The Clumber Spaniel

The Clumber Spaniel, the largest of the Spaniel types, has been known for more than 150 years and was originally kept at Clumber, Nottingham, by the Duke of Newcastle. Its evolution is possibly the result of breeding between an Alpine Spaniel and a Basset Hound, as the best points of each are present in the Clumber. The breed has been particularly favoured by Royalty and his late Majesty King George V kept a fine string of Clumbers which were exhibited at many Dog Shows. Also an excellent worker which recently are becoming popular on the trailing scene

The English Cocker Spaniel

The Cocker, one of the smallest and one of the most popular members of the Spaniel family, probably got its name from being used for working coverts during woodcock shoots. There was originally only one variety, namely Red and White; to-day, however, there are Black, Liver, Liver Roan, Golden, Blue Roan, Red and Golden or Lemon Roan Cockers, Sable, Black & Tan, Orange Roan, Black & White, Orange & White, Liver & White and more. The Cocker has been known in England for over a hundred years and still holds a strong place in the affections of dog lovers as it is a good all-round companion, hardy and extremely intelligent, is an excellent all round working dog and many people trial them.

The Working Cocker Spaniel

The Working Cocker, displays the same as the write up on the English Cocker but have been bred for many years of superb working bloodlines, which has resulted in many people trialling them and pet owners displaying more and more interest in keeping them as pets. The reason for this is their loyalty and their excellent temperament with anyone they meet including children and other dogs. If working Cockers are kept as pets, it is well worth joining a club and getting your dog trained properly, it will not only open your eyes to how intelligent a dog can be it will bring the beauty out for you to see of what the Working Cocker was bred to do. You will also probably get very involved and end up trialling your dog .They have been successfully trained as drug sniffer dogs.

The Brittany Spaniel

A medium-sized sporting dog whose origins may be traced back hundreds of years to France and Spain. It stands about 19 in. (48.3 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs between 30 and 40 lb (13.6–18.1 kg). Its dense, flat or wavy coat is dark orange and white or liver and white. Many Brittany spaniels are born tailless or very short-tailed, and a tail that is more than 4 in. (10.2 cm) long is docked to that length. Although it is a “leggy” spaniel, it has a compact body—its height at its shoulder often equals its body length. The Brittany is a first-rate hunter and may easily be trained to retrieve, both on land and water. It is the only spaniel that points its quarry

The English Springer Spaniel

The English Springer Spaniel is a large, land spaniel (versus water spaniel) whose primary function was to "spring" game from thick brush for sportsmen. It descends from Spanish dogs, hence the name "spaniel"; these dogs were brought to Britain as early as 1570. It is the oldest of the spaniel breeds and is considered the forefather of all other land spaniels with the exception of the Clumber. Despite its long history, the breed was not officially recognized until 1902 in England, although it was exhibited there since the 1850s under the name Norfolk Spaniel, though a large type, is one of the many sporting Spaniel breeds which must have come from the same source. was used to "start" game; the name Springer indicates that the object of this particular breed was, not to spring on the game, but to disturb the birds so that they sprang, to be either netted or shot. This dog has remarkable eyesight and an uncanny sense of smell; it makes an excellent guard and companion

The Welsh Springer Spaniel

The Welsh Springer Spaniel is not one of the commonest Spaniels, but is certainly one of the most attractive. His invariable red and white colouring, his legs well proportioned to his body, his domed intelligent head combine to give him a sprightly and handsome appearance. He is certainly a very old breed and has been bred true in Wales for centuries. His nature is lively, and he has the intelligence, faithfulness and endurance common to all spaniels. The Welsh Springer Spaniel dates to the 1500's in Great Britain. The "Springer" spaniel are so named because of their hunting style which is to "spring" hidden game. In Wales they are often referred to as "starters". It can hunt tirelessly for hours over difficult terrain and is resistant to poor weather as well as being unafraid to jump into very cold water. In Wales it is still frequently used as herder and drover. It was recognized as a separate breed in 1902 by the Kennel Club in Great Britain.

The Irish Water Spaniel

Thought by some to be an ancestor of the French Poodle which it somewhat resembles, the Irish Water Spaniel, as its name implies, originated in Ireland. The old type of this dog was curly-coated but lower to the ground; and it is stated that a Pointer was used to improve the breed — a theory which seems to be proved on examination of the face. Although there are many of these dogs in Ireland they are exceedingly rare in England.

The Irish Water Spaniel is a member of the Gundog group. The breed as we know it today was bred in Ireland to hunt, flush and retrieve snipe and wildfowl in the bogs, marshes and river estuaries, giving rise to its nickname of "Bogdog". Today they are used for all types of game shooting activities, agility, obedience, drug sniffing, cancer prediction, as PAT dogs, as companions and are highly successful in the show-ring, frequently winning Gundog Groups and occasionally Best in Shows. In 2004 an IWS was top puppy of all breeds in the UK.

The Sussex Spaniel

The Sussex Spaniel was around in the early 1800's as part of a melange of land spaniels. The main interest in the breed began with Mr Fuller, a Sussex landowner. He had large kennels and kept several spaniels including Sussex Spaniels. He bred them for working and owned the breed for 50 years until the 1850's. By the time of the second world war there were few Sussex being bred from and it is thought that after the war only 5 Sussex Spaniels remained. Fortunately the breed has had dedicated followers and in particular Mrs Freer provided a link over 6 decades. She devoted her life to breeding the Sussex Spaniel for posterity. Today, this is still a numerically small breed with only 60-100 registrations each year.

