Boykin Spaniel

Originally from southern United States, the Boykin Spaniel is a fairly recent breed. Around 1900 in the town of Spartanburg, South Carolina, a certain Alexander L. White, coming out of a Methodist church, is said to have found a small dog that he kept with him as his life companion.

Since this little dog was a very good hunter, Mr. White decided to have him trained by a professional by the name of Lemuel Whitaker "Whit" Boykin. The breed had just found its name.

The Boykin Spaniel would have undergone several crosses thereafter with the American Water Dog, the American Cocker Spaniel, the English Springer Spaniel and the Chesapeake Bay Retriever.

The chances that the first dog found by Mr. White was an American Water Dog are very high, but nothing is really official. The multiple crossbreeding continued until the 1970s but the official registry was not created until 1979 for the Boykin Spaniel.

The Boykin Spaniel should not be confused with the American Water Dog. He's smaller and his coat is different. The standards differ from one club to another, therefore as the breed is not officially recognized by the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale), nor by the Société Centrale Canine in France, it is difficult to define his true physical standards.

However, the United Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club (AKC) recognized him in a provisional register but the breed is not accepted in conformation competitions. The controversy between the two clubs is still very much alive.

However, even though his physical standard is not quite official, he is an excellent retriever and game fetcher. The Boykin Spaniel has adapted very well to the southeast warm waters of his home country, which also makes him an excellent swimmer.