Spaniel

Definition and Description of Spaniels
– Spaniels are a type of gun dog.
– They were bred to flush game out of denser brush.
– Spaniels can be specialized into water and land breeds.
– The extinct English Water Spaniel was used to retrieve water fowl shot down with arrows.
– Land spaniels were setting spaniels and springing spaniels.

History of Spaniels
– The word ‘spaniel’ is derived from the medieval French ‘espaigneul’ which means Spanish.
– Spaniels were described as being from Spain in the 15th-century work ‘The Master of Game’.
– Sixteenth-century physician John Caius described speckled spaniels that came out of France.
– Theories suggest that spaniels may have been brought to the British Isles by Celts moving from Spain.
– Another theory is that spaniels were imported into Britannia by the ancient Romans.

Celtic Origin Theory
– The Welsh Springer Spaniel is believed to be a direct descendant of the Agassian hunting dog.
– The Agassian hunting dog belonged to the Celtic tribes of Roman Britain.
– These dogs were described as having a strong breed, small in size, and excellent tracking abilities.
– The Agassian hunting dog had feet armed with powerful claws and a sharp mouth.
– It is believed that the Celts brought these dogs into the British Isles as early as 900 BC.

Roman Origin Theory
– The ancient Romans may have imported spaniels into Britannia through trade routes to the Far East.
– The sporting type of spaniel is believed to have originated in China from short-faced ancestors.
– These ancestors evolved into small sporting spaniels in Southern Europe around AD 1300-1600.
– The evolution of the King Charles Spaniel into the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel supports this theory.
– The issue of how a short-muzzled dog could evolve into a longer-muzzled dog is addressed by this theory.

Hunting Abilities of Spaniels
– Spaniels are desired to work within gun range and be steady to shot.
– They should be able to mark the fall and retrieve shot game with a soft mouth.
– Spaniels have a good nose and are versatile hunters.
– They are used for upland game birds, rabbits, waterfowl, rats, and mice.
– The Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) distinguishes between Continental and Anglo-American spaniels based on function and hunting style.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaniel