The noble Field Spaniel — bred for field, born for home.

Bred to be the perfect all-rounder

In mid-1800s England, sportsmen wanted a spaniel larger than the Cocker but smaller than the Springer — low, strong, able to push through dense bramble and retrieve tenderly. Crosses of Sussex, Cocker and Springer types gave us the Field.

By 1892 the Kennel Club separated them. Then fashion nearly killed them: black, long, low dogs fell out of favor. Dedicated fanciers saved the breed in the 20th century — today every Field alive owes them everything.

Velcro soul

Follows you room to room. Leans, sighs, talks. Needs togetherness — not a kennel dog.

Soft & smart

Learns fast, shuts down with harshness. Positive, game-based training unlocks genius.

Steady athlete

Hour-plus exercise + mental work. Calm indoors if worked — bouncy if bored.

Birdy nose

Will quarter, flush and retrieve by instinct. Recall must be trained as a lifestyle.

With kids & pets

Patient, silly, tolerant. Best with respectful kids. Cats OK if raised together; birds — well, it’s a bird dog. Supervise and train “leave it”.

Voice & guarding

Moderate barkers, excellent watchdogs, terrible guard dogs — they’d show the burglar where treats are. Early socialization prevents shyness.

Coat & colors

Liver, black, blue roan, liver roan. Silky, water-repellent, feathered ears, chest, belly. Weekly brushing keeps mats away.

The silky maintenance ritual

Brush 2–3× weekly with slicker + comb, trim feathering and hocks every 6–8 weeks. Clean pendant ears weekly — spaniel ears trap moisture. Bath every 4–6 weeks with mild shampoo. Nails, teeth, paw balm in hunting season.

• Tools: slicker, steel comb, thinning shears, ear cleaner
• Shedding: moderate, worse in spring — deshedding rake helps
• Pro tip: “field cut” — shorter belly feathering for burr country

Robust, but test

Generally healthy 12–14 years. Watch: hip dysplasia, hypothyroidism, ear infections, eye issues (cataracts, PRA), allergies. Demand OFA hips/elbows, CERF eyes, thyroid panel from breeder.

• Weight: keep lean — extra kilos kill joints
• Vet: annual thyroid + ear check
• Insurance: highly recommended for spaniels

Fuel for nose & coat

High-quality protein 26–30%, omega-3 for coat, joint support (glucosamine). 2 meals/day: ~1,200–1,600 kcal depending on work. No free-feeding — Fields love food a bit too much.

90 minutes of purpose

Morning sniff walk 30 min + evening retrieve / quartering drills + 2× week off-leash run. Add nosework, dock diving, or hunting tests. A tired Field is an angel.

House & apartment?

Best with garden, possible in apartment if exercised religiously. Needs human proximity — suffers with long alone hours. Crate-train early, teach settle on mat.

Foundation: name, recall, settle

100 tiny wins daily. Hand-feed for eye contact. Recall = party (never punish coming). Crate = den, not jail. Socialize: 100 people, 50 dogs, traffic, water, gunfire at distance.

Field games

Quartering with two dummies, “hup” (sit to flush), soft-mouth retrieves, place board steadiness. Keep sessions 5 min, always end wanting more. No e-collar pressure early — Fields wilt.

Steady to wing & shot

Introduce pigeons, blank pistol at 100m → closer. Honor another dog’s point. Water retrieves in summer. Test in AKC Spaniel Hunt Tests or BASC working days.

3 golden rules from field-bred trainers

1. Never repeat “come” twice — go get the dog, reward, restart.
2. Let them use nose — 10 min sniffing = 30 min walking.
3. Quit while ahead — one perfect retrieve beats ten sloppy ones.

Common mistakes →

How to choose a field-bred puppy

Meet both parents, ask for hunt test scores, health certificates, and a take-back guarantee. Avoid “rare colors” marketing — temperament first.

Ear care: the weekly 5-minute ritual

Lift, sniff, wipe, dry. How to prevent the #1 spaniel vet visit with cleaner + cotton, not Q-tips.

Recall that survives pheasants

Long line → whistle → jackpot reward. The 4-week protocol our trainers use for bird-obsessed adolescents.