Description

This medium-sized breed is compact and well-proportioned, perfect for a day of hunting. The English springer’s head has the typical Spaniel look, with a strong profile, long floppy ears, and a kind expression. Their beautiful eyes are oval-shaped and deep-set. The long neck has a slight arch as it leads down to the shoulders.

The English Springer Spaniel has a deep chest and strong, muscular legs; with a proud stance. The level back is strong and straight. The well-muscled legs lead to compact, oval paws, with well-arched and feathered toes.

Origin: England

Look

The English Springer Spaniel has a beautiful silky coat. The waterproof outer coat is medium length, and can be wavy or straight. The undercoat is short and fuzzy, and is usually thicker when the weather gets cold. The English springer spaniel has silky feathering along the belly, chest, ears, and legs. By comparison, the hair on the head and back is short and sleek.

This breed comes in many colours, but is usually black & white, liver & white, or tricolour.  The English Springer Spaniel usually sheds moderately in the Spring and Summer, and sometimes in the Autumn too.

Health

While generally a healthy and long-lived breed, the English Springer Spaniel can suffer from one or more of the following health issues:

• Hip dysplasia
• Eye problems:
• Progressive Retinal Atrophy
• Retinal Dysplasia
• Entropion
• Ear infections
• Skin disorders:
• Allergies
• Greasiness and scaliness
• itching
• Skin infections (pyoderma)
• Hair loss
• “Rage” syndrome
• Phosphofructokinase (PFK) Deficiency

At Newdoggy.com, we recommend that you buy your dog from reputable breeders, who use genetic testing and good breeding practices to remove genetic conditions from their breeding lines.

Learning

Clever and lively, the English Springer Spaniel is active and out-going. This breed is a very eager to please and learns quickly. They tend to be sensitive dogs, so avoid harsh methods and stick to more positive and gentle training techniques.

Temperament

The English Springer Spaniel is friendly and sweet-tempered. If properly socialised, they make affectionate family pets, though they often pick a favourite person and stick to their side. They are friendly, and great with kids and strangers, though this friendly nature makes them bad guard dogs.

Unfortunately, poor breeding practises means that there are some English Springer Spaniels with aggressive or overly submissive tendencies. Some Springers will urinate in submission; others suffer from “rage” syndrome. It is important to seek out a responsible breeder with a good track record for producing even-tempered dogs.

Living with

The English Springer Spaniel is best suited for someone who works from home, or can take their dog to work. They are “velcro” dogs and hate to be left alone. If left alone for too long, they tend to bark out of boredom. As this is a sporting breed, this is a great choice if you love going for long walks or jogging. Lack of exercise can make the English Springer Spaniel destructive or anxious. They do get on well with other dogs, but may try to chase cats. They are wonderful with children, and are gentle enough for most older children to walk on a leash.