Spaniel

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title: "Spaniel" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["spaniels", "gundogs", "hunting-dogs"] description: "Dog type" topic_path: "general/spaniels" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spaniel" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Dog type ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4e/Three_Cocker_Spaniels.jpg" caption="[[English Cocker Spaniel]]s are small spaniels"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/Dog_on_beach.jpg" caption="A [[Welsh Springer Spaniel]] on the beach"] ::

A spaniel is a type of gun dog. Spaniels were especially bred to flush game out of denser brush. By the late 17th century, spaniels had been 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—those that crept forward and pointed their game, allowing hunters to ensnare them with nets, and springing spaniels — those that sprang pheasants and partridges (for hunting with falcon) and also rabbits and smaller mammals such as rats and mice (for hunting with greyhounds). During the 17th century, the role of the spaniel dramatically changed as Englishmen began hunting with flintlocks for wing shooting. Charles Goodall and Julia Gasow (1984) write that spaniels were "transformed from untrained, wild beaters, to smooth, polished gun dogs."

The word "spaniel" would seem to be derived from the medieval French espaigneul"Spanish"to modern French, espagnol.

Definition and description

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/45/011._Skull_of_Spaniel.JPG" caption="A drawing of a typical skull of a spaniel"] ::

The Oxford English Dictionary defines Spaniel as "a breed of dog with a long silky coat and drooping ears".

Not much has changed about spaniels in general over the years, as can be seen in this 1921 entry in Collier's New Encyclopedia:

::quote Their distinguishing characteristics are a rather broad muzzle, remarkably long and full ears, hair plentiful and beautifully waved, particularly that of the ears, tail, and hinder parts of the thighs and legs. The prevailing color is liver and white, sometimes red and white or black and white, and sometimes deep brown, or black on the face and breast, with a tan spot over each eye. The English spaniel is a superior and very pure breed. The King Charles is a small variety of the spaniel used as a lapdog. The water spaniels, large and small, differ from the common spaniel only in the roughness of their coats, and in uniting the aquatic propensities of the Newfoundland dog with the fine hunting qualities of their own race. Spaniels possess a great share of intelligence, affection, and obedience, which qualities, combined with much beauty, make them highly prized as companions. ::

History

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/90/Toy_Spaniel_from_1915.JPG" caption="[[King Charles Spaniel]]s, photographed in 1915, one of the smaller breeds, are primarily [[lap dog]]s"] ::

The origin of the word spaniel is described by the Oxford English Dictionary as coming from the Old French word espaigneul which meant "Spanish (dog)"; this in turn originated from the Latin Hispaniolus which simply means "Spanish".

In Edward, 2nd Duke of York's work The Master of Game, which was mostly a 15th-century translation of an earlier work by Gaston III of Foix-Béarn entitled Livre de chasse, spaniels are described as being from Spain as much as all Greyhounds are from England or Scotland. Sixteenth-century English physician John Caius wrote that the spaniels of the time were mostly white, marked with spots that are commonly red. He described a new variety to have come out of France, which were speckled all over with white and black, "which mingled colours incline to a marble blewe".

Celtic origin theory

In the appendices added to the 1909 re-print of Caius' work, the editors suggested that the type of dogs may have been brought into the British Isles as early as 900 BC by a branch of the Celts moving from Spain into Cornwall and on into Wales, England and Ireland. Theories on the origin of the Welsh Springer Spaniel support this theory, as it is believed that the breed specifically is a direct descendant of the "Agassian hunting dog" described in the hunting poem Cynegetica attributed to Oppian of Apamea, which belonged to the Celtic tribes of Roman Britain:

::quote There is a strong breed of hunting dog, small in size but no less worthy of great praise. These the wild tribes of Britons with their tattooed backs rear and call by the name of Agassian. Their size is like that of worthless and greedy domestic table dogs; squat, emaciated, shaggy, dull of eye, but endowed with feet armed with powerful claws and a mouth sharp with close-set venomous tearing teeth. It is by virtue of its nose, however, that the Agassian is most exalted, and for tracking it is the best there is; for it is very adept at discovering the tracks of things that walk upon the ground, and skilled too at marking the airborne scent. ::

Roman origin theory

Another theory of the origin of the spaniel is that the ancient Romans imported spaniels into Britannia by way of the trade routes to the Far East. Colonel David Hancock adds a belief that the sporting type of spaniel originated in China from the short-faced ancestors of dogs such as the Pekingese, Pug and Shih Tzu. The theory goes that these ancestors were introduced into Southern Europe and evolved into the small sporting spaniels of the period around AD 1300–1600. The issue of how a short-muzzled dog could evolve into a longer-muzzled dog is addressed by pointing to the evolution of the King Charles Spaniel into the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel in less than a century.

