Polish Hunting Spaniel

		Polish Hunting Spaniel
		He is not recognized by the F.C.I.


Origin			Poland
Translation			Francis Vandersteen
En français, cette race se dit			Epagneul de chasse polonais
Diese Norm ist in deutscher Sprache sichtbar			Polnischer Jagdspaniel
En español, esta raza se dice			Perro de caza polaco
In het Nederlands, wordt dit ras gezegd			Poolse Jacht Spaniel

Usage

A bloodhound-type hunting dog, used for birds and small game, occasionally predators. It is also an excellent tracking and retrieving dog. He works passionately in thickets on dry land, as well as in reeds and rushes, in pursuit of waterfowl.

Brief historical summary

The Polish Hunting Spaniel is the youngest native Polish breed, not yet recognized by the FCI. Once recognized by the F.C.I., it would become the 10th breed of hunting dogs, which, along with retrievers and water dogs, form F.C.I. group 8.

The modern history of the Polish Hunting Spaniel is fairly short, although the breed didn't come out of nowhere. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, owners of estates in the border region of Polesia and Wołyń bred medium-sized hunting dogs, mostly roan brown with spots, which they selected primarily for their hunting skills. The dogs had their admirers, including Princess Isabella Radziwitt. Railroad builders, members of the Koziett - Poklewski family, even took them to Siberia.
The basic stock was probably made up of single spaniels imported from France, as well as British Springer, Cocker, Field and Sussex spaniels, which were crossed with each other to produce a particular type of dog, whose main task was to find and flush out birds without pointing (by crouching and then crawling), but who would also be a talented tracker and retriever of small game. August Sztolcman (1842-1907) wrote these significant words in an article published in Łowiec Polski (The Polish Hunter) magazine: “All these breeds serve the same purpose and could, without great harm, merge into an intermediate breed.”

Polish Hunting Spaniels would have fallen into obliv
ion were it not for the efforts of the breed's restorer: experienced dog breeder, conservation scientist and hunter, Dr. Andrzej Krzywiński. Some thirty years ago, while exploring the old eastern frontiers, he came across some excellent Polish Hunting Spaniels, representing the old Polish type as depicted in old photographs and drawings. Soon, the chocolate roan Pestka appeared at his kennel “z Szerokiego Boru” in Kadzidłowo Park (a nature reserve) and became the mother of the first modern litter in 1993.
During his 50-year career as a biologist and conservation specialist, Dr Krzywiński is known for developing the “born to be free” program for the reintroduction of several species in Poland (e.g. lynx and capercaillie) and for his studies of wolf-dog hybrids. This expertise and in-depth knowledge of genetics formed the basis for the reconstruction of the Polish Hunting Spaniel breed, and continues in the work of the breeding committee, made up of people with decades of experience in breeding, show judging and veterinary science, with the support of researchers from Warsaw University of Life Sciences.

Consistent selection of successive breeding pairs has produced, and continues to produce, a large and already uniform population. Most puppies are destined for hunters, many of whom go on to become breeders. In 2016, a preliminary breed standard was established, and breeding documentation is carefully maintained by members of the Polish Hunting Spaniel Commission.
The main aim of breeding today is still the same as it was for breeders and hunters over a hundred years ago: temperament and a passion for hunting.

General appearance

Medium-sized, compactly built dogs with great mobility and stamina in difficult working conditions, mainly in fields, meadows, rushes, bogs and water. The limbs are fairly strong-boned; the ears are pendulous and covered with bangs of longer hair. Plumage is also present on the tail, belly and back of the limbs. The coat color is most often chocolate rufous with patches (brown with brown nose) of a different shade, more rarely black rufous. Fawn markings are sometimes present. The tip of the tail is characteristically white.

Important proportions

Medium-sized dog (enabling it to move unnoticed through dense bushes and tall grass), rectangular in build, the ratio of height at withers to body length is 9:10-12. Bitches can be slightly longer. The ratio between muzzle length and skull length is 1:1. Leg height from ground to elbow is half the height at the withers. The medium-length neck appears longer because of the well defined withers.

Behaviour / temperament

Balanced and self-confident. Courageous and active at work. Capable of excellent, tireless work in difficult terrain and water. Intelligent and easy to train. When scenting game, the dog crouches and crawls, waiting for the command to flush it out by jumping and barking.
Polish Hunting Spaniels are not aggressive, but can be wary of strangers. Excellent hunting dog, good companion for walks and watchdog. They enjoy contact with people and familiar children.

Head
Cranial region
Head		Noble, fairly large but proportionate to the body.
Skull		Same length as the muzzle, but slightly convex. The occiput is well defined.
Stop		Slightly pronounced.

Facial region
Nose		Black or brown, depending on coat color; large, extending beyond the upper lip. Nostrils are open and mobile.
Muzzle		Full, deep and somewhat blunt. Straight muzzle. The area under the eyes is well filled and nicely chiseled.
Lips		The upper lip is fleshy, slightly pendulous, covering the lower lip well, which is fairly dry, matching the color of the coat. The corners of the mouth are well defined, with a pronounced crease.
Jaws and teeth		Rather large, white teeth. The jaws are fairly wide, with almost parallel rows of premolars and molars that, in the area of the incisors, are arranged in a slightly rounded arch. The bite is natural (scissor bite, pincer bite acceptable). Full dentition is desirable, but not mandatory.
Cheeks		Fairly dry, full, visibly chiseled under the eyes, blending gently into the cranial region of the skull.
Eyes		Medium-sized, not too deep set, almond-shaped or triangular, friendly expression. The white of the eye is not visible. Color ranges from light hazel to dark hazel, corresponding to coat color. The eyelids are fairly thick and close-fitting to the eyeball.
Ears		Hanging, not too broad at the base (parallel to the top line of the skull), close to the cheeks. The length of the ear generally reaches the nose. They are set at or slightly above the outer corner of the eye. The ear lobes widen slightly from the base to the slightly rounded tip. They are covered with fairly long, fringed hair. When the dog is working or alert, the ears are mobile and carried slightly higher.

