Fun Fact: In the plant world, it is impossible to predict based on appearance alone when—or if—an angiosperm (flowering plant) will actually flower. Master gardeners know that some things just aren’t determined until maturity is reached.
How this ties into dogs is that, back in the late 19th century, the breeds we know today as Cocker Spaniels and Springer Spaniels were often born in the same litter and weren’t formally identified by breed until they reached their adult weight. The typical dividing line was 25 pounds; smaller dogs—usually under 25–28 pounds—were called Cocker Spaniels for their knack at flushing woodcock in tight cover, while bigger dogs over 28 pounds were dubbed Springer Spaniels for springing game in open fields. Coat, build, and hunting style also helped draw the line, of course, but by the 1880s, these breeds were starting to split into distinct and separate breeds as differences became more pronounced and appreciated.
This wasn’t unique to spaniels. Jane Harvey, an Australian dog historian, breeder, and judge, notes in Terriers Unveiled that Norwich and Norfolk Terriers were once one breed, born in the same litters. Heidi Cole, writing for Canine Chronicle, confirms they were identical until 1964, when The Kennel Club split them over ear carriage—prick for Norwich, drop for Norfolk. Smooth and Wire Fox Terriers followed a similar path, treated as varieties of one breed until the late 19th century, with the American Fox Terrier Club noting their separation by coat texture in 1985.
But wait! Like a Ginsu knife commercial, there’s more.
Returning to Jane Harvey, she writes in her book, “Terriers Unveiled,” that the breeds known today as the Dandie Dinmont Terrier and the Bedlington Terrier were the same breed in the 1700s and differed only in leg length. Other sources word this differently by referring to early terriers (known broadly as Scotch Terriers) as dogs that eventually emerged as different breeds that varied by leg lengths and working preferences: Longer legged dogs hunted above ground using their agility and speed to chase prey, while “short-leggers” specialized in digging after prey underground. Though they looked quite similar as puppies (in the 1700s, they were likely indistinguishable), by adulthood, their differences in build and hunting style became clear. The two were eventually refined into distinct breeds—Bedlingtons in Northumberland and Dandies in the Scottish Borders. By 1874, both breeds were formally recognized in the first English Stud Book, cementing their status as separate entities. Despite their divergence, the shared ancestry of the Bedlington and Dandie Dinmont Terriers is evident in their similar coat textures, topknots, and color palettes—blue, liver, or sandy for Bedlingtons, and pepper or mustard for Dandies. Both breeds are rare today, and sadly, the Dandie Dinmont is currently classified as a Vulnerable Native Breed by the UK Kennel Club.
Flowers may not reveal themselves until maturity, and historically, certain dog breeds were also indistinguishable at birth—classified only once adult traits emerged. The comparison may seem imperfect, but from a certain perspective, it’s not so far-fetched.
Image: Antique 19th-century British dog engraving, originally published in a book on sporting, hunting, and companion breeds/iStockPhoto