French Spaniel

The Épagneul Français is considered one of France's oldest hunting breeds, mentioned in medieval texts as a companion first to falconers and later to gun hunters for finding and pointing game birds. The medium-long, wavy coat with feathering on the ears and legs protected the dog as it pushed through dense brush and wet meadows. A male can weigh up to 25 kilograms, with a body built longer than it is tall, suited to sustained field work rather than short bursts of speed. The breed nearly vanished in the early 20th century until a group of enthusiasts revived it from the remaining dogs with strong working ability. It remains first and foremost a working gundog rather than a house pet, and it needs regular, real exercise. Life expectancy runs 12 to 14 years.

Browse dog food sized right for this breed

French Spaniel: how old in human years?

54–61 cmHeight
20–25 kgWeight
12–14 yrsLife expectancy

Braque Saint-Germain

FCI group: Pointing Dogs
FCI section: Section 1.2: Continental Pointing Dogs, Type Spaniel
FCI: 175
Country of origin: France

Energy level

4/5
Trainability

4/5
Family friendly

4/5
Grooming need

3/5

At a glance

Height

Males 56–61 cm

Females 54–59 cm

Weight

Males 20–25 kg

Females not specified

Life expectancy

12–14 yrs

Coat

medium-long, wavy, feathered (medium-length)

Temperament & Family Life

French Spaniel's average temperament and family-life score for this breed is moderate.

Family friendly 4/5
Good with children 4/5
Good with other dogs 3/5
Friendly with strangers 3/5
Intelligence 4/5
Trainability 4/5

Exercise, Energy & Space

French Spaniel's energy and exercise needs are high.

Energy level 4/5
Exercise need 5/5
Apartment friendly 1/5
Prey drive 4/5
Hunting instinct 5/5

Guarding & Alertness

French Spaniel's guarding and alertness traits are moderate.

Guarding instinct 2/5
Watchfulness 3/5
Barking level 3/5

Grooming & Care

French Spaniel's grooming needs are low.

Shedding 3/5
Drooling 1/5
Grooming need 3/5

Living with the French Spaniel

If you have ever watched a dog quarter a field as though searching for birds were the best job in the world, you may well have been watching a French Spaniel. This big, elegant gundog, white with brown patches, works with method and stamina, and its hunting instinct is very strong. Its prey drive is marked too, so introduce small pets carefully.

It needs plenty of movement: long walks every day, off-lead running somewhere safe, swimming, retrieving or search games. It is clever and learns gladly because it wants to please, but harshness will rattle it more than teach it. Short, cheerful sessions with treats and praise suit it best, and recall is worth cementing while it is young.

At home it is gentle, devoted and calm once it has had its share of the outdoors, good with children and generally with other dogs. It greets strangers kindly and may bark at a visitor, but it won't be a guard. A flat is too small for it, and long hours alone bore it; it does best with a family or a hunter with a garden, for whom muddy paws and weekends outdoors are simply part of life.

Grooming and coat

The French Spaniel has a medium-length, gently wavy coat with handsome feathering on the ears, the backs of the legs and the tail. The body is easy; the feathering is the real job, because that is where burrs, needles and seeds end up, and damp hair there tangles quickly. Brush and comb it once or twice a week, paying attention behind the ears, in the armpits and on the legs, and check the feathering straight after a trip to the woods or a meadow. It sheds moderately, more as the seasons change.

Those long, hairy, hanging ears stay damp for a long time after a swim or rain, so lift them and look inside every week; redness, discharge or a bad smell is a reason to see a vet. The hair between the pads can be trimmed so mud and snowballs don't build up, and the nails need attention if they don't wear down on their own. After a swim, a towel and a warm spot to dry off are all it needs.

How to do it:

By age:

Health and possible conditions

We don't have reliable health information specific to this breed, so we don't list conditions here. Keep up regular vet check-ups, and if you are getting a puppy, ask the breeder about the parents' health testing.

This is general information, not veterinary advice. For your own dog's health, tests and treatment, see a vet.

Food for large breeds — cheapest per kg

This list is chosen by the breed's weight (25 kg) rather than the breed itself: shops label food by dog size, so every breed of the same size gets the same list. Prices are updated daily.

≈ 305 g of dry food a day, from €16,70 a month For a neutered, normally active 22,5 kg dog. Calculate for your dog