When Gaston Fébus wrote about hunting in the Middle Ages, he described bird dogs from which, according to the FCI standard, the French Spaniel (Epagneul Français) descends. They gave rise to the various hunting spaniels, and this French dog is among the oldest branches. James de Connick wrote its first standard in 1891.
| FCI | Group 7 (Pointing Dogs), Section 1.2 Continental Pointing Dogs, spaniel type, Standard No. 175, with working trial |
|---|---|
| Country of origin | France |
| Size (height at the withers) | Males 56 to 61 cm, females 55 to 59 cm; tolerance of 2 cm above and 1 cm below |
| Weight | not specified in the FCI standard |
| Life expectancy | no reliable study figure found (N/A) |
| Coat | abundant, close-fitting and silky on the body, slightly wavy; long, wavy feathering on ears, legs and tail; smooth and fine on head |
| Colours in the standard | white and brown, moderately piebald with irregular patches, slight to moderate ticking and moderate roaning; brown from cinnamon to dark liver; white blaze appreciated, absence of white on head permitted |
Gentle at home, eager in the field
The standard uses unusually warm words: balanced, open, gentle, calm and trainable, sociable with other dogs and an ideal companion in every situation. Hunting enthusiasm comes with it. It is primarily a pointing dog, but equally enjoys retrieving.
From bird dog to trial dog
According to the standard, selection produced an elegant, athletic and highly reliable pointing dog that now excels in hunting trials. Its standard has been adjusted repeatedly since 1891 as the breed developed. The FCI places it among spaniel-type pointing dogs, alongside the smaller Brittany Spaniel (Epagneul Breton) and the Picardy Spaniel (Epagneul Picard).
Silky coat and tail plume
Ears, legs and the sabre-carried tail bear long, wavy, silky hair. Comb and brush twice weekly, more often after woodland outings to prevent burrs matting in. The ears lie close; check inside regularly, especially after swimming. The standard requires an undocked tail.
Activity through the nose
Several hours outdoors daily, partly with a task: pointing practice, dummy searches and tracking. Reliable recall is essential rather than optional in a dog bred to search widely.
An inherited paw condition
We found no reliable lifespan figure. Acral mutilation syndrome, however, is well studied: affected puppies feel no paw pain and begin licking and biting them at 3,5 to 12 months, injuring themselves up to loss of claws and toes. Most dogs in a Canadian series of 13 French Spaniels were euthanised soon after diagnosis (Paradis et al. 2005). French researchers found the cause in a recessively inherited variant near the GDNF gene, also present in three other hunting breeds but absent from 900 dogs of 130 other breeds (Plassais et al. 2016). Ask whether the parents were tested for this variant.
Who will be happy with this dog
People who hunt or provide serious alternative work, and families with time for exercise and grooming. Anyone seeking a first hunting dog and willing to begin with classes and patience will find a friendly teacher here.
Who will not
Anyone with little time, a hatred of burrs in fur or a wish for short park walks cannot meet its needs. Life without fields and woods wastes what this dog has to offer.
The breed quiz shows in minutes whether you lean towards a spaniel or something entirely different; our book “Welcher Hund passt WIRKLICH zu dir?” (book in German) guides the decision more thoroughly. Once you have chosen, the free Puppy Starter Pack helps through puppyhood. White-and-brown spaniels look lovely framed too: explore our dog portraits or a magazine cover on canvas.
Further reading
- Weimaraner: the beautiful hunting dog that never clocks off
- Autumn shedding in dogs and cats: what is normal and what is not
- Puppy checklist: essentials and the first 3 days
Sources, accessed on 20.10.2026: FCI-Standard Nr. 175 Epagneul Français (fci.be, German version dated 04.04.2013, valid standard published 04.11.2008); Paradis M et al., Acral mutilation and analgesia in 13 French spaniels, Veterinary Dermatology 2005; Plassais J et al., A Point Mutation in a lincRNA Upstream of GDNF Is Associated to a Canine Insensitivity to Pain: A Spontaneous Model for Human Sensory Neuropathies, PLoS Genetics 2016; McMillan KM et al., Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death, Scientific Reports 2024.
The links to our books are affiliate links. Buying through them supports us at no extra cost to you.
