springer spaniels…. talk to me about them !!

We are considering getting a new dog and have both settled on a springer,the thing is we dont really know anyone with one to get an idea of what they are like to live with.

does anyone on here have a springer and if so can you give me your opinions on them??

do they need lots of walks, are they ok with kids etc..

cheers

steve

Springers I have met have been lovely it’s all in the training, keep them busy and they’ll be fine.

yes they’ll need lots of walks they are a working breed after all. In regards to kids again yes with training but like any dog I don’t care what anyone else says you can’t trust them 100%.

I had a lab that I my father used to take to his school she was so dopey with kids but we always made sure she wasn’t crowded or trapped in a corner by any kids in anyway.

I’d have a spaniel tomorrow but remember training is the key

Eh?

We’ve decided on a type of dog, but we don’t actually know what they are like to live with….

Are you hora in disguise?

^^ yes you need to know what they are like before you decide.

But to answer the question: got one fast asleep next to me 😀

I would talk your ears off about them and how great they are.

Walks – they exercise themselves – you walk and they run around at mach 10. You can get away with 1hr a couple of days a week but aim for longer most of the time and a couple if you can. Does depend on the dog though.

Kids – unless something is wrong they should be great with kids. They will play with them, try to get food off them, lick them and protect them when you are out.

Illnesses – ears, skin allegies. Ears especially if they swim – just keep an eye (and nose) on them.

Spaying of bitches – they say to spay females after the 1st season to health reasons. They can be prone to phantom pregnancies which increases the health risks. Ours is not spayed as we plan to have pups next year, we had one phantom pregnancy which was bad so now we increase her exercise, adjust her diet and remove all her toys as she comes out of season to physically and mentally snap her out of it. Failing that the hormone stuff works very well – again don’t worry too much and if no plans for puppies then spay when the vet says.

Behaviour wise – everyone says they are bonkers – they can be when you want them to be and if you are a springer person you will encourage them to go bonkers at least twice a day – it’s great fun and gets rid of lots of energy and make a happy dog. But they will happily settle down for a few hours at a time and are brilliant round the house.

They are very sensitive dogs and will react if you have arguments or are ill etc. They also hate making a mess and get very ashamed of themselves.

Barking – quite rare to get a barky/yappy one. Normally a sign of a problem or boredom. Ours does bark at anything outside though but that is because she is very protective.

Feeding – we feed twice a day and give carrots after breakfast. Our bitch is 16.4kg and eats for a 24-25kg dog (Eukanuba). Spaniels are always on the go and will obsess over things – potato bags, trees, holes etc etc so burn up lots of energy even when not ripping up the garden running round and round. Decent food does make a difference though so price up what you think you will need then add 50%. Ours also eats lots of vegetables and rice or potatoes are good for adding extra calories (and fibre to keep those anal glands squeezed!) when needed due to winter or exercise.

Smellyness – a lot cleaner than something like a lab but obviously if you get a very long/curly hair one it will be a bit of work to keep clean. Get some decent brushes – de-tangler and dead hair removers as it will make life easier. But expect hairs EVERYWHERE from now on!

All in all great dogs. Brilliant with mountain bikes but be careful of doing very long distances as they do only have short legs and will do more distance than you do. Only other dog we are considering is a pointer when the right one comes up on rescue as they will compliment the spinger nicely.

Where are you btw? Anywhere near Bristol/Cheddar and you are welcome to come see Lottie.

Oh and http://www.englishspringerrescue.org.uk/

This is where we got ours from. They will put you in touch with people you can speak to and before you adopt someone will visit to make sure your home and you are suitable. They will then try and match the dog to you and not just try and offload any dog to you – as it will only end up coming back.

No mate im not hora, what i meant was we both like the look of the springer but dont know much about them, rather than just reading stuff on a springer website i was after peoples own real life opinions.

thanks for your input though…………. 🙄

of all the dogs I come across on a bike, springer spaniels are the least interested in you and what you are doing. They are on some personnal scent trail and completely oblivious all thats around them, theres a smell and where does it lead.

I dont have a springer, but i walk dogs for a living,springers are a working dog, so need lots of walks and time spent with them, they are usually very lively, they do have a tendency to chase rabbits and such like, and go deaf at the same time, normally good with other dogs, and kids, friendly,can go for miles, some have a doggy smell about them, like wet dog smell, but all the time.I think they look great and i get quite attached to the ones i walk.
Good luck with whatever you get, as mentioned above, training from the start, and a calm household makes a lot of a difference in the dogs behavior.

We used to have a bearded collie that i loved walking but he never could get used to running next to me on the bike and always tried to bite my front wheel !!!!

i loved walking him and miss taking him out too!!

If you are near Chatsworth then go to the Country show as there will be lots of spaniels (and other breeds) doing demos and scurries. I was going go this year but kate has vet stuff to do.

