Boykin spaniel

July 22, 2022 June 21, 2023

Like most spaniels, the Boykin spaniel has an attractive face with soulful eyes and a medium-size athletic body to go with his excellent skills as a hunting companion. His coat is a solid colour of rich chocolate brown and he blends beautifully with his natural surroundings.

Skilled in the field and friendly and loving at home, fans of the Boykin spaniel praise his work ethic and family loyalty in equal measure. He gets along well with other dogs and loves children, and is famously popular around America’s southern states.

History

The Boykin spaniel is a modern dog breed, developed in the early part of the 20th century and purely by fluke. The tiny South Carolina community of Boykin was so named for its founding resident, Whit Boykin. He was an enthusiastic hunter and as a result, he was also well-known for his hunting dog expertise. In 1900, Spartanburg resident Alexander White came across a little brown stray spaniel, adopted the dog as his own and took him out hunting with his other sporting dogs. He was delighted to see that the dog displayed an in-built aptitude for retrieving that rivalled the skill of his pedigreed retrievers. White named the dog Dumpy and decided to ask his hunting partner, Whit Boykin, to help sharpen the little dog’s hunting skills.

Boykin was impressed with Dumpy’s skills, which ranged from flushing and retrieving ducks as well as wild turkeys. His hunting skills were worth duplicating, so Boykin began a breeding programme and crossed him with springer spaniels, retrievers, cocker spaniels, and American water spaniels to eventually land on a breed that encompassed every hunter’s favourite traits in a hunting water dog.

The Boykin spaniel quickly became popular with local Carolina hunters, since he was right at home in the wet and swampy terrain. It was only decades later that news of this small hunter’s companion reached further afield and demand for his enthusiasm and stamina increased.

The Boykin spaniel was recognised by the United Kennel Club (UKC) in the mid-1980s, but only accepted by the American Kennel Club (AKC) as a fully-fledged breed in 2009.

Temperament

The Boykin spaniel’s winning temperament is the main reason for his popularity. In the field, he is focused, versatile and committed; he’s all energy and game and loves his job. At home, he’s gentle and sweet, taking the trait of spaniel ‘merriness’ to a whole new level. Given enough exercise in the yard or field, the Boykin will be relaxed and docile at home – a true housedog who gets along well with his furry and human companions alike.

Health

The Boykin spaniel is generally healthy, but there are certain genetic health conditions that owners should look out for. It’s important that breeders screen their breeding dogs for hereditary conditions and remove positive-tested dogs from the breeding pool. The Boykin is susceptible to:

Orthopaedic issues: Hip and elbow dysplasia; patellar luxation
Eye issues: collie eye anomaly; juvenile cataracts
Heart disease
Pulmonary stenosis
Skin allergies
Hypothyroidism
Degenerative myelopathy
Exercise-induced collapse

Exercise Requirements

The stamina required for fieldwork means that the Boykin spaniel has tons of energy, which he can burn off with daily exercise. This is not a dog for a laid-back family – he is more suited to an active or sporting family who can include their Boykin in most of their activities. He would happily join his humans on running, biking and especially hiking outings, which will meet his athletic abilities head-on. The Boykin spaniel is a natural swimmer, thanks to his webbed toes. He also loves playing (which supports the human-dog bond) and can do exceptionally well in canine sports, which meets his brain and body stimulation needs.

He is compact and athletic as well as very intelligent. He is eager to please, which may make training relatively smooth – just start early and keep it consistent. The Boykin spaniel needs early socialisation with a variety of other animals and people to keep him well-mannered and confident in the company of others.

Grooming Requirements

The Boykin spaniel has a medium-length coat that is easy to brush and maintain. Weekly brushing and the occasional bath will ensure the coat stays in pristine condition. His teeth should be brushed daily, his ears checked weekly (or more often if he’s a regular swimmer) for signs of infection, and his nails trimmed once or twice a month to keep his feet comfortable.