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Over a year has passed since our golden retriever (Leo) died 😥 but we now feel ready for another dog and have sort of settled on an English Springer Spaniel. Mad, energetic, clever, great with kids, nice looking, not too large....
Problem maybe is that we have a cat, 12 yrs old who accepted Leo when he was a 6 months old puppy and made it quite clear who was boss if Leo got too close, or rubbed up to him for a fuss etc. Our other cat (since died) wasn't so god with Leo and basically hid for 6 months.
I'm sure the cat will be fine but will an English Springer Spaniel be ok too.
Any English Springer Spaniel advice would be appreciated.
The cat will whip it into shape pretty quick, especially if you get a bitch. Springers are great dogs, very energetic, easy to train, good with kids.
Had springers man & boy. I love them - bloody wife won't take on the responsibility after our last passed away.
Best tip I can give you - take up shooting or beating & train your pup to work under a gun.
it is the most rewarding thing to see a dog doing what it is bred for. & Springers are so biddable it is a joy to train them. I trained Brewer to work & we learned together. it was a life shaping experience for us both.
Get times with a great friend. Miss the bugger now tho :/
fwiw if the dog gets a taste for blud (after it's caught a few stupid bunnies) it will still be fine with cats & kids & that includes the neighbours cats, however much I prefer to see every hateful feline wired to the mains.
The dog won't kill something that fights back - they are opportunists not steven segals
We've just done similar, we lost our old Border Terrier before Christmas and just after a 9 month old English Springer Spaniel came up for rehoming, he's been great with the cats once he learn that they've got whopping claws!
I would get some insurance whilst they are young, our dog came free but so far this year he's cos me £1100!!!!
The younger cat and he adore each other and cuddle up in front of the fire and when bored chase each other round the house, with the cat climbing up through the clothes horse and then jumping out on the dog as he comes past.
I'm trying to teach him to work properly and he's coming along a treat so we should be all set for the next shooting season.
Hopefully 😉
Yeah hopefully, as long as he's not sick still, I'm considering changing his name to sick note!
Oh and there's a good forum over here [url] http://springthing.3.forumer.com/ [/url]
Polly from here and myself are at least two members from here over there!
Nice to see you have settled with the springer Pepper, I was going to suggest a border as its smaller, we just got another...
[img] http://images.fotopic.net/?iid=y06p29&outx=800&quality=70 [/img]
🙂
Insurance is a very good idea for springers, they can get into some scrapes. Ours used to go under barbed wire fences at a full gallop and take chunks out of her back. If you're looking for a similar dog which is slightly less mental, cocker spaniels are very good too.
I wouldn't have another Springer unless I was working it. The last 'pet' Springer we had ate the kitchen.
Springers are ace. Had them when I was a kid and they are the loveliest pets. More likely to lick your cat to death then eat it, IME.
Second the suggestion to train it. It's great exercise anyway, and should calm it down a bit!
Your 12 year old cats just gonna love a mental Springer around.
No it will not. It will want to play with it, right up until the cat gets its claws out the first time and gets its nose.
Ted (my [url= 
]Springer[/url]) gets on really quite well with my cat now, even though they have a bit of a play now and again. She's 8 or 9, so there's a bit of a gap between them.
Always have someplace for the cat to get private time though; we leave a gate across the stairs so Funny can go up, but Ted stays down.
I don't know how she'll respond to Ralph (new Cocker dog) when we bring him home next weekend though. Probably just ignore him by going upstairs I guess.
Our Huntaway Rescue wants to kill any cat that comes across his path...
If it's anything like our Springer, he'll be really interested in the cat if it runs, but if he gets close, the cat will quickly show who's boss.
Great dogs, ours [url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/douglasfshearer/3549136505/ ]turned 12 last week[/url], still a nutter, still biddable!
Cat will be fine...... if trained well/from good parents the dog will hopefully pick it up, bring it to you and place at your feet 😀
Not had Springer yet (dad used to have them for shooting) but currently have two working cockers (almost Springer size but not quite as potty) who are just ace. Good advice about training to the gun - makes a big difference.