Russian hunting spaniel

Russian hunting spaniels can be safely called the pride of Russian cynology. The breed, having appeared three hundred years ago, almost immediately gained popularity among hunters and ordinary dog ​​breeders - the dog turned out to be good not only in work, but also in ordinary life. Of course, when hunting lost its prevalence, the number of working individuals decreased, but lovers of dogs of the Russian hunting spaniel breed did not allow it to die out completely. These animals are successfully used by the military and police to search for weapons, explosives, drugs. In addition, smart, compact dogs have turned into excellent companions.

Origin of breed

For several centuries, Russian hunters had no choice, since the spaniels they liked were immigrants from Europe, and their work technique was not entirely suitable for local lands. But dogs had a lot of advantages, so they were used for work.

A little later, the idea came up, to take the basis of the English Cocker Spaniels and create their own breed, representatives of which could perfectly hunt on Russian lands. Springer and susek were also used in breeding, but nevertheless, the resulting offspring outwardly resembled more spaniels than dogs of other species.

By 1949, the breed was maximally refined, and the world was replenished with another hunting dog - the Russian hunting spaniel. After a couple of years, the first standard was approved. And although breeders returned to the issue of improving pedigree qualities, since 1972 its representatives stopped mating with other dogs.

Unfortunately, domestic spaniels did not receive recognition from the International Cynological Association, but as for the RKF, this organization deservedly appreciated the work of domestic breeders.

Description of the breed Russian hunting spaniel

Purebred representatives are medium-sized, elongated dogs, lean and muscular, with long hair. But in fact - these are beautiful, charming dogs, when you look at which you understand - such a dog is a serious hunter, assistant and companion.

Russian spaniels are distinguished by courage, loyalty, friendliness, they are easily trained and not conflict. In dogs, gender is pronounced - in females the back is slightly longer, and the skull is narrower.

Adult individuals weigh from 10 to 18 kg, male growth is 40-45 cm, bitches do not exceed 43 cm. In the standard you can find the following description of Russian hunting spaniels:

1. The head is of medium size, proportional to physique, covered with tight-fitting skin, without wrinkles. The length of the skull and muzzle is almost the same, the back of the nose is straight, it smoothly continues the forehead line.
2. The muzzle narrows to the nose, ending in a U-shaped. Lips neat, tight-fitting, fully pigmented in black. They completely cover the lower jaw, but not the chin area.
3. The jaw is equipped with a complete set of teeth - even, white, creating a scissor bite without gaps. The standard allows only such a bite, the rest are a serious vice.
4. The nose is wide, flat, mobile, the nostrils are well opened. The color of the earlobe depends on the general color of the animal or the existing marks - it can be black or any brown tone.
5. The eyes are medium, oval, set moderately deep, the iris is brown - the shade depends on the color of the coat. The look is expressive, friendly.
6. The auricles are long, of medium thickness, hanging down, located on the moving cartilage.
7. In dogs of this breed, the torso has a rectangular format, the back line descends. Females may not have a tilt from the withers to the croup. The skin is tightened, with good elasticity, does not create wrinkles, not loose.
8. The neck is proportional, well muscled, the scruff is moderate. The chest is not very spacious, deep, the ribs are springy.
9. The back is broad, muscular, passes into a raised lower back, not very long, the croup is muscular, with sloping. The inguinal line is well toned, but without dryness.
10. The limbs are strong, the joints are strong, but lack some coarseness. The forelimbs have dry muscles, they are located directly, spaced slightly wider than the extreme line of the sternum.
11. The hind limbs are wider than the forelegs, the thighs are long, with pronounced muscle tissue, powerful hock joints and sheer metatarsals.
12. For working individuals, the procedure for removing dewclaws is mandatory.
13. The tail is very mobile to prevent injury to the pet during operation, the tail is stopped by 50%, but today this procedure is not mandatory. Docked tail is not an advantage when evaluating the exterior of an animal. The spaniel carries the tail in line with his back, and when the dog is excited, he can rise a little higher.

Possible colors

The standard clearly identified the colors of the representatives of this breed. Dogs can be:

• monochromatic - with brown, red, black hair;
• tan: brown with black tan;
• two-tone: red-pinto, brown-pinto, black-pinto;
• tricolor: black-pinto and brown-pinto with tan.

All other shades of the coat are attributed to defects. Rare are Russian hunting spaniels with black or plain brown fur. Experienced breeders determine puppies with a similar color almost immediately, knowing several features.

The nature of the breed

As practice shows, not all representatives of hunting breeds are comfortable in everyday life. Often the dog, which in the work shows excellent qualities, the rest of the time can live exclusively in the aviary. But this does not apply to Russian spaniels, they are smart, complaisant and called to live side by side with a person.

Such a pet is very attached to the owner and loves to accompany him, and the dog will not interfere and impose. Like all spaniels, Russian hunters love water - splashing in the local pond is a real pleasure for them, so do not deprive the pet of simple joy.

If the dog restrains himself in a private house, then you can let him out to the house territory, only having to close the entrance. Doggie will be able to independently entertain himself, running and frolic in the fresh air.

Russian Spaniel is an ideal pet for families with children. Quite often, an animal establishes a strong bond with the child - friendship for life. They will surely have common interests - games, running around, in addition, the dog will be happy to carry out the commands of a small owner.

