Throughout time, spaniels were specifically bred to work, flushing out game for hunters in challenging terrains and were highly prized by the late 1600’s whether they were asked to work on land or marshlands and water. Originally, there were two “types” being land and water spaniels. It was only in the 19th century that enthusiasts began to separate them with “land” spaniels becoming a more specialised breed, although there is no evidence of them being used to retrieve game at that point in time, but rather to drive it towards the hunter. However, things changed during the 17th Century when spaniels began being used as gun dogs.