Over on our Facebook page, we challenged readers to name the breed of this minutes-old puppy, a tough assignment if the Boykin Spaniel isn’t your breed. It serves as a segue to this question:  Did you know Boykins bounce?  Check it out (you may have to click on “watch this video on You Tube):

The perfect size to fit in a small boat, the famous “little brown dog” is prized by dove hunters and duck hunters whose hunting areas include marsh hunting and jump-shooting ducks while drifting down small rivers. The Boykin is, as you see, a bouncy and get-up-and-go dog for whom every day is an adventure, and he or she doesn’t want to miss a minute of it. Indeed, jumping with flapping ears and waggling tail right into the middle of things – literally –  or jumping  straight up from his back legs and going “eye-ball to eye-ball” might be a breed trait some call the “Boing-kin Bounce.”

When we featured the breed as a Purebred of Interest, we quickly learned that breed enthusiasts are an avid bunch that need few excuses to celebrate their breed. On the first day of dove hunting season in 1984, then South Carolina governor, Richard W. Riley, proclaimed September 1 as Boykin Spaniel Day,  and at Christmas, there is an annual Boykin Christmas Parade in which the dogs are a celebrated part. Sadly (for those of us who wanted to attend this year), the 2019 planning committee decided to take a Christmas break this year to fine tune this wonderful event to better accommodate the fast growing number of parade families, friends and fans; it’s understandable:  The event that started with about 300 attendees has grown to more than 20,000 people.

They promise to be back for Christmas 2020!

Photo of Boykin Spaniel sisters, “Nelli” and “Georgia” shared on our Facebook page by Torrey Kitchener Massey‎