When purchasing a spaniel puppy, one should take into account his strong hunting instincts. He will consider birds, rodents, and other small animals as prey. But the spaniel will not conflict with other dogs, as well as with cats. But it’s better not to enter another cat’s territory - a doggie will surely drive them away.

Education and training

The Russian spaniel is assigned to the pets of one owner, it is he who must educate and train his pet, not entrusting this matter to other people. The owner does not need any special knowledge and experience - the spaniel is naturally obedient and flexible.

The most important skill necessary for representatives of all hunting breeds is to immediately call. The dog should do this, even while in excitement. And it doesn’t matter if his name is hunting or running after a neighbor's cat.

Spaniels need a separate working out of working qualities. They definitely need to master the commands that ensure restraint and concentration of attention of the animal. For a working dog, field training is important, preferably in the presence of an experienced hunter.

Feeding Features

The owner of the Russian Spaniel has a choice - feed the pet with natural food or commercial rations. If the owner does not have time to prepare food for the dog, then it is worth stopping at the second option.

With natural feeding, one should take into account the peculiarity of the canine organism - it is enough to determine a number of useful products, draw up a diet and find out the serving size based on the weight and physical activity of the dog.

Food 70-75% should consist of lean meat and offal, a couple of times a week you can give the pet boiled fish without bones. Also, the dog must be given cereals, vegetables - raw and fresh, greens, fruits.

A working animal needs a more nutritious, high-calorie diet. A couple of times a month it is recommended to arrange a spaniel unloading day. Feeding with vitamin-mineral complexes is mandatory.

As soon as the baby appears in the house, you should establish a feeding regimen. The puppy is fed several times a day, depending on age, gradually reducing the number of feedings. It is enough for an adult animal to give food twice a day - in the morning and evening hours.

Pet content

A Russian hunting spaniel can live both in an apartment and in an aviary, as it perfectly tolerates both frost and heat. With street maintenance, the dog must build a warmed booth, it is enough to lay a mattress or a sunbed in the apartment.

Before vaccinating a puppy, it is not recommended to go outside, which means that he will cope at home. Kids of this breed are able to quickly understand why the owner put a tray or laid a diaper for them. When the time comes to accustom yourself to the street toilet, you will have to go out with the puppy as soon as it starts to “sit down”.

All spaniels, and Russians are no exception, need active, long walks. The dog can be taken for jogging, he can also run next to the bicycle, he is happy toport, takes barriers of various heights. Without a load, a dog can make obesity, develop various diseases, and shorten its life expectancy.

In crowded, busy places, the pet should be kept on a leash, as it reacts quite vividly to any stimuli - it can rush after a passing cat, bird or a running company of children.

How to care for a Russian spaniel

No special care is required. Since hunting dogs, especially workers, are most often in contact with wild animals and are in the forest zone, care should be taken about timely vaccination and treatment against external parasites. For the summer, your pet can wear a special, anti-flea collar. Regular helminthization is also required.

Despite the great love for swimming, the dog does not need frequent procedures. Spaniels lack the smell of a dog, in addition, their hair has a special coating that repels dirt, so washing a pet is enough 3-4 times a year.

Russian spaniels have a beautiful, silky coat, which should be combed once a week, the resulting mats should be carefully disassembled. The claws of such active animals grind on their own, rarely apartment individuals need to trim them once a month.

The long ears of the dog require special attention, due to the drooping form, they are poorly ventilated, and often inflammatory processes occur in them. They need to be examined, revealing pathology.

Breed diseases

Specialists attribute Russian spaniels to healthy breeds, but even they, although less frequently, develop various diseases. Common pathological conditions are obesity, food allergies, and ear inflammation. In females, development of pyometers is possible, in individuals of both sexes - blockage of the paraanal glands.

In addition, like representatives of other breeds, spaniels can become infected with serious infectious ailments - leptospirosis, toxoplasmosis, etc.

Photo of a Russian hunting spaniel

Video about Russian Hunting Spaniel

Puppy acquisition

It is recommended to get a puppy of a Russian hunting spaniel from an experienced breeder or in a kennel - in any case, the seller must have a good reputation. In Moscow there is a nursery "Forest Hunter" http://www.foresthunter.ru/, in Kiev - "New Generation" https://novoepokolenie.jimdo.com/.

Another important point: if you need a dog for hunting, then you should pay attention to offspring from working parents. The future “hunter” must go through the procedure for removing dewclaws, most often the tail is stopped for such babies, this is done for babies of 5-6 days of age. At the time of purchase, the future owner should make sure that the wounds have healed.

When buying a puppy, people risk acquiring a mongrel, mestizo or a puppy that has any hidden pathologies. The breeder must give the baby along with all the documents in which the necessary notes are affixed. You should pay attention to the appearance of the puppy: a cheerful, strong peanut, with strong paws, shiny, clean wool can freely go to a new house.

Representatives of this breed are inexpensive, you can buy a puppy with good working qualities and an excellent pedigree for 10,000-200,000. Offspring that do not have a pedigree will cost less - from 3,000 to 7,000 rubles.

Russian hunting spaniel combines the best qualities of working dogs and at the same time has a charming, aristocratic appearance. Yes, he may become a favorite of the family, but he will have to try - providing the dog with the necessary workload and paying attention to his upbringing and training. Such a dog should have one owner, which means that a person acquires a puppy who will be with him throughout his life.