Boykin Spaniel Breed Facts and Information

Updated on June 17, 2025

A versatile sporting companion, the Boykin Spaniel blends playful energy with an easygoing home life. Known for their affectionate nature and eagerness to learn, these medium-sized dogs thrive with active families who enjoy outdoor adventures together.

Temperament

Loyal, Energetic, Gentle

Colors

Liver

WEIGHT

25 – 40 Pounds

HEIGHT

14 – 18 Inches

LIFE EXPECTANCY

11 – 13 years

Maintenance Level

Low Maintenance

High Maintenance

Friendliness

Reserved

Extroverted

About Boykin Spaniel

True to its spaniel roots, the Boykin Spaniel is mellow at home while also being an agile and avid bird dog. The Boykin is easy to train and makes an excellent family pet.

Origin: United States

Sporting Group

Naturally active and alert, Sporting dogs make likeable, well-rounded companions. Dog breeds in the Sporting group are usually remarkable for their instincts in water and woods, and many of these breeds actively continue to participate in hunting and other field activities. Potential owners of Sporting dogs need to realize that most require regular, invigorating exercise.

Breed Appearance

The Boykin Spaniel is mostly known for its beautiful brown coat, which is usually solid liver, brown or dark chocolate. Their fur is slightly wavy, with a dense undercoat to keep them warm when diving into cold waters to retrieve birds. They have a light feathering over their ears, chest, legs and belly, and are medium in size. The breed ranges between 25 and 40 pounds in weight and between 14 inches to 18 inches in height.

Size & Weight

Medium in size, the breed ranges between 25 and 40 pounds in weight and between 14 inches to 18 inches in height.

Full Grown

Female

14 in. / 25 lbs.

Male

18 in. / 40 lbs.

Height is measured up to the shoulders.

Characteristics

Size & Coat
Lifestyle
Training & Behavior

Size

TinyJumbo

Weight

LightHeavy

Shedding

MinimalAbundant

Coat Length

ShortLong

Grooming Frequency

OccasionalFrequent

Living Space

City apartmentRanch

Exercise

Couch potatoBring it on!

Climate

WarmCold

Personality

AntisocialOutgoing

Protection

NoneBodyguard

Behavior with Kids

Always monitorBabysitter

Training

HeadstrongObedient

Barking

MuteLoud

How to Care for a Boykin Spaniel

Caring for a Boykin Spaniel means supporting their active lifestyle with consistent exercise, positive training and balanced nutrition, while keeping up with routine grooming and preventive health care. With the right structure and attention, this people-focused breed can thrive in a variety of family environments.

Training:

The Boykin Spaniel’s intelligence, combined with a desire to please, make it an excellent candidate for training, especially at a young age. “Boykins would do well in all sports and competitive events, like agility and possibly dock diving or just hiking along with the family,” Klein says.

Barking:

The Boykin Spaniel is generally quiet but may bark when excited or meeting someone new. This is a very social, loyal dog that doesn’t like to be left alone for long periods of time.

Personality:

Sweet and smart, loyal and fun, the Boykin Spaniel is full of feel-good traits.

Temperament & Behavior:

Although they take their birding very seriously, the Boykin Spaniel is attentive, loyal, warm and relaxed in the home. They love to be with people and are easily trained, plus their sweet demeanor means they do well with other people and animals (although not birds, likely!) and they make wonderful dogs for children, says Dr. Jerry Klein, chief veterinary officer for the American Kennel Club.

Behavior with Kids:

The Boykin is gentle and loves to play, making them the perfect kid-friendly companion.

Protection:

Because of their friendly and gentle nature, the Boykin Spaniel isn’t known for its guard dog abilities.

Life span:

On average, Boykin Spaniel lives to be between 10 and 15 years old.

Inherited Health Issues:

There have been a handful of conditions identified in Boykin Spaniels that are either inherited or occur at increased frequency within the breed. These may include, but are not limited to, the following: Pulmonic Stenosis, Hemophilia A, Collie eye anomaly, Distichiasis, Persistent hyaloid artery, Elbow dysplasia, Cushing’s disease and Hypothyroidism.

Preventive Care:

There are several conditions, as mentioned above, that the Boykin Spaniel is susceptible to developing. General annual health checks and annual blood testing is important for catching diseases / conditions early on so that the most appropriate treatments can be recommended. Skin and coat problems in this breed make it important to start skin support early on with fish oil in addition to a well balanced diet.

The Boykin Spaniel will do well on a high quality dog food, whether commercially prepared or home cooked with your veterinarian’s supervision and approval. The diet should be appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior). Some dogs are prone to obesity, so watch your dog’s calorie consumption and weight level. Treats are a great way to train but giving too many can cause obesity.

Daily Consumption:

Average daily consumption for an adult Boykin is 1 to 1.5 cups.

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Cost of Owning

On average, owning an adult Boykin Spaniel costs around $1000 per year

$300Vet Care

$200Grooming & Boarding

$300Food & Treats

$300Other

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Fun Facts

The Boykin Spaniel was bred in South Carolina for its hunting abilities.

September 1 is celebrated as Boykin Spaniel Day in South Carolina.

The Boykin Spaniel is the official state dog of South Carolina.

History

An American-bred dog, the Boykin Spaniel was created in South Carolina around 1900 as a dog that could excel at hunting turkey and waterfowl. As the story goes, a man by the name of Alexander White found a spaniel-type dog, which he adopted, outside of his church. White took his new dog hunting with his other retrievers, and when the little dog showed just as much promise in birding as his other pedigreed bird dogs, he sent him for further hunting training with a man named Whit Boykin. After learning more about this dog’s penchant for hunting, Boykin created an entire breeding program around the dog, crossing him with other excellent hunting breeds like the American Water Spaniel, English Springer Spaniel and Chesapeake Bay Retriever. The emerging breed — the Boykin Spaniel — has become the official state dog of South Carolina and gained full AKC recognition in 2009. “Though the Boykin is a relatively rare dog to most people, they are well known in their native state of South Carolina,” said Klein. “But this relative rareness may make it difficult to see them in person or to find breeders.”

Cheryl Lock