THE VERSATILE POINTING DOG BY EXCELLENCE

HISTORY

The french spaniel is the most antique pointer race. It is the famous middle age "chien couchant" which was used for net hunting. It was used during the 17th century in versaille to hunting partridges and pheasants as we can see in the Desportes and Oudry paintings. English dogs replaced them in the 19th century.It was almost unexistant when the priest Fournier gathered in his Saint-Hilaire kennels the few dogs having the ancient type; he rebuilt good dogs linages that are the first representatives of those we have now.

THE FRENCH SPANIEL: A HUNTING DOG

Very clever for hunting, the french spaniel is calm, flexible, methodical, keeping his nose up while hunting, taking back well, almost naturally into water and on the ground, being gentle when grasping the game. It stops perfectly any game, good anywhere, plaines, woods, swamps, it is at ease in both the brambles and the iced water. Having a stong health, it bears cold and bad weather. Because of its cleverness it adapts quickly to the way its owner hunts. Recently it shows up in fields-trial where competitioning with other dogs it wins successfully. Its intellectual, moral, and physical qualities makes it an excellent useful hunting dog.

The french spaniel is gentle and likable. It is strongly tied to its owner developing fully its qualities when living with him. When adult it adapts very slowly to changing ownership. Regarding its faithfulness and cleverness it can be compared to the poodle. It is very patient with children liking playing with them without hurting. It can signify the presence of strangers without biting but recognizes a family member even after months away. Despite its tallness it is the perfect companion of the housekeeper. Its calmness in the appartment makes it less disturbing than any noisy toy dog.

 

 

FRENCH SPANIEL WORKING STANDARD

In order to establish the working standard of the french spaniel, which means its best field behaviour, both caracter and morphoogical constitution features are to be considered.

It must remain a continental dog no matter if other 7th group race dogs have evolved differently to respond to a more sport like behaviour.

Being gentle and intelligent, it necessitates a minimum of training and supports very badly brutality. It is very adaptable, hunting into woods, plaines, and swamps. It hunts any type of game, fether ones as well as hairy ones such as hare, deer, and some boars.

The french spaniel is line-shaped which provides him with unremitting and sparing effort. Moreover it is not convenient to ask him excessive fastness that would overpass its capabilities.

Being semitrotter and barely galloper, it must ensure a sustained and easy gallop in an easy field while expressing an eager and a passion when searching. Nontheless in a covered field we can tolarate a more moderated alternated pace as well as during a justified and decisive closing.

The french spaniel is an instinct-hunter. When it makes sudden inswerves or comes back to an already passed place that means it perceives a smell and comes back to control so that no game can escape. The ground controls when breif and justified could not be considered as a fault. On the contrary, it traces instinctively to recover its hurted game. That is the reason why it is one of the best retrievers.

The head must not be immutably high but variable. It must get the smell where it is located in any condition.

The stopping is firm but without exageration. It expresses self-control.

In summary, the french spaniel will have the behaviour of a flexible and sensitive dog having convenient paceness without excessive stress so to be responsive to its user's expectation.

Nota: These caracteristics are at a desirable level. Nontheless one can consider the dog at high performances as far as the style remain french spaniel.