The English Springer Spaniel

And why it’s the greatest dog in the world.

It has been said that a dog is a man’s best friend. Such is the case with the English Springer Spaniel; they have been companions to humans for centuries. The English Springer Spaniel was first bred in England during the sixteenth century, though some accounts trace their beginnings even further than dogs from Spain and China. The breed was created as an all-purpose hunting dog capable of retrieving birds for the hunter and dragging them out of the thick brush. Their long, silky coats help protect them from briers and thorns while still allowing them a good range of movement to make fast retrieves or dodge dangerous animals such as wild boars and wolves. In addition, they are very friendly toward people and are commonly used as Therapy dogs.

Friendly, high in energy, and excellent hunting dogs.

Their friendly nature, high energy, and love of the hunt make them excellent companions for humans who can keep up with these intelligent, hard-working hounds. However, they have natural instincts to chase small animals such as squirrels and rabbits, so these dogs must be trained well from an early age not to do so off-leash. The breed can be pretty stubborn, though they are “soft” dogs that rarely use their mouths on humans or other animals unless they feel threatened; sometimes, even then, they will merely stand their ground rather than bite. Aggressiveness toward other dogs is uncommon in English Springer Spaniels, but any dog needs supervision when around strange animals to prevent fights.

They’re excellent swimmers.

English Springers should be kept on a leash outside of the home; though they are excellent swimmers, this breed will naturally run after any moving target such as small rodents or even ducks. However, they are quick learners with a strong instinct to please their masters, so training is quite simple. An English Springer Spaniel who has been well-trained is an ideal pet for families with children, provided everyone takes time to socialize it at an early age properly.
They have short coats that require regular brushing but do not shed excessive amounts of hair; weekly brushing prevents mats and tangles from forming in long fur on their ears and tail. Their ears should be checked regularly for signs of infection then cleaned out carefully using cotton balls, gauze pads, or wooden ear cleaners.

Lifespan – How long does an English Springer Spaniel live?

They have a life expectancy of 12-14 years with relatively few genetic problems.
With proper care and a little luck, some dogs can even reach 15 years.
As discussed earlier in this article, English Springer Spaniels are generally healthy dogs. However, springers may face some health issues: Hip Dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, and ear infections.

Temperament And Personality

English Springer Spaniels are very loyal dogs, with their owners making them excellent family pets despite their hunting instinct inherited from their past. They can quickly get along with children and other family pets, making them agreeable and harmonious dogs in the household.
They are friendly and energetic dogs with a lot of stamina. They love to play fetch games, run, hike, swim and walk long distances with their owners.

Though they may not be the best guard dog, there is no doubt about the fact that they will bark when detecting some suspicious movements or sounds so you can sleep peacefully at night knowing that these faithful friends well guard your home.

The English Springer Spaniel makes an excellent family pet if he’s given enough exercise and training from an early age. He has a strong need to please his master, which makes him willing to learn quickly as long as it doesn’t require too much time spent in isolation.

He can be pretty stubborn, but once convinced to do something, he sticks to it until the end.
These dogs can get along well with children and other pets in your household as long as they have been properly socialized at an early age – English Springer Spaniels are simply very friendly dogs!
A healthy English Springer Spaniel who enjoys staying alone or with the family being their true companion is a very loyal and loving dog – they are always eager to please their master.

Are Springer Spaniels hypoallergenic and do they shed a lot?

English Springer Spaniels are not hypoallergenic, and they do shed a lot.

Grooming

Being very sensitive to grooming and hygiene care, an English spaniel should be groomed at least two times a month: brushing its coat with a bristle brush will clean its fur from dead hair, but you also have to use a specialized product like shampoo or conditioner if you want to keep the coat in good shape (an irregular cleaning may result in tangles). Clipping nails, whenever they become too long, is essential if you want to avoid any problem of this kind.


You will find below some grooming tips that can help you take care of your dog:


Bathing – a good bath is essential when taking care of an English springer spaniel. A regular bath every 2 weeks should be enough, but make sure the water is neither too hot nor too cold: a temperature of 37ºC (98.6 °F) is perfect. During the first year of life, use only children’s shampoo and rinse thoroughly to avoid damage to its coat. Afterward, you can switch to dog shampoo or a mild soap-free pet wash. The shampoo you use should be mild and have no perfume added: always check that your dog tolerates the shampoo and any other product used before applying them.

Drying – after bathing, towel drying your dog’s coat will dry it faster and limit problems with static electricity; this way, you can also comb out some loose hair that could form mats.

Nails clipping – ask your vet for help trimming your dog’s nails because the nail bed is deeper than what you can see on the dog’s paw: it may not bleed as much when cutting a nail by yourself, but chances of hurting your dog are very high.

Ears cleaning – use a cotton ball or tissue with some warm water to clean your springer spaniel ears if they seem dirty or smell bad: never insert anything inside them or pour alcohol in their ear canal; stick only to safer methods like these and ask your vet for more information about this subject if you have doubts.

Washing and drying the dog’s paws – washing your pet’s paws frequently, especially during warm days, can help prevent him from stepping on anything that could hurt his paw pads; also, avoid walking your dog through muddy grounds or stinky places.

It is necessary to brush its coat with a soft bristle brush made for this purpose every day or at least twice a week, including cleaning his mouth after each meal (your vet can provide you with special toothpaste to do so if you don’t know what kind of toothbrush to buy).

How big do English Springer Spaniels get?

 

The usual weight range for an adult English springer spaniel is 55 – 70 pounds (25 – 32 Kg), and the height about 17 inches (43 cm) at the shoulder: males usually grow taller than females, as this breed has been heavily over-bred during its history to meet a certain standard.

The English Springer Spaniel in a nutshell

The English springer spaniel is a lively dog that needs exercise and loves the company of people. This dog’s personality makes it an indispensable part of any family. However, for being so friendly, this breed can be too dominant towards strangers, for which training is necessary.

Since English springer spaniels have a strong hunting instinct, training should start early. This way, it will be easier for the dog to learn basic commands like “sit,” “down,” “heel,” and so on. Also, because they are very active dogs, they need plenty of daily exercises to keep them fit; during their walks, always take with you clean up bags or a pet carrier if your dog likes to sniff around and may forget where he is supposed to go after every corner he turns into!

The English Springer Spaniel is a breed that can quickly adapt itself to both specific purposes and general use dog requirements due to its high-level intelligence, obedience, trainability, and willingness to please nature. Its obvious hunting instinct makes it one of today’s most sought-after sporting dogs. It is a member of the Springer Spaniel family where it is considered a more recent variety of spaniels. Though this breed today has been developed in England, it originates in Germany and France during the early days when these dogs were employed for hunting purposes similar to that of present-day pointers. At that time, they were known as German Spaniels or French Spaniels.

Most of the English Springer Spaniels are bred in England, while others have also found their way into America relatively late due to slow breeding programs there. Today this dog is mainly bred according to its purpose, whether it is as a show dog or working dog, while those used solely for show purpose are not really counted as at least necessary as those employed for work. Both types are generally bred together to produce puppies that could be used for either of the two purposes. However, this is rare but not impossible as some breeders do not prefer breeding a working dog with a show dog, which is more challenging than breeding show dogs with other different varieties of Springer Spaniels.

 

Awesome Names For English Springer Spaniels:

Harlequin, Roscoe, Ruben, Emmett,
Kirby, Raleigh, Jasper

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