A Field spaniel is a breed of dog, not to be confused with "field bred" or working English cocker spaniels or Springer Spaniels, that has been around since the inception of spaniels in the 1800's. They were often bred in the same litters as Springer spaniels and cocker spaniels but became their own breed in the late 1800's. The original intent was an all black hunting spaniel. As the time went on, the breed was bred long and low, similar to the Sussex Spaniel of today and almost went extinct. It was brought back from extinction in the 1920's by the Field Spaniel Society in the UK. They were used as field trial dogs and did well but almost went extinct again during World War II. The breed was brought back from the edge of extinction again in the 1960's.
They are considered a Vulnerable Native Breed by the UK Kennel Club and considered threatened by the American Kennel Club. In 2020, Field spaniels were listed as the 160th most popular breed of 195 listed breeds, making it the rarest land spaniel besides the Sussex Spaniel.
Often times, someone will think they have a Fields spaniel when they really have a "field bred" English cocker spaniel or English springer spaniel. All three breeds are lovely, but distinct. If you have been researching a Field spaniel and think they would be a good fit, more than likely working cockers and Springers will not be a good fit. Conversely, if you were hoping to get a working cocker or Springer, a Field spaniel would not be what you were looking for either. The biggest difference in the three will be their energy levels. While Field spaniels are active, they are a moderate energy dog that generally have a nice off switch in the house. They enjoy working and training but they also enjoy bingeing Netflix on the couch all weekend too. Working cockers and Springers are high energy dogs that need a job. They can make excellent household pets but they need exercise and mental stimulation daily. All three are great dogs. Ask yourself what kind of energy level you want in your dog and if you want to hunt. While Field spaniels can hunt, most are not bred with this purpose in mind, and talent in the breed is hit or miss. If you hunting is your main goal and you plan on doing a lot of it, a working Springer or cocker may be a better choice. If you are more of a weekend warrior hunters, enjoy a challenge, and primarily want a family pet, a Field spaniel is an excellent choice.
A Field spaniel, denoted with a capital "F", is a dog breed in and of itself. There are no working and show lines Field Spaniels. A Field spaniel must meet the breed standard set by the National Breed Club. Field Spaniels are a rare breed in the US. You are unlikely to find them in rescue or being bred by your local gun dog kennel. Field Spaniels are bred primarily as pets and show/performance with temperament, health, and structure in mind, with very few kennels prioritizing hunting ability.
A field bred English cocker spaniel ,sometimes referred to as a working cocker, is a strain of English cocker spaniels bred for working. Traditionally they are bred for hunting and field trials, but some breeders now specifically breed for agility lines as well. While working cockers may look more like Field Spaniels than their show bred counterparts, they are all part of the same gene pool. You may see pictures of my working cocker spaniel, Siva, from time to time. The biggest differences between Field Spaniels and working cockers is size (smaller), the head shape, ear placement, and body proportions. There is, however, a wide variety of looks in working cockers as they aren't bred with type in mind. They are usually bred strictly for their working ability, temperament, and with ethical breeds on their health as well.
Below are pictures of my working cocker Siva.
A field bred English Springer Spaniel is a working line English Springer Spaniel. They are also typically bred for hunting and field trials. Springers also widely come in black and white and liver and white with ticking, but should not come in solid liver or black, which are the most common Field spaniel colors. Similar to the differences in working cockers, working Springers generally have small ears, higher ear set, different head shape, less coat, are taller, and have different body proportions than Field spaniels.
Your life will never be boring. In my experience, living with Field spaniels means you will never be alone, you will probably have dog hair on your clothes, and you will always have a reason to laugh. Below are some common questions I get asked about Field spaniels concerning different aspects of their personality and what they are like to live with. Experiences may vary, so I highly recommend talking to as many Field Spaniel people as you can!
Personality: Field Spaniels love their people. They want to go where you go and they want do everything they can with you. They are a "velcro" breed. Field spaniels are best suited for living in the house and my guys think the human bed is the only comfy place to sleep. I do not recommend Field spaniels if you are looking for an outdoor dog or a dog that would be content living in a kennel building. With strangers, Field spaniels are generally aloof compared to more popular spaniels. This varies from dog to dog, so some might like to say hi to strangers with others preferring not to interact with strangers. A well bred Field spaniel should have a stable temperament and not bite, growl, or nip at strangers, even if strangers aren't their cup of tea. My guys have always been goofy and fun loving dogs around the people and places, while they tend to act more noble and reserved around people they don't know or in new environments.
Energy Level: Field Spaniels are a moderate energy breed. They enjoy being active. If you are hoping for a couch potato who will only bother you for meals and the occasional pat on the head, this is not the breed for you. With that said, in my experience, Field spaniels have excellent on and off switches. By that, I mean while they enjoy going out on walks, training, dog sports, hikes, and being outdoors with their people, they are very good at being calm in the house without needing copious amounts of exercise. They are excellent house and apartment dogs if you meet their mental and physical needs. I have spent weekends at dog shows and hiking and weekends binging every episode of Avatar the Last Airbender and my Fields are happy to do either. They do not need hours of training or exercise to be happy house dogs. Some days, all they do is play around with each other and we do a training session in the evening. Sometimes we go hike a trail on the weekend. They are always great house dogs.
