The Boykin Spaniel was first bred by South
Carolina hunters during the 1900's to provide the ideal dog for hunting ducks
and wild turkeys in the Wateree River
 Swamp. Hunters on South Carolina's Wateree
River needed a small rugged dog compactly built for boat travel and able to
retrieve on land and water. In those days wagons, wooden boats and trains
afforded hunters access to the game rich corridors along the river. But boat
travel limited what hunters could carry. The typical heavyweight retriever was
a drawback in a craft already loaded with men, guns, provisions and other gear.
On the Wateree River in the early part of this century hunters often
used a take apart "section boat." Held together by bolts to form a large craft,
the three sections with seats removed could be "nested"
to fit neatly into a wagon or train's baggage car. Hunters also used sections
as one-man boats just large enough for one person and a compact
retriever.
L. W. "Whit" Boykin (1861-1932), a planter, land appraiser
and well-known sportsman of the Boykin community just outside Camden, South
Carolina, along with his kinsmen the Canteys, experimented with many breeds to
resolve the problems posed by their Wateree hunting trips. With selective
breeding and a little luck, Boykin developed a small multipurpose retriever now
known as the Boykin spaniel.
The first Boykin spaniel, or the precursor
of today's breed, was reportedly a small, stray spaniel type dog
 that befriended a banker walking from his
home to the First Presbyterian Church in Spartanburg, South Carolina around
1905-1910. Alexander L. White (1860-1942) liked the little dog and took it
home. After the dog showed some aptitude for retrieving, White sent the dog
called "Dumpy" to his longtime friend and hunting partner Whit Boykin. In
Boykin's hands the little stray developed into a superb turkey dog and
waterfowl retriever. This dog became the foundation stock for the Boykin
spaniel. Other ancestors are reported to be the Chesapeake Bay retriever,
springer spaniel, cocker spaniel, and the American water spaniel.
Today
this little brown retriever can be found on hunts
 and in homes across America.
Stamina in hot weather and eagerness to please make this dog a favorite in the
dove fields, but Boykins have retained their spaniel flushing abilities and
readily adapt to a variety of upland game hunting including pheasant, quail and
grouse. An aptitude for water retrieving combined with their compact size
assures these dogs a place in the duck boats and blinds as well. Boykins have
often been described as "the dog that doesn't rock the boat." They are even
effective in deer driving or in tracking wounded deer. Like many of the
sporting breeds, Boykin spaniels make the transition from hunting companion to
family pet easily. Boykin spaniels are true dual-purpose hunting dogs. |
