Spaniels are always high on the list when people decide to choose a new puppy. The Springer Spaniel is probably one of the most interesting and enduring of the spaniel breeds but is it the right Dog for you and your family?
The English Springer Spaniel is a medium sized Dog with a big personality. Over the years English Springer Spaniels have been breed for two main reasons, dog shows and working. This has resulted in two strains, the show dog tends to have longer legs whereas the working dog is shorter and stockier. The Springer makes a great pet and devoted companion, provided you have the energy to keep up with him. If you are thinking that a Springer is the dog for you, there a number of important points to take into consideration.
-
The Springer is a very energetic animal. A couple of 40 minute walks a day on a lead is not going to be anywhere near enough for him. He needs to be able to run and wear of some of this energy each day in order to be easily controlled. You need to have space for him to run around in, a Springer in a small house with a pocket hankerchief sized garden soon becomes a nightmare.
-
The Springer is very intelligent. It is not by chance that the breed is used for drug sniffing at airports, for example, as well as for field sports. The Springer wants to learn and loves to please. This makes him very trainable. In fact, you must be prepared to train him, or, like an intelligent child who is bored, he can soon become a trouble maker.
-
The Springer is a very faithful hound. Your energetic, intelligent friend will not want to be separated from you. The Springer does not like being left alone and will probably do something to show his displeasure if left alone. This will usually be something destructive. He will be delighted to see you on your return and completely forget his earlier protest, until the next time you leave him. If you are going to have to leave him alone on a regular basis, you may consider getting another dog as a companion for him. Two dogs does not always mean double trouble.
-
The English Springer Spaniel is a friendly, affectionate, sociable dog. He gets on well with adults and children, other dogs and animals. This makes the Springer a good family pet. He will want to be included in everything that goes on, including sitting on the sofa to watch television. Also, he is greedy by nature, so do not be surprised if he helps himself to food that is at his level.
-
All Spaniels love water, especially the Springer. If you take him for a walk off his lead near water, do not expect to go home with a dry dog. The Springer will happily jump into icy water for no apparent reason and swim. After you have marvelled at how proficient a swimmer he is and how like an otter he looks when swimming, you can ponder the question of how to get him dry. The silky coat and feathers on his tail and legs look great dry and groomed but hold water for a surprisingly long time. Grooming is necessary to keep the Springer looking his best. Special attention needs to be given to the ears as they tend to fall into his food when he eating unless you use a cloths peg to peg them over his ears!
It is advisable when you get your new pet dog not to waste the valuable window of time in the early days by not implementing proper training. To to this you can consult a pet behavior specialist or training school in your area. It can be far less expensive, however, to learn the basic training techniques yourself. A full and complete guide called 'The Secrets to Dog Training' is available at http://www.poochdogs.com This guide, which has been used by over 200,000 owners worldwide, also will detail the best strategies for puppy house training. Visit the site today to complete your research.