The Sussex Spaniel is a famous old breed, well adapted to working game among the brush of his native county. His characteristic golden liver colour has been recognised for a hundred and fifty years, and also the varying note that he continually utters when at work. He is rather heavily built, the head especially giving a massive impression, but there is nothing clumsy or slothful about him; on the contrary he is a lively worker.

The Field Spaniel

The Field Spaniel is one of the least common of the numerous race of Spaniels. This is one of the larger of the Spaniel breeds, with a weight scale up to 40-55 pounds, and they are great feeders,. The Field Spaniel bears a very close resemblance indeed to the Sussex Spaniel, yet they are recognised as separate breeds, chiefly on account of colour. The Field Spaniel is all black, as shown, whereas the Sussex has a glistening gold and brown coat.

The Field Spaniel is a true dual purpose spaniel, and those winning on the bench perform equally well in the shooting field. If started young and trained sensibly and slowly, the large majority of the breed take readily to work. An excellent rough shooter's dog with a keen nose, willingness to face the heaviest cover, excellent in water and utterly tireless. Not natural retrievers they mostly have to be taught this young, but once learned, the lesson is never forgotten, and they have tender mouths and are good on wounded birds. The Field Spaniel Society was founded in 1923 with a view to running Field Trials. The Society now runs an annual Field Trial and working test. Fields compete against other spaniels in tests run by other spaniel societies up and down the country.

The American Cocker Spaniel

It was in the 19th century that the American Cocker Spaniel was developed from the Cocker Spaniel in order to retrieve quail and woodcock. Originally they differed from the English Cocker only in size, but by the 1940s the American Cocker differed so much in type from the original Cocker Spaniel that it became impossible to judge them together, and in 1945 the two breeds were separated and each officially recognised with their own standards. Bred as hunting dogs they still retain some of their hunting instincts, some are still kept as working dogs but most are now found in the show ring or as companions.
 

The Boykin Spaniel

The Boykin Spaniel is a compact retriever/spaniel.  Suitable for upland (dove) as well as some water retrieving. The Boykin Spaniel is the only dog which was originally bred for South Carolina hunters by South Carolinians and has developed into a breed of superb hunting instincts and mild temperament. They are highly regarded as pets and hunting dogs. The Boykin Spaniel was first bred by South Carolina hunters during the 1900's to provide the ideal dog for hunting ducks and wild turkeys in the Wateree River Swamp. Hunters on South Carolina's River needed a small rugged dog compactly built for boat travel and able to retrieve on land and water.

The Tibetan Spaniel

The lineage of the Tibetan Spaniel is an ancient one, and no one can be certain how the breed developed. It is assumed that the breed represents a combination of the Pekingese, the Pug and the Japanese Spaniel. Originally bred in Tibetan monasteries, the breed was thought to bring luck and also served the monks by turning the prayer wheel. The breed was well recognized in both China and Tibet by the 15th century, but it wasn't until 1920 that the first Tibetan Spaniels were imported to England. By the close of WWII, the breed was popular in Britain as a family pet. In the 1960's, it made its debut in North America in 1966 and was recognized by the AKC in 1984. It makes a good city pet and does not require a lot of exercise.

Cavalier King Charles Spaniel

A small dog developed in the early 20th cent. from the English toy spaniel. It stands about 12 in. (30 cm) high at the shoulder and weighs from 13 to 18 lb (6–8 kg). Its long, silky coat may be slightly wavy, but never curly, and forms a fringe of longer hair, or feathers, on the ears, legs, tail, and feet. Although it is usually white with chestnut markings, it may have any of the colour patterns of the English toy spaniel. Around 1926 there began a revival of interest in the toy spaniel that had been popular in 17th cent. England.  By selective breeding of modern toy spaniels that resembled this older type, a new breed, the cavalier, was developed in the relatively short span of approximately 20 years. A widely popular dog in England

King Charles Spaniel

King Charles Spaniels are descended from the aristocratic pets of the Royal Courts, black and tan King Charles Spaniels being special favourites of King Charles II. There are four varieties (black and tan, ruby, tri-colour and Blenheim), which differ only in colour, the Blenheim having a ground of pearly white, with well-distributed chestnut red patches, a wide clear blaze, and in the centre of the skull a "spot" - a clear chestnut red mark about the size of a sixpence. The coat should be long and silky, slightly wavy, but not curly. Height about 8 in. Weight: 8-11 lb.

The Japanese (Chin) Spaniel

The Japanese Chin, also known as the Japanese Spaniel, or simply the Chin, originated in Japan during the 700's as a companion to aristocracy. The Japanese Chin is similar to, and probably descended from, the Pekingese but is taller, yet lighter of build; it may also share its roots with the Pug. The Chin was a favourite of the Japanese Imperial Family when a 10th century emperor decreed that all dogs must be worshipped. It was first introduced to Britain when Queen Victoria received a pair as a gift in 1853. This little dog is a cherished companion and requires very little outdoor activity. It has an average life span of 12 years, but can live as long as 18 years or more