Springer Spaniel - Are they good pets Questions

I am falling in love with this breed...so much that I may have to speed up our move just to have one.

I am likely to go for a working bred dog, rather than show (tho could be swayed!)

So, I know there are a few owners on here, and would be lovely to hear of them as pets, personalties and downsides. Pics of course and links to good breeders would be most helpful

Claire

Best piece of advise I can give you is research your lines even if you want a working type. Some of the lines can be really nervy and sharp, some are bigger than others. Ours are pretty chunky and more old fashioned looking BUT they are not really suited for pet homes as they are on the go all day every day, and hit cover HARD. I know most springer owners will tell you that their dogs are like that, but there is a massive difference, and it also depends on what cover they are predominately bred for. The lines vary so much. Pictures of some of mine are on here somewhere x

I have two well bred working springers, from working and trial lines, they are on the smaller side, very young adult dog is 17.8kgs at 25 months and bitch at 27 months is 14.5kgs.

One of mine was part trained gundog when we got her at 9months and she joined her younger by 3months half brother. I couldn't have wished for nicer dogs, we have worked hard training them to be suited to a pet home, they are ball obsessed, will ignore scents and squirrels/rabbits for the ball and a game with us etc, as we arent in a position to work them we have worked to ensure they do not 'bog off'.

They are manic when out and need a good off lead run which we do usually twice a day, and in a variety of places so they get a run on grass, through long grass, farmers land, woodland and woods etc., they are very calm indoors with just a manic few minutes play with each other a few times throughout the day.

They are very loyal and loving dogs, but we in return have spent time building a bond with them, training them, playing with them and teaching them time to chill is good too.

They take some grooming as they collect all sorts of rubbish in their coats and love nothing more than muck and mud!, It is all part of the fun and particularly in working bred dogs something that they (i believe) need to thrive, they dont make great dogs to be street walked on the lead, they have far more fun things in mind for their owners to experience.

I personally think they are the best breed ever, but i also believe you get out what you put in and you will need to love the outdoors in all weathers probably for around at least two lots of an hour or so a day. They also like stimulation and training in doors just to keep their brains ticking and the bond strong.

Its already been said research your lines well, although even thats no gurantee as personalities do vary so widely, out of my four i think they are pretty representative,

Meg is coming up 7 this year and still never stops, the only time i see her truly tired is at the end of a full days beating, she's also too clever for her own good


_MG_0159 by jalizcazan, on Flickr

Millie came next, she has a lot more white and a load more rytex in her, a crap start has left her with OCD (shadow chasing) but just shows how a bored springer will entertain itself, she's been here 6 years and has still never got out of it


_MG_0151 by jalizcazan, on Flickr

Molly is a tiny little thing of 14kg lot of cocker in her lines back in the day, she's probably the perfect working springer, is a cuddle monster and very laid back in the house, but a real hunting machine out, wish i'd have had her from a pup, so i could have harnessed that, i do work her now, but have to be on top of her all the time


_MG_0227 by jalizcazan, on Flickr

and finally Neam, loads of Rytex in her and it shows, she's a nervy thing, and allsorts scare her, now doing flyball to bruild her confidence as she's ball obsessed


_MG_0089 by jalizcazan, on Flickr

The things to remember with workers are, they are all different, they can be taught to chill out, and you'll never ever wear one out with just running, you need to work their brain, 20 minutes brain work will tire them out far more than 4hrs running,

ETA once you've had one, you'll never have anything else

Are we all presuming 'English' Springer Spaniel ?

Only have a few mins to reply but will pop back.

Mine have been smaller 'working type' - Badgercourt & Rytex lines mainly.

The last one was purely a family pet, the previous a working dog who became a family pet.

Covered in good posts already but I would say the dedication and challenge involved in shaping a happy 'family pet' Springer Spaniel musn't be underestimated.

With the correct dog, the correct exercise, the correct environment and the correct mental stimulation they will reward in spades when it comes to friendship, fun, loyalty and willingness to please - it's their job.

