Field spaniels are living proof that a breed can be brought back from the brink of extinction. They are also living proof that a breed can be brought back from disastrous manipulation caused by the dictates of fashion. In other words, thanks to a group of hard-headed breeders who loved this breed and believed it could be restored to its early status as a thoroughly capable field dog that also exudes regal elegance and grace, the field spaniel is a survivor.

The breed was developed in the 1800s from crosses with the English cocker, the Sussex and the English water spaniel as a flushing and retrieving dog that, with its added height and bone structure, was supposed to supplant the other existing spaniels as an all around field dog. This new breed lived up to expectations for several years until disaster struck in the form of dog shows. Almost in an eyeblink the show dog people turned the breed from a fine, handsome hunting dog to such an ungainly, cumbersome animal that one critic in that era said it could only hope to survive if it sprouted a third set of legs to hold up its sagging belly.

So unpopular was this "improved" field spaniel that by the end of World War II the breed was almost extinct. But in the late 1950s, there were still enough field spaniel lovers that a major effort was made to restore the breed to its former conformation and field ability.

Crosses with the English cocker and the English springer resurrected the breed as a capable gun dog that was also easy on the eyes.

While this is a breed that has something of an independent streak, they are, according to those who hunt with them, fairly easy to train. "While I have had some that required persuasion to be steady due to their eagerness to 'get the bird,' most have taken to training exercises quite well and have not been difficult to train," said Becki Jo Hirschy, who owns Ch Calico's Moving Picture CDX RN MH WDX ("Major"), the first champion and master hunter in the breed.

"I do think they may mature mentally a bit later than the field-bred English cocker or the springer," she continued. "Some can be sensitive and we used this to advantage with one bitch. If you put her on a leash and walk her off the field without a word this is the worst thing that can happen and she will avoid repeating the mistake.

"Young dogs also can turn off their ears when they hot on a bird but I don't consider that being tough to train. This just means they have a lot of desire and you have to try a different approach. "

"You need a good foundation in obedience and then training for the field is not difficult," said Karen Balinski. "Most people who have had training issues with a field spaniel have had these problems because they failed to do basic obedience and retrieving training. The field offers a lot of temptations for a dog so basic obedience is a must.

"I often ask people if they can call their dog off a tennis ball in the backyard. When they answer 'no' I then ask why they would expect a dog to be called off a bird in the field. Training is a lot easier if you start right away with a puppy building the foundation work, but if an adult is really birdy, they will quickly catch on to what you want them to do."