The Cocker Spaniel is an energetic companion dog and a natural hunter. Choosing a Spaniel Russian Spaniel and Irish Water Spaniel

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This mark is set May 14, 2011.

Classification

In the classification of dog breeds of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), spaniels are presented depending on their origin and primary hunting use. The group of pointing breeds (Group 7, section 1.2) includes continental pointing dogs such as spaniels that stand up to game. Spaniels of British-American origin, used mainly in hunting swamp and waterfowl, are classified in group 8 (spaniels and retrievers).

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Literature

• Spaniel // Encyclopedic Dictionary of Brockhaus and Efron: in 86 volumes (82 volumes and 4 additional). - St. Petersburg. , 1890-1907.

Notes

Links

Spaniels first appeared in Spain where the breed was named after its homeland. Then dogs with floppy ears and thick, short hair were brought to England.
Initially, spaniels were divided into two groups: some were taken to hunt on land, others - in water. Nowadays there are many types of this breed, but this article will describe English, American and Russian cocker spaniels. To better understand the difference between them, it is necessary to carefully study the characteristics of each type.

English cocker spaniel

Englishman - a hunting dog famous for its agility and endurance. It differs from the American and Russian spaniels in the size and shape of the head, as well as the proportions of the body. The English Cocker has a dense and muscular build, a short body, strong and strong paws, and his head is arched and slightly flattened in front, his eyes are kind, cheerful, with an intelligent expression. The English Cocker has a long, silky and thick coat of various colors, which must be carefully groomed and trimmed regularly.

cocker spaniels

The Englishman is considered an excellent hunter , who is persistent and resilient during the hunt. Hunting instincts and sense of smell are developed at the highest level.
He is friendly towards people and other dogs and loves to play with children.

English Cocker Spaniel...

American Cocker

It is known that the English cocker spaniel is considered the ancestor of the American one, which explains their similarity. The American is inferior in size and weight to the English and Russian, and the main difference between this breed is its sculpted, beautifully set head with regular lines. The American Cocker's skull is rounded, its eyes are oval, and its ears are long. The American Spaniel boasts a long and silky coat in colored, black, black and tan, or any other solid color with or without tan.
Despite the excellent hunting qualities of the American Cocker, he is better known as a participant in various exhibitions and simply the main favorite in the family.

Differences between American, English and Russian
cocker spaniels

American - a very smart and loyal dog.

We invite you to watch a video about American Cocker Spaniel...

Russian Spaniel

Russian cocker spaniel was obtained by crossing different species of this breed. The breeders wanted to get a spaniel that would be most suitable for working in local hunting grounds. The body of the Russian Spaniel is slightly longer than the body of the American and English Spaniels, the legs are also long, which makes it easier to gallop in difficult places. The head is light, slightly convex at the sides, the profile is almost rectangular, and the upper lip is slightly rounded. Wool of medium length and thickness should not be cut.
Thanks to their endurance and excellent sense of smell, Russian spaniels have become very popular hunters. With a Russian cocker you can hunt not only ducks, but also corncrake and hare.

Differences between American, English and Russian
cocker spaniels

In addition, Russian cocker — a pet and a good watchman in the house!

We invite you to watch a video about Russian spaniel...

History of the breed.

At the end of the 19th century, a large number of representatives of various breeds of spaniels began to be imported to Russia, since hunting game birds in our country has always been popular. However, hunting enthusiasts soon came to the conclusion that no breed shows such high working qualities as in their homeland. This happened due to the fact that in Russia the flora and fauna are not the same as in Europe and Britain; to put it simply, we have a lot of grass and so-called burdocks. Each hunt boiled down to the fact that the dog worked for two hours, and then spent half a day picking out these same burrs from the most inconspicuous places.

The breeders came to the conclusion that it was necessary to develop their own breed, which would be adapted to our conditions, and would retain all the working qualities of spaniels. As part of the breeding work, the tallest individuals were selected, with a small number of six, and well-developed muscles, in order to ensure the endurance of the future breed. At the very beginning, spaniels of different breeds were crossed, the most frequently used were, and .