Trainability: Field spaniels are biddable breed and naturally athletic. They are a tad more independent than the more popular English Springer Spaniel and Cocker Spaniel, but they still enjoy working with their human as long as there is something in it for them. There are Field spaniels currently competing in dock diving, rally, obedience, agility, nose work, barn hunt, tracking, coursing ability races, flyball hunt tests, and just about every other sport, except maybe protection sports and herding. They are great performance dogs and enjoy using their noses and their brains.
Grooming: Grooming will vary amongst different lines, however, Field Spaniels generally require less grooming than their more popular spaniel cousins. All Field spaniels will need their ears cleaned and nail clipped on a weekly basis. From there, you are free to keep your Field Spaniel clipped at a level your prefer.
For show in the United States, Field Spaniels generally have the top third of their ears shaved, feet, head, and feathers cleaned up and shaped, and a good bath and blow out. Field Spaniel grooming is relatively newcomer friendly. I started grooming and showing my own Fields with my only grooming knowledge being cutting nails and cleaning ears. I had the help of amazing people in the breed to help elevate my grooming and continue to learn more every time I groom and show my dogs. The Field Spaniel Society of America also has a grooming section with links to helpful tutorials.
Separation Anxiety: Field spaniels can develop separation anxiety like any other breed. It is important to start kennel training when a dog is young and allow them to spend time by themselves in safe places. Puppies should be introduced to kenneling while with the breeder and the new home builds on that foundation. Crating is essential for safely transporting a dog, seeking health care, and in emergency situations.
Prey Drive: Field Spaniels are a sporting breed and were originally bred to hunt birds. Most Field Spaniels have some form of prey drive as it is necessary for a bird dog. Sniffing out and chasing small critters are often favorite activities. With that said, Field spaniels, when properly trained and introduced, can leave peacefully with a variety of small animals (cats, small dogs, rodents, rabbits, reptiles, chickens, parrots, etc.) and even birds. Supervision, proper introductions, and safe practices will ensure everyone lives happily together.
Dog Aggression/Selectivity? Field are generally dog friendly, but each dog is an individual. My experience has been my Fields love every dog they have met, even dogs that didn't like them. I do know a couple males who are selective about other males, but of the dozen plus Field spaniels I have met, most are dog friendly or neutral.
Human Aggression/Selectivity? Field Spaniels should have absolutely no human aggression and human aggression at any level should not be tolerated. A dog that exhibits any human aggression should be evaluated by a medical and behavioral professional. A well breed, proper specimen of Field spaniel should be stable, easy to handle, and kind. They make excellent family companions and should be patient and loving with dog savvy children. As with any dog, children and Field spaniels should never be left unattended and children should never attempt to ride, hit, crawl on, or otherwise inappropriately interact with a dog.
Some Field spaniels may be selective with the people they want to interact with. That is perfectly acceptable as long as the dog does not display any aggressive or fearful behavior.
General Health: The breed is generally hardy but does have health concerns. All breeding dogs should have their hips, thyroid, heart, and eyes evaluated before breeding. Additional health testing, such as elbows and patellas are recommended as well. There are untestable diseases that may run in certain lines such as epilepsy and auto immune disorders. Please ask any potential breeder if there is epilepsy or autoimmune disorders in their lines and how their breeding decisions are impacted by the disease. Having a history of either disease in the line is NOT a sign of a bad breeder, however, they need to be consciously making breeding decisions to limit the potential risk of these diseases. Breeding is part art and part science. Not every disease is testable and dogs should not be excluded from a gene pool simply because they failed a test. These tests were designed to help breeders make informed decisions.
The average price for a Field Spaniel in 2021 is currently 2000-2500 USD, though there may be breeders who choose to price their puppies higher or lower than the average.
Breeding ethically is not a cheap endeavor and there isn't money to be made. By the time you add training, titling, health testing, veterinary care for the mother and puppies, times spent caring for the litter, the stud fee, and the cost of any potential complications, most of us aren't breeding for money. Most Field Spaniel breeders are breeding to preserve this amazing breed and trying to not go broke while doing it.
While Field spaniels don't often end up available for adoption, they usually end up in the care of the Field Spaniel Society of America Rescue. Please check out the Club's website for potential adoptable dogs. Some breeders may retire a dog from their program or have a puppy that doesn't fit their program's needs, and may offer they up for adoption through their website or social media. Please check out the "KC registered Breed Field Spaniels-Available/Planned Litters" for potential advertisements.
The breeder locator on the Field Spaniel Society of America website is an excellent tool to find a breeder near you. Be prepared that you may be on a waitlist for a year or two depending on what you are looking for in a puppy. The more particular you are on sex, color, and potential (show/hunting/performance) may affect your wait time.
The FSSA also has a breeder referral program. Breeders will contact the referral program when they have a litter and may have available puppies. This may lead to a shorter wait list time.