One of a modest number of AKC - recognized stock to be wholly developed within the 20th century , the Boykin spaniel is a smart as a whip , energetic , all - American dog with an eye toward hunting and water retrieval .
One of the few breeds to be developed completely within the United States and entirely after the routine of the 20th one C , the Boykin spaniel is a unexampled kid on the dog block A South Carolina native , the Boykin spaniel was developed as a hunting watch custom - build for the squashy American southeast .
Delightfully spirited companions , these spaniel aresuper healthy , eager to please , and gumptious . Their highly adaptable nature makes them bully pets in almost any environment — as long as they get enough usage . great as hunter and as family phallus , they ’re skilful at obedience , nimbleness , and recovery competition employment as well .
Courtesy of oski.theboykin / Instagram
Appearance
Adult Boykin spaniels stomach 14–18 inches magniloquent and commonly slant the scale between 30–40 hammering , placing them between theEnglish cockerandEnglish springer spanielsin damage of size . Boykins are solid - colored , appear in hot chocolate , liver , and brown shades , now and again with a dab of white on their chests . Their middle are likewise dark - colored , most usually in dark-brown or amber tones .
Boykins ' coats are of average duration , and the dogs carry thick undercoats to help keep them fond and ironic in cold , damp areas . Their coats may have some fledge on the chest , leg , belly , and pinna , and some Boykins have a top knot , like to the Llewellin typographer . Additionally , they have special web foot that make them fantabulous piss retriever .
At birth , Boykins occur with tail that are approximately the same length as their consistency , but forhunting dogs , these are usually docked shortly after birth . This exercise is controversial , and advocate say it ’s to prevent the longer tails from getting capture or wound on underwood or trees in the field of honor . But , accord to the American Veterinary Medical Association , docking is normally done for ornamental intellect and has no proven health benefit .
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Temperament
Boykin spaniels ' temperaments are like to those ofmost of their spaniel cousins : They are super intelligent , eager to please , and full of energy . They share the adaptability of English cocker spaniel and can do well in most any live environs , provided their practice needs are meet . If you ’re not a hunter , example can be as dewy-eyed asa long take the air every dayor some timeplaying fetch in the backyard . Boykins have unbelievable stamina and make greathiking , biking , andjogging companionsas well .
That vigor and strenuosity also mean Boykins are enthusiastic participants in agility , hunting , and obedience competitor . They also love anything that allow them tosplash around in water . According to theBoykin Spaniel Society , one of the traits the Boykins were developed for was the power to hunt from a boat . As a upshot , these " swamp poodle dog " aregreat passenger in canoes and kayak , with a well - bring in repute for ride out equanimity on displace decks and not , well , sway the boat .
" Boykin spaniel are very multitude - oriented ; they ’re very friendly , " says Timothy Bartley ofR & D Boykin Spaniels . " They need to be around people . They do n’t want to be leave alone ; even if you take your dog out to the backyard , if you do n’t ride out with the dog they ’re conk out to be inquire where you ’re at . "
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Because of Boykins’extremely loyal , human - centric personalities , those who are left by themselves often can become stressed and solitary , experiencingseparation anxietythat most commonly manifests itself through chew , digging , andstress barking .
Like the absolute majority of spaniels , Boykins will always let you know when a delivery individual or neighbor is approaching . Once a fledgeling is inside the house , Boykins are welcoming host and will recognize their guests with tail shake and doggy kisses .
If you are a hunting watch , it ’s difficult to receive a better companion than this littlebrown dog . Boykins were originallybred to be turkey and waterfowl retriever , hunt the swamps of South Carolina from compressed - bottomed boats or canoes . They hold their cool around gunfire and learn and respond to handwriting and whistle signals well . Their exceedingly high-pitched stamen and permissiveness for warm weather have also made them fantabulous comrade in dove domain , and their upper and avidness for the hunt has even made them effective at driving bombastic game like deer .
Photo by Holly Martin. Courtesy Timothy Bartley.
Living Needs
Can you throw a chunk ? Does at least one of the doorway in your house go alfresco ? Congratulations ! You ’ve got everything you need to make a Boykin spaniel well-chosen . Boykins develop mysterious bonds with their people and will happily go where their man go and live where they survive , just so long as they can get outside and puzzle out off some of that energy every 24-hour interval .