The results were not long in coming, and already in 1930 a large group of animals was formed that did not fit the description of any of the spaniel breeds. It seemed that it would not be long before the new breed would see the light, but the Great Patriotic War began, and of course there was no time for dogs. After the war, the number of spaniels decreased greatly, but many trophy animals were brought from conquered Europe and work on the breed resumed again. In 1951, the first standard of the new breed was developed, which was slightly modified in 1966.

Since then, Russian spaniels began to displace their overseas brothers from the hunting ranks. It should be noted that selection is still carried out mainly on working qualities, which is why the word “hunting” was added to the name of the breed.

Appearance and character.

Outwardly, these are lean dogs with an elongated and elegantly built body, short hair, which is very useful, since the less hair, the less grass seeds (burrs) stick to them. The dogs are not large, so an adult male can reach 18 kg with a height of 45 cm at the withers, females up to 13-15 kg, with a height of 30-35 cm, it should be noted that the dogs are quite tall, which also has a beneficial effect on the working qualities of the dog .

By nature, these dogs are kind, sympathetic and very active, they make excellent companions, devoted and fearless protectors of the family, despite their small size the dogs are truly fearless.
But the main passion of Russian hunting spaniels is hunting; even active games cannot always replace it.

Dogs are extremely active, so they need quite long walks, it is best to spend them in games, this will strengthen your bond with the dog and make you best friends. Breeders insist that such dogs should not be kept in apartments, since they are, first and foremost, hunters.

Choosing a puppy.

As for choosing a puppy, I will describe the general rules for choosing puppies, since all this applies, among other things, to the Russian hunting spaniel:

- you should not buy a puppy on the market, since there are simply no purebred dogs there. As for the Russian hunting spaniel, it is better to buy them in hunting clubs, since only hunters have the most purebred, most working dogs.

Of course, if a dog is not entirely purebred, this does not mean that it will be a bad friend and companion - it certainly will be if you love it and take care of it. But you will have to forget about your professional career.

Therefore, it is necessary to buy a puppy only in specialized breeding nurseries, there are a lot of them, so it will not be difficult to find them, while natural competition always leads to an increase in the quality of puppies.

You should choose a puppy only in the environment in which he lived and grew up, since only there will he behave naturally, which will give you the opportunity to more or less objectively draw conclusions, which I will discuss below.

Puppies don't have many worries, as a rule, they eat, sleep, play and explore the world around them, so this is where we will start.

A healthy puppy, if not sleeping, is active, curious and always ready to play with his brothers and sisters. Take the puppy in your hands and smell it; a healthy puppy, which was kept under normal conditions, smells, not exactly like daisies, but definitely not like feces or urine.

The coat of healthy puppies is shiny and lies well on the body, and when he sees you, there should be only curiosity in his eyes, he will definitely come up to you, smell you, maybe taste you, in general, he will begin to explore you.

The puppies in the litter must be homogeneous; it is allowed to have one puppy who is slightly behind in growth and development; for large litters, there may be two such puppies. I do not recommend that you take such puppies if you are a fancier, since you need to pay special attention to their feeding. Such puppies are not at all a waste, as many people think, they are simply the weakest, I once took myself such a puppy, of this breed, and a year later, when we gathered the whole family, he was the most beautiful male in the entire litter, but this is so... for information.

When choosing a puppy, pay attention to the parents, well, everything is simple with the mother, but you may not see the father, to do this, ask for copies of his documents, certificates indicating the awards received. In the documents, make sure that the parents are not closely related, as this is not always good.

Of course, many will say that inbreeding is often used to improve breeds, BUT in addition to strengthening the desired qualities, the risk of genetic diseases also increases.

Be sure to ask the owners about common illnesses in their parents, BUT here, as a rule, you will be deceived, because...well, who will tell you that the parents are sick. But it’s worth mentioning here that breeding nurseries do not allow breeding of individuals that produce sick offspring, so when buying a puppy from a nursery, with a high degree of probability, you will receive a healthy puppy.

