Ten years ago in this country I attended a dog show which was a "supported entry" for Field Spaniels. There were perhaps 8 entries altogether. Nowadays the interest in this breed has grown dramatically and when Field Spaniels come together there is usually an entry of 30 or better. The popularity of this Spaniel may be in part due to its size and of course the other consideration is its ability in the field to roust up the birds.

Many of the Spaniels have lost the ability to do the job in the field. Among those who seem to have retained the hunting instinct is the Field Spaniel. He is a steady worker, quartering not too far from the hunter and is tireless and energetic in the field. "Never give up" is probably the motto of this industrious and busy bird dog. Most Field Spaniels are also attuned to humans and make great family pets. However like most field dogs, they can track in a lot of mud and crud when used for the work which they were bred for, also their coats are long enough to become entangled with burrs and bits of weed, so they are probably not a dog for the person who is a "neatnik".

It is especially important to this breed, however, that they do remain a house companion. They are not the sort of dog who can be put in a pen and left to be ignored. They need the companionship of their human family and when they get this they will do their best for the master when out in the field. Without this companionship they will become bored and will get so over excited upon leaving the pen that they do not apply themselves to the hunt as well. Like any good dog, they also will pick up more of the subtleties of their human-dog relationship and will respond to command with attention and quickness.

The Field Spaniel is usually a liver color or dark brown and may have tan markings. The coat is glossy in texture and slightly wavy. The head is considered to be the distinctive hallmark of this breed, it has a large muzzle and low hanging ears with an absence of loose flews. Nose is "self - colored" which simply means that the nose is not black but is the same color as the coat, whether that be lighter tan or dark liver. The look is clean and noble. The body is lower slung to the ground than other spaniels and longer than it is tall, with a broad chest providing plenty of room for stamina in the field.

Field Spaniel fanciers have been careful to maintain the strong hunting abilities of the breed and to breed true to type as far as structure and form. The Field Spaniel is not nearly as popular as , for example, the Labrador rLRetriever. whenever a breed is not overly popular, it is much easier for responsible breeders to maintain the quality and instincts of the breed because they are not over bred. Any hunter who is serious about his hunting will know that he has acquired a serious hunting dog if he purchases a Field Spaniel.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Animals