" you may have a Boykin on a cattle ranch , you may have a Boykin on a farm , you may have a Boykin in a home , you canhave a Boykin in an flat , " Bartley says . " It does n’t weigh as long as every day you ’re capable to take them out and give them what a Boykin spaniel needs . They necessitate to be capable to run and chase and recall things . "
Boykins are leisurely enough to keep happy that they ’re agood fit for novitiate pet owners . But it ’s important to note that Boykins will require an time of day or two out of doors every solar day , and they get bored easy when not manage . For this reason , lounge potatoes may want to look elsewhere , as Boykins are definitelysuited to fighting households .
Courtesy of oski.theboykin / Instagram
That say , Bartley pronounce Boykins are n’t " a constant hyper frump " and are typically very high house puppy who are happy to lounge on the sofa and watch a motion picture with their owners ( again , as long as they catch to exercise earlier in the day ! ) .
They do very well inhouseholds with minor , although any youngsters should also be manage andtaught how to responsibly play with their firedog . Boykins know well with other dogs and , when introduced patiently , dwell with computerized tomography should n’t be a trouble either . If you are beget a Boykin spaniel pup , commence socializing herwithin the first few calendar month so she is n’t afraid of larger dogs and sympathize Arabian tea are friends .
Care
The Boykin ’s coat feature a thickset undercoat , soseasonal shedding will be a factorno matter what you do . Give your spaniel’scoat a near brushingat least once a week to keep it free of debris and matt and to take away any loose hairs . If you ’re a Orion or tramp , give the coat a quick pre - brush before any activity will aid keep her pelt from clinging on to burrs and sticks . And any meter your Boykin has been splashing around in seawater or ponds with alga , give her a freshwater spray - down soon after .
Paired with regular brushing , Boykins can suffer to be reduce every couple of calendar month or so , count on how long you keep her hair . Giving her a bathevery 90 mean solar day or so should be plenty to keep any Boykin new and shiny . And , like all dogs , she ’ll require hernails trimmed , teeth brushed , andears cleaned .
Health
Boykins arerelatively level-headed dogswith very low example of many of the ailments that are common to other wiener . There are , however , some health business to be cognizant of .
accord to the spawn ball club , Boykins are susceptible to :
Keep in mind : This list does n’t mean your Boykin spanielwilldevelop these term . Rather , these are wellness issues to test and stay vigilant for . Because the breed is so newfangled , that number of ill has been dropping in recent old age as the Boykin Spaniel Foundation has work with breeders and veterinarians on selectively breeding these trait , such as coxa dysplasia , out of the hound .
" We ’ve created all of these dog cover through selective breeding , " say Dennis Riordan , DVM , of theRiordan Pet Hospitalin Des Moines , Iowa . " The only way you could assure specific traits is to selectively multiply dogs . Until those breed are ' perfected , ' for deficiency of a better intelligence , you ’re going to concentrate those ( bad ) genes as well . "
As for EIC , " They get overheatedor overwork , and they just sink , " Riordan explains . " It ’s not a capture , but they just ca n’t move their legs for about 15 minutes . Some dogs arise out of it , some firedog have it from birth , but it does n’t appear to affect life pair or overall health . It ’s just something that owners have to be aware of . "
Before bring home a Boykin spaniel pup , your stock breeder should carry on all health test recommended by theBoykin Spaniel Foundation . If you ’re adopting , ask the rescue for all useable health information on your Boykin .
History
The Boykin spaniel has the distinction of being one the few breed created totally within the 20th century and entirely in America . They are also one of the most of late register stock ; the American Kennel Club gave Boykins full recognition in 2009 .
The first precursor to the breed was a small , stray spaniel - type andiron who took a liking to a Spartanburg , S.C. , banker mention Alexander White as he was walking near his church one day in the other 1900s . According to Charleston Magazine , White kept the little blackguard , whom he named Dumpy , and noticed he had an aptitude for retrieving . So he post Dumpy for further training to his friend and trace cooperator Lemuel Whittaker Boykin in the neighboring townsfolk of Camden . Boykin spent time preparation Dumpy and test his lifelike hunting abilities , turning him into a very effective dud and waterfowl retriever . finally , Dumpy became the foot upon which the Boykin spaniel breed was build .
Boykin reported usingChesapeake Bay retriever , springing cow spaniels , English cocker spaniel spaniels , andAmerican water spanielsin future breeding . For decades , the Boykin spaniel was almost entirely found in the swampy wetlands in South Carolina , until hunting watch visiting from other parts of the country began to take observance of the area ’s spunky little pee frump .