Raising and training the Russian hunting spaniel.

If you are not adopting a Russian spaniel for hunting, then remember that training the puppy should begin as early as possible, since puppies of this breed are highly trainable.

Russian spaniels are highly trainable and need communication with their owner; in the absence of such communication, they can become too independent, and as a result, they simply stop listening to you.

Since this breed of dog is a born hunter, they need active games and systematic walks. If you manage to take the animal on a hunt, then your pet’s joy will simply know no bounds.

It should be borne in mind that the hunter's instincts take over, so while walking, constantly monitor your pet, so he can chase everything that moves and eventually get lost. It’s good to walk in parks and forests where it’s not crowded, and your pet will be happy to accompany you while jogging in such places.

As for the time frame, a 2-month-old puppy should be accustomed to his name, establish contact and trust, devote obedience training from 3 to 8 months, after which you can send the dog to a general training course, the so-called OKD .

I will make a reservation that these dogs are highly trainable, so, in my opinion, there is no need for OKD, just train regularly.

If you take this dog for hunting, then you should raise the puppies a little differently:

Of course, you first need to establish contact with the dog so that it can completely trust you. This, as a rule, does not take much time, and by three months, start taking the dogs out into the forest, they should get used to the forest, its inhabitants and, of course, to other dogs. It is very important that dogs do not show aggression towards each other.

Accompany your first walks in the forest with games, use toys and get the dog to bring them to you.

By 5-6 months, dogs should already feel at home in the forest. At this age, the first training for game begins, this is not even training, but probably more of a game, also do not forget to accustom the animal to the sound of gunshots, it is better to do this in the company of experienced dogs, as young puppies will follow the example of their calmer older brothers on weapons.

Usually, by the end of the first year of life, Russian hunting spaniels can hunt quite effectively, here it is worth mentioning right away that your dog may become a professional much earlier, but all this depends on its qualities.

Russian hunting spaniels do not require any special attention, since the breed was bred taking into account the fact that you will not have to “carry it in your arms.”

Dogs tolerate both cold and heat very well, within reasonable limits, of course. Wool perfectly protects the Russian spaniel from precipitation, but some things still have to be done:

- it is necessary to comb the dog as necessary, as a rule, this is done only to make the dog look better. After a hunt or walk, inspect the dog’s paws and interdigital spaces for splinters and spikelets.

— dogs should be bathed when necessary, since they love to swim very much, and they consider any puddle to be a body of water, so they will have to bathe, not just every day, but quite often.

- the eyes also require attention, they are quite a weak point, so wipe them, and if heavy discharge appears, consult a doctor.

— the ears are a separate issue, since when swimming, water constantly gets into them, which leads to inflammatory processes. This can be avoided by regular ventilation. This is done by securing the ears with an elastic band, or as I did - with a clothespin, on the dog’s head; you don’t have to walk like this for long, a few minutes after bathing are enough.

- regular dental care is necessary, this can be done with a toothbrush, my dog ​​did not like this, or by brushing the tartar - at least 2 times a year.

Feeding a Russian hunting spaniel.

There are no problems in feeding these dogs. As for balanced feeding, you need to read the articles; if you have any questions, ask them here or in the comments, I will definitely answer you.

After familiarizing yourself with the basic rules of feeding dogs, I’m sure there shouldn’t be many questions. Keep in mind that these dogs have an excellent appetite, and it is very important not to overfeed your pet, as this can lead to serious health problems, and the problem of excess weight will not be significant.

General rules on what not to feed dogs:

Any fatty food, as dogs are very susceptible to liver and pancreas diseases

Bones, since this is generally stupid, they do not carry any nutritional value, but there can be a lot of problems.

Fresh bread, also because of the pancreas

- a two-month-old puppy needs to be fed 5-6 times a day, reducing the frequency of feeding to 3-4 times by six months and to 2-3 times by 9-10 months. There is no consensus on feeding 2 or 3 times a day; I am inclined to feed 3 times a day in small portions.

