Additonal Breeds Starting
With Letter:
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COUNTRY:
Great Britain
WEIGHT:
35-50 pounds
HEIGHT:
18 inches
COAT:
Fair length and density, flat or slightly wavy,
silky in texture; with moderately abundant
thick feathering on legs, ears, and belly
COLOR:
Black, liver, golden liver or mahogany red,
or any of these with tan markings; white markings
are to be discouraged, and any present should
contain roaning and not be clear white
REGISTRY:
FCI, AKC, UKC, TKC, CKC
GROUP:
Gun Dog
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Spaniels were developed in the early 1800s from couching dogs and possibly
hounds. Sussex types were the oldest. As the development of the spaniel
continued, the Field Spaniel type emerged, with even less of the hound influence.
They were first noted in the early 19th century and, in fact, early litters
contained both Fields (the larger whelps used for grouse and quail) and
Cockers (smaller dogs used for hunting
woodcock). Sometime during the mid-1800s, show interests began to exaggerate
and change the Field variety. Led by fancier Phineas Bullock, the whims
of fashion nearly ruined the breed. The dog became a caricature, with cumbersome
head, very short crooked legs, and elongated weak "hammock-slung"
body. According to the International Encyclopedia of Dogs, descriptions
of the breed at the time noted: ". . . sluggish and crocodile-like,"
"German sausage," "Caterpillars," with one wag suggesting
they needed an extra pair of legs in the middle to keep their sagging bellies
off the ground. One dog of the time purportedly was 12 inches at the shoulder
and weighed 40 pounds! As the Field Spaniel craze waned, dedicated owners
brought the Field back to a sensible state by the turn of the century. English
Springers and perhaps a dash of Cocker Spaniel had a hand in the refinement
of the modern breed. The bad taste was not rinsed out of the public's mouth,
however, and the Field slipped to the point of extinction. Even though the
breed survived the two Wars, by the 1950s its numbers were
so small in England that championship status was withdrawn. The breed was
literally reduced to a handful of breeders. At a 1967 show in Birmingham,
England, every Field in the country (with the exception of a few retirees)
was on the bench that day. But numbers slowly increased, and the awarding
of challenge certificates was restored in 1969.
Over the years,
a few were brought to America, Those arriving in the late 1800s were still
classed as Fields or Cockers, depending on weight. Thus, their history
in America is tied closely to that of the Cocker Spaniel. After many years
without any registrations, a few began to trickle in during the revival
in the 1960s. Today, occasional specimens are seen on the show bench,
both natives and imports. A handful of litters are registered by AKC each
year, so the breed has a pawhold on both sides of the Atlantic.
A Field is the
epitome of the basic spaniel, without any exaggeration. Moderate coat
and feather, normal stop and flew, slightly more length than height; he
stands out for his lack of overdone characteristics. A happy and levelheaded
fellow, he has both perseverance and endurance in the field.
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