This post is based on a transcript of an interview in Polish with Dr Tomas Borkowski, an international show judge and long-time breeder of Polish Hunting Spaniels (Kennel Sasquehanna).
The Polish Hunting Spaniel was officially recognised as a new Polish breed by the Main Board of the Polish Kennel Club in September 2016, leading to the creation of a preliminary register on January 1, 2017. It was classified under the eighth group, specifically section two, which includes retrievers and water dogs subject to working trials.
The origins of the breed
The history of the Polish Hunting Spaniel is not as deep as that of the Polish Hound or Sighthound, dating back to the second half of the 19th century, with its peak during the interwar period of the Second Polish Republic, the first half of the 20th century. Various horses and dogs, including sighthounds and hunting dogs, were imported to large estates in the eastern borderlands of the Second Republic. Single specimens of spaniels, primarily English Springer Spaniels and Cocker Spaniels, were also brought in. Initially, breeding spaniels in these areas focused on their utility, only later considering their type and appearance.
The breeding primarily used English spaniels, rarely French ones, as the latter were considered unsuitable for the harsh climatic conditions of the eastern borderlands. The most notable pre-war breeding kennel was that of Princess Izabela Radziwiłł under the name "Iwa." World War II brutally interrupted the development of the Polish spaniel breed. After the war, Polish hunters continued to hunt with spaniels, primarily Springer and Cocker Spaniels, forgetting about the Polish Spaniel.
It was not until the late 1980s and early 1990s that Dr. Andrzej Krzywiński revived interest in the Polish Hunting Spaniel. As a scientist, naturalist, hunter and judge of hunting dog tests, formerly breeding dachshunds, Laikas and Jagterriers, Dr. Krzywiński became interested in spaniels during his scientific work while visiting the former Eastern Borderlands – then within the borders of the USSR.
He is regarded as the father of the revived Polish Hunting Spaniel as he initiated the reproduction of PSMs by importing the first spaniel female with appropriate traits and a great hunting passion from the present-day territory of Belarus. This female, named Pestka, is considered the progenitor of the modern Polish Hunting Spaniel.
"This breed has been created by me for about 26 years. It is a flushing type breed derived indirectly from the group of French spaniels and They stand out for their passion in working on water and marsh birds and good work after painting. The vast majority are brown and spotted, there are tricolor specimens. A characteristic feature is the white tip of the tail, which makes them visible when working in the reeds. About 400 dogs have been bred so far. The dogs stand out for their tendency to work in water, tendency to retrieve, they like to use the downwind, which gives them the possibility of using them in work as trackers. Some individuals show a tendency to work on wild boar and predators." (Dr. Krzywiński, source)
Known for his conservation work with e.g. capercaillie and the lynx, Interestingly, Dr. Krzywiński successfully used the highly developed protective instinct of his spaniels in the rearing and introduction to nature of orphaned offspring of various species of wild animals such as wolf, lynx, beaver and otter.
Breed characteristics
The Polish Hunting Spaniel is a medium-sized dog, with females standing about 40 to 45 centimetres tall and weighing between 12 and 26 kilograms, according to the proposed breed standard. The breed has a robust build and is characterised by a distinctive brown coat with patches and ticking with the unique visual feature of a white tail tip.
This breed has a great hunting passion, working about 30 meters from the hunter, allowing effective shooting with a shotgun. They love to retrieve and work in water, making them excellent partners. Their size and proportions enable them to work in challenging terrains where larger dogs might struggle. The Polish Hunting Spaniel is also a good tracker, although not an outstanding one. Some specimens work well with wild boar.
The development of firearms and the rich hunting grounds of the eastern borderlands, abundant in small game and birds, stimulated the breeding of spaniels in the Republic. The Polish Hunting Spaniel complements the pantheon of Polish hunting breeds, including the sighthound for hare hunting, the hound for big game, the excellent tracking Polish Hound, and the outstanding Polish Hunting Spaniel.
In summary, the Polish Hunting Spaniel fits well into the slogan propagated by the Association of Polish Hound Lovers: "A Polish dog for a Polish hunter."
The transcript is complemented by sections from this article.
If you are interested in videos of PSMs in the context of hunting, this Youtube account has a lot of videos (in Polish).
Comments