There are still debates about which type of feeding is best for this breed, but these debates are simply endless, I personally am a supporter of natural feeding, but I don’t have much more experience than you, so I leave the final decision on the type of feeding To you.

These dogs can be fed from your table, however, as you can see, not all products are suitable for these spaniels, so if you have problems with a balanced diet, try turning to ready-made complete food; which manufacturer to prefer, of course, is up to you, but I suggest to your attention

Health.

Of course, you cannot describe all diseases here, but here are the most common diseases:

- kidney and liver failure - partly inherited, partly due to poor feeding, sometimes very difficult hunting conditions, this is when the hunt takes several days, and the dog is in open snow or strong wind, and she managed to get pretty wet while she was working.

- congenital deafness - genetic disease

— hip dysplasia is a serious disease, but there are treatments that can help in some cases

– hernias – solved by a simple operation

— dislocation of the kneecap is not a simple pathology, but can be treated with both conservative and surgical treatment methods

- cardiomyopathy - lack of regular walks, overfeeding, genetic predisposition.

— epilepsy is a serious problem, but there are quite effective methods for stopping the pathological process

Price for puppies

As for puppies in the markets, you can buy a puppy there for around 100-150 US dollars; in young clubs and private breeders the price will increase to 250-400 US dollars

As for truly breeding nurseries, here the puppies are the most expensive, so the price for a 2-3 month old puppy is in the range of 800-800 dollars, sometimes, when it comes to elite lines, the price can reach 2000 US dollars, sometimes even more.

Excerpts from the standard.

General appearance, build: ROS is a long-haired gun dog, which is distinguished by its overall proportionality, small stature, elongated format, strong-dry type of build. The bones are strong. The muscles are well developed. The skin is dense, elastic, without loose fiber or folds.

Main important proportions: Height at the withers in males is 40-45 cm, in females 38-43 cm. The oblique length of the body, measured from the anterior protrusion of the sternum to the ischial tuberosity, is 110-115% of the height at the withers in males and 115-120% in female. The height at the elbow is equal to 1/2 the height at the withers. The length of the muzzle is equal to the length of the skull.

Behavior and temperament: balanced and active temperament, friendly attitude towards people.

Head: proportional to the general build, dry, moderately long, more massive in males.

Skull: The cranial part is moderately wide, oval when viewed from above. The occipital protuberance is poorly defined. The profile lines of the skull and muzzle are parallel. The brow ridges are moderately developed. The transition from forehead to muzzle is distinct and at the same time smooth.

Muzzle: long, slightly narrower than the skull, well filled under the eyes, slightly tapering towards the nose, blunt in profile. Lips are dry and tight-fitting. The nose is large, with wide open nostrils.

The color of the nose and lips ranges from black to brown to match the color.

Teeth and bite: teeth are healthy, strong, well developed, tightly adjacent to each other. The dental formula is complete. Scissor bite.

Eyes: dark brown or brown, depending on coat color, oval, straight set, moderately large. Brown and brown-white dogs are allowed light brown eyes. The eyelids are dry, pigmented, tightly fitting.

Ears: hanging, long, lobe-shaped, close to the cheekbones, set at eye level or slightly higher, mobile. The slightly elongated ear should reach the nose.

Neck: moderately long, medium set, oval in cross section, muscular, dry.

Torso:

Topline: Slightly sloping from the withers to the base of the tail.

Withers: Well developed and slightly higher than the height at the rump. In males it is especially pronounced. In females, the height at the withers is allowed to be at the same level as the rump.

Back: strong, wide, muscular.

Loin: Short, wide, muscular, slightly arched.

Croup: wide, moderately long, slightly sloping, muscular.

Tail: set in continuation of the croup, rather thick at the base, mobile, straight, with dewlap. In a calm state, the tail is held at the level of the back; when excited, it is held slightly higher. To avoid damage during hunting, it is stopped by half in the first three days after birth. An undocked tail is the cause of frequent injuries when using POC for hunting.

An undocked tail is permitted in countries where docking is prohibited by law. Dogs with docked and undocked tails are judged equally.

