Unspoken words

"I love you."

Field spaniel

It's not your fault if you've never run into a field spaniel.  The AKC rates them as the 140th most popular dog in America.  That's right behind the Xoloitzcuintli at 139.  (Welsh Springer Spaniels are at 124, about where they have been for a while.)

I've now met two in the past two weeks.  They are good looking dogs.  Compact with some substance. Both had beautiful heads and dark brown almond eyes.  Long ears (moreso than the WSS).  Nice sized mitts for a swimming dog.  I can't recall if their tails are docked.  And, like any spaniel, a sweet, quiet disposition.

I look forward to seeing at least one of them in the field.

AmSpan 2014

American Spaniel Club is the oldest flushing spaniel club in the U.S.  

Aki took Larsen around the ring.  Team Larsen did pretty well, finishing non-last ( 3^rd of 4) in the Hunting Dog class (i.e., dogs that have earned at least one hunting title) for WSSs. 

Larsen earned a compliment. The judge said he was in good condition.  Aki said that she used a lot of conditioner on him, and the judge said, no I mean he is rock solid.  These judges feel a lot of dogs and so that is a nice compliment, indeed.

Dog and handler float around the ring.

Aki and Larsen enjoy one another and the event.

2012 breed rankings

Welsh Springer Spaniels clawed their way up from 130 to 125 (out of 175) and 17 out of 24 in the sporting dogs group.  They were nosed out by the newcomer Boykin spaniel and even the Spinoni!  

Zelda's Wisconsin Pass

Another MH leg for the indomitable Zelda.  Cathy reports that she played the clown, as she has been doing of late.

During one recent practice session, she came in step-by-step, ever so slowly.  In another, she placed the bird's wing over her nose, like Humphrey does, and pranced in.  What goes on in her mind?  Or any spaniel's?

The unpopular spaniel

The AKC rankings show that in 2011 the most popular types of dog:

• Pointers (10 breeds with an average rank of 65.2)
• Retrievers (6 breeds with an average rank of 67.0)
• Misc (Schnauzers, Dalmations, and Chinese Crested) (average rank 67.6)

On average, the least popular type of dog as registered at the AKC in 2011 was the merry little spaniel with the 11 breeds having an average rank of 107.2.

Row Labels	Sum of Count	Average of 2011
Guard	27	71.2
Herding	27	99.8
Hound	20	103.8
Hunting	6	75.7
Misc	5	67.6
Pointer	10	65.2
Retriever	6	67.0
Setter	4	99.5
Spaniel	11	107.2
Terrier	34	98.4
Toy	23	69.0
Grand Total	173	87.0

You are here - - no, way down here

AKC dog registration statistics were issued at the end of February of 2012.  Welsh Springer Spaniels are way down here, at 130, and this is a drop of 18 places  from a rank of 112 in 2001.  Labs remain the most popular breed in the land.  Some other points of note:

• American Water Spaniels dropped 33 places from 124th to 157th between 2001 and 2011.
• Irish Water Spaniels dropped 19 places from 131 to 150 between 2001 and 2011.
• Sussex down 16 from 145 to 161.
• Cockers down 13 from 14 to 27.
• Clumbers down 13 from 120 to 133.
• Field down 8 from 133 to 141.
• English up 2 from 27 to 29.
• English cockers up 13 from 76 to 63.

No change analysis for Boykins (ranked 138 in 2011 and 133 in 2010) since they were not part of the AKC analysis in 2001.

