French Spaniel

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French Spaniel
A French Spaniel
Other namesEpagneul Français
French Setter
Canadian Setter
OriginFrance and Canada
Traits
Height Males 55–63 cm (22–25 in)
Females 54–61 cm (21–24 in)
Coat Straight, or slightly wavy and of medium length.
Colour White with brown markings
Kennel club standards
Société Centrale Canine standard
Fédération Cynologique Internationale standard
Dog (
domestic dog
)

The French Spaniel (Epagneul Français) is a breed of dog of the Spaniel-like setter. It was developed in France and Canada as a hunting dog, descended from dogs of the 14th century. Popular with royalty during the Middle Ages, it nearly became extinct by the turn of the 20th century but was saved by the efforts of Father Fournier, a French priest. One of the largest breeds of Spaniel, it typically has a white coat with brown markings. It is a friendly breed that has few health issues, but can be affected by a syndrome called acral mutilation and analgesia. The breed is recognised by Canadian and international kennel clubs but not by The Kennel Club (UK). The American Kennel Club has included the breed in its Foundation Stock Service, the first step to full recognition.

History

A drawing of a French Spaniel being used to hunt Mallards from 1805.

Spaniels were first mentioned in France during the 14th century in

Gaston III of Foix-Béarn's work Livre de chasse, later translated into English as The Master of Game.[1] The French Spaniel was referred to as a specific type of Spaniel by 1660 and was noted as being distinctive from the King Charles Spaniel of the Holland type.[2]

The breed was popular during the Middle Ages with it used for falconry and as a settling dog for net hunting. They became a favourite of French Royalty and Kings and Princes at the royal courts of Versailles favored them over other breeds of hunting dogs.[3] In addition, Catherine I of Russia (1684–1727) was known to have owned a French Spaniel named Babe.[4] During this period, the French Spaniel was known to have split into several regional types.[5][unreliable source?]

Brittany (formerly known as Brittany Spaniel) was developed from crossing French Spaniels with English Setters.[7]

James de Connick established the first breed standard for the French Spaniel in 1891.

Brittany, Picardy and Blue Picardy.[9][10]

Recognition

"A white and black spaniel stands in a field of bright green grass looking off to the right."
A French Spaniel with black markings.

The French Spaniel was little known outside France and neighboring countries until it was introduced in the Canadian province of Quebec in the 1970s. It quickly became a popular dog for hunting woodcock and grouse. The Club de l'Épagneul Français du Canada was formed in 1978 to ensure the French Spaniel would continue to meet breed standards and to pursue official recognition by the Canadian Kennel Club, by which the breed was recognised in 1985.[8]

French Spaniels are also recognized by the

dog shows, such as the Dog Registry of America,[16] American Canine Association,[17] and America's Pet Registry.[18]

To qualify for recognition by the American Kennel Club, a

pedigree (all dogs in those pedigrees must be of the same breed). In addition, they must be geographically spread across twenty states or more, and finally the clubs by-laws and constitution must be reviewed as well as breed observations made by AKC staff. There is a typical stay of between one and three years in the Miscellaneous Class before full recognition is granted. During this time, the breed club must be seen to be active and hold seminars, matches as well as local and national speciality shows.[19] The Kennel Club (UK) does not have a miscellaneous class or foundation stock service, instead it requires British bred dog and three generation pedigrees of them, along with details from the country of origin including the breed standard. This allows listing on the Imported Breeds Register, with full recognition granted at the discretion of the Kennel Club Review Committee.[20]

Description

A brown and white French Spaniel.

The French Spaniel is one of the two tallest spaniel breeds, being taller than the English Springer Spaniel.[3][21] Males can range in height from 22–24 inches (56–61 cm), and females are about an inch shorter. Dogs can range in weight from 45–60 pounds (20–27 kg).[3]

A normal dog has a muscular appearance with a deep chest and strong legs. The French Spaniel has eyes of a dark amber colour, and a thick tail that tapers towards the tip. The hair is medium, dense, with long feathers on the ears, backs of the legs and tail. It has some waviness on the chest and otherwise lies flat on the body. The normal colour of a French Spaniel's

coat is white with brown markings rather in shade from a light cinnamon to dark liver.[3] Historically, the coat was only white with black markings, but the breed was mixed with other colours of Spaniels during the 19th century.[22]

Temperament

The French Spaniel has a friendly and outgoing personality and is well balanced and patient. It is not a naturally aggressive dog, is eager to please and thus can be trained easily. A dog of this breed will form a strong bond with its master, being typically a working dog. It has a high level of stamina and requires vigorous exercise.[3]

Health

The breed is robustly healthy with few issues and adapts well to wet weather conditions.

English Pointer and English Springer Spaniels. Dogs who are affected will lick, bite and mutilate their extremities resulting in ulcers with secondary bacterial infections. Self amputation of claws, digits and footpads can happen in extreme cases. The majority of the initial dogs identified were euthanised within days to months of being diagnosed.[24]

References

Specific

  1. Edward of Norwich, 2nd Duke of York (1909) [15th century]. The Master of Game. Ballantyne, Hanson & Co. p. 195.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link
    )
  2. ^ Wentworth (1911): p. 38
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "French Spaniel Information". Sarah's Dogs. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  4. ^ Knowles Bolton, Sarah (1902). Our Devoted Friend: The Dog. L. C. Page and Company. p. 306.
  5. ^ "Blue Picardy Spaniel Information". Sarah's Dogs. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  6. ^ The Sporting Magazine. Vol. 26. J. Wheble. 1805. p. 41.
  7. ^ "Breed Information: Brittany". Westminster Kennel Club. Archived from the original on 26 February 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  8. ^ a b c d "The French Spaniel Has Been Around a Long Time". Club de l'Epagneul Francais. Archived from the original on 19 October 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  9. ^ "French Spaniels". Irish Field Sports. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  10. ^ "Picardy Spaniel Information". Sarah's Dogs. Retrieved 3 November 2018.
  11. ^ "French Spaniel". Fédération Cynologique Internationale. Archived from the original on 2 March 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  12. ^ "Epagneul Francais (French Spaniel) Revised July 1, 2009". United Kennel Club. Archived from the original on 4 January 2011. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  13. ^ "The Gundog Group". The Kennel Club. Archived from the original on 1 September 2010. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  14. ^ "Meet the Breeds". American Kennel Club. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
  15. ^ Fischenich, Paul. "My search for the perfect dog ended with a Spaniel". Spaniels in the Field. Minnesota French Spaniels. Archived from the original on 6 April 2010. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  16. ^ "DRA - Dog Registry of America". Dog Registry of America. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  17. ^ "ACA Breed Standards F". American Canine Association. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  18. ^ "America's Pet Registry General Questions (FAQ's)". America's Pet Registry. Archived from the original on 25 October 2010. Retrieved 26 October 2010.
  19. ^ "What Does it Take to be an AKC Registered Breed?". American Kennel Club. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  20. ^ "Recognition of new breeds". The Kennel Club. Archived from the original on 19 July 2010. Retrieved 25 October 2010.
  21. ISBN 978-0-7153-2589-6
    .
  22. ^ Wentworth (1911): p. 67
  23. ISBN 978-1-4051-8078-8
    .
  24. PMID 15842538
    .

General

External links

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