Ron’s Dogs

Boykin Spaniels are one of the most wonderful breed of dogs! I have owned two of them and would recommend them to anyone as a great pet. They are loyal and very loving. Below are pages about the two Boykins we have owned. Recently another breed of dog came into our family – a Sheltie. Shelby is a bundle of energy and has made all of us, including Belle, much more active!

Beau is no longer with us but will live in our memories forever. Thank goodness we still have Belle and Shelby – and they are a handful! Also, please find some general information about Boykins, which are now accepted in the American Kennel Club, as well as Shelties.

Beau

Visit Beau’s Page

Belle

Visit Belle’s Page

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BOYKIN SPANIELS

The Boykin Spaniel is medium in size, sturdy and typically spaniel. He is first and foremost a hunting dog with proven retrieving and flushing abilities characterized by boundless enthusiasm and endurance, moderate speed and agility. Being intelligent and possessing a great desire to please make the Boykin easy to train. He is a strong swimmer, taking to water easily and is valuable for water retrieving as well as field retrieving.

The typical Boykin is friendly and eager to please. As a pet and companion he is exceptional with an amicable disposition. The Boykin is built to cover rough ground and swim in all conditions with agility and reasonable speed. His appearance should be a sturdy dog with good but not too heavy bone. He should be kept to medium size — neither too small nor too large and heavy to do the work for which he is intended. 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.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT SHELTIES

The Shetland Sheepdog, often known as the Sheltie, has been intentionally bred small. Shelties are ideally suited for the terrain of the Shetland Islands. While they resemble a rough Collie in miniature, they are not a true miniature Collie, as there are many differences in appearance. The shelties’ true “Parent Breed” is the Border Collie.

Shelties are intelligent, family oriented dogs that can be as happy in an apartment in a city as in a house in the country. They have a thick double coat that can come in many different colors and patterns. They are vocal dogs, with few health problems; among those they are prone to are hip dysplasia and thyroid problems. They are very good house and family dogs. They are very protective and good with children if properly exposed to them as a puppy.

Shelby

Visit Shelby’s Page