Chest: deep, moderately wide, long, with well developed false ribs.

Belly: moderately tucked with a smooth transition to the groin.

Forelegs: dry, bony, straight and parallel when viewed from the front.

Shoulders: the angle of the glenohumeral joint approaches 100 0.

Elbows: point straight back.

Forearms: straight.

Pasterns: voluminous, strong, slightly sloping when viewed from the side.

Hindquarters: When viewed from behind, straight, parallel, muscular, set wider than the forelimbs. When viewed from the side, it has well-defined articulation angles.

Tibia: moderately long, set at an angle.

Hock joints: wide, well defined, dry.

Hocks: voluminous, straight set. Dewclaws must be removed to avoid injury during hunting.

Paws: rounded, arched (in a “ball”), with tightly clenched toes and thick hair between them (“brush”).

Movements: free, easy, productive. The typical gait during the search is a light gallop, which in difficult places is replaced by a trot.

Solid colors: black, brown, red (ranging from light fawn to dark red), with solid colors allowed small white markings on the chest and/or throat and paws. These colors can be with tan.

Two-color colors: black and white, red and white, brown and white with clear boundaries between pigmented and unpigmented areas, with or without speckling, or speckled or roan colors with pigment corresponding to the above colors.

Three-color colors: black and white with tan, brown and white with tan, with possible manifestations of speckling and/or roaning in tone with the above colors.

Bicolor and tricolor dogs can be either spotted or piebald.

Coat: The outer coat is moderately long, shiny, straight or slightly wavy, close-lying. On the head and front sides of the limbs the hair is short and straight. On the upper side of the neck, back, sides and croup – moderately long and thick. On the underside of the neck, chest, belly, back of the front and hind legs, as well as on the ears and lower part of the tail, the hair is longer, soft, wavy, and forms feathers and dewlap. Between the toes the hair is thick and brushy.

Any deviations from the above standards should be regarded as shortcomings or defects, depending on the degree of their severity.

Flaws:

Insufficiently strong or rough bones;

Insufficiently developed, poorly defined muscles, loose skin with slight folds;

Insufficiently expressed sexual dimorphism, lack of distinct high anteriority in males;

Some excitability or phlegmatic behavior;

Short or overly stretched body;

Rough, damp or light head, slight cheekbones;

Somewhat lowered, slightly upturned or short muzzle, slight hooked nose, weakly expressed transition; damp lips, excessively blunt edge of the upper lip;

Ears that are set too high or low, too long or short, harsh at the base, not mobile enough;

Round, small, slightly sunken eyes with loose eyelids; light brown eyes in any color other than brown or brown-white;

Small sparse or carious teeth, absence of premolars, but no more than two of the number P 1, P 2, P 3;

Short, long, with poorly developed muscles, excessively high or low set, slightly loaded at the base of the neck; small suspension;

Poorly developed withers, noticeable overtracking, soft or slightly humped back when standing and/or moving;

Straight, somewhat elongated loin;

Narrow, short, somewhat sloping, insufficiently muscular croup;

Short or long docked, inactive, tucked tail; in a calm state, the tail is set above the level of the back; when excited, it is set too high, but not vertically;

A drooping or overly tucked belly;

Slight curvature of the forearms, slightly straightened angle of the glenohumeral joint, slightly turned outward elbows, clubfoot, soft metacarpus, small size;

Insufficiently pronounced angles of the articulations, a narrow set of the hind legs, hock joints slightly close together or turned outward, slight sabering;

Narrow, elongated, slightly loose, with excessively long, soft hair between the toes;

Sluggish, somewhat mincing or constrained movements, weak push;

Coarse, insufficiently tight, insufficiently developed or excessively long, excessively wavy top coat hair;

Underdeveloped dressing hair

Lightness or roughness of build;

Poor physical development, loose skin in folds;

Weak sexual dimorphism;

Clearly expressed lethargy, phlegmaticity, excitability;

Shortened or excessively elongated format;

Deviation from standard height by more than 2 cm in any direction;