Neck

Medium length, well muscled, oval in cross-section, well inserted into the rib cage. The upper line of the neck is extended by the withers. The neck skin is dry, without folds or dewlap.

Body
Topline		Smooth, not broken or visibly arched.
Withers		Well defined, blending smoothly into neck and back. In males, higher and more pronounced.
Back		Straight, without saddle or arch, fairly broad and well muscled.
Loin		Broad, muscular, of medium length. A slight arching of the loins is permissible. In older dogs that hunt actively, the back may be slightly depressed.
Croup		Fairly broad and muscular, straight or slightly sloping to the base of the tail.
Chest		Deep (in adult dogs, it often reaches below the elbow), with a fairly long chest, extending visibly backwards, very voluminous, with long, oblique ribs. The length of the body is determined by the length of the rib cage.
Underline and belly		Slightly tucked up, flanks full and fairly short.

Tail

Medium length, set not too high, reaching at least to the hock joint, covered with moderately dense hair, often ending in a light “tracing” tip. At the base, a plume forms a few, not too long bangs. At rest, the tail is carried low and slightly curved upwards; in action, it may be carried a little higher than the topline.

Limbs

Forequarters
Generality		Viewed from the front, straight and parallel. The distance from the elbow to the ground is equal to half the height at the withers.
Shoulders		Quite short and sloping, well muscled, close fitting to the body. The angle of the shoulder joint is not very open.
Upper arm		Equal to or less than the length of the shoulder blade, set obliquely backwards. Together with the shoulders, they gently close the sides of the ribcage.
Elbows		Loosely attached to the body, turning neither in nor out, they are parallel to each other and to the body's median axis; they form the beginning of the parallel forearms.
Forearm		Straight, lean, fairly strong-boned, without protuberances, oval in cross-section, longer than the upper arms.
Carpal		Dry, compact and smooth, without traces of deformation or excessive protuberances.
Pastern		Lean, of a thickness corresponding to that of the wrist and forearm, seen in profile, straight or slightly inclined forward.
Forefeet		The toes are rather long, elastic, not very arched, with wide, thick, firm pads. Nails are fairly thick and short, matching the color of the coat. On the toes and between them, the longest hairs form so-called “slippers”.

Hindquarters
Generality		Seen from behind, they are straight and parallel to each other (parallel lines connecting the ischiums and the tuberosity of the heel from one side of the dog to the other). Viewed from the side, they are slightly behind the dog and well angulated.
Upper thigh		Not too long, wide apart, very well muscled.
Lower thigh		Same length as the thigh or shorter, well muscled.
Stifle		The stifle joint is dry and well pronounced, with marked angulation.
Metatarsus		Medium length, dry, smooth and elastic, vertical to the ground.
Hock		Well defined, dry, without protuberances, with pronounced angulation.
Hind feet		Compact, slightly oval, toes shorter than those of the front feet, slightly arched and elastic. Nails are thick, short and match the coat color. Pads are broad, thick and firm, with longer hair between the toes.

Gait and movement

At the trot, movement should be free, joints supple, agile and parallel. Limbs move freely, with fairly long strides, but should not be lifted very high off the ground. Movement must be economical. When working with a hunter, the dog moves easily and quickly, low to the ground, on bent legs, crouching and sitting on the ground, alternating with abrupt changes of direction, elastic stops or jumps.

Skin

Not too thick, without folds or wrinkles, no dewlap, close fitting to the body, covered all over with hair of different lengths.

Coat
Characteristics		Medium length, with undercoat, but not too long on head and body. The coat is straight, soft, weather-resistant and covers the entire body. Longer hairs form bangs on the ears, the outside and back of the legs, the chest, the fold of the knee, the underside of the belly and the plume of the tail. Hair does not tend to curl or wave.
Colour		Mostly roan with patches of varying size and shape. Predominantly chocolate (brown with brown truffle) in various shades; occasionally roan black. Specimens with a predominantly white background with brown or black patches and slight roan are rare but typical. Dogs with tan markings are sometimes found. The tip of the tail is white.

Size and weight
Height at withers		Males: 43 - 48 cm with +/- 2 cm tolerance; females: 39 - 44 cm with +/- 2 cm tolerance.
Weight		From 12 to 26 kg.

Faults

• Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog and its ability to perform its traditional work.
• Faults listed should be in degree of seriousness.

Disqualifying faults

Aggressive or overly shy dog.

Lack of the type required by the breed standard.

NB :

• Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.
• The above mentioned faults when occurring to a highly marked degree or frequently are disqualifying.
• Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.
• Only functionally and clinically healthy dogs, with breed typical conformation should be used for breeding.

Many thanks

Thanks to Kasia - Draiochta FCI - second Polish ODIS kennel for introducing us to this breed.

Source of this standard - Polish Hunting Spaniel

Details: Written by: Francis Vandersteen; Also available:; Last Updated: 01 August 2024; Hits: 240

Polish Hunting Spaniel