What you see is the youngest of Russian gun dog breeds, and given its appearance, it’s not surprising that it originated mostly from English Cocker and English Springer Spaniel
s. It is the Russian Spaniel.
s. It is the Russian Spaniel.As the back story goes, the history of spaniels in Russia starts at the end of 1800s when “Dash,” a black English Cocker Spaniel, was brought to Russia for the great Russian WWI general (and grandson of Nicholas I of Russia), Knyaz Nikolai Nikolaevich. Because of the dog’s “connections,” spaniels of assorted breeds were imported into the bigger cities of Russia; some were used for h
unting, but because of challenging conditions of Russia’s weather and terrain, these smaller spaniels were not a big hit. Breeding for longer legged dogs ensued which saw the importation of Springer Spaniels with the result of a rather “jumbled” Russian Spaniel. Breeding with a specific goal only came after WWII, and in 1951, a selection of individual dogs with the best overall breed qualities helped improve the gene pool. Revised standards in 1966 and 2000 resulted in the consistent and standardized dog we see now. Russian Spaniels are now quite popular in Russia. In 2002, the Russian Spaniel Club was set up in the United States to increase awareness of the breed outside Russia.
unting, but because of challenging conditions of Russia’s weather and terrain, these smaller spaniels were not a big hit. Breeding for longer legged dogs ensued which saw the importation of Springer Spaniels with the result of a rather “jumbled” Russian Spaniel. Breeding with a specific goal only came after WWII, and in 1951, a selection of individual dogs with the best overall breed qualities helped improve the gene pool. Revised standards in 1966 and 2000 resulted in the consistent and standardized dog we see now. Russian Spaniels are now quite popular in Russia. In 2002, the Russian Spaniel Club was set up in the United States to increase awareness of the breed outside Russia.