Breed Characteristics:
Apartment Friendly
?How well will this breed adapt to apartment living? Is the apartment size the most important factor when it comes to proper living conditions? Is the breed suitable for apartment living?
Good For First-Time Owners
?Some dogs aren't suitable for first-time dog owners. Is this breed a good match for someone with no dog experience? Can training help them be on their best behavior with owners with no dog experience? Are they suitable to be handled by someone who is just entering the canine world?
Overall Sensitivity
?Some dogs are sensitive. Certain breeds are rough on the outside, while having the softest heart on the inside. In other words, some dogs are 'thick-skinned' while some are 'easygoing.' Is this breed prone to sensitivity?
Tolerates Being Alone
?Separation anxiety in dogs is a serious condition that can affect a dog's life quality. Is this breed prone to this condition? Can you leave him alone for hours? How destructive this breed can become when bored, neglected, or not loved enough?
Affectionate With Family
?How affectionate this breed will be around his humans? Will he welcome new family friends easily or he will choose to be shy? Some breeds can be clingy with owners, while others don't attach a lot. Will this breed act as the family's best friend?
Kid-Friendly
?Some dogs will tolerate children, while others will adore well-behaved ones. Dogs and children should always be supervised, no matter how well trained the dog might be. Will this breed act as a nanny dog or he will stay away from children?
Friendly Toward Other Dogs
?Some dog breeds cannot wait to run to the dog park and run with others. Others prefer to be with their humans, and not to be a part of a multi-pet household. Is this breed dog lover or not? How friendly this breed will be toward other dogs?
Friendly Toward Strangers
?Some dog breeds tend to be reserved toward strangers and highly suspicious. Others are fast to walk away with them easily. How welcoming this breed is toward strangers?
Drooling Level
?If you love to clean all the time drooling level in dogs is a trait that you should mind. Is this breed less likely to drool, or you will always need a towel on hand?
Easy To Groom
?Heavier shedding during the shedding season is something that every dog needs to go through. However, some dogs shed just a bit all year round. Is this breed one of them? How often should you groom this dog?
Overall Health
?What can you expect from this breed in terms of health? Are there any genetic conditions to vary about? Is obesity a major issue in this breed? By knowing more about the dog's health, you are learning how to help him live a longer and healthier life.
Prone To Obesity
?Treats are a great addition to training sessions. Dogs love sweet bites of dog treats but they should be served in moderation. Treats can lead to obesity, next to poor nutrition. Can this breed gain extra weight from treats? How prone to obesity this breed actually is?
Trainability Level
?Training some dogs is easier than others. How easy this dog will be to train? What can you expect? Some dogs are huge people pleasers and they will master commands easily, while others will try to outsmart you.
Intelligence Level
?Dogs are smart beings. We do our best to train them, but they do still end up training us to adapt to their needs. How intelligent is this breed? Will he try to outsmart you? Or he will need multiple training sessions to master basic commands?
Prey Drive
?Dogs were bred for a specific purpose. Those who were bred to hunt have natural instincts to hunt, even today. This is why many dogs, like Terriers, will chase other animals. They will also have a hard time concentrating on your commands when there is something small moving. Is this breed prone to following his prey instincts?
Barking Level
?How vocal this breed is? Can you expect neighbors to ring you often to calm your dog? Or you can sleep without worries of hearing your Fido bark? Some breeds are highly vocal, others have unusual sounds, and some are silent. Is this breed prone to barking?
Energy Level
?Low-energy dogs are happy with regular walks and indoor chill times. High-energy dogs are always ready for action. Is this breed a couch potato, energetic dog, or somewhere in between?
Exercise Needs
?Some dogs are more than happy with a slow stroll down the street. Others need hours of active time to stay happy and fit. Is this breed demanding in terms of exercise? How much exercise this breed needs to stay happy and healthy?
Playfulness Level
?Some dogs never lose that puppy spirit, not even in their senior years. Others are more serious and prefer having a job to do. Is this breed demanding in terms of playfulness? Can you expect playfulness in their senior years as well?
When looking for the best companion dog, the Field Spaniel should definitely be on your list.
This is a great companion dog, who hates being left alone. When bored this adorable breed may become destructive. If you are sure that this breed is for you, be ready to search a lot.
Field Spaniel is a rare breed that is hard to be found. Make sure that you take some extra time to research breeders and find the one who is truly willing to help you find the best match for you.
Field Spaniels are usually up to 18 inches and around 50 pounds, making them suitable for a smaller apartment. This is one of the main reasons why they are often seen in city parks.
Overall appearance is similar to Cocker, Springer, and Sussex spaniels. Their gentle coat is always glossy and can come in a shade of liver or black, or in a combination of the two.
Ears are long and feathery and are well-set with the rest of the well-proportioned body.
They are trustworthy with children, and will usually tolerate other mammals.
Due to their sweet nature, the Field Spaniels are highly responsive to training. They are unusually docile but still playful and ready to have a run in the backyard.
Quick Facts
Real name: Field Spaniel
Other names: Field
Origin: England
Breed type: Sporting Dogs
Weight: 37 to 45 pounds
Height: 1 foot, 4 inches to 1 foot, 7 inches tall at the shoulder
Lifespan: 10 – 12 years
Litter Size: 4 – 6 puppies
Color: Black, Blue Roan, Liver, Liver Roan, Liver and Tan, Black with white markings on thr face and chest
Coat: Moderately long and dense coat without undercoat
Field Spaniel History
Field Spaniel is in fact a combination of much larger black cocker spaniels.
The initial purpose of these smaller dogs was to be shown in the show ring.
Many gave their best to include this breed into hunting sport, but hunters couldn’t have a lot of purpose from these dogs, due to their darker tones and short shape – as such, they were not so practical for moving with ease through the cover.
