Introduction to Boykin Spaniels
The eager and friendly Boykin spaniel is a Sporting Group dog breed that makes a beautiful companion. These dogs love being around people and are affectionate, patient, and gentle. They get along well with dogs and children, yet in addition they have excellent hunting skills due to their breeding and genetics. However, these medium-built dogs are filled with energy and require members of the family who like to get out for exercise and play.
To learn more about your latest potential family pet, read this Healthy Paws breed guide that covers the dog’s size, temperament, health issues, care, and insurance needs.
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Size of Boykin Spaniels
Adult male Boykin spaniels are 30 to 40 kilos and 15.5 to 18 inches tall. Females weigh 25 to 35 kilos and stand 14 to 16.5 inches tall. Although these dogs reach their adult height by about seven to eight months of age, they proceed gaining weight through muscle and fat until 14 to 16 months.
Here’s how big you may expect your Boykin spaniel to get because the dog grows from puppyhood to maturity:
| Weight Chart | 6 months | 12 months | 18 months |
| Average male Boykin spaniels | 25 lbs. | 30 lbs. | 35 lbs. |
| Average female Boykin spaniels | 20 lbs. | 25 lbs. | 30 lbs. |
Characteristics of Boykin Spaniels
Boykin spaniels are confident and adaptable dogs that enjoy people and have quite a lot of personality and charm. They thrive on human companionship and need members of the family dedicated to spending time with them. This breed generally gets along well with other pets, making them a wonderful option for multi-pet households. Boykin spaniels love being energetic and excel in various sports, including water retrieving, swimming, and hunting. These dogs need physical and mental stimulation; without it, they might be difficult to live with.
As you get to know a Boykin spaniel’s personality, here’s what you may expect based on the breed characteristics:
| Breed Characteristic | Level (High, Medium, Low) |
| Affectionate with People | High |
| Good with Kids | High |
| Good with Pets | High |
| Need for Exercise | Medium |
| Energy Level | High |
| Intelligence Level | High |
| Able to Be Trained | High |
| Amount of Barking | Medium |
| Amount of Shedding | Medium |
History of Boykin Spaniels
The Boykin spaniel is the official state dog of South Carolina and was initially bred on this southeast U.S. state. They are sometimes called “marsh spaniels” and “swamp dogs” due to their origin, and former U.S. president Jimmy Carter had several dogs of this breed over time.
The dog is known as after a small community in South Carolina that has only been home to 100 to 200 people. Boykin, South Carolina was named after a founding resident named Lemuel Whitaker Boykin. Historical records show that across the 12 months 1900, a person named Alexander White found a spaniel outside his Spartanburg, South Carolina church and began hunting with him. Mr. Boykin was his hunting partner and began a latest breeding program using the spaniel dog. By combining Chesapeake Bay retrievers, cockers, English springers, and American water spaniels, he developed the breed we all know today because the Boykin spaniel. Bird hunters in other parts of the country learned concerning the Boykin spaniel and discovered the dogs were energetic in fields, capable of work on land and water, and sweet companions within the household, too. September 1 is designated Boykin Spaniel Day, and the American Kennel Club first recognized the breed in 2009.
Boykin Spaniel Standard Information
The general appearance of a Boykin spaniel includes being well-muscled, having a docked tail, and having great agility. These moderately-boned dogs are smaller and weigh lower than many other sporting dogs, giving them distinct benefits for hunting and sports.
Here is an summary of the breed standard information for Boykin spaniels:
Head:
- Proportional to the dimensions of the dog
- Alert, eager, and self-confident expression
- Yellow, amber, or brown eyes
- Pendulous ears which can be set higher when alert
- Muzzle roughly the identical length because the skull
- Nose is fully pigmented and dark liver in color
- Scissors bite preferred but level bite is appropriate
Neck, Topline, Body:
- Moderately long and muscular neck
- Straight strong, and level topline
- Sturdy body that shouldn’t be too compact and not square
- Tail is docked to 3 to 5 inches when mature
Forequarters:
- Sloping, muscular, and clean shoulders
- Medium length legs which can be straight and well-boned
- Pasterns are strong
- Feet are round and compact
- Dewclaws must be removed
Hindquarters:
- Well-developed hips and thighs
- Hocks are well let down
- Pasterns are relatively short
- Feet are similar to with forequarters
Coat:
- Slightly wavy to curly coat of a medium length
- Considered to be a “wash and wear” dog
- Coat may be trimmed but never shaved
- Honorable field scars are acceptable
Color:
- Solid liver color and a deep reddish brown
- Various shades of sunshine to very dark chocolate brown
- A small amount of white on the chest is appropriate
- Sun bleaching is appropriate
Gait:
- Effortless gait with good reach
- A protracted, forward stride with no side-winding
- Eager and energetic in the sector, yet controlled during a hunt
Caring for Boykin Spaniels
Despite the Boykin spaniel’s moderate size, this breed doesn’t do thoroughly in apartments. These energetic dogs need room to maneuver around and loads of time outdoors.