Training wise – I can trust Lottie to walk through bristol off the lead (but am not really allowed to) and she recalls very well but healing is a chore (springers are designed to go ahead and flush/find) and pulling on the lead is common. We are now moving over to whistle commands for when we go shooting. Should have started with them this is all new to me too. We use dummies for training and Kong frisbee for play. She knows when the dummies are out it is work time and when the frisbee is out it it’s bonkers time.

Physical and mental stimulation (and affection) is key to a happy springer 🙂 If you are out at work all day don’t get one 🙁

For me the springer comes in second in my list of dogs I wouldnt have after a collie. They need lots of exercise and mental stimulation, see lots of pet ones that are nothing short of mental, you see the same with collies. Despite this I love both breeds of dogs but they are a big commitment. Friend has a couple of Welsh Springers which seem a fair bit calmer.

No mate im not hora, what i meant was we both like the look of the springer but dont know much about them, rather than just reading stuff on a springer website i was after peoples own real life opinions.

thanks for your input though………….
I’m with crikey on this one, what happens if after all the internet input you find you don’t get on with it. You’ll be stuck with it for 10-15years or more. Have a look at the reaction to Staffies, owners love them and will only talk about the positives, people who don’t like them don’t own them and can’t give a valid opinion. Same would apply Spaniels I guess.
“Talk to me about spaniels”
“Mines a tw4t, it eats the furniture, craps everywhere, pisses in the kettle, humps the vicar’s leg when he comes, sniffs eveyone’s crotch (now I know why the vicar’s wife comes around so much!), craps in my shoes (at least they’re warm in th winter), has fleas, chases the neighbours cat, barks all day and frightens the shit out of the local children. I wouldn’t change him for anything else, f*****g AWESOME dogs.”
🙄

have both settled on a springer

what i meant was we both like the look of the springer but dont know much about them

Make up your mind…. 🙂

Fair comments about wandering off when on the bike and chasing rabbits and yes both do come down to training.

Going off the trail is actually quite useful at times as they make their way through the trees etc and don’t get in your way.

They will stick to the trail at times though – and normally they only go off trail when you are riding too slow 😉 If you speed up they will stick with you. Lottie will also come back along the trail to pick up stragglers and show them the way.

I made the mistake of letting lottie go off too far on walks so she does it on rides. I am now working on correcting that behaviour with the dummies and now she stays a lot closer. Slow and consistent is the key to it. And for rabbits lottie has two modes – if I have sent her out she will chase stuff but when we are walking she will stop and ‘ask’ and only go if I tell her to.

I would love a Collie – they are such intelligent dogs – more than a spaniel I will admit. But they are pastoral dogs and as such have a real nasty side which they need to protect. I trust our spaniel 100% but I don’t think I would trust a Collie the same (sadly).

I wouldn’t get a male Springer again!

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7871711

Mine is an amazing dog, capable of sitting quietly in my van for hours and hours, and then going totally nuts and able to find a pheasant in the hardest nastiest brambles!

Mine has cost me thousands for this problem, the last bill to have a snapped screw replaced cost me £1900, hence why I’m having to sell all my lovely cameras on ebay at the moment!

Mine works and works, he spent 6 months with this last broken elbow and it didn’t bother him at all, his pain threshold is totally different to other dogs I’ve known!

I’d have another tomorrow (so I get twice the chance to go beating with the dogs 😉 but it would be a female.

Read the reasons why people get rid of spaniels here: http://www.englishspringerrescue.org.uk/dogs-needing-homes/homes-required.html

and ask if you can cope/give one what it needs. 🙂

does anyone on here have a springer and if so can you give me your opinions on them??

do they need lots of walks, are they ok with kids etc..

cheers

steve

I have one, he’s 18 months old and he’s awesome.

He gets 1 walk a day, normally about 30 minutes to an hour plus regular bike rides and longer walks on days off.

He absolutely loves kids.

Cheers,

Bucko

Ours is absolutely mental.

Pepper – that is quite worrying to read. All of Kates (and the one we have now) have been bitches and we plan to keep on bitch from the litter. Our reasons are more behavioural but that reinforces it! It is a case of 6 of one and half a dozen of the other though as females have their problems.

I know what you mean about pain threshold – thankfully not as bad. Barbed wire cut from armpit to groin – nothing. Big chunk of pad missing when out riding – “what are we slowing down for? Lets get a move on, we are wasting pub time”…

cheers bucko and andyl honest opinions from you.

crikey and don simon 🙁

All of the above – they must all be the same.
They are countryside dogs though, they need fields, hedges streams etc.
Outdoors they just follow sent and never bother people or other dogs.
Very passive, but firm and/or stuborn like they know right from wrong.
Mine always has a dog smell, but that’s because he is in the countryside every day.
His coat picks up seed and God knows what, that needs looking after.