This is why breeders decided to focus on showing them in the show ring. These dogs were one of the first breeds to be shown and registered in the States.
Field Spaniel Physical Appearance
Field Spaniels are dogs of 37 to 45 pounds and height of 7 inches at the shoulder.
As for the size, they are something between the English Cocker Spaniel and the English Springer Spaniel.
They are commonly in black or liver color, although they may appear in other colors as well. Some may even have white markings on the face and the chesty.
Their coat may look lavishing but is far from beginning heavy. For example, Cocker Spaniels have lavishing, but the heavy coat, which isn’t the case with the Field Spaniel.
This breed will require regular grooming if you want to keep that beautiful coat debris and tangles free.
Some working Field Spaniel may have docked tails, while docking tails practice is usually banned in most of the countries, even including the United Kingdom.
Field Spaniel Personality
Field Spaniels are active and intelligent dogs, who love when there is a job to be done. They are great companions for people of all ages.
These spaniels will love staying with active families, others will become bored and eventually destructive. Even the nicest dog may become destructive when bored.
Make sure that you can meet the dog’s exercise requirement before you choose the breed. Overall, Field Spaniels are independent, and fun-loving dogs who enjoy being next to people. They will usually be reserved toward strangers.
Field Spaniels should never be too shy, aggressive, or even fearful. Since temperament and overall general behavior are affected by several factors, you should think about training and socialization ahead.
Did you know that dogs are capable of mastering basic commands as of eight weeks of age? This is why training should start as soon as you bring your Field Spaniel home.
Field Spaniel With Children and Other Pets
Field Spaniels are huge people lovers, with special space for children in their hearts.
They will love spending time with children of any age. However, they won’t be happy in too noisy environments or tolerate any rough handling. This is why children need to know how to behave around dogs.
Children must understand that dogs are not moving toys and that they have their own needs and desires.
Children should also truly understand that dogs are territorial beings, and never to disturb them while they’re eating, drinking water, sleeping, resting, or just playing with their toys inside their crate.
On the other hand, dogs should know how to move and behave around children and what are house dog rules.
No matter how great children and dogs get along their interaction should always be supervised.
Do Field Spaniels Bark A Lot?
True to his spaniel roots, the Field Spaniel will be clingy. In other words, they will thrive when surrounded by people and a lot of activities.
Field Spaniels can handle being left alone for only a few hours, and occasionally. If you choose to neglect him and leave him alone for too long or too often, he will choose to be vocal about it.
If unhappy, Field Spaniels will express their unhappiness through hard and intense barking and destructive chewing.
Field Spaniel Training
If you want a truly well-behaved dog you should focus on early training and early socialization.
Dogs are creatures of habits, and they love having routines. They respond well to obedience training and hunting training as well.
Field Spaniels are sensitive dogs who love fun and challenges. This is why training sessions should be fun, consistent, short, packed with treats, and engaging.
When bored they will ignore any training attempt and choose to take a break.
If you feel like you need help with training sessions, think about hiring a professional dog trainer or enroll your pup in puppy classes.
This way you may speed up the training process and even get some professional input on how to continue with training practice.
Field Spaniel Exercise
Field Spaniels will love a good run. Any activity should help keep this breed active and healthy.
Dogs who are active on a daily level, have fewer joint-related issues and prefer being part of dog sports, such as agility.
To keep your Field Spaniel happy, next to regular walks, provide an additional two to three hours of physical activity each day.
Since the hunting gene still runs in them, Field Spaniels will love any activity that forces them to act as if they are hunting.
Field Spaniel Grooming
Field Spaniels will always have a dense and a bit longer coat that demands regular brushing.
By providing weekly brushing sessions, you will actually keep his coat debris and tangles free.
The rest is basic care:
- Trim or grind nails monthly
- Bathe only when needed
- Clean ears when mandatory
- Brush
teeth if recommended - Check gums weekly
- Check eyes daily for any sign of eyes discharge
If you have any doubts about best care, and grooming practice, make sure that you talk with your veterinarian.
Field Spaniel Health
Field Spaniels are generally healthy dogs.
Still, you may provide the best care possible and your Fido still may get sick – which is ok. However, you should do your best to provide regular veterinarian check-ups and this is the only and the best way to keep your Field Spaniel truly healthy.
If you are buying a puppy, make sure that you find responsible and reputable dog breeders who generally love animals.
Talk with people in your surrounding who are dog owners for some research tips and tricks, or ask them for direct recommendations.
Responsible dog breeders will only give puppies to people who they see fit to be dog owners. They have an eye to recognize if you are ready to own a dog. This is why you should expect a lot of questions.
Responsible breeders want to make sure that you are the best fit for their puppy. Also, they will always screen puppies for the most common health issue in the breed and present you with medical documentation.
They will also give you the best tips on proper care, grooming, nutrition, and exercise need. If you adopt, you can expect similar treatment from animal shelter representatives.
As mentioned earlier you may provide the best care, high-quality food, and regular exercise, and your Fido may still experience some health disturbances.
Here are some of the health issues, that you may see in your Field Spaniel:
- Hip and elbow dysplasia
- Hypothyroidism
- Von Willebrand’s disease
- Ear infections
- Allergies
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA)
- Cancer
- Cataracts
- Ectropion
- Epilepsy
- Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)
Is Field Spaniel For You?
Field Spaniels are medium-sized dogs of great sporting instincts who love being active.
They are best suited for people with active outdoor life who are willing to take their Field Spaniel with them. This breed isn’t for you if you don’t want a clingy dog who can suffer from separation anxiety.
Regular grooming may also feel like a lot of work when owning this breed, and it’s something that exhausts you this breed isn’t for you.
On the other hand, if you want a spaniel, and a medium-size dog who is polite, peaceful, and active, this is the breed for you.
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