Of the water spaniels the Irish breeds are best known.
The poodle is probably derived from spaniels, but is of slighter, more graceful build, and is pre-eminent even among spaniels for intelligence.
The best known pet spaniels are the King Charles and the Blenheim, small dogs with fine coats, probably descended from Cockers.
Great Britain is probably the country where setters were first produced, and as early as the 17th century spaniels were used in England as setting dogs.
The Newfoundland is simply an enormous spaniel, and shows its origin by the facility with which it takes to water and the readiness with which it mates with spaniels and setters.
