Field Spaniel

The Field Spaniel emerged in England in the middle of the nineteenth century, at the point where land spaniels were being sorted by size and colour rather than only by the work they did. Solid-coloured dogs, particularly blacks, were separated out from the parti-coloured spaniels that became Cockers and Springers, and the black spaniel was given its own classes. In the early decades the distinction between a Cocker and a Field Spaniel was largely one of weight rather than ancestry.

Show fashion then pushed the breed into trouble. Breeders selected for extreme length of body and shortness of leg, using Sussex Spaniel and Basset influence, until the dogs were too heavy and too low to work grouse moors or rough cover. Sportsmen abandoned them and registrations collapsed. From the 1920s onward, and more decisively after the Second World War, a small group of breeders used English Springer Spaniel outcrosses to restore leg length, balance and working drive, and the modern standard describes a well-balanced dog of moderate length, not a caricature.

Numbers never recovered to anything like Cocker or Springer levels. The Kennel Club lists the Field Spaniel among its vulnerable native breeds, with annual registrations in the low dozens. The American Kennel Club recognised the breed in 1894 and it remains uncommon in the United States as well. Nearly all modern Field Spaniels descend from a very small pool of post-war dogs, which is why breed clubs pay close attention to genetic diversity.

The Field Spaniel is a medium-sized dog, generally about seventeen to eighteen inches at the shoulder and weighing roughly thirty-five to fifty pounds, slightly longer in body than tall but never exaggerated. The head is its most admired feature: a lean, well-chiselled skull with a moderate stop, a long, noble muzzle, and dark hazel eyes with a grave, almost thoughtful expression. The ears are long, set low, and covered with fine feathering.

The coat is single, with no woolly undercoat, and is long, flat or slightly wavy and glossy, with feathering on the chest, underside, ears and the backs of the legs. Recognised colours are solid black, liver, or golden liver, in any shade, and roans of those colours; tan markings in the pattern of a black and tan dog are permitted, and a small amount of white on the chest or throat is acceptable. Large white patches or a parti-coloured pattern are outside the standard, which is what keeps the Field distinct from the Springer.

Field Spaniels are usually described as docile, and the word fits. They are calmer and less frantic than most Cockers, slower to bark, and content to lie quietly in a room until something interesting happens. Affection is directed intensely at their own household, and many form a particularly strong bond with one person. With visitors they are polite and often mildly reserved rather than exuberant.

The breed is sensitive. Harsh voices, sudden noise and abrupt handling register strongly, and a dog that has been shouted at will shut down instead of trying harder. That sensitivity is an advantage in a patient home, because these dogs read their people well and want to get things right, but it makes them unsuited to a chaotic or heavy-handed environment. Early exposure to varied people and places is important to prevent natural reserve becoming timidity.

Underneath the calm exterior is a working gundog with a good nose and real curiosity. Field Spaniels are inquisitive and enjoy problem-solving, and a bored one will find its own entertainment, usually involving chewing or digging. They are patient with children who are gentle, generally sociable with other dogs, and usually fine with a cat they have grown up with, though small pets and birds may trigger the hunting instinct.

The breed's job is flushing and retrieving game on land and from water. A Field Spaniel works methodically and close to the gun, quartering steadily rather than dashing about, pushing game up into the air and retrieving it with a soft mouth. Its stamina and its tolerance of dense cover and cold water made it a useful all-rounder, and a small number of working homes still use them for exactly this on rough shoots.

In modern sport the breed does well in field trials and working tests, hunt tests, agility, rally, obedience and tracking, and its steady temperament suits it to therapy visiting work. Because it is calmer and quieter than most spaniels while retaining full working ability, it appeals to owners who want a gundog they can also live with easily in a normal house.