English Springer Spaniel
Athletic and versatile, with a sweet face and strong build, the English Springer Spaniel is a breed of gun dogs, traditionally used for flushing and retrieving game. They can take part in the tracking, obedience trials, agility and hunting tests, and more, which are great companions when hiking and camping.
| Other Names | Springer, Springer Spaniel, Springer Spaniel Ingles |
| Color | Black & White, Black White & Tan, Liver & White, Liver White & Tan, White & Black, White & Liver |
| Height | Males: 19-20 inches. Females: 19-20 inches. |
| Weight | Males: 40-50 pounds. Females: 35-45 pounds. |
| Life Span | 12-14 years |
| Personality | Friendly, Playful, Obedient |
| Exercise | Regular Exercise |
| Origin |
| Popularity | #27 |
| Groom Needs | Weekly |
| Kids Friendly | Yes with supervision |
| Dog Friendly | Yes with supervision |
| Watch Dog | |
| Family Dog | |
| Litter Size | 5-6 |
English Springer Spaniel Video
Introduction
The English Springer Spaniels are lovable creatures with a tendency to be out-going and seeking the company of people. They are terrible when neglected and are always up for a game of running, swimming, or even catching birds. Their coat, which is usually a color of black or liver, often with white markings, differs among two classes of this dog breed — the field-bred and the show-bred varieties.
The field-bred Springer has a shorter, coarse coat compared to the show-bred variety which flaunts a longer coat, and more pendant ears. The English Springer Spaniels closely resemble their kins, the English Cocker Spaniels, in features only that the Springers appear quite larger, although medium-sized dogs themselves.
A standard Springer male weighs around 50 pounds on the scale, standing at a height of about 21 inches from shoulder to paw. A similar female weighs close to 45 pounds and reaches a shoulder height of about 19 inches. They are polite and friendly family companions, lasting up to about 13 years before they die.
Living with English Springer Spaniel
Regular brushing at least three times a week to keep the Springer’s coat healthy, shining and to avoid mats, or tangles. You can use a slicker brush or metal dog comb to deal with the tangles.
Professional grooming and clipping every 2-3 months are required to keep up neat appearances. You can trim your Springer Spaniel by yourself, or take the dog to a professional groomer to trim and tidy up the coat, especially the feet, the area around the head and neck, and under the tail.
It is suggested to check and clean their ears to prevent ear infections, because their floppy ears block air circulation, and you could just wipe out the ear gently. Brush his teeth for good overall health and fresh breath at least two or three times a week or daily brushing is even better, and trim his nails as needed, usually every few weeks.
As the English Springer Spaniels are hunting dogs, they require a lot of exercise to keep healthy and happy, in a form of long walk, jog, hike, or energy games. The owners need to keep them on leash in unfenced areas or they may decide to go hunting on their own. With enough daily exercise, the English Springer Spaniels can be suitable for living in a small house or apartment, although it is more ideal to live in a fenced yard where the dog can run or play games with their owners.
Besides, they can participate in activities with their non-hunting owners such as obedience, agility, flyball, as they are such good athletes. And they can be great therapy dogs to bring smiles to people in hospitals and nursing homes.
Food for English Springer Spaniels should be divided into two meals every day in high quality dry food between one cup and a half to two cups, and the amount of the dog food should appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior) and activity level. Giving too many treats when training could cause obesity to your dog, and giving as little table scraps as possible, especially avoiding cooked bones and foods with high-fat content.
A healthy diet for an English Springer Spaniel should include some meat and whole foods like vegetables. Ensure that your English Springer Spaniel well-fed is important in both mood regulation and socialization, but it is also important to always pay attention to the dog’s weight in case of having joint problems.
There are some common conditions that could happen to English Springer Spaniels, including:
Major concerns: elbow dysplasia, CHD, otitis externa,
Minor concerns: PRA, retinal dysplasia, phosphofructokinase deficiency
Occasionally seen: rage syndrome, entropion, gastric torsion, seizures, fucosidosis, patellar luxation
Suggested tests:
Hip Evaluation
Elbow Evaluation
PFK Disorder DNA Test
PRA Optigen DNA Test
Ophthalmologist Evaluation
Total Annual Cost: $2889
Cost is estimated for the first year and may vary depending on many factors, such as dog food, health care, leash, collar, licensing, possible fencing, crates, training and obedience classes, dog-walking, grooming, treats, toys, flea, tick, and heart-worm meds, microchips, etc.
The English Springer Spaniels are very smart and eager to please, so as long as the lessons are consistent and enough praise and dog treats are obtained, they are easy to train. Early socialization and puppy training classes are important to ensure that Springer grows into a well-adjusted and well-managed companion. There should be gentle guidance and continued training when train a dog, and the owner should be in control at all times because Springer is an active and forward explorer of his environment.
English Springer Spaniels are not difficult to give commands as they are obedient dogs, as far as their temperament for training, they could be highly responsive and eager to please, if not distracted at times.
It is important to know that English Springer Spaniels were bred as a gun dog have instinctive tendencies toward outdoor hunting-style activities like retrieving, you can make use of this nature during training.
History
The English Springer Spaniel has an origin poised between England and Spain. It hails from a lineage of Spaniels, especially of English descent. The Spaniels of old, themselves originated from the popular bird dogs of Spain, the Epangeuls.
For many centuries, a Spaniel was regarded as any dog whose primary activity was to flush gamebirds into nets, as hunting dogs. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the separation was made into three distinct breeds, namely the Cocker, the Springer, and the Field Spaniels, all of which could co-exist in the same litter. They all served as hunting dogs, although they had their specific roles; the Cocker was preferred for hunting little woodcocks while the Springers dealt with the gamebirds, a bigger task.
In the late 19th century, Spaniels were bred in large proportions in different parts of England and they were named after the region or county they developed in, hence names like Norfolk Spaniels were common then. Some were named after the owner, which was mostly a noble. The English Springer Spaniel is thought to have descended directly from the Norfolk Spaniels and Shropshire Spaniels.
Around the late 1880s, the Springer Spaniel was distinguished from the other Spaniels and the Spaniel Club developed a standard for the breeding of the dog. The English Springer Spaniel was officially recognized by the English Kennel Club in 1902, after which the American Kennel Club did so in 1910. Shortly after that, the reputation of this breed as flushing dogs extended across countries.
Helpful Information
Breed Club: ENGLISH SPRINGER SPANIEL FIELD TRIAL ASSOCIATION, INC.
Breed Club Link: http://www.essfta.org/
Breed Club Rescue: New England English Springer Spaniel Rescue (NEESSR)
Breed Club Rescue Link: http://www.essfta.org/english-springers/rescue-information/