Times have changed. While dogs were bought just to become pets in the past, now they have important roles in the household and even in the community. Because of this, there are more dogs now that have become popular, not because of their cuteness and beauty, but because of their abilities and talents. Unfortunately, quite a number of these dog breeds, which are considered utilitarian, are also rare. This rarity may be a result of its selective breeding. But, whatever be the reason, these dogs are becoming more popular among dog lovers.
One of the rarer dog breeds is the Field Spaniel. There are now quite a number of people who want to own this breed of dog. However, they have to contend with being on a waiting list just to get one. This is because this dog breed is probably one of the rarest dog breeds in existence today.
One reason why this dog breed is so rare is because the pioneering batch was very few in number. In England, the Field Spaniel breed of this day only came from two pairs of cross-bred Springer and Cocker Spaniels. Three puppies from the resulting litter were brought to America in the late 1960s to start the Field Spaniel line that is now in the United States.
However, the rarity of the Field Spaniel could also have the demise that it met in the late 1800s as its major contributing factor. This said tragedy that befell upon the breed resulted in its being almost extinct. This happened when breeders did some selective breeding and came up with a type of Field Spaniel that fell short of the developers' expectations. The product was a dog breed of extreme proportions, as it had too long a body and it was too low to the ground. This happened almost immediately after the Field Spaniel was recognized as a separate breed from the Cocker Spaniel by way of its weight. The larger Field Spaniel is said to weigh more than 25 pounds while the Cocker Spaniel is less than 25 pounds.
Even though breeders made tremendous efforts to revive the original Field Spaniel breed, they were really unable to make the breed flourish. They were only able to process the breeding in moderation. This was probably because the popularity of the Field Spaniel was never fully regained after the late 19th century debacle. This caused the demand for the dog breed to decline, and breeders hesitated to produce more.
Being a fine work dog that is fun-loving and good-natured, the Field Spaniel has slowly become one of the dogs that outdoorsy people wish to own. It is just sad to note though that up to this day, this dog breed remains a rarity. Maybe if the demand for this dog becomes greater, more of this noble breed will be produced, so that it will no longer have to be a rare breed.
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