Well boys hate to be barer of bad news but at one point in history your beloved springer spaniels, lewellin setter, etc were all considered mutts too.
I failed to note in my sarcastic response above that this post is simply incorrect.Or if it is correct it's been hundreds of years since anyone ever considered them "mutts". Nearly all the spaniel types in existence today are bred from other spaniel lines originating out of the Norfolk or Shropshire Spaniel.And nearly all were bred by royalty,with the price for possession by a non-blue blood being death.They have been carefully bred for probably 500 years. Also Springers and Cockers used to come from the same litter. Which would be considered a mutt?
A quote on Spaniel history:
English physician Dr. John Caius described the spaniel in his book the Treatise of Englishe Dogs published in 1576. His book was the first work to describe the various British breeds by function.[19] By 1801, Sydenham Edwards explained in the Cynographia Britannica that the land spaniel should be split into two kinds, the Springing, Hawking Spaniel, or Starter, and the Cocking or Cocker Spaniel.
And now one regarding temperament which seems to back up my statement about the spaniel being the perfect sporting/family dog:
The typical Springer is friendly, eager to please, quick to learn and willing to obey. An affectionate and easy-going family dog, its alertness and attentiveness make it the ideal hunting companion. The English Springer Spaniel ranks 13th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs, considered an excellent working dog. It has exceptional stamina and needs moderate amounts of activity, to focus its mind and to provide exercise, although this is different for each dog. English Springers need plenty of exercise in order to run off their excess energy. Its long-legged build makes it among the fastest of the spaniels.
It is a sociable breed that enjoys the company of children and handles the company of other pets well, except birds, however they can become aggressive to other dogs of the same sex. If left alone for too long, they can become destructive and mischievous through boredom. They love the water, and tend to get wet whenever they have the chance.
Nice post above on the Visla! You can tell by looking at a Visla that it is an ancient breed,but I had no idea. Thanks for the education.
