standard N° 231 / 11. 05. 1998 / GB Tibetan Spaniel".Fédération Cynologique Internationale.Archived fromthe originalon 2012-08-01.Retrieved2010-10-16.
- ^Palika (2007):p. 375
General and cited references
[edit]- Fogle, Bruce (2006).Dogs.Eyewitness Companion Guides. DK Adult.ISBN978-0-7566-1692-2.
- Palika, Liz (2007).The Howell Book of Dogs: The Definitive Reference to 300 Breeds and Varieties.Howell Book House.ISBN978-0-470-00921-5.
- Smith, Steve (2002).The Encyclopedia of North American Sporting Dogs: Written by Sportsmen for Sportsmen.Willow Creek Press.ISBN978-1-57223-501-4.
External links
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/4a/Commons-logo.svg/30px-Commons-logo.svg.png)
- Журнал Спаниель(www.journalspaniel.ru)(in Russian)andSpaniel Journal(in English)