A HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH TOY SPANIEL
CELEBRATING 125 YEARS OF A.K.C. RECOGNITION
by Richard LeBeau

This year, 2011, the English Toy Spaniel [ETS] is celebrating the 125th anniversary of American Kennel Club recognition. The first registered ETS was Mildmay Park Beauty, AKC Stud Book #4456. This black and tan bitch was imported from England and registered in 1886 to Mrs. B. F. {the former Susannah Roberts} Wilson (22 Oct. 1847-18 Apr. 1919) of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Only the Pug and Yorkshire Terrier, recognized in 1885, precede the ETS in seniority among Toy breeds. Today, in 2011, there are 170 recognized breeds, with 15 breeds pending full recognition in the Miscellaneous Class. In 1885, the first year of the AKC Stud Book, there were only 15, with 9 added in 1886 for a total of 24 recognized breeds. Toy fanciers may find it interesting…Read more…

For Centuriers A Loving Companion
By Amanda Watlington
Reprinted from Top Notch Toys
August 1991

The English Toy is a very old breed with a distinguished ancestry. The crowned heads of Europe and England have long enjoyed and cherished the companay of small spaniels, ancestors to the dogs of today. The royal Stuarts, early fanciers – most notably King Charles I – gave their name to the breed. In England today all four varieties of the breed are kown as King Charles Spaniels. Here in the United States, King Charles is applied only to the black and tan variety. The all red dog is called a Ruby. The red and white dogs, the Blenheims, are named for Blenheim Castle, the ancestral Churchill home, where this variety was extensively bred. The tri-color dogs are called Prince Charles, after yet another royal fancier. Read more…