What's That Spaniel? Trivia Quiz

Answer: King Charles

The King Charles Spaniel is named after King Charles II (1630-1685), who was particularly fond of toy spaniels in general. The specific breed which now bears the name was officially codified in 1904 by the Kennel Club. Prior to this, there were four similar but discrete toy spaniel varieties known as the King Charles, Prince Charles, Blenheim and Ruby.

There is also a separate breed known as the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, which was bred to be more like the dogs seen in contemporary paintings from the time of Charles II and was recognised as a separate breed in the 1920s.

This picture is a painting of a King Charles Spaniel by the French painter Edouard Manet, dating from around 1866.

Answer: Wisconsin

The American Water Spaniel was originally bred in Wisconsin in the nineteenth century, with the aim of developing a small, hardy dog that could seek and retrieve game around the Fox and Wolf Rivers. A number of other breeds are believed to have contributed to its bloodline, including the Irish and English Water Spaniels and the Curly-coated Retriever.

It was designated as Wisconsin's official state dog in 1985. Not all US states have a designated state dog, although the other three options all do. Not surprisingly, Alaska has the Alaskan Malamute, while North Carolina has the Plott Hound and Tennessee the Bluetick Coonhound.

Answer: Clumber Spaniel

The Clumber Spaniel takes its name from the Clumber Park estate near Worksop, which was the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Newcastle. The breed was first developed in the nineteenth century, and is the largest of the spaniel breeds, adult males weighing up to 85 pounds. Its specialty is retrieving games such as pheasants and partridge in heavy cover.

At one time it was popular among the English nobility, including the Royal Family, with both King Edward VII and George V keeping packs of Clumber Spaniels at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk. During the twentieth century it decreased in popularity, and by the twenty-first century was categorised in the UK as a Vulnerable Native Breed.

Answer: Welsh Springer Spaniel

Springer Spaniels got their name because they were used to "spring" gamebirds, by causing them to fly up out of cover into the way of the hunters. The Welsh Springer is distinguished from other springers by its red and white coat. Until 1902, when it was recognised as a separate breed by the Kennel Club, it was regarded as a colour variation of the English Springer.

Answer: Woodcock

The Cocker Spaniel is one of the smaller type of spaniels. Originally, they were not a separate breed from springer spaniels, but the name was simply given to the smaller dogs from a litter. One litter could include both - the larger dogs were called "springers" and the smaller ones "cockers". However, in the late nineteenth century breeders began to distinguish between the two, and in 1895 the Kennel Club made this distinction official.

Please note, the photo shows the dog with a pheasant rather than a woodcock.

Answer: Irish Water Spaniel

The Irish Water Spaniel's short dense coat makes it well suited to retrieving game from lakes and rivers. Unlike most spaniels, its tail is relatively free of curls, giving it a rat-like appearance, and it is sometimes known as the "Rat-tail Spaniel".

As the name suggests, it was originally bred in Ireland during the 1830s. It is taller than most spaniels, and can reach around 22-24 inches in height.

Answer: Papillon

Toy spaniels have been popular for many centuries, as pet lap dogs rather than working gundogs. The Papillon variety was bred in France during the nineteenth century to have ears that stood out to the side, rather than drooped down like those of other spaniels. "Papillon" is the French word for butterfly and refers to the similarity of the dog's ears to butterfly wings. There is also a related breed named the Phalène, the ears of which are more droopy.

Answer: True

Their excellent sense of smell and good trainability make English Springer Spaniels a popular choice for sniffer or detection dogs. They can often be seen at UK airports and railways stations sniffing for drugs, and many have also served on overseas operations with the UK Armed Forces to sniff for explosives. They are also often trained as search and rescue dogs by mountain rescue teams, where their agility across rough ground makes them an ideal companion.

Answer: Netherlands

The name Kooikerhondje is Dutch for "duck-hunter's little dog", and they were originally bred in the Netherlands to lure ducks into traps, which they did by waving their long hairy tails in the air. They were very popular in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries and appear in the paintings of Dutch artists such as Rembrandt and Jan Steen.

The breed almost died out in the earlier twentieth century, but a breeding programme after World War Two led to it being officially recognised by the Dutch Kennel Club as recently as 1971. It is still rare outside the Netherlands but is gaining in popularity among breeders looking for a small, intelligent, friendly dog.

Answer: American Cocker Spaniel

The American Cocker Spaniel differs from the English variety in being generally smaller and lighter, with a softer coat and smaller muzzle. The dog in this picture has clearly been bred as a show dog rather than a working gun dog, judging by the length and texture of the hair on its ears.

One famous owner of an American Cocker Spaniel was President Richard Nixon, whose dog Checkers became famous when he referred to it in a speech in 1952. Incidentally, none of the other options are real breeds of spaniel.