	RANKING
BREED	2011	2010	2006	2001
Labrador Retrievers	1	1	1	1
German Shepherd Dogs	2	2	3	3
Beagles	3	4	5	5
Golden Retrievers	4	5	4	2
Yorkshire Terriers	5	3	2	6
Bulldogs	6	6	12	19
Boxers	7	7	7	8
Poodles	8	9	8	7
Dachshunds	9	8	6	4
Rottweilers	10	11	17	11
Shih Tzu	11	10	9	10
Miniature Schnauzers	12	12	10	13
Doberman Pinschers	13	14	21	24
Chihuahuas	14	13	11	9
German Shorthaired Pointers	15	16	20	22
Siberian Huskies	16	18	25	21
Pomeranians	17	15	14	12
French Bulldogs	18	21	36	64
Great Danes	19	17	24	28
Shetland Sheepdogs	20	19	19	16
Cavalier King Charles Spaniels	21	23	27	44
Boston Terriers	22	20	15	18
Maltese	23	22	18	20
Australian Shepherds	24	26	34	35
Pembroke Welsh Corgis	25	27	22	26
Pugs	26	24	13	15
Cocker Spaniels	27	25	16	14
Mastiffs	28	28	32	37
English Springer Spaniels	29	29	26	27
Brittanys	30	30	31	31
Havanese	31	31	38	75
Weimaraners	32	32	30	29
American English Coonhounds**	33	N/A	N/A	N/A
Bernese Mountain Dogs	34	39	41	54
West Highland White Terriers	35	34	33	30
Collies	36	38	37	33
Vizslas	37	41	43	45
Papillons	38	35	35	40
Bichons Frises	39	37	29	25
Bullmastiffs	40	42	40	49
Basset Hounds	41	36	28	23
Miniature Pinschers	42	40	23	17
Newfoundlands	43	44	44	50
Rhodesian Ridgebacks	44	46	54	57
Border Collies	45	47	56	61
Chesapeake Bay Retrievers	46	48	50	41
Akitas	47	49	53	39
Bloodhounds	48	43	45	48
St. Bernards	49	45	39	36
Chinese Shar-Pei	50	50	47	38
Bull Terriers	51	53	61	80
Soft Coated Wheaten Terriers	52	59	62	56
Shiba Inu	53	63	65	55
Scottish Terriers	54	52	42	43
Airedale Terriers	55	54	55	46
Portuguese Water Dogs	56	55	69	78
Whippets	57	60	60	67
Alaskan Malamutes	58	58	57	53
Cairn Terriers	59	56	48	42
Australian Cattle Dogs	60	64	67	72
Chinese Crested	61	57	52	62
Lhasa Apsos	62	62	46	34
English Cocker Spaniels	63	66	74	76
Pekingese	64	61	49	32
Italian Greyhounds	65	67	59	51
Dogues de Bordeaux	66	68	N/A	N/A
Cane Corso	67	51	N/A	N/A
Chow Chows	68	65	64	52
Samoyeds	69	72	76	66
Irish Setters	70	77	68	59
Great Pyrenees	71	71	58	47
American Staffordshire Terriers	72	70	66	63
Dalmatians	73	69	85	58
Belgian Malinois	74	76	90	94
German Wirehaired Pointers	75	73	73	73
Staffordshire Bull Terriers	76	74	80	95
Brussels Griffons	77	80	63	77
Japanese Chin	78	75	72	74
Irish Wolfhounds	79	79	77	86
Border Terriers	80	83	81	87
Cardigan Welsh Corgis	81	84	79	85
Greater Swiss Mountain Dogs	82	88	97	101
Bouviers des Flandres	83	85	86	81
Old English Sheepdogs	84	81	71	68
Silky Terriers	85	78	70	60
Tibetan Terriers	86	90	95	91
English Setters	87	101	98	89
Afghan Hounds	88	86	87	90
Norwich Terriers	89	100	94	99
Flat-Coated Retrievers	90	103	100	98
Standard Schnauzers	91	95	99	97
Wirehaired Pointing Griffons	92	93	105	115
Basenjis	93	89	84	71
Gordon Setters	94	98	88	84
Giant Schnauzers	95	94	83	82
Norwegian Elkhounds	96	106	92	83
Parson Russell Terriers	97	92	75	70
Keeshonden	98	87	93	79
Welsh Terriers	99	105	91	92
Wire Fox Terriers	100	97	78	69
Toy Fox Terriers	101	99	89	N/A
Borzois	102	96	96	88
Leonbergers	103	33	N/A	N/A
Finnish Lapphunds**	104	N/A	N/A	N/A
Schipperkes	105	102	82	65
Cesky Terriers**	106	N/A	N/A	N/A
Nova Scotia Duck Tolling Retrievers	107	107	110	N/A
Belgian Tervuren	108	108	107	106
Black and Tan Coonhounds	109	91	131	125
Neapolitan Mastiffs	110	113	112	N/A
Anatolian Shepherd Dogs	111	109	111	119
Bearded Collies	112	112	104	96
Smooth Fox Terriers	113	110	102	93
Tibetan Spaniels	114	104	101	102
Pointers	115	111	103	100
American Eskimo Dogs	116	114	109	103
Salukis	117	115	116	107
Belgian Sheepdogs	118	116	121	108
Manchester Terriers	119	121	106	105
Norfolk Terriers	120	117	115	114
Australian Terriers	121	123	113	104
Tibetan Mastiffs	122	124	51	N/A
Spinoni Italiani	123	118	117	122
Kerry Blue Terriers	124	120	114	109
Briards	125	125	118	113
Redbone Coonhounds	126	122	N/A	N/A
Miniature Bull Terriers	127	130	129	132
Black Russian Terriers	128	135	134	N/A
English Toy Spaniels	129	126	120	116
Welsh Springer Spaniels	130	127	124	112
Petits Bassets Griffons Vendeens	131	129	119	114
Irish Terriers	132	128	123	110
Clumber Spaniels	133	131	122	120
Bedlington Terriers	134	140	128	118
Lakeland Terriers	135	137	127	126
Bluetick Coonhounds	136	119	N/A	N/A
German Pinschers	137	138	143	N/A
Boykin Spaniels	138	133	N/A	N/A
Affenpinschers	139	136	125	117
Greyhounds	140	139	136	123
Field Spaniels	141	132	126	133
Scottish Deerhounds	142	141	135	121
Icelandic Sheepdogs	143	82	N/A	N/A
Beaucerons	144	153	N/A	N/A
Plotts	145	134	108	N/A
Entlebucher Mountain Dogs**	146	N/A	N/A	N/A
Irish Red and White Setters	147	150	N/A	N/A
Kuvaszok	148	144	130	127
Ibizan Hounds	149	151	138	140
Irish Water Spaniels	150	148	139	131
Pharaoh Hounds	151	156	141	135
Lowchen	152	147	132	134
Swedish Vallhunds	153	142	N/A	N/A
Curly-Coated Retrievers	154	146	137	129
Xoloitzcuintli**	155	N/A	N/A	N/A
Pulik	156	145	140	130
American Water Spaniels	157	143	133	124
Glen of Imaal Terriers	158	157	153	N/A
Polish Lowland Sheepdogs	159	149	142	128
Dandie Dinmont Terriers	160	164	144	141
Sussex Spaniels	161	155	145	145
Pyrenean Shepherds	162	162	N/A	N/A
Sealyham Terriers	163	152	149	142
Skye Terriers	164	160	146	138
Norwegian Buhunds	165	159	N/A	N/A
Komondorok	166	154	148	139
Finnish Spitz	167	158	147	136
Canaan Dogs	168	163	150	137
Otterhounds	169	161	152	147
Norwegian Lundehunds**	170	N/A	N/A	N/A
English Foxhounds	171	167	155	144
Harriers	172	165	154	143
American Foxhounds	173	166	151	146

