Original Works of art

The earliest mention of Spaniels in English literature is in the Master of The Game written by Edward Plantagenet, the Second Duke of York between 1406 and 1413, mainly a translation of the 1387 work Livre de Chasse by Gaston, Comte de Foix. It is safe to assume therefore that Spaniels were popular in France and England as early as the middle of the fourteenth century. Over the years, Spaniels were used in hawking, to spring fowl and to retrieve fowl.

Eventually, the Spaniel evolved into several different breeds and by the turn of the century, The English Cocker Spaniel, The English Springer Spaniel, The Field Spaniel, and The Sussex Spaniel were well established.

The English Springer Spaniel was only recognized by The Kennel Club as a separate breed in 1902. Even then, what we think of today as Cockers and Springers were found in the same litter, the only difference being size. They had the same heritage, similar colorings and general type and the same hunting skill.

While many early paintings seem to depict the Cocker or the Springer, they can be said to illustrate an ancestor of many of the modern-day Spaniels.