Rough, damp, light head, pronounced cheekbones, weakly or overdeveloped brow ridges; smooth or sharp transition;

Short, downturned or upturned muzzle; raw lips;

Low or high set, light, heavy, narrow, short or excessively long, rolled into a tube, motionless ears;

Protruding eyes; very light, yellow, amber eyes of any color; drooping and/or pink eyelids;

Absence of no more than four premolars from the number P 1, P 2, P 3; absence of one P 4 in the lower jaw;

Raw neck, significantly loaded at the base;

Undeveloped withers, sagging or hunchbacked back, weak long loin, narrow, short croup with poorly developed muscles;

Narrow or barrel-shaped chest;

Curved forearms, straight shoulder, out-turned elbows, clubfoot, soft pasterns, markings;

Straightened angles of the joints of the hind limbs, narrow stance, hock joints clearly close together or significantly turned outward, pronounced sabering;

Flat, splayed paws;

Sluggish, mincing, constrained movements;

Coarse, curly or in a curl on the neck and body, tousled, plump, short topcoat; lack of dressing hair;

Disqualifying faults:

Unprovoked aggression towards a person, cowardice;

All deviations from a scissor bite, regardless of severity; jaw distortion;

Presence of extra incisors;

The absence of one or more incisors, or the presence of broken incisors, if this prevents the determination of the bite;

The absence of at least one fang;

The absence of at least one molar (with the exception of M 3), the absence of two P 4 in the lower jaw or at least one P 4 in the upper jaw, or more than four premolars from among P 1, P 2, P 3;

Discord;

Any colors other than those specified in the standard; color of the nose and lips not provided for by the standard;

Congenital bobtail;

Cryptorchidism.

Dogs that have deviations in anatomy and behavior that affect health or interfere with their traditional use are subject to disqualification.

Note: Males must have two normally developed testes, fully descended into the scrotum.

Video report on the King Charles Spaniel breed.

The "Spaniel" (English) hunting dog has always specialized in working on birds. There are more than 20 species in the world. Wherever he appears, he becomes everyone's favorite. All spaniels are distinguished by a cheerful, playful disposition and unrestrained love for their owner. At the same time, they love the whole family. Their wary attitude towards strangers makes them good watchdogs. The activity and cheerfulness of spaniels seems to know no bounds.

Find out more!

Irish Water Spaniel

A bird hunter, about 60 cm tall, with a powerful, muscular body, the Irish Water Spaniel has been a reliable companion for many hunters for many years. This is the oldest breed of the entire class. They hunted on many continents. Known in England, Belgium, Russia, and the countries of the New World.

An Irishman is capable of hunting game for 15 hours without rest in the most unsuitable conditions. Thick coat protects the dog from any vagaries of the weather. The most common color is selected chocolate. Unlike many other species, this spaniel is allowed to have curly curls.

By nature, the dog is easily excitable, energetic, and has a noisy disposition. He feels uncomfortable in a city apartment. His element is the shores of water bodies.

Welsh Springer

Another ancient species of bird hunter. The history of Welsh has been known since the 14th century. Their main task is to lift the bird and bring it under the shot. A relatively small dog, 43 to 48 cm tall, copes well with this. At the same time, he is always good-natured and affectionate towards people. They love to play and are regular participants in sports competitions.

The dog is strongly built and has medium length fur. Hair is a little curly. The color is predominantly two-tone red and white. But there are also dogs of one color, and just white is not excluded.

Interesting! The Welsh Springer Spaniel is considered to be the closest relative of its famous brother, the Cocker Spaniel.

English cocker

The dog deservedly basks in the glory. The English Cocker Spaniel is the most famous hunting breed. English dog handlers worked for a long time to reduce the height of the small woodcock hunter.

Comment! The English word "cocker" (woodcock) translated into German is pronounced like woodcock.

A large dog simply cannot get through the dense thickets of nesting areas. The first to enter the family book of the new breed was a dog named Obo.

The result was an excellent friendly dog ​​with silky fur:

• male height 39-41 cm;
• bitch 1 cm lower;
• going beyond these limits of indicators leads to refusal to participate in breeding work.