Hunting

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/03/Hawking_party_and_water_spaniels.jpg" caption="A 16th-century drawing of a hawking party with spaniels"] ::

In assisting hunters, it is desirable that spaniels work within gun range, are steady to shot, and are able to mark the fall and retrieve shot game to hand with a soft mouth. A good nose is highly valued, as it is in most gun dog breeds. They are versatile hunters traditionally being used for upland game birds, but are equally adept at hunting rabbits, waterfowl, rats, and mice. Whether hunting in open fields, woodlands, farm lands—in briars, along fencerows or marshlands, a spaniel can get the job done.

On the basis of function and hunting style, the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) draws a distinction between Continental and Anglo-American spaniels. The FCI places Continental dogs of the spaniel type in the pointing group (Group 7, sect. 1.2) because they function more like setters which "freeze" and point to game. Breeds in this group include the Blue Picardy Spaniel, the French Spaniel, the Brittany, the Pont-Audemer Spaniel, and the Small Münsterländer. The FCI classifies most other dogs of the spaniel type as flushing or water dogs (Group 8, sections 2 and 3).

Breeds

Contemporary

::data[format=table]

Type of spaniel	Also known as	Country/region of origin	Min. height	Max. height	Min. weight	Max. weight	Image
American Cocker Spaniel	Cocker Spaniel
(in the United States)	United States	13 in	15 in	24 lb	29 lb	[[File:Cockeramericain1.jpg	100px]]
American Water Spaniel		United States	15 in	18 in	25 lb	45 lb	[[File:Chien d'eau americain champion 1.JPG
Blue Picardy Spaniel	Epagneul Bleu de Picardie	France	22 in	24 in	43 lb	45 lb	[[File:Epagneul bleu de picardie 868.jpg
Boykin Spaniel		United States	15 in	18 in	25 lb	45 lb	[[File:Boykin spaniel.jpg
Cavalier King Charles Spaniel	Cavalier Spaniel	United Kingdom	12 in	13 in	13 lb	18 lb{{cite book	title=Cavalier King Charles Spaniels
Clumber Spaniel		England	17 in	20 in	55 lb	85 lb	[[File:Clumber spaniel 767.jpg
Drentse Patrijshond	Dutch Partridge Dog	Netherlands	21.5 in	25.5 in	55 lb	77 lb	[[File:Drentse Patrijshond.jpg
English Cocker Spaniel	Cocker Spaniel
(In the United Kingdom)	England	15 in	17 in	26 lb	34 lb	[[File:EnglishCockerSpaniel simon.jpg	100px]]
English Springer Spaniel		England	19 in	20 in	40 lb	50 lb	[[File:EnglishSpringerSpan2 wb.jpg
Field Spaniel		England	17 in	18 in	35 lb	50 lb	[[File:Field spaniel 581.jpg
French Spaniel	Épagneul français
(in France)	France	21 in	25 in	45 lb	60 lb	[[File:04031137 Epagneul Francais.jpg	100px]]
German Spaniel	Deutscher Wachtelhund	Germany	16 in	20 in	44 lb	66 lb	[[File:Płochacz niemiecki 2009 pl.jpg
Irish Water Spaniel	Whiptail, Shannon Spaniel, Rat Tail Spaniel, and Bog Dog	Ireland	21 in	24 in	45 lb	65 lb	[[File:Irlandzki spaniel wodny 676.jpg
King Charles Spaniel	English Toy Spaniel
(in the United States)	England	9 in	10 in	6 lb	12 lb	[[File:English_Toy_Spaniel_Cropped.jpg	100px]]
Kooikerhondje	Dutch Spaniel	Netherlands	14 in	16 in	20 lb	24 lb	[[File:Płochacz holenderski (kooikerhondje) 11.jpg
Markiesje	Dutch Tulip Hound	Netherlands	12.5 in	15.5 in	13 lb	18 lb	[[File:Us_babbe.jpg
Papillon	Continental Toy Spaniel,
Épagneul Nain Continental	France	8 in	11 in	5 lb	10 lb	[[File:Outdoor Continental Toy Spaniel Papillon.jpeg	100px]]
Phalène	Continental Toy Spaniel,
Épagneul Nain Continental	Belgium	8 in	11 in	5 lb	10 lb	[[File:Spaniel miniaturowy kontynentalny phalene 546.jpg	100px]]
Picardy Spaniel	Épagneul Picard	France	22 in	23.5 in	44 lb	55 lb	[[File:Epagneul picard 685.jpg
Pont-Audemer Spaniel	Épagneul Pont-Audemer	France	20 in	23 in	40 lb	53 lb	[[File:Epagneul de pont-audemer h67.jpg
Russian Spaniel	Russian hunting spaniel	Russia	15 in	17 in	28 lb	40 lb	[[File:Russpaniel.jpg
Stabyhoun	Frisian Pointer	Netherlands	19.6 in	21 in	30 lb	50 lb	[[File:Frisianstaby.jpg
Sussex Spaniel		England	13 in	15 in	35 lb	44 lb	[[File:Sussex spaniel t43.jpg
Welsh Springer Spaniel	Llamgi Cymru, Tarfgi Cymru	Wales	17 in	19 in	35 lb	55 lb	[[File:Welsh Springer Spaniel 1.jpg
::

