French Spaniel

Temperament:

Balanced, Intelligent, Adaptable
Size: Medium
Height: 54-63 cm
Weight: 20-27 kg
Lifespan: 12-14 years
Coat: Medium Hair
Colors: White and brown piebald
FCI Group: Pointing Dogs

This French hunting dog has a wonderful personality. Intelligence and eagerness to hunt, coupled with a pronounced desire to please his humans and his open, loving nature give this four-legged friend the typical characteristics of a spaniel. Find out why this rather unknown furry friend deserves much more attention here.

French Spaniel
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Characteristics

The French Spaniel is an extremely friendly and open-minded dog. He always likes to be with you and has a natural willingness to be subordinate. This makes him easy to train and a pleasant companion in everyday life. The French Spaniel enjoys the company of children and other dogs, which makes it the ideal family dog if kept busy.

This breed is a pointing dog. This means that they work together with the hunter and show him where the game is. Their great eagerness to work, coupled with their willingness to subordinate themselves, makes them ideal hunting partners. They also have a very fine nose, are impervious to bad weather and love to retrieve. Many also have an innate affinity for water.

Although they are wonderful, talented hunting dogs, there is so much more to know about these four-legged friends. If this athletic breed gets enough exercise and is allowed to train its clever head regularly, it is extremely calm and cuddly at home. This is why this affectionate, sensitive and loving four-legged friend is now valued as much more than just a pleasant hunting companion.

This handsome four-legged friend has an elegant, muscular build. It is a medium-sized breed, bordering on the large breeds, with a somewhat rectangular build. The bitches reach a height at the withers of 55 to 59 cm. The slightly larger males reach a height at the withers of 56 to 61 cm. However, the breed standard provides for a tolerance of 1 cm downwards and 2 cm upwards for both. There is no official weight, but most dogs of this breed weigh between 20 and 27 kg.

The French Spaniel has a dense, medium-length coat that is always white with brown spotting. Large patches and small spots are permissible. Only moldy coats are undesirable. The brown ranges from cinnamon brown to dark liver brown. Dogs of this breed are often confused with the Small Münsterländer or the German Longhair and the coat is wavy in many places. On the head, this beautiful dog has a short, silky coat. A white blaze or markings on the head are desirable, but a completely brown face is also permitted according to the breed standard. The chest, the slightly S-shaped tail and the drooping ears are slightly longer. The breed only has brown pigments, so eyes and nose are always brown.

Coat care:

Little
Medium
Intensive

Shedding:

Little
Medium
Intensive

Energy level:

Little
Medium
High

Trainability:

Little
Medium
Good

Children suitable:

Less
With supervision
Perfect

The right food

When choosing food, make sure that it contains high-quality ingredients, is balanced and meets your dog's requirements. Age, size or weight, activity and health status play an important role. You should follow the manufacturer's recommendations for the amount of food.

Treats should only be fed in moderation and deducted from the basic diet to avoid obesity.

Puppies can be fed 4-6 times a day. The number of meals should be gradually reduced to 2 per day until the dog is fully grown. A rest period should be observed after meals.

Fresh drinking water should be available at all times.

Health & Care

Grooming the French Spaniel is simple but important. The medium-length coat must be brushed every one to two days. This removes coarse dirt and dead hair and prevents unsightly tangles in the coat. This is also an opportunity to check the dog for ticks, burrs and injuries.

In general, every dog should be accustomed to being brushed from an early age and should also accept having their claws, ears, teeth and eyes checked.

Only in the case of stubborn dirt should the pretty four-legged friend be bathed. It is essential to use a high-quality, moisturizing dog shampoo. This is gentle on your four-legged friend's skin and coat.

The claws also need to be checked regularly. If they are too long, it hurts when walking and can lead to misalignment. You can trim them yourself or have them trimmed at the dog groomer or vet. Some dogs run so much on hard surfaces such as asphalt that additional shortening is unnecessary. With heavier four-legged friends, however, natural wear and tear works better than with small, light dogs.

With its drooping ears, which are also hairy on the inside, the French Spaniel is prone to ear infections. Moisture and bacteria can quickly collect there and lead to inflammation. That's why you should check their cute ears regularly and clean them with a special ear cleaner.

This beautiful breed is a hunting dog. Daily exercise and mental exercise are therefore essential. Of course, active use as a hunting dog is ideal, but these pretty four-legged friends also prove to be pleasant companions in everyday life with other intensive daily activities for mind and body.

Suitable accessories

The French Spaniel initially needs the same basic equipment as any other dog. This includes a collar or harness with lead, dog basket or mat as a place to retreat, water and food bowl, tick tweezers, claw clippers, mild dog shampoo, brush and comb, toothbrush and toothpaste for dogs, transport box for transportation in the car and a first aid kit for at home. Ask your vet what should be in the first aid kit.

As a sporty hunting dog, he needs a few additional aids. Retrieves are wonderful training objects for practicing retrieving with your dog and incorporating it in a playful way.

Dog liability insurance is also a good idea. In some federal states it is even compulsory. It protects against many accidents that are known to happen unexpectedly.

Origin & History

There are various theories about the exact origin of this breed. What is certain, however, is that these dogs already existed in the 16th century at the court of King Ludwig II. There they were mainly used to hunt birds such as pheasants. Until the 17th century, this beautiful dog was very popular and widespread in France.

With the French Revolution, the French Spaniel almost completely disappeared. From the middle of the 19th century, however, a number of great breed enthusiasts endeavored to spread the French Spaniel again and ensure its preservation. Abbé Fournier, a priest and hunter, was particularly successful in this respect and made a significant contribution to securing the existence of this beautiful pointing dog.

The first breed standard was established in 1891. This was revised several times before the official FCI standard was published in 2008. On 25.06.1955, the French Spaniel was officially recognized by the FCI. Nevertheless, this four-legged friend is still not very widespread in Europe.