Springer spring and just don't stop (English Springer Spaniel)

Member Name: kgray71

Product:	English Springer Spaniel
Date:	22/01/06 (5623 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Loyal, Loving, Energetic, Fun to be round

Disadvantages: Energetic (twice I know), Ear Problems, Selective Hearing

Before I get too involved with this review I have listed energetic both in the advantage and disadvantage. My reasons for this are because they are difficult to tire out and are always on the go.

Background
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Springer's spaniels are gundogs, they were primarily used for flushing the birds, i.e. making the birds fly so the guns can shoot them. Though they are now proving themselves as good retrievers as well.

I know very few Springer spaniel owners who do not use them as gundogs but I live in the shooting country. I would be happy to hear from anybody who keeps them as pets.

The Type & Colour
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There are two different types of English Springer Spaniels. Working type is short in the leg and their coat is coarse and short. Show type are longer in the leg and have a longer and smoother coat.

Either type of Springer's normally comes in two different colours.

Liver and white (Brown and white) or
Blue and white (Black and white)

I have heard of some having all three colours, brown, black and white, though I have never met any.

My opinions are based on the working type of Springer spaniel.

The Breed
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These are very happy dogs that will always greet you with a happy wag; if they are truly excited to see you then you receive a bum wag. These are basically that the dog is so happy that it does not wag its tail but his bum instead.

If you only want one then they are great companions if you spend a lot of time at home. I wouldn't recommend anyone having one alone if they work long hours, they can become very bored. If you want two or more Springer spaniels then they will be a lot happier together if you do not spend as much time at home as you would like. I'm lucky in that sense as I work from home.

From my experience this breed is great with children my 3 year old niece goes potty with them every time. I believe it is because of the look of the breed; they have a playful child like quality and remain like puppies until they are about ten years old. Unlike most dogs Springer spaniels do not lose their puppy looks, they remain cute, sweet and cuddly.

The temperate of this breed is uncanny my niece has known mine since she was a baby and you know what children are like. She pulled their ears, fur, gaols, and tails and yes, even their private parts sometimes. There was not a growl, snarl, bark or bite from them and for those of you who want to know, there was a whimper/cry with the private parts, but I'll tell you another story later.

Please note I do not recommend this breed for a guard dog, they might bark but would probably greet the intruder as an old friend and lick them to death rather than defend your property.

Maintenance
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The good news about this breed is that the working type does not require a lot of grooming. The ears are the worst problem as these dogs always have their noses down and therefore; the ear hair can get knotted. A regular daily comb can cure this problem, it take me about 5 minutes a day for two dogs.

The feathers (fur) on their legs will need checking regular too but I have never had too much of a problem with them. I also keep an eye on their pads in the Autumn and Winter months as mud can get stuck in between the pads and cause some discomfort.

When I first got my eldest Springer, I was told to check his ears, as he would have problems with them. I have not found this to be the case with either of my dogs, but still keep a check on them. I normally do most of these checks when they come to me for attention, that way it makes it a pleasant experience for the dog.

Exercise & Training
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I have been given lots of advice as my time as a Springer spaniel owner, 30 minutes twice a day, 1 hour twice a day, 3 hours a day. As I mentioned earlier this breed does not tire easily but I'll tell you the routine I have with mine.

1. They get me up by 8am everyday, no exceptions
2. Feed them dry complete dog food, while I have a cup of coffee
3. Morning exercise walking only for approx 30-40 minutes
4. I then do some work until lunchtime
5. Lunchtime exercise with toy outdoors, a ball or dummy throw about for 30 minutes.
6. I do more work, start dinner before the evening walk
7. Evening walk - normally 45-60 minutes with toys outside and then a walk
8. I always give them a dog treat when we return home in the evening
9. A quick run before bedtime 15-20 minutes and then it starts all over again.

My routine keeps my dogs very happy and their energy calmer.

I find a routine helps with dogs, even puppies, as they know from an early age how long they will need to hold themselves. This way it avoids messes in the house.

I have always found Springer spaniels to be very easy dogs to train because of the bond they develop with you from a puppy. I have never needed to use treats to train them only praise, I find that they want to please their owner and appreciate attention as apposed to food. Mine are trained as gundogs so they learn more advanced commands but they pick up the basic training, sit, and stay, no, down, very quickly. I use two different voices when speaking to them; I have a good boy voice, light and happy, and the bad boy voice, firm and deep. This lets them know if the action they've done has been good or bad.

If the action they have done is good I add attention, fussing their ears is always a favourite of any spaniel. If the action they have done is bad, then I ignore them for 30 minutes or so, if the action is really bad then I send them to their bed and ignore them for 30 minutes or so.

When I bought my latest dog, she was 8-week-old when I bought her and within 3-4 days she had pick up the basics. The other advice I would give for any puppy owner is, start as you mean to go on, I know this can be harsh and heart breaking but you'll thank me for it in the end. You need to make rules for what the dog can and can't do and make sure you stick to them.

Overview
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I love this breed so much; every dog is different and not just in personality. Springer Spaniels which ever colour have wonderful colour markings on their white fur. They can be similar but never the same.

The breed is great for companionship and love but be warned you can never stay angry at them for long as they look at you with their very deep dark eyes and look all sorrowful. If you have children this is a good breed, as they will probably out last the children on energy levels. I have friends' who like my dogs to wear their children out.

I have two Springer spaniels, Jerry (Springer, get it? Sorry friends suggestions and it stuck) and Piper (no catch with this one). Jerry is 5 years old brown and white and Piper is 1-year-old black and white. Yes, there are a boy and girl and yes puppies this years when Piper turns two in July.

Jerry did not take to Piper straight away but that might be because she bitted him in his private parts when they first met! They are good friends now and snuggle together on these cold winter nights.

Thanks for reading.

Summary: Springers are terrific fun loving dogs