MyDogBreeds
Russian Spaniel is originated from Russia but Flat-Coated Retriever is originated from United Kingdom. Russian Spaniel may grow 16 cm / 6 inches shorter than Flat-Coated Retriever. Russian Spaniel may weigh 20 kg / 44 pounds lesser than Flat-Coated Retriever. Russian Spaniel may live 4 years more than Flat-Coated Retriever. Both Russian Spaniel and Flat-Coated Retriever has same litter size. Both Russian Spaniel and Flat-Coated Retriever requires Moderate maintenance.
The Russian Spaniel is a gun dog which has originated from the English Cocker Spaniel and the English Springer Spaniel. Today while he is a gun dog he is more of a companion dog.
The Russian Spaniel has been spoken about since 1891. Different Spaniel breeds were imported to Russia to be used for hunting but some of the smaller spaniels weren't suited to the weather conditions.
At the beginning of the 20th century, breeding programs got underway for longer legged spaniels, and by the late 1930's there were a variety of different spaniels in Moscow.
After World War II, more purposeful breeding got underway and this led to the the Russian Spaniel standard in 1951. The popularity of the dog has increased and in 2002 the Russian Spaniel Club was set up in the United States. The dog isn’t recognised by any major kennel clubs.
The Flat-Coated Retriever traces its heritage to 19th century England. A popular gamekeepers’ dog, the actual descendants of the breed are not entirely known. Like so many well-established breeds, there are many lines of thought about the breed line. There is an unverified line of ancestry that includes the St. Johns Water Dog – an extinct breed from North America. Another story has Canadian sailors bringing their Newfoundlands to England and mixing them with Colliers and Setters. This story has more truth to it and it took 20 years to establish the final breed type.
The breed was originally a retriever with two purposes – to retrieve the hunters’ bounty on land and on water.
The Flat-Coated Retriever was then introduced to the United States as a gun dog. By 1873 it was a “stable type” and in 1915 the AKC recognized the breed. After this, their popularity grew quickly until the American public fell in love with the Golden Retriever and the Labrador Retriever. Then the Flat-Coated Retriever’s numbers and popularity fell. The irony was that both the Golden and the Labrador credited the Flat-Coated Retriever as an ancestor. The survival of the breed was questionable following World War Two. They were brought back by a specific breeding program in the 1960’s.
Breeders in the ‘60s made sure they bred for both show dogs and companion animals. The Flat-Coated Retriever survived and is less popular than other retrievers, but he has his fans. The breed is more popular in the United Kingdom than it is in the United States in part because of Best in Show wins at Crufts
The attractive little Russian Spaniel stands at 38 – 45cm in height ad weighs between 9 and 16kg. He is such a sturdy little dog too, looking very similar to the English Cocker Spaniel.
The coat is short and silky with quite a bit of feathering around the legs and ears. Colors of the coat can be anything from reddish brown and white with freckles to black and white with freckles.
Aside from the Russian Spaniels' hunting abilities, they make great family pets and are playful with children.They’re devoted to their human families and become particularly attached to one person in the family.
Such devotion leads them to being a bit cool around strangers, not liking anyone unfamiliar to get too close to any of his family members.
He is intelligent and can be easily trained to obey simple commands such as sit, stay, lie down and come.
The Russian Spaniel can be happy in the suburbs, on a farm or in the city so long as he gets lots of attention and enough exercise.
The Flat-Coated Retriever has a straight and strong topline with unique head, strong jaws, a long muzzle and small ears. His eyes are dark brown almonds with a friendly and intelligent expression. He has an arched neck and a moderately long tail. The Flat-Coated Retriever is more of an athlete, lighter and certainly more elegant than any other type or breed of retriever.
The Russian Spaniel is such an energetic, dog, full of life ad with the joys of being alive.
Although he was a gun dog, today he is loved for his companionship. He makes a splendid family pet and loves to be involved with the games of children.
He is easy-going and social, and just wants to spend as much time as he can with his human family. Give him all the love you have and you'll see his tail never stops wagging.
The Flat-Coated Retriever is great with children. Just be careful they don’t knock over small children in their enthusiasm.
They are confident great family dogs. They are “thinking dogs” and need something to work for or they will work for themselves. They can be clowns.
They are adaptable although their size might preclude small locations without yards.
Smart, thinking all the time, they are very trainable. However, they are considered the “Peter Pan” of dogs – they never grow up.
With very few health problems, the feisty Russian Spaniel can get to 12-14 years of age. Nonetheless, there are always some of the more common health issues to look out for.
Russian Spaniels are prone to developing ear infections. Ear infections can be terribly frustrating for a dog and they are quite difficult to clear up. It is advised that dog owners use ear cleaners before infection sets in. The vet can advise you on this as you have to be careful not to damage the inside of the ear.
Itchy skin can be another terrible frustration for a dog. Allergies often cause terrible itching, and your dog will go mad trying to gnaw and bite at the itch. Finding the specific cause of a skin allergy can be very challenging. Blood tests might be required. It is imperative to feed your dog some raw meat occasionally to avoid these terrible skin infections.
Flat-Coated Retrievers have their share of health concerns from dysplasia to cancer. The breeds problems include:
Hemangiosarcoma, Osteosarcoma, Malignant Histiocytosis, and Fibrosarcoma. Studies show that about half of all Flat-Coated Retrievers die of cancer.
This dog was raised to be a gun dog, and is used to having plenty of exercise. Most imperative for him will be a couple of walks each day plus lots of chase-the-ball games. These dogs just never seem to get tired as they are playful and will never let the chance of a game pass them by.
Spaniel ears require quite a bit of upkeep as the hair can become extremely matted, forming balls of knotted hair. The inside of the ears must be constantly checked for infection. The spaniel’s coat will need to be brushed regularly and he can even go to the groomers and get a short Spaniel cut.
Contribute to your pet’s good health by providing him with top notch food. A good nutritious diet for the Russian Spaniel will give your dog less of a chance to get sick. Always go for the best quality commercially manufactured dog foods.
To provide your dog with just a bit of variety in his diet, some home-made food added into the dry kibble from time to time will delight your pet. No need to make preparing the food a huge issue either. Boil brown rice and chicken in a pot and add in sweet potatoes, carrots and spinach. Chop all this up, and as a treat, add smaller portions of it into the dry kibble.To avoid skin infections, try to include some raw meat into his diet occasionally.
Never leave your pet without a constant source of fresh, cool water
He will be a medium size dog. Feed puppies 3-4 times a day about a 1/8 cup of high-quality food. Feed a puppy food designed for medium size dogs or specifically for retrievers.
Feed 2 times a day about !/2 cups of dry food per meal. Do not overfeed. They have a tendency to be obese.
Maintain a healthy weight and avoid exercise before and after meals. The good news is dysplasia and epilepsy are rare in the breed.
They are very energetic and need good exercise. Long walks and a yard to run in. Remember they are hunting dogs and will chase to retrieve things so don’t let them off leash outside your yard. They will excel at agility, tracking. Rally, obedience, swimming, hunting, and jogging. They make great therapy dogs.