This is especially useful in preventing fear of sudden loud noises, such as a passing motorbike on a walk, or fireworks. Given their active nature, springer spaniels can have a tendency to pull on a lead. Practice walking on a lead in the familiar and safe environment so they are used to it and what you expect from them.
It can take months for some springers to learn how to walk well on a lead, so be patient and persistent. Are you thinking of adopting or buying a springer of your own? Springer spaniels are notorious for their loyal and loving personality. As far back as years ago the sportsman Richard Surflet spoke about spaniels, and his quote could be true of any modern springer spaniel today. As Surflet said, a spaniel can be easily recognised thanks to their gentle, loving temperament and hard-working personality.
Both eager to please and full of boundless endurance, they can work or play with their owner for a whole day without any loss of enthusiasm and a persistently wagging tail. Not to mention, their exceptional noses which have earned them fame as excellent sniffer dogs.
One downside to this active and alert breed is that they can be easily distracted. In some cases, they can even seem deaf to command and doggedly focused on whatever has caught their attention. This means some extra training on recall and walking on a lead might be required. Due to their sporting background, springers are an active breed and will require a moderate amount of daily exercise. They are also a very playful but generally calm breed, so provided they are given training and proper stimulation and exercise, they should remain a well-rounded dog paw-fect for family life.
In fact, if you provide your pooch with the right amounts of love and exercise, they will be just as content to snuggle you on the sofa as they will be out in a field playing fetch. Despite their bouncy nature, springer spaniels are also incredibly gentle and patient dogs, making them excellent for families with children and other animals. Combine that with their eagerness to please and ease to train, and you have the makings for a brilliant family pet who is obedient but playful, and exceptionally loving.
Springer spaniels are a medium-size dog. They stand around 50cm tall at the shoulder, with females being a fraction smaller than males. However, given the shared ancestry with cocker spaniels, you might find the occasional springer that seems to be on the smaller side. They are one of the largest breeds of spaniel, but not the biggest. Standing about as tall as Sussex and Clumber spaniels but are more lightly built than these other breeds.
Springers also have relatively long legs, paw-fect for running long distances over uneven ground. Springer spaniels are most commonly found in liver and white or black and white varieties. However, some tri-colour springers do appear. Tri-colour dogs are uncommon and will be either black and white or liver and white, with some limited tan markings. Usually on their eyebrows and muzzle. As well as these colour variations, springer spaniels vary a lot in their coat patterns.
Show dogs are mostly black or brown in their head and body, whereas field spaniels tend to be more white. Some dogs will have distinct, solid patches of colours, while others will also have spots and ticking. This means that you might pick a puppy with lots of solid white on their body, and find that as they mature, they develop lots of spots of colour.
Even in adult dogs, you might think your springer has a mostly white coat, only to clip their fur and suddenly find spots appearing as their coat is trimmed. The median springer spaniel lifespan is 12 years, and on average, you can expect your springer to reach 12 to 14 years old. They are a relatively healthy and hardy breed, and most dogs will make it into their teens.
However, as with any breed, there are exceptions, and some dogs can live much longer than this. The oldest springer spaniel the UK Kennel Club knew of was 19 years and 6 months old, which is a grand old age for any dog. One of our own springer spaniels reached 16 years and 4 months, almost beating the local record for the oldest springer spaniel. So, as you can see, there is every possibility you could spend many happy years with your furry friend.
Sadly, just as some spaniels can live longer than average, some will cross the rainbow bridge prematurely. Springers are somewhat predisposed to a few health problems compared to other breeds that might impact their lives, including a few forms of cancer and diabetes.
However, many of these conditions are hereditary and remain uncommon, which means that provided your spaniel is from good stock and well cared for with a good diet and exercise.
Field-bred springers will instinctually be the better hunting dog , but will also have more variation in size or coloration. Obviously, the latter will matter less to you if you're looking for a camping buddy. Meanwhile, bench-bred springers may take a little more work to train to the gun, but they will also adapt more readily to a home-and-family lifestyle, and may have slightly lower requirements for physical activity or a higher threshold for boredom.
Both dogs have the same basic lifespans, health concerns, and general temperament. But in other respects, "It's tremendous how much variation you can find within the breed," Riordian says.
Whether bench or field-bred, English springer spaniels are highly intelligent, playful, extremely social dogs. They love water and will look for every opportunity to get wet. English springer spaniels get along well with children and other animals, though the field-bred springers may have their hunting instincts triggered by cats or other small animals.
Similarly, if left to their own devices in a backyard, it may be at the peril of any lingering birds. English springer spaniels are active, curious, and energetic dogs. They are eager to please humans, but will require training to keep from becoming unruly. This is a dog that will require regular outdoor exercise. But as long as those needs are met and it's provided with plenty of social time with people, an English springer spaniel can adapt readily to any kind of living situation, from downtown apartment to sprawling ranch.
Despite their hunting nature, English springer spaniels are fairly indifferent watchdogs. Bred as a field hunter, aggression towards strange humans or other dogs was an undesirable trait that has been actively bred against. They may alert bark as someone approaches the door, but always in more of a friendly greeting than any kind of warning.
The English springer spaniels' high intelligence makes them willing and able training partners. They pick up on new tasks quickly, and the hunting breeds can be easily trained to only track and chase specific breeds of gamefowl. This intelligence, coupled with their natural desire to hunt or work, also makes the English springer spaniel an excellent candidate for agility coursework, as well as hunting and obedience competitions. English springer spaniels are happiest when they have a job to do , and will relish the daily training and practice these events require.
Most English springer spaniels today are valued family members that may occasionally get the chance to hunt. With victories in Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club competition, including the first show of the new millennium, the popularity of the English springer spaniel is destined to grow.
Select Your Region. Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube. Your use of this site is subject to the terms of our Terms and Conditions. Other Careers. For Dogs. For Cats. About Hill's. Pet Care Centre. English Springer Spaniel At a glance. Personality: English springer spaniels were selected as fairly close-working hunting partners and have a strong desire to be with people and to be working.
Living With: The English springer spaniel can gain weight fairly easily, so too many treats can lead to obesity. History: The English springer spaniel comes from the spaniels that were popular as far back as the s as hunting companions in England.
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When you're talking about the springer spaniels, the boys of the breeds are a little bigger than the girls. A male Welsh springer spaniel ranges between 35 and 50 pounds and 18 to 19 inches tall; a female tends to weigh the same, but she runs about an inch shorter, between 17 and 18 inches at the shoulder. The male English springer spaniel is usually bigger all around, hitting the scales around 50 pounds and standing between 19 and 21 inches tall.
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