This good-natured dog is a rare breed. The rarity is mostly due to the canine's history. A gentle pup, they come from the Spaniel family, which is separated into two groups as the land and water dogs. In the 1800s, all land Spaniels were referred to as Field Spaniels, but the smaller English Cocker Spaniel was distinguished as a separate breed in 1892. Breeders of the slightly larger Field Spaniel then wished to develop the black Field Spaniel and outcrossed the lines with Welsh Cocker Spaniels, Basset Hounds, and Sussex Spaniels. Unfortunately, the breeding program created many issues, including a line of dogs whose bodies were too long, legs too short, and bones too heavy. The exaggerated features in these dogs took away their usefulness and they were not able to compete in the field or in the show ring. By the end of World War II, the dog fell out of favor and was on the brink of extinction, but thankfully, selective breeding practices helped restore them to their former condition. The restoration of the breed is attributed to outcrossing the Field Spaniel to the Cocker Spaniel and English Springer Spaniel. The resulting lines that came out of the breeding program were smaller than English Springer Spaniels but taller than their predecessors. All modern-day dogs of the breed can trace their lineage to four dogs who lived during the 1950’s: Ronayne Regal, Gormac Teal, Colombina of Teffont and Elmbury Morwena of Rhiwlas. Thanks to these dogs and their breeders, this charming four-legged eager beaver continues to live, compete, and hunt today.