A sense of humour helps a lot too.

I have an "old fashioned" show type, with working lines strewn in somewhere.

Isla is your "hard as nails" type of Springer, sense of humour is definitely compulsory cos if she decides she doesn't want to do something, she ain't gonna do it! There's a saying in the gundog world:

A Labrador is born half trained and a Springer dies half trained.

I would say this is pretty accurate give or take differing amounts of biddability within different lines. Show types aren't necessarily always easier either, my parents have a full blooded show type who is just as nuts as any working Springer but weighs at least twice as much. He also has one Hell of a nose for game which makes for interesting walks!

Either way they're a fabulous breed, but expect to put in a lot of training as a pup and exercise as an adult if you want a well behaved dog.

One last thing: don't let people try to fool you into believing health tests are required only for the show type. Inbreeding is just as prevalent in the working type as it is in the show type, so the tests are equally necessary. Verstone is the only working kennel I would consider a Springer from, PM me for show kennels in your area if you want. I've had the breed since 1984 so have a decent amount of knowledge about them.

I'm a springer novice!

Mine is a well built and very active bitch! She's just had her first day at work on the grouse moor and we had a brilliant time.

Personally, I would not have chosen a springer if I had just wanted a pet dog. I know there are some lines that make fantastic pets, but having done 3 seasons' beating before I took the plunge and seen the dogs at work, I just couldn't bring myself to have a gundog and not work it (if you see what I mean)

Ivy has boundless energy and kept going all day - bouncing through the heather.

Fear-biting is a problem.............................. that's me - gnawing my whistle and praying she keeps hunting close to me though - not the dog!

I also found, compared to the other breeds I own / have owned (Irish Terriers, Deerhound and Ormskirk Heeler) she's bouncy, outgoing, scatterbrained (she's maturing now, but like her sire, she's a late-maturer wheras mum was super-biddable and focussed even as a puppy)but with a very gentle and sensitive streak in there too!

She's great with other dogs and at reading dog's body language and she's obsessive about retrieving....to the point where on Saturday she was marking the champagne corks and bringing them to me at lunchtime

As has been said though - working springers come in all shapes, sizes and characters, so being clear about what qualities you want is important.

I think the show springers are lovely looking dogs and the ones I've met recently have had good temperaments, although for me, they have too much hair and very silly ears (although that again is just a personal preference and I also know some cracking workers with fairly long ears!)

Agree with all the other posters----except that a springer leaves the world half trained. IMO that is the trainers problem---not the dogs and Springers seem to have more brains than most owners. They are a great example of the saying that the one with the highest IQ ought to be holding the lead---often with a springer thats not true!

They are often not good pet dogs simply because people treat them wrongly and don't put the work in. They can learn to bite when challenged and that does cause problems for a few of them.

Mine has her own u tube channel (georgettaspring) and page on the social network site---that, along with training and walks and living with several other dogs, keeps her busy. I dread the day she discovers Amazon one click buying though---the house will be full of fluffy toys!

rune

Lol, Rune, that made me laugh.

One thing with springers, the more you put in the more you get out, you do need to be on top of them, they are too big to be the cute little dog with no training. They will occupy themselves if you don't find an outlet for their brains.

It can be done, i have (so far), done it with two as a novice owner of coming up two years, and two springers within four months, but I am the type that doesn't like to fail, doesn't see it as hard work, but fun and fulfillment and simply love everything they do and are!

Look forward to hearing if you go ahead and seeing pics!

Interested in the sizes/weights.
my working cocker is Maessyderwen on the sire line.
He is 2 yrs old and 18kg

Kobi, your cocker weighs a fraction more than my 25m working bred springer dog, and 3kgs more than my 28m working bred springer bitch.

Thanks Rolo
Appreciate big range in both breeds
I have big Cocker
Seen small slight springers,long and lean springers and big brawny springers.
Gamekeeper I got him from went down to Cockers to help with his back when lifting Springers over fences etc, don't think it would help that much with Kobi
Vet says he's fine but don't let him get any bigger