What was the primary function that dictated the early working characteristics of the ancestors of the ESS?
Answer
Causing birds hidden in dense cover to take flight (springing game)
The defining action for the spaniels that would become the English Springer Spaniel was their unique method of hunting: 'springing' game. This involved working vigorously within dense undergrowth or cover to flush out hidden birds, causing them to fly up suddenly. This flushing action allowed the hunter to shoot them with fowling pieces. Before modern firearms, this flushing was often timed to allow the game to be caught using nets or trained falcons. This necessity to actively locate and force game into the air, rather than simply pointing or retrieving, was the core function that breeders refined over centuries, leading to the breed's characteristic drive.
Related Questions
Where do the earliest ancestors of the English Springer Spaniel primarily trace their origins?What term was used to categorize the ancestors of the Springer Spaniel based on their environment before breed specialization occurred?Which now extinct breed is widely regarded as the direct progenitor of the modern English Springer Spaniel?What specific weight threshold was instrumental in formally distinguishing Springer Spaniels from Cocker Spaniels?In what year did the Kennel Club officially recognize the Springer Spaniel as a distinct breed separate from other spaniels?What unique characteristic defines the Welsh Springer Spaniel lineage that sets it apart from the English Springer ancestral line?What was the primary function that dictated the early working characteristics of the ancestors of the ESS?Which specialized game species did the smaller Land Spaniels, leading to the Cocker Spaniel, focus on flushing?When standardizing the English Springer Spaniel, what functional trait was prioritized over purely aesthetic features?What did the initial shared ancestry of the English Springer and Cocker Spaniel mean regarding their litters before formal separation?