How a spaniel hunts

Each type of gundog has a particular way of hunting. The fundamental distinction is whether the dog flushes or points.

A pointing dog ranges far and wide in his hunt for the bird. For big running dogs like German Shorthair Pointerse, the hunter might put a GPS on the dog just to find him.

When the pointing dog comes upon a bird, he stops and points. The dog may strike the classic pointing stance: which is front paw raised, nose aimed at the bird, and tail up (if he has an undocked tail). The hunter locates his dog and hikes to him. He then walks up to the bird and the dog, and basically kicks up the bird to shoot it.

(Click on photos to see entire picture.)

A Brittany on point. Photo courtesy of Central New Mexico Brittany Club.

A pointing dog may work for a bird that hunkers down and holds his ground. But some birds, like pheasant, do not hold, they run. In fact, a pheasant, like many galiforms would rather run than fly.

A pheasant hunter wants a close working dog: a dog that hunts within gun range. The dog must aggressively charge into the cover where the bird has hidden itself and give the bird no choice but to fly.

That is what the spaniel does. The spaniel searches the field by quartering in the "halo," or area in front of the hunter that is in reasonable shooting distance. When the flushing spaniel finds the bird, he aggressively attacks and in so doing, sets the bird awing. The dog's snapping jaws provide the incentive for the bird to get out of Dodge.

Stanley demonstrates the spaniel flushing technique.

Gimmee a doggie or a Teddy bear

Or a high school banner for my wall.

Scenes from the Hunting Test

The Hunting Test had a nice variety of flushing spaniels.

(click on the photo to see the whole photo as a slideshow. Photos courtesy of Susan W.)

This 18-month-old Boykin Spaniel earned a Master Hunter leg


Clumber Spaniel


American Water Spaniel


Welsh Springer Spaniel


American Cocker Spaniel


An English Springer Spaniel (pickup dog)


An American Water Spaniel Puppy

Cage match, summer style

It's much too hot to do much horsing around, so Larsen and Caden do the next best thing by wrestling under the picnic table after dinner.

