French Spaniel

The French Spaniel is a calm and loving dog who will always show care and affection to their owners. They were bred for hunting but are still wonderful family dogs that are good with children and most household pets. They prefer to live in rural areas with plenty of space to run around, if they are kept constantly indoors they become nervous, this does not mean they should be kept in a kennel outside. Keeping French Spaniels outside will make them feel deserted, they love their warm basket in the corner of the kitchen! On holiday, they will happily swim with you in rivers, lakes and even the sea - waves do not scare them in the least. They are a very easy breed to train although certain hypersensitive individuals need to be dealt with care. 

French Spaniels stand around 21-24 inches tall and weigh approximately 48 pounds. They have normal eating habits however they may put on weight if they do not receive enough exercise. Their fur is silky and wavy and is always white with liver markings. It's coat is easy to take care of, a brush once a week should suffice. French Spaniels tend to have a lifespan of about 12-14 years and live healthy lives. Although there are rare cases of eye problems and hip dysplasia.

The French Spaniel was known in the 14th century for use in bird hunting and falconry. It's low setting style allowed the handlers to throw the net over the dog along with the bird hiding in the long grass. This breed almost became extinct if it wasn't for a french abbot during the 19th century who collected the remaining French Spaniels and began breeding them. They weren't heard of much outside France until they were moved to Quebec during the 1970s, where they became very popular for hunting grouse and woodcock.