The variety within the breed

It always fascinates me to see the variety within the purebred dog.  Granted, over years of breeding you do develop a "look" that is recognized as the specific breed.  But many people forget that to create that look and "pure breed"; you had to combine a variety of breeds to get it!  So at heart, all purebreds are mixtures and this lends to variety of types within each pure breed.

And the Blue Picardy is not different.  The three main breeds used to create the Blue Picardy Spaniel are the French Spaniel, the English Setter and the Gordon Setter.  The French Spaniel is mainly a flushing dog, they are very heavy bodied and built low to the ground.  They have thick, heavy ears and a longer coat like most spaniels, and love the water.  The English Setter is a pointing breed, much longer and leaner and lighter in body with much less coat and boundless energy.  The Gordon Setter is bigger than the English and heavier in build.  They have the longest legs and height, are also bred to point, and have great stamina.
All three breeds are friendly, athletic, eager to please, and have great noses!  So these three breeds have combined to bring their best traits to the Blue Picardy.  The Blues have incredible noses and great stamina.  They are long and lean and can cover ground quickly.  They are a dual hunter, in that they will point the birds, but also are extremely willing to flush and retrieve both on land and water.

In my research and experience, there tends to be two main varieties that show up and they each favor in turn the spaniel or the setter.  The look I prefer and am breeding toward has more setter characteristics.  These dogs have shorter coats with less fringy hair--just a touch on the legs and ears.  They have full, long muzzles and long necks and bodies-giving them a wonderful elegance.  I prefer the darker, almond shaped eye and longer legs.  The body should be slightly long in relation to the legs and perceived as rectangular over square when viewed from the side profile.  Some have heavier features like the Gordon Setter and some slimmer like the English Setter, but in both the heads are smooth and elongated.

The other type is more spaniel in appearance.  These dogs are smaller and have more coat and fringe especially on the chest and ears.  They also tend to have a lighter eye going towards golden sometimes and a sag to the eye lids-again, reminiscent to the spaniel heritage.  The heads tend to be a bit blockier and more square with a wider, bonier skull.  Some of the dogs I have found in France actually resemble a large Cocker Spaniel to me more than the proper Blue Picardy!  These dogs can have the proper outline, but slightly shorter legs and a much heavier body, and bigger features-wider heads, bigger feet.

The consistencies in both types are in temperment and energy.  All the Blues have sweet, devoted personalities, and a softness to their nature.  All of them are good, sturdy physical specimens that can play for hours on end.  The coats, whether short or with a longer fringe, are still soft and silky to the touch even as adults.  And the coat coloring is consistent, beginning at birth with pure white and black and softening as they age to black with silver tipping.

And while it is nice to have a preference in type, with such a rare breed, you cannot limit yourself to one line or kennel.  Instead you have to find the animals that produce the look you are seeking even though they themselves may not have the perfect look.  As a breeder I am always striving towards a picture of what I am developing without sacrificing things I want to maintain.  Or abusing the breed by randomly breeding without a thought to a vision and a program.  And it is also why as a breeder, I ask for my puppy owners to sign an agreement to neuter.  Breeding is a big responsibility and takes education and commitment.  You have to be willing to spay/neuter an animal that isn't producing the traits you want even if it is a sentimental favorite or you've invested in buying/rearing the animal to breeding age.  I personally will not sell a puppy to be bred unless it is an animal I feel is worthy of breeding and contributing to the line and the perspective owner shows me that they understand and wish to undertake the responsibility of learning about the breed and making the tough decisions.

No matter the best of intentions and plans, Mother Nature still has the final call in any breeding!  But it's a sweet, sweet feeling to have studied pedigrees and heritage; chosen your foundation stock;  reared them to healthy adults; planned for a breeding and successfully whelped a litter of lovely puppies.  Watching them grow into beloved pets and beautiful animals is so fulfilling.  And that's why I hope this blog is successful in documenting this process!