Breeds / Medium
Boykin Spaniel puppies
Friendly, eager and easygoing, the Boykin Spaniel is an American flushing and retrieving dog bred for swampy country. It is sociable with people and other animals and needs a great deal of daily activity.
The facts
- Size class Medium
- Country of origin United States
- Adult weight 11.3 to 18.1 kg
- Adult weight in pounds 25 to 40 lb
- Adult height 36 to 46 cm
- Energy level High
- Grooming Moderate
- Coat type Medium wavy and double
- Typical lifespan 10 to 15 years
- Good with children Reliably good
- Good with other dogs Reliably good
Where these come from:
- akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming and the temperament ratings, coat type, country of origin and health notes
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. It 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.
This is a genuinely athletic breed that needs long walks, swims or runs every day plus something for the brain, and it does 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. The common mistake is treating it as a small, easy spaniel and underfeeding the 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 it will need a job to do long before it needs 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 it meets calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of its 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
From Boykin Spaniel breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/boykin-spaniel/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.
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.
Other medium breeds
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Not veterinary advice. Breed information is general. Your own dog, and your own vet, always win.