Spaniels were first mentioned in France during the 14th century in
Gaston III of Foix-Béarn's work
Livre de chasse, later translated into English as
The Master of Game. The French Spaniel was referred to as a specific type of Spaniel by 1660 and was noted as being distinctive from the
King Charles Spaniel of the Holland type. The breed was popular during the Middle Ages with it used for falconry and as a settling dog for net hunting. They became a favourite of French Royalty and Kings and Princes at the royal courts of Versailles favored them over other breeds of hunting dogs. During this period, the French Spaniel was known to have split into several regional types.
The Sporting Magazine wrote of the French Spaniel and the hunting of
mallards in 1805, "The rough French Spaniel has been found the best companion on these occasions: he watches the conduct of the sportsman, and, with a velocity unequalled, darts on the wounded prey, presents it with all possible speed at the feet of his master." In the 1850s, the
Brittany (formerly known as Brittany Spaniel) was developed from crossing French Spaniels with
English Setters. James de Connick established the first breed standard for the French Spaniel in 1891. The modern French Spaniel is one of a group of recognised French Spaniels, including the
Brittany,
Picardy and
Blue Picardy.
Recognition The French Spaniel was little known outside France and neighboring countries until it was introduced in the Canadian province of
Quebec in the 1970s. It quickly became a popular dog for hunting
woodcock and
grouse. The Club de l'Épagneul Français du Canada was formed in 1978 to ensure the French Spaniel would continue to meet breed standards and to pursue official recognition by the
Canadian Kennel Club, by which the breed was recognised in 1985. and the
United Kennel Club.
The Kennel Club (UK) and the
American Kennel Club do not recognize the French Spaniel, but is recognised by the
North American Versatile Hunting Dog Association, and can be registered with US dog registries in order to record their registries and compete in associated
dog shows, such as the
Dog Registry of America,
American Canine Association, and
America's Pet Registry. To qualify for recognition by the American Kennel Club, a
national breed club must first be established and a written request needs to be sent to the AKC along with a
breed standard. This enables qualification for the
Foundation Stock Service. The next step is to qualify to compete in the Miscellaneous Class. This requires a minimum of one hundred active members in the national breed club, along with a minimum of three to four hundred dogs in the United States with a three generation
pedigree (all dogs in those pedigrees must be of the same breed). In addition, they must be geographically spread across twenty states or more, and finally the clubs by-laws and constitution must be reviewed as well as breed observations made by AKC staff. There is a typical stay of between one and three years in the Miscellaneous Class before full recognition is granted. During this time, the breed club must be seen to be active and hold seminars, matches as well as local and national speciality shows. The Kennel Club (UK) does not have a miscellaneous class or foundation stock service, instead it requires British bred dog and three generation pedigrees of them, along with details from the country of origin including the breed standard. This allows listing on the Imported Breeds Register, with full recognition granted at the discretion of the Kennel Club Review Committee. == Description ==