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Breed Characteristics
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English Springer Spaniel
| Other Names | Springer Spaniel |
| Country of Origin | Great Britain |
| Weight | Males: 45 - 55 lbs. (20 - 25 kg) Females: 40 - 50 lbs. (18 - 23 kg) |
| Height (at withers) | Males: 19 - 21 in. (48 - 56 cm) Females: 18 - 20 in. (46 - 51 cm) |
| Coat | The coat is medium in length with feathering over the legs, ears, cheeks and brisket. |
| Colour | Coat colour comes in liver and white, and black and white, predominantly white with black or liver markings, blue or liver roan, a tricolour pattern of black and white or liver and white with tan markings, usually found on eyebrows, cheeks, inside of the ears and under the tail. The white areas of the coat may have ticking. |
| Litter Size | 5 - 7 puppies |
| Life Span | 12 - 14 years |
| Origin & History | English physician Dr. John Caius described the spaniel in his book the Treatise of Englishe Dogs published in 1576. His book was the first work to describe the various British breeds by function. By 1801, Sydenham Edwards explained in the Cynographia Britannica that the land spaniel should be split into two kinds, the Springing, Hawking Spaniel, or Starter, and the Cocking or Cocker Spaniel. At this point in time, both cocker spaniels and springer spaniels were born in the same litters. The purpose of the breed was to serve as a hunting dog. The smaller cockers were used to hunt woodcock, while their larger littermates, the springer spaniels, would "spring"—or flush—the gamebird into the air where a trained falcon or hawk would bring it to the handler. Many spaniel breeds were developed during the 19th century, and often named after the counties in which they were developed, or after their owners, who were usually nobility. Two strains of larger land spaniel were predominant and were said to have been of "true springer type." These were the Norfolk and the Shropshire spaniels, and by the 1850s, these were shown under the breed name of Norfolk spaniel. In January 1899, the Spaniel Club of England and the Sporting Spaniel Society held their trials together for the first time. Three years later, in 1902, a combination of the physical standard from the Spaniel Club of England and the ability standard from the Sporting Spaniel Society led to the English Springer Spaniel breed being officially recognised by the English Kennel Club. The American Kennel Club followed in 1910. In 1914, the first English Field Champion was crowned, FTC Rivington Sam, whose dam was a registered cocker spaniel, Rivington Riband. Sam is considered one of the foundation sires for modern field lines. |
| Personality | English Springers are even-tempered, gentle, friendly, and sociable dogs that make great child companions. Intelligent, skillful, willing and obedient and a quick learner. Brave, playful, energetic, pleasant and cheerful, their tails are seemingly always in motion. They are affectionate, good natured and sincere; this dog loves everyone. Springers do best when they are with people who can provide them with some kind of consistent structure where the rules are made clear. Negative issues can arise with meek owners and/or owners who do not provide daily mental and physical exercise. This can cause frustration in the dog and they may become destructive and start to bark a lot if left alone. If a Springer does not see the owners as strong authority figures they will begin to believe it is their job to take over the leadership role. If you allow this to happen the dog can become a biter in an attempt to keep the humans in line. Adolescent Springers need a lot of authoritative guidance. They are sensitive to the tone of one's voice and will not listen if they sense that they are stronger minded than their owner, however they will also not respond well to harsh discipline. Owners need to be calm, yet possess an air of natural authority. At this age they can be extra high-energy, testing and challenging the leadership position. There are two types, field lines and show lines (bench). Field types are bred for hunting and field trial work. The bench type is bred for conformation shows and has more liver or black on its coat, and the coats are longer and fuller. The field type has more white on its coat than the show type and a lot less hair. Both types are intelligent and energetic and need daily exercise, but field lines have a higher energy level and need even more exercise. The dominancy level in this breed varies even within the same litter. If you are not the type of person who can display a natural air of calm, but firm authority, then be sure to choose a pup that is more submissive. The temperament of both show and field lines vary widely, depending upon how the owners treat the dog and how much and what type of exercise they provide. They love water and may constantly get themselves wet and muddy. Usually they are good with other pets but since they are natural fowl hunters they should not be trusted with birds. They can be sometimes argumentative with other dogs if owners do not communicate clearly who is in charge. |
