ABOUT THE BREED

If you are looking for a loyal, utterly devoted, playful – yet gentle breed that doesn’t require too much grooming – then a Field Spaniel may well be the right breed for you and your family.

If you have children – then you can rest assure that they will be in safe hands with a loving and playful companion who will never tire of your company and who will dote on the children.

The Field Spaniel is the undiscovered gem within the spaniel breeds.

A little larger is the Springer Spaniel – which are a beautiful and a very popular and numerous breed. A little smaller is the Cocker Spaniel – who again have a beautiful nature and who are also a numerous / prolific breed.

However, right in between those two prolific breeds sits a breed (the Field Spaniel) – who in our honest opinion have an even more devoted and affectionate nature – and yet, despite being a very old breed –  they are a very rare breed.

People who have owned or interacted with the breed regularly express their amazement at how this beautiful and affectionate breed are still a rare breed in Australia. The answer lies in the very small number of Fields Spaniels that have been imported into Australia compared to these other prolific breeds.

Appearance

Field Spaniels date back to the 1800s, and are medium sized dogs reaching about 45cm (18 inches) at the shoulder, and typically weighing between 18 – 25 kg (40 – 55lb) as adults. Often mistaken for other breeds, the Field Spaniel sits between the Cocker Spaniel and the English Springer Spaniel both in height and weight.

Colours include liver, black, roan – or any of these with tan markings. Black dogs tend to be rare, with the most common and most popular colour being liver. They have a single coat with a silky texture – and consistent with being a spaniel, they have drop ears.

Temperament

Field Spaniels are an extremely affectionate breed – but they can also be reserved – particularly when they meet a person for the first time. However, once they have met a friend – they are friends for life, and that friend can always look forward to an affectionate and enthusiastic greeting on all future meetings. They have a happy go lucky nature and absolutely live for their family – upon whom they will shower with affection and love.

They are described as being “unusually docile” (meaning that they are abnormally / extremely friendly – but at the same time, they do possess an independent and inquisitive nature as well. They are ideal with children and are an extremely devoted breed.

Health

Field Spaniels are a hardy breed due to a variety of ancestors including Cocker Spaniels, Springer Spaniels, Sussex Spaniels, Irish Water Spaniel – and even Basset Hounds and setters.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) has been found in the breed overseas – but is not common in Australia – though many Australian breeders do have their dogs tested for these. Hip Dysplasia (HD) has also appeared in overseas lines – but is not particularly known in Australia.

Grooming

Field Spaniels have a flowing coat, but do not need excessive grooming. Usually a short brush once or twice a week will suffice. Field Spaniels typically find grooming to be a bonding experience and tend to appreciate the one on one attention. Some enjoy it so much that they will fall asleep on you as you brush them.

Training

Stanley Coren’s “The Intelligence of Dogs” ranks the Field Spaniel as being well above average in working intelligence. They interact very closely with humans and basic obedience is recommended and should be achieved without too much difficulty. Field Spaniels respond very well to all types of training – both good and bad.

Ideal Owner

Basically – anyone with a heart or anyone who loves dogs. You may hear from time to time that Field Spaniels are not suitable as city pets. This is ill researched and completely wrong. Whilst it is true that they are not suited to a flat or a unit without any lawn (what dog is?), the breed lives very well in the city, and can thrive in a small yard. Of course, being a typical dog, the bigger the back yard – the better. The breed is very well suited to a family situation and will flood the family with love and affection. As they require a little grooming, it is important that they have a responsible owner. Toys are important to occupy their inquisitive minds.

Uses

Field Spaniels are still used in the USA & Europe as gundogs as they are excellent retrievers of game birds (and balls and frisbees and sticks….) and are happy to swim through water to retrieve. However, in Australia, their rarity is such that they are primarily a companion or family dog – though they have been known to excel in the agility, obedience, and conformation / show ring. In fact, as they have such excellent scenting ability (they are considered to have the best nose of all spaniels), they have also been utilised in other professions including being used as truffle dogs in Australia.