Find out more about the breed description!

American Spaniel

The son of the famous Ob was taken to the New World and already there he laid the foundation for a new variety. Only in the second half of the 20th century did the British recognize a new breed, called the American Cocker Spaniel.

Despite the common ancestor, the American turned out to be a little different:

• more compact;
• original head;
• square muzzle;
• high neck;
• males of this species do not grow higher than 39 cm;
• The dogs weigh no more than 13 kg. If the scale shows more, there is a reason to worry about the health of your pet;
• Americans don’t pick on color as much as the British and take more liberties. Quite rare colors are found.

Russian hunting

Another relative of the English celebrity is considered to be the “Russian Hunting Spaniel”. True, one can argue with this: dogs were brought to Russia in 1884, and the English cocker was registered in 1893. Although, without any doubt, Russian and English spaniels have common relatives.

A Russian male grows up to 44 cm; anything higher is considered a deviation. Weighs from 14 to 20 kg. The head is not large, has a slightly elongated muzzle. The body is rectangular. The line of the back slopes slightly towards the tail. The legs are straight, muscular and strong. For the breed, it is important that the length of the front legs to the elbow joint is equal to ½ the height to the withers. Colors are allowed - one-, two- and three-color. Black and white has always been popular.

Wachtelhund

Another representative of the German Spaniel or Wachtelhund family. A fairly large dog, reaching 54 cm at the withers, it works mainly on waterfowl, in swampy and wooded areas. The breed is little known outside Germany.

Provided that the owners often go outdoors, it does not feel bad in urban conditions. In appearance it is a bit like a Scottish Setter, with wavy, long brown fur. Brown color is common. The character matches the breed.

Kooikerhondje

Another representative of the ancient family is the Dutch spaniel. Hailing from the land of lakes, the dog has the unique ability to attract ducks. It is considered the most ancient breed of the family, about which written evidence is kept, and it is depicted on the canvases of great artists.

According to the description, these are proportional, thin dogs, with an elongated muzzle and a smooth forehead line. The neck is muscular and raised high. The body is oblong. At the withers, dogs barely reach 30 cm. Weight is about 13 kg. The color of the dogs is noble two-tone golden and white. A white stripe cuts across the forehead. The ears must have black fringe in the form of earrings.

Field Spaniel

English breeders have been working on the black cocker for a long time. Unfortunately, this has not worked out yet. But a new breed of Field Spaniel was born. A slightly tall dog for the class, up to 45 cm tall and weighing up to 25 kg. The body is slightly elongated and strong. The head is elongated. The coat is long and straight. The color is usually solid black or fawn.

The dog feels great in nature, but will be a good companion in the city. The main condition is long walks and physical activity in the form of running.

Clumber Spaniel

An ancient breed of Clumber Spaniel, country of origin Great Britain, originally from the Clumber Park estate. This is how this royal dog, a favorite of rulers and one of the elite of dogs in the world, can be imagined. This is the heaviest of all spaniels, weight reaches 39 kg, height 51 cm. The color is mainly white with lemon inclusions around the eyes, on the face, paws and tail. It is rare, but there are pure white dogs.

He specializes in hunting pheasants and partridge. In relation to his relatives, his character is calmer and gentler. But more stubborn and patient.

Tibetan Spaniel

A native of China, the Tibetan Spaniel. He has a sharp mind and a cheerful disposition.

• height about 24 cm;
• and the weight is no more than 6 kg. In size he is rather a dwarf dog;
• I am a true fighter by nature and will always stand up for myself.

The appearance of the dog is very interesting, the muzzle is slightly shortened, the ears are set high. The breed standard does not provide for color restrictions.

Interesting! All members of the spaniel family are very touchy. They don't like to be scolded. They are very jealous of every word of the owner.

Continental Toy Spaniel

The smallest member of the family. Mini dog about 20 cm tall, with short ears. Weight does not exceed 4 kg. There are two subspecies, the main differences of which are in the ears:

1. Papillon standing.
2. Semi-erect at Phalen.

This decorative dog, who loves playing with children and is affectionate with all family members, communicates with all pets in the same friendly way. Even cats become good friends for them.