Big muddy

Larsen, not the river to the west of us. Aki's Memorial Day week drive from Atlanta to Chicago, and then on to Cleveland, was in a downpour of cold rain that turned the rich black topsoil of the Great Lakes area into quagmires of mud. Some of the older hardwoods (whose taproots admittedly were gone) had simply toppled over in the muck, producing gaping holes filled with milk-chocolate water.

Larsen loves the driving cold rain. He hit the swamp and immediately began tracking deer, whose tracks were three inches deep in the mud. On a run, he fell into a bole-hole- - completely disappearing under the muddy water before bobbing up and then scrambling out to resume his chase. Need I mention that the little dog had the time of his life?

Larsen looks toward to his next run at Bradley Park in Westlake, Ohio.

Frank appears to be having second thoughts about inviting a muddy spaniel into his Evanston apartment.

Let 'em hunt?

The question posed was whether hunting with a springer involves quartering accompanied by active handling and whistle pips, or just letting the dog hunt. The respondent is a successful springer trainer and has also judged for our Dogwood WSSCA tests. I'm reproducing the response in full for all of our enjoyment and knowledge.

I would say that at times, I am on the whistle with the dog but most of the time, I am just letting the dog hunt.

Quartering is all about searching for game. A dog that does not quarter well will miss game. This is not to be confused with a dog quartering in a methodical windshield wiper pattern over unproductive ground just because the pattern looks nice.

The quartering pattern should also have different "looks" depending on the wind. I am sure this is covered in most training books. I have learned that if I will not whistle, the dog will utilize the wind to its advantage to find birds. This shouldn't be a "taught" skill ... well.. the handler has to be "taught" what to expect and then stay out of the dogs way.

If one of my dogs breaks out of its search routine, then there is a reason it isn't turning or coming back across and it usually means get ready for a bird to flush.

When hunting my woodcock thickets, a nice wiper pattern is not going to be expected. Too many obstacles in the way. However, the dog should cover ground on either side of me. I will walk slower and make sure all the cover has been checked out based on the wind direction and scenting conditions. I want to make sure they at least pass cover on the downwind side. I hunt my dog towards objectives making sure we check out all the likely spots game might be hanging out.

I don't think it is any different than what one should expect from a hunting dog from a pointing breed. I would hope the pointing dog would be covering ground farther away from me than my spaniels. They should search and use the wind in a similar manner.

I would say that most spaniels are natural at quartering (ie covering ground on either side of the handler). There are drills that will help refine the skill but that is just another training drill.

Sometimes it is just this easy.

Clumbers afield

Back, Humphrey.

I said "Back", Humphrey.

(I knew I would find it.)

The season ends

Cathy V, with Humphrey and Zelda, and I, with Larsen, went to Danny's Circle W farm for one last spring practice before the Clumber Spaniel Nationals in Orlando next weekend.

It's spring in Alabama. Danny is out of quail and has given his fields their summer cuts. The fields have no more cover than you would see on your nicely manicured suburban lawn. The only areas with any cover at all seemed to be under water left behind by last Thursday's storms.

I got to the field early to run Larsen. Larsen and I finally found an area with some cover that was relatively dry, or at least not under water. The small area had a profusion of green spring grass and some old cane and many thorns. A nasty site to be sure, but one that might be similar to the Hunt Test grounds in Florida.

Cathy's goal on Sunday was to have a little simple fun with Humphrey and Zelda in this last run before the Clumber Nationals. No e-collars, no real challenges. Just run through the traps in short, fun installments. My goal for Larsen was to continue to work on the to-the-hand retrieve. Both of us were successful, and it put a great end to the season for Larsen and me.

Cathy fretted that Humphrey did not take a straight line in the Hunt Dead, and we both agreed that Humphrey would not take a straight line to his dog bowl. He seems to forget what he was after about half-way out, and then shifts from sight to nose and tracks down the bird. There is no doubt about his finding the bird, and it is not a pig & acorn thing. Humphrey being Humphrey, he believes his nose, and not his lyin' eyes. Who knows what Humphrey will do this weekend. Miss Zelda performed flawlessly and we hope she will add a Master leg to her trophy case.

Larsen and I continued to work the Joe DeMarkis method to get Larsen to crisply bring the bird to hand. (See post at Friday, April 8, 2011.) We made progress, with Larsen bringing the bird to a perfect Junior-level distance and putting the bird down. Finally, when running hunt deads at about 60 yards, Larsen twice brought the bird precisely to hand in a good Senior/Masters delivery.




Larsen finds a good spot for training.


A perfect Hunt Dead.



The promise of an open field.