French Spaniel

The French Spaniel is balanced, frank, gentle, calm and docile. He is an enthusiastic hunter, also has a talent for retrieving.

Daily Care

Grooming Tips

Beyond regular weekly grooming, the occasional bath will keep your French Spaniel clean and looking their best.
Their strong, fast-growing nails should be trimmed regularly with a nail clipper or grinder to avoid overgrowth, splitting and cracking. Their ears should be checked regularly to avoid a buildup of wax and debris which can result in an infection. Teeth should be brushed regularly.

Exercise Tips

Because the Picardy Spaniel was developed as a hunting breed you should expect it to have fairly high needs for exercise.
This dog has excellent stamina and endurance, so a long daily walk or jog is the absolute minimum requirement in terms of daily exercise. And this breed also enjoys having time to run in a fenced yard.

Feeding Tips

As a medium-sized dog breed, Picardy Spaniels should be fed a high-quality commercial dog food diet formulated for dogs of its size. Because this breed is a high-energy hunting breed, however, an active or working breed formula may be more appropriate to meet his needs.

Health Tips

The Picardy Spaniel is a healthy and hardy breed in general with a fairly long lifespan. The one problem this breed does seem to have a high risk for is ear infections – this is largely due to the size and shape of their pendulous ears. If overfed or under-exercised, this dog is also at risk for obesity.

Trainability

The French Spaniel responds quickly to the tone of your voice and is easily intimidated. Their training needs to be consistent, firm but gentle.

History

The French Spaniel is a descendant of the bird dogs used in the Middle Ages. The diverse varieties of hunting spaniels are descended from this breed. Through careful selection, the French Spaniel developed into an elegant and athletic pointing breed. The Epagneul Francais was recognized by the United Kennel Club January 1, 1996.