Care Requirements
| Health | As in most breeds, there are some health problems that are more likely to occur. Hip dysplasia, a malformation of the hip joints that leads to arthritis, and progressive retinal atrophy (PRA), which is a degeneration of the retina causing vision loss leading to blindness, are two such diseases for which veterinarians are working on genetic markers to determine carriers. Another problem can be elbow dysplasia. Retinal dysplasia (RD), which can cause blindness and Phosphofructokinase deficiency (PFK), which is genetic deficiency which impairs the ability of cells using carbohydrates for energy are two other hereditary conditions for which both lines of the English springer spaniel should be screened prior to breeding. Health issues are usually similar in both types of English Springer however phosphofructokinase deficiency in particular can appear more in field lines, however carriers in show lines have been identified. As with most spaniels and floppy eared dogs, they are prone to ear infections. Treatment includes cleaning the ear canal weekly with a solution that will leave the ear in an acidic state to retard the growth of yeast and bacteria. Other health problems include autoimmune diseases, which include allergies and other sensitivities to the environment. They can also be susceptible to various eye problems including inward or outward curling eyelashes or even an additional row of eyelashes, all of which can require corrective surgery. |
| Grooming | The coat of the field-type Springer is fairly easy to maintain and regular brushing with a stiff bristle brush will keep it looking good; the show-type Springers' coat needs more attention. Both need baths and dry shampoo only when necessary, but check the ears regularly for signs of infection. Springers with longer coats will mat if not brushed often and particular attention needs to be given to the ears and the feet. If the hair is not kept shaved on the underside of the ears, it can lead to chronic ear infections. The hair on the feet needs to be trimmed to prevent burrs and foxtails from becoming imbedded. The longer coats will pick up burrs and branches and need to be combed out after outside exercise or it will mat badly. The show type Springer does not have as much coat as the American Cocker Spaniel, but it needs regular attention. This breed is a constant average shedder. |
| Feeding | English Springer Spaniels tend to gain weight easily, and owners need to be careful about their food consumption. |
| Exercise | Springers enjoy as much exercise as you can give them. They need lots of it to be happy. They should have chances to take daily long walks or jogs where the dog is made to heel beside or behind the human, never in front, as in a dog's mind, the leader leads the way. They will also benefit from a run and play off the leash. They love to retrieve and swim. These dogs perform very well in both agility skills trials and obedience competitions. |
| Other Considerations | They will do okay in an apartment if sufficiently exercised. English Springer Spaniels adapt well to town or city life. They are relatively inactive indoors and will do best with at least an average-sized yard. Springer Spaniels are commonly used as sniffer dogs for a variety of tasks. Notable cases of explosive search dogs have included Buster, a Dickin Medal recipient, Royal Army Veterinary Corps arms and explosives search dog serving with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment in Iraq, for finding an extremist group's hidden arsenal of weapons and explosives. Another example is Jake, aka Hubble Keck People's Dispensary for Sick Animals Gold Medal and Blue Cross Animal Hospital Medal recipient, a London Metropolitan Police explosives search dog. He was deployed at Tavistock Square, Russell Square and King's Cross following the 7 July 2005 London Bombings. However the Springer's use is not limited to detection of explosives, it can extend to other work. Murphy, a male Springer has been trained by HM Prison Service in HMP Norwich to search for mobile phones. He can tell the difference between the guards' phones and illegal phones held by inmates. Other varied uses for the Springer can include sniffing out bumblebee nests, illegal immigrants, and blood. Springer Spaniels are also used as search and rescue dogs for mountain rescue teams where their willingness to work and cover rough terrain makes them an excellent choice alongside other more traditional search dog breeds. Springers are used as drug dogs by agencies in various places including Sweden, Finland, Britain, Isle of Man, Canada and Qatar. |
