I've always been fond of spaniels (used to field trial Brittneys) and am interested in the Boykin. I live in Michigan and wonder how they would handle multiple retrieves in cold weather.

I'm sure there are Boykins hunting up that way but no first hand knowledge. You could look at the American Water Spaniel too. Looks like a Boykin but has a tail and a double coat, thicker. Looks to be a little stockier. Should handle colder weather good.

My brother got his water spaniel from a lady in Colorado. I can ask him about what he has heard about them. There is a website that I looked at about boykins and it had some info on their tolerances but I don't remember it.

I don't think they could handle it bad thing about them they hot so much drive they could get in a world of trouble !!

I live in wisconsin and they can handle the water with a vest up to about november but also depends on the fall.Here in the midwest it changes on a drop of a dime so one fall its in the 60's last fall in september it was in the 30's.Just have to watch your dog they will tell you....As far as a water spaniel there good lil dogs finnicky lil buggers though that is Wisconsin's state dog.

I thank all of you for your input. I'll be hunting until the rivers ice up so I'll pass on the Boykin. They are very nice looking dogs, smaller than Labs, and all Ive learned about them is great except for the lack of coat they would need for very cold retrieving. I love my dogs and would never intentionally put one into a situation that could be a health hazard for him/her. Read an article once written by a fella that had a great lab that he thought the world of. He took him hunting on a river full of ice floes, the dog went under one and drowned. Had the moron been telling the story to my face I'd have kicked his az then and there.

I've been running springer spainels for 20 years now. I run mine up untill shelf ice develops and thats it for his season. He has no problem handling the cold water. I have a 3 mm vest and 5mm vest for later in the season. By that time we are hunting open water in Green bay for the last 2-3 weeks of season.

i hunt in michigan and sd with my boykins and they do fine. great dotw

I hunt boykins and even though im in the south we hunt in snow and ice during late season amd mine do fine in it. Have a friend that has a real small female that doesnt like it real good but mine are on the large size 40-45 lbs and ice has never phased them.

How about hot weather like florida.

Always clipped Gracie close during the summer.
She stayed in and our the pond and pool and the short hair cut helped with the ear issues.

She did fine during the winter, even a couple over in Iowa hunting pheasant.

foo foo dogs. put a pink collar on em and paint their toe nails. leave them at home to bounce off the walls. GET A LAB.