The english springer spaniel is the oldest of all spaniel breeds and people thinks it to be also other field spaniel breed's forefather (except the clumber spaniel). Spaniel as it self is very old breed type. It is alleged to be the oldest European dog breed, but the reason to this is that it is the first breed which is named with its present name in one law book (Howel Dda Lowen year 948). In this Welsh law collection there is a chapter concerning dogs price, where is mentioned the following sums (these prices we can't say to be very democratic):
- King's spaniel's price is 1 £ (pound)
- Prince's spaniel's price is 1 £ (pound)
- Baron's spaniel's price is 6 pennys
- Worker's spaniel's price is 4 pennys
This old law book tells us that in 1000th century in Wales there was not only spaniel. It tells the spaniels were very valued, so it was necessary to mention about them in the law. But from where did this divine breed come from? From what has it developed of? There is many theories. Some experts claims the breed to come from Spain (because of the same kind of name: Spanish, spaniel). Other experts claimst the breed's name be connected to one word from Karthago "span", which has meant wild rabbit (and they tell the breed has had its name from rabbit hunting). As you might have noticed, this is not very believable story (just a coincidence).
Rome's dominion was very wide and when the Roman warriors brought the trophies with them from the conquered countries, it is not likely, that any breed would have been bypassed. Despite this there is no mentions about the spaniels in Roman literature. England was captured by Rome over 300 years and it is not very believable, that the Englishmen could have hade time or desire to create a new dog breed right after the Roman went away from England. So there is only one choise lect: spaniel is an original Welsh dog breed. Also the name of the breed tells us this, because the welsh springer spaniel has been known very long time.
There is a reason to belive these original spaniels have affected also to the born of the English chicken dog breeds. For example all of the cocker spaniel's colours are appears in three setter breeds.
Until the end of the 1400th century there was next mention about spaniels. A very famous English chronicler Chaucer wrote about one loose attractive woman: "She run toward his huspand like a spaniel.". At the same time the breed was known not only in England, because the French baron Gaston de Foix (which pieces of land was located neat the border to Spain) is telling about spaniels in his book Miroir de Phoebus (Livre de Chasse). He writes:
"There is knows also other kind of dog called falconry dog or spaniel, which is from Spain, even if it is known in other countries".
It is obscure how the breed ended to Spain. Maybe the Norman grandees took them with them to their Crusades. Knight's inseparable companion was his dog (Spanish knights were famous hunters and Spanish pointer is English pointer's origin). Other possibility is that the spaniels found its way from Wales to Spain as a market product. Well, this is rather unlikely, because in that time the volume of trade was not very big between these two countries.
Anyhow Gaston de Foix is patently wrong when he says the likeness of the names means the breed is original Spanish. The old law book Howell Dda Lowen is a sufficient evidence of this. Anyhow Gaston de Foix has written a lot of interesting things about spaniels:
"Good falconary dog should have a big head and big body. Its colour should be light, because light coloured dogs are normally the best. Good spaniel's coat may not be too wire-haired, but the top coat should be firm. The temperament of these dogs should include a big love to their masters and they should follow this master without losing his footprints. They are good to have when hunting water birds, because they swim well and can follow diving birds."
Man has hunted from the 1200th century with dogs like springers. In the 1500th century the breed had already a balanced place in English Palace and in later Palace accounts is mentioned often the costs of caring king's spaniels. For example when Henrik VIII was the king "Robin, the dog keeper of the majesty" had every year money for getting "the fabric made of horsehair, which was used to dry up the spaniels".
In 1600th century spaniels were divided in two groups: land and water spaniels. Land spaniels were subdivided to flushing and pointing spaniels. Flushing spaniels are forefathers to present day spaniels and pointing spaniels are forefathers to present day setters.
From 1600th and 1700th century paintings is found dogs just like the present english springer spaniels (some of the dogs even with the truncated tail). That time's spaniels were very different size and type from each other. This is not very odd, when you think the present different breeds. Until the year 1803 there is found a detailed description of dog's appearance in "The Sportsmans Cabinet" publication. The writer separates spaniels in two main groups: the bigger is springer spaniel and the smaler is cocker or cocking spaniel (which includes many spaniel breeds). The biggest of these different "cockers" came from Sussex and it was called as sussex spaniel. The smallest of the cockers was called as "Blenheim" as the duke of Marlborough's castle. There was no toy breed spaniels at the time and it is not sure why they have the name of king Charles.
"Springer" did not initially mean the breed name, only the working habit; dog found the birds and chased them to the air, when the hunter could shut the birds or let the falcon free. There is no evidences from retrieving with spaniels until the middel of the 1900th century, only finding and chasing. Only the later generation hunters understood to use this ability of the hunting spaniels (which might be the best ability of them!).
In 1900th century and the beginning of the 2000th century the smallest dogs of the litters where used to hunt woodcocks in Great Britain. These dogs were called as "cockers". The bigger ones were used to chasing and they were called as "springers". Despite of the long history of this breed, it was not marked to the stud book until 1902. The first breed association was founded before this marking in 1885 (in England, The Spaniel Club). Most of the spaniel breeds were accepted already in 1890, but both of the springer spaniels had to wait to be accepted 12 years after this. When english springer spaniel was accepted also the name of the breed changed from norfolk spaniel to english springer spaniel.
Breeding work of english springer spaniel started in 1900th century. After the 1750th century the breed was known as a Norfolk Spaniel or Field Spaniel. There was a time when the duke of the Norfolk had very good dogs of this breed, so this might be the reason why the breed had this calling name, but it is sure that before the year 1902 springer was known as a working dog in England (not in county of Norfolk). The first show, where springer spaniel had their own class was arranged in 1903. First field tests to springers were in 1899.
First springer kennel in England was Aqualate (breeder Mr. Thomas Boughey) and it was founded in 1812. Also other breeders of the breed started already in the late 1800's and and early 1900's (well, you may say they are also the founders of this breed). Other famous breeders of the breed history were for example W. Arkwright, Hugo Fizherbert and C. C. Eversfield. The springers bred by these kennels are forefathers to most of the present english springer spaniels. The Kennel Club of England recognized this breed in 1902.
The American Kennel Club recognized the breed in 1910. Maybe the most known early springer kennel of North America was called Avandale, which was founded in 1914. The English Springer Spaniel Club of Canada was founded in 1922 and one of the founders was the breeder of kennel Avandale Mr. Chevier.
The population of the english springer spaniels in Sweden has developed after the second world war and the interest in breed growed not before than in 1960's. In Sweden the breed is still very popular.
1930-luvulla alkoi ilmestyä eroja eri rotutyyppien välille eli alkoi muodostua metsästylinjaiset ja näyttelylinjaiset koirat. First hunting type english springer spaniels came to Finland in 1985 from Sweden, but the first dogs of the breed came to our country already in the 1930s (Mr. Väinö Donner). In 1923 some dog where imported from England, German and Scotlan. After wars the popularity of the breed was going down, but again in the 1960th century it started to be more popular. Breeding dogs has imported mostly from Great Britain, Sweden and Norway. To North America the breed was imported in 1907 (and first registration of the breed was in 1910) and after that the breed has became a very popular hunting dog there and it has a very good hunting dog reputation there.
One of the main reason to the good mental health of this breed is that english springer spaniel has not been the very popular breed. This has enabled the quality and contolled breeding.
If you are interested in your springer's forefathers and your dog's forefathers are from England, you really should visit kennel Lochindorb's homepage at www.lochindorb.demon.co.uk. There is hundreds of pedigrees of English Champion springers!!