Boykin Spaniel puppies

About the Boykin Spaniel

The Boykin Spaniel was bred in the American South as a compact flushing and retrieving dog for turkey and duck hunters working out of small boats on the swamps and rivers. This is a medium sized spaniel with a wavy liver coloured coat, long feathered ears and amber eyes. The temperament is cheerful and biddable: easy with strangers, good natured with other animals, keen to be included in everything, and steady with children where supervision and socialisation are in place.

Boykins are genuinely athletic and need long walks, swims or runs every day plus something for the brain, and they do best with people who are already outdoors. The wavy coat only wants a weekly brush, but the drop ears trap moisture and need checking and drying, especially after a swim. Training is straightforward given how willing the breed is. Do not let the size fool you into thinking this is a small, easy spaniel: they need a full ration of exercise.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Boykin Spaniel puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. This is a high energy breed. At eight weeks that shows up as intensity rather than stamina, and they will need a job to do long before they need long walks. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Hip dysplasia, screened by radiographic hip evaluation of breeding stock
• Juvenile cataracts, screened by an ophthalmologist evaluation
• Exercise induced collapse, detectable by DNA test
• Patellar luxation, found on a patella evaluation
• Ear infections in the long drop ears, found by checking and cleaning them regularly

Your Boykin Spaniel puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Boykin Spaniel.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 11.3 to 18.1 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 30 inch (30 x 20 x 23 in, 76 x 51 x 58 cm) for an adult of up to 18.1 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Boykin Spaniel

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Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type, country of origin and health notes
• Health notes from Boykin Spaniel breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/boykin-spaniel/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: jetsonphoto, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.