Extinct

::data[format=table]

Type of spaniel	Country/region of origin	Period of extinction	Image
Alpine Spaniel	Switzerland	1830s	[[File:Alpine spaniel.jpg
English Water Spaniel	England	1930s	[[File:English Water Spaniel.jpg
Norfolk Spaniel	England	1902	[[File:Norfoldspaniel.jpg
Toy Trawler Spaniel	United Kingdom	1920s	[[File:Trawler spaniel goblin.jpg
Tweed Water Spaniel	England	19th century	[[File:Tweed Water Spaniel.jpg
Manilla Spaniel	Philippines	Early 20th century
::

Misnamed

The following breeds are not true spaniels, but are named as such due to their resemblance to the spaniels.

::data[format=table]

Type of spaniel	Also known as	Country/region of origin	Min. height	Max. height	Min. weight	Max. weight	Image
Japanese Chin	Japanese Spaniel	Japan	9 in	10 in	4 lb	11 lb	[[File:Sachi.jpg
Pekingese	Chinese Spaniel	China	8 in	9 in	8 lb	14 lb	[[File:Bailey Pekingese.jpg
Tibetan Spaniel		Tibet	9 in	11 in	9 lb	15 lb	[[File:Tibetansk spaniel.jpg
Brittany	Brittany Spaniel	Brittany, France	17 in	20.5 in	30 lb	45 lb	[[File:Perro breton.jpg
::

Citations

General and cited references

References

1. Goodall and Gasow, ''The New Complete English Springer Spaniel'', 1984.
2. "spaniel". Compact Oxford English Dictionary.
3. Caius, John. (1880). "Of Englishe dogges, the diversities, the names, the natures and the properties. A short treatise written in Latine and newly drawne into Englishe". Bradley.
4. Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York. (1909). "The Master of Game". Ballantyne, Hanson & Co.
5. "Welsh Springer Spaniel Did You Know?". American Kennel Club.
6. Ireland, Stanley. (2008). "Roman Britain: A Sourcebook". Taylor & Francis.
7. Hancock, ''The Heritage of the Dog'', 1990.
8. Judah, J.C.. (June 2021). "An Ancient History of Dogs: Spaniels Through the Ages". Lulu.com.
9. "Spaniel Journal". spanieljournal.com.
10. link. (2008-03-14 ; [http://www.fci.be/nomenclatures_detail.asp?lang=en&file=group8 FCI – Breeds nomenclature] {{webarchive). link. (2008-03-04)
11. [[#fogle02. Fogle (2006)]]: p. 152
12. [[#Palika2007. Palika (2007)]]: p. 131
13. "Blue Picardy Spaniel - Breed Description and Information". Canada's Guide to Dogs.
14. [[#fogle02. Fogle (2006)]]: p. 230
15. [[#Palika2007. Palika (2007)]]: p. 172
16. [[#smith02. Smith (2002)]]: p. 128
17. Cunliffe, Juliette. (1999). "The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds". Parragon.
18. Lambert, Cathy. "Getting to Know English Cockers". Animalinfo Publications.
19. [[#smith02. Smith (2002)]]: p. 134
20. [[#Palika2007. Palika (2007)]]: p. 237
21. [[#fogle02. Fogle (2006)]]: p. 344
22. [[#Palika2007. Palika (2007)]]: p. 269
23. [[#Palika2007. Palika (2007)]]: p. 232
24. Larkin, Peter. (2003). "The Essential Dog Book". Anness Publishing.
25. Hungerland, Jacklyn E.. (2003). "Papillons". Barron's Educational Series.
26. [[#Palika2007. Palika (2007)]]: p. 311
27. "Breed Information: Phalene". Purina Care: Pet Health Library.
28. "Picardy Spaniel Information". Sarah's Dogs.
29. Cunliffe, Juliette. (2005). "The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds". Whitecap Books.
30. Wilcox, Bonnie. (1995). "Atlas of Dog Breeds of the World". TFH Publications.
31. Cunliffe, Juliette. (1999). "The Encyclopedia of Dog Breeds". Parragon.
32. "Ameri-Can Stabyhoun Association". stabyhouns.org.
33. Spiotta-DiMare, Loren. (1999). "The Sporting Spaniel Handbook". Barron's Educational Series.
34. [[#smith02. Smith (2002)]]: p. 122
35. "What Ever Happened to the Manilla Spaniel".
36. [[#fogle02. Fogle (2006)]]: p. 67
37. Drury, W.D.. (1903). "British Dogs, Their Points, Selection, And Show Preparation". Charles Scribner's Sons.
38. [[#Palika2007. Palika (2007)]]: p. 315
39. "FCI-Standard N° 231 / 11. 05. 1998 / GB Tibetan Spaniel". Fédération Cynologique Internationale.
40. [[#Palika2007. Palika (2007)]]: p. 375

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