Here are some general suggestions for taking the perfect care of a Boykin spaniel:
Best Living Environments:
- Not good apartment dogs
- Best with energetic individuals who enjoy outdoor activities
- Households with people around more often than not
- Moderately tolerant of warm and cool weather
Type of Exercise:
- 60 to 120 minutes of exercise per day
- Long walks and play sessions
- Swimming
- Hiking
- Running with a member of the family or alongside a motorbike
- May turn out to be destructive if not receiving enough exercise and activity
Mental Enrichment:
- Obedience training
- Tracking, agility, rally, and field events
- Nose work
Training Strategies:
- Early socialization and puppy training classes
- Generally easy to coach
- Smart and eager-to-please dogs that like to learn
- Challenge the dog with learning latest skills and tricks
- Use positive reinforcement and treats during training
Grooming Tips:
- Minimal maintenance for the wavy coat
- Brush weekly to remove loose hair and dirt
- Inspect the coat for matting and tangles
- Bathe only occasionally
- Trim nails often
Common Health Problems of Boykin Spaniels
The average life expectancy of Boykin spaniels is 10 to fifteen years. They are generally healthy dogs but also needs to be checked by breeders for certain health conditions due to their breeding. For example, Boykin spaniels are vulnerable to ear infections, hip dysplasia, cataracts, and exercise-induced collapse. The national breed club for Boykin spaniels recommends that the dogs have the next health tests: OFA radiographs of the patellas and hips; DNA testing for exercise-induced collapse, collie eye anomaly, and degenerative myelopathy; and an ophthalmologist evaluation.
These are a number of the commonest health issues that arise with Boykin spaniels:
- Patellar luxation
- Hip dysplasia
- Eye issues, including progressive retinal atrophy, glaucoma, and cataracts
- Skin allergies
- Ear infections
- Pulmonic stenosis (heart abnormality)
- Exercise-induced collapse
Diet and Nutrition for Boykin Spaniels
A completely grown Boykin spaniel will need about 2.5 cups of dry pet food day by day. Some really useful pet food brands for this breed include The Farmer’s Dog fresh recipes, Zignature Salmon Formula for a wet pet food option, and American Journey Limited Ingredient Salmon & Sweet Potato for a dry pet food.
Where to Adopt or Purchase Boykin Spaniels
Since 1977, the Boykin Spaniel Society has been the national breed club for this sort of dog and provided details about litter registrations, breed events, regional clubs, and a breeder directory. You also can contact Boykin Spaniel Rescue, Inc. to adopt a dog of this breed, rehome your dog, or volunteer to assist dogs in need. Depending on where you reside, there could also be more regionally specific organizations to contact, similar to Hunters Rest Boykin Spaniels in Tennessee and Operation Little Brown Dog in Texas.
Related Breeds
There are multiple sorts of spaniel dog breeds, which chances are you’ll have an interest to learn more about before deciding to bring a latest pet into your private home. Consider these dog breeds as well when you are keen on the Boykin spaniel:
Pet Insurance for Boykin Spaniels
One of the perfect things you may do to deal with your Boykin spaniel is to sign your pup up for pet insurance through Healthy Paws. Healthy Paws offers dog insurance coverage for Boykin spaniels that covers illnesses, accidents, hereditary and congenital conditions, cancer, chronic conditions, emergency and specialty hospitals, hip dysplasia, and alternate care. Whenever your dog isn’t feeling well, our easy-to-understand pet insurance plan lets you concentrate on your Boykin spaniel convalescing as a substitute of the high vet treatment costs.
Please tell us a couple of details about your Boykin spaniel to get your online pet insurance quote today.