Plate 139 · British Isles
Field Spaniel
田野猎犬
“A show spaniel rebuilt for the field.”
- Origin
- United Kingdom
- England
- Country of origin
- An English breed; the sources name no single place, so the marker is the United Kingdom's reference point.
- The point is a reference position in the country of origin.
- Era
- Late 19th century; rebuilt from the 1960s
- Today
- Gun dog · Companion
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
History
01 · Origin
England
A medium-sized, dark-coated English spaniel, first a show dog, then rebuilt as a working spaniel.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
Flushing and retrieving game birds.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
Bred in the late 19th century as an all-black show spaniel from cocker, Sussex and other crosses, it became exaggeratedly long and low and fell out of favour. From the late 1960s breeders used Cocker and Springer blood to rebuild a longer-legged working dog.
04 · Today
Gun dog · Companion
A rare gun dog and companion.
Personality
- Sweet
- Fun-loving
- Sensitive
- Persevering
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: the AKC’s trait scores as its breed page gives them (the AKC’s 1–5 guidance for owners, not a measurement). Other profiles here use editorial ratings, a different source, so compare across them with care.
- Exercise
- Regular exercise and mental stimulation.
- Grooming
- Weekly brushing; light trimming of head and feet, never body-clipped.
- Training
- A thinking dog: clear communication, rewards and little correction.
Living with one
- Size
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 12–13 years
- Coat
- Single, flat or slightly wavy, glossy coat; black, liver or roan
Field note
A dog called Obo, born in 1879 to a Sussex Spaniel and a Field Spaniel, is seen as the ancestor of the modern English Cocker.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Sporting Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI (Group 8, standard 123), The Kennel Club (UK)
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC: Sporting Group, recognized 1884.
Small in number; reported to be on the Kennel Club's list of Vulnerable Native Breeds. AKC registrations: ranked 148 among breeds in 2025.
Sources3 references
- Field Spaniel — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/field-spaniel/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-14 · Registry status, group, size, life expectancy and registration rank; history as the AKC tells it. Ratings: the AKC's own 1–5 owner-guidance trait scores as the page gives them (energy level, trainability, barking level, openness to strangers, good with other dogs), not measurements.
- Field Spaniel — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Field_Spaniel
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-14 · All-black show origins, Phineas Bullock and Sir Francis Burdett, Ch. Obo (1879), redevelopment, Vulnerable Native Breed status.
- Field Spaniel — FCI breed nomenclature — Fédération Cynologique Internationale
https://www.fci.be/en/nomenclature/FIELD-SPANIEL-123.html
Kennel club · accessed 2026-10-14 · Country of origin Great Britain; Group 8, section "Flushing Dogs"; accepted 1954.
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions. Location note: An English breed; the sources name no single place, so the marker is the United Kingdom's reference point.