Popularity and breeding

Despite being close to being the perfect dog, Field Spaniels are still relatively rare in Australia, having only being introduced into the country thanks to Mrs Dianne Seymour (from Fieldspan and Stephdie Kennels). In 1990, Dianne Seymour imported Aust Ch Oldholbans Knight at Arms from the UK. Dianne remained in the breed until her passing in 2020 and has bred many Australian Champion Field Spaniels. There are estimated to be between 250 – 300 Field Spaniels in all of Australia. Under no circumstances should you ever purchase your puppy from a pet store. Aside from the fact that you would probably never find a field spaniel in a pet store as they are so rare, it is crucial that you have an understanding of the true lineage of the dog. As the breed is still uncommon in Australia, the gene pool is somewhat limited, and you (and the breeder) need to know the true bloodlines of your pup, and as such, you need the full ancestry of the dog – which can usually only be provided by the breeder. As such, you should only buy a puppy from a registered ANKC breeder.

Exercise

In truth, if you do not have a yard – then you should not have a Field Spaniel. Simple! If you only have a very small yard, then you should be prepared to take your dog for a regular walk – and be prepared to stop at most trees, bushes and telegraph poles, as they have excellent scenting abilities and a very inquisitive mind. If you have an average sized yard or larger, then you will find that they can be self – exercising, however, they would still dearly love to be taken for a walk as they love to know what is happening outside of their own yard and delight in exploring new sights and smells. They love playing with children and will chase a frisbee, ball or a stick until they drop.

History

Field Spaniels have many old gundog breeds involved in their development, and were recognised as a distinct breed in the UK in the 1890’s. Like many working breeds, they were almost wiped out during World War II, and other Spaniel breeds were used in 1960 to further develop the breed to its current conformation.

Summary

If you are looking for a loyal, devoted, playful – yet gentle breed that doesn’t require too much grooming – then this is quite probably the right breed for you. If you have children, then you can rest assured that they are in safe hands, with a loving and playful companion who will never tire of your company. They will never tire of loving you, your family, your friends and anything found in your food pantry.

When a judge is judging a dog in a conformation show, he or she is directly comparing the dog to the breed standard of that particular breed as set down by the country’s governing body (the ANKC in Australia).
The Australian breed standard for the Field Spaniel is as follows:

Group:	Group 3 (Gundogs)
History:	Originates from England, and originally used as a hunting / gundog retrieving game (usually birds).
General Appearance:	Well balanced, noble, upstanding sporting Spaniel built for activity and endurance.
Characteristics:	Ideal for rough shooting or companion for the country dweller. Excellent family pet.
Temperament:	Unusually docile, active, sensitive, independent.
Head And Skull:	Conveys the impression of high breeding, character and nobility. Well chiselled, occiput well defined, lean beneath eyes. A thickness here gives coarseness to whole head. Slightly raised eyebrows. Moderate stop. Nose well developed with good open nostrils. Muzzle long and lean neither snipey nor squarely cut. In profile curving gradually from nose to throat.
Eyes:	Wide open but almond shaped with tight lids showing no haw. Grave and gentle in expression. Dark hazel in colour.
Ears:	Moderately long and wide, set low and well feathered.
Mouth:	Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. Upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.
Neck:	Long, strong and muscular enabling dog to retrieve his game without undue fatigue.
Forequarters:	Shoulders long and sloping and well laid back. Legs of moderate length. Straight, flat bone.
Body:	Chest deep and well developed. Ribs moderately well sprung. Length of rib cage is two thirds of the body length. Back and loin strong, level and muscular.
Hindquarters:	Strong, muscular; stifles moderately bent. Hocks well let down.
Feet:	Tight, round with strong pads and not too small.
Tail:	Docked: Docked by one third. Set on low. Never carried above level of back. Nicely feathered with lively action. Undocked: Set low. Never carried above level of back. Nicely feathered with lively action. Reaches approximately to the hocks. Of moderate length in balance with the rest of the dog. NB: Docking of tails is now illegal in Australia.
Gait/Movement:	Long, unhurried stride with great drive from the rear. Short, stumping action undesirable.
Coat:	Long, flat, glossy and silky in texture. Never curly, short or wiry. Dense and weatherproof. Abundant feathering on chest, under body and behind legs, but clean from hock to ground.
Colour:	Black, liver or roan [blue roan, black roan or liver roan]. Any one of these with tan markings. In self-coloured dogs white or roan on chest permissible. Clear black/white or liver/white unacceptable.
Sizes:	Height: approx. 46 cms (18 ins) at the shoulders. Weight: 18-25 kg (40-55 lbs).
Faults:	Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog, and on the dog’s ability to perform its traditional work.
Notes:	Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.