The format of the article does not allow us to describe all types of these wonderful dogs.

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According to the owners' characteristics, the rating is always the highest, the main difficulty of care is long walks, the dog constantly needs physical activity. In addition, this is not a smooth-haired dog, the hair needs to be constantly combed. For owners of country houses, such a problem does not exist.

The Russian hunting spaniel is the most widespread in Russia. In recent years, English and American cocker spaniels have also been used for hunting game birds. If hunters know well about the Russian spaniel, then it’s worth talking about cocker spaniels in more detail. The English Cocker Spaniel, despite its name, was bred in Spain, where back in the 14th century. used in falconry. The American Cocker was first exhibited as a separate breed in New Hampshire in the 19th century. and immediately became everyone's favorite.

Both dogs are distinguished by their lively, cheerful disposition and obedience. Thanks to this, spaniels are quite easy to control when hunting. They are distinguished by excellent instincts, passion for game, intelligence and hunting passion. The spaniel is very different from other cops in field work. As a matter of fact, it can only be conditionally attributed to this group of dogs. Unlike real cops, he works without a stand. Approaching the game on a slow approach, this dog energetically rushes forward, lifting the bird under the hunter's shot.

The innate ability of spaniels to fetch will make it easier to accustom him to serving game. Viscosity in pursuing a wounded bird will lead to the fact that he will get the bird from any support. The versatility of spaniels allows them to be used both in the forest, in the field and in the swamp, and when hunting waterfowl.

Skillfully using the wind, the short spaniel often makes a so-called candle in tall grass or reeds, trying to catch a stream of air with the scent of game. Often his intelligence contributes to the fact that, chasing game in the supports, the spaniel goes around it and lifts it on the wing, unexpectedly meeting it at the opposite edge of the thicket. When picking up a bird in a strong position, this dog often gives a vocal warning to the hunter. But the most pleasant quality of the spaniel is its precocity. He becomes ready for work early and can become an assistant in hunting already in the first year (sometimes even from six months).

When caring for spaniels, special attention must be paid to the condition of their coat. It requires daily thorough combing with a comb and brush; in addition, the spaniel must be bathed at least once every 8 weeks and subjected to grooming. In addition, ears with long silky hair create difficulties. It is on the spaniel's ears that tangles most often form, so when combing they need to be given more attention. When feeding the dog, it is better to tie the spaniel's ears so that they do not fit into the bowl.

A lively and playful dog of this breed needs long and active walks. Moreover, she is not happy with walking on a leash! A spaniel must be able to run free with other dogs or follow its owner while riding a bicycle. At the same time, spaniels also value home comfort.

Purebred spaniels have a square build, a voluminous skull and a pronounced transition from the forehead to the muzzle, which has a rectangular shape. The tail is set just below the line of the back, kept at the same level with it and never lifted up. The tail is docked in such a way that it is not too short, but not too long. This dog has cat-like paws, strong and with thick pads.

The dimensions of an English Cocker are 39–40 cm for a male, and 38–39 cm for a female... Weight for both males and females should not exceed 14.5 kg. American cockers are somewhat smaller. The ideal height for a male of this breed is considered to be 38 cm, and for a female - 35.5 cm. A small deviation, no more than 1.5 cm, in one direction or another is acceptable.

In color, English cockers are most often solid dark, without white spots, except one - on the chest, or black and white, with large spots on the back and ears (the latter also include the area around the eyes, leaving only a small light stripe on the forehead) and speckles throughout the rest of the coat.

American Spaniels are most often even golden or peach, as well as black, without brown or brown tints. In black spaniels, cream or chestnut tan markings in strictly defined places, as well as a small white spot on the chest or throat, are acceptable. Two-color or three-color American cockers are much less common. With this color, the spots should be located evenly throughout the main background, and the tan marks in tri-colors should be in the same places that are established for the black and tan color.