My boys sat next tp me as I’m typing, bless him.
12 years old and no sign of slowing down and loved by everyone that comes here or has met him.

where abouts are you? I agree you really need to be 100% not just decide on looks and kennel club description. We are lucky with ours and we know it. A more boisterous spaniel would have me tearing my hair out at times.

we are based just south of oxford at a place called benson, lovely open fields and hills ripe for walking here.

Louis sound a bit like Oldgits dog but only three years old!

Doesn’t bother other dogs Check
Very Passive Check
Stubborn Check
Doggy Smell Check
Doesn’t bark unless asked Check
Picks up seeds and bits in his fur check!

The only way to stop him pulling is to use a Halti, and he’s then a different dog, (does spend most of the time trying to work out how to get it off mind) but he’s much much easier to walk with. Off the lead he’s fine he’ll walk at heel all day long as long as he can have a little sniff here and there! 😉

My missus hates his smell, he came to me at nine months old and he had ear mites and tangled and matted fur everywhere (the bloody first owners are posh church going buggers too) I’ve never been able to totally clear the mites up, but they are more controllable now and he’s not quite as smelly as he used to be 🙂

post up some pictures then fellas!!

you should have gone up to the game fair at Blenheim last month.

Oh and:

Doesn’t bother other dogs – Check
Very Passive – Check
Stubborn – Check
Doggy Smell – only when shes been sleeping and it’s a nice smell (to us!)
Doesn’t bark unless asked – only ever when someone comes round to the back door.
Picks up seeds and bits in her fur – check + ticks

my beardie used to pick up all sorts in his coat and always smelt like a dog !!! didnt bother me one bit.

Loads of good photos, info and experiences in here:

http://www.singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/name-for-a-pup-springer-spanielsuggestions-please

Grew up with working Springers and we have two now as pets. Brilliant dogs, but as mentioned not entirely hassle-free.

Both of ours are affectionate to the point of clinginess and are generally good with other dogs.

Both like to stay close unless they get a scent or see a rabbit in which case recall can become a tad iffy.

Our older dog can be stubborn to the point of utter frustration, but the younger is much more biddable.

Both are happy to laze around for ages but can easily be whipped up into a ‘loopy’ Springer frenzy if so desired.

As advised by the breeder we got the older dog from (a line of British Field Trials champions), they can get by on shorter exercise, but thrive on a good workout (as mentioned above though, they do seem to ‘bonk’ unexpectedly and badly when they go – after a long boggy hillwalk earlier this year in the lakes, our older dog was unable to even clamber into the car unaided, but was too stubborn to slow down at all until he suddenly got to that state).

If you haven’t had dogs before I would probably go for something a little easier to deal with, but put the effort into a Springer and you won’t be sorry.

slainte 😀 rob

a bit cleaner

jesus christ andyl!!! 😯

Very nice dogs!
A friend of mine has a springer, we went around nant yr arian on the bikes I took my working lab he took his springer, I think the springer did twice the milage of my lab!
All in all his dog is a cracking family dog, I would recommend one.

😆 tis only a bit dirty. Want more?

“yay the beach”

“hmm pesky seaguls”

“ooooo what’s that making bubbles”

top pics of a great hound, love my lab Monty though

We got a springer spaniel from CAESSR earlier this year. He’d been in kennels for six months, and was described as ‘grumbly’. It turned out that he had undiagnosed hip dysplasia, and suffering from incurable atopy. In the six months he was at CAESSR this was never diagnosed, due to them not walking him enough and never having taken him to the vet. I would never use this charity again, and would advise anyone to avoid them like the plague.

Max is a good dog with many foibles. The grumbling ended when we found the right pain control, and although he still mumbles (ball related) he’s infinitely better. I agree with the following comments:

Both like to stay close unless they get a scent or see a rabbit in which case recall can become a tad iffy.

They are very sensitive dogs and will react if you have arguments or are ill etc. They also hate making a mess and get very ashamed of themselves.

Outdoors they just follow scent and never bother people or other dogs

To add to this, a fella from Keston police training school told me that of all dogs, Springers will always try and get to the top of the hierachy, by hook or by crook. He has cost us thousands so far too.

I wouldn’t swap him for anything. But I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t get another.

I’ve had Springer dogs and bitches for the last 20 years, both have pros/cons and all have been absolutely brilliant. The first one was a working dog from a rescue place; his claim to fame was that James Herriot was his ‘Vitnary’. He would happily spend all day out working in the field covering tens of miles, get home and lie in his bed for 5 minutes pulling burrs out of his coat, have a quick nap, then be ready to do the same thing again. Pulled like a train on his lead until he was castrated, which slowed him slightly (doesn’t always work apparently), was very intelligent and a complete sneaky b’stard if food was around the place. Caught him once on top of the kitchen units, having a go at the Sunday joint.
They need quite a lot of training, but pick thinks up really quickly and are guaranteed to meet you tail wagging at the door pleased to see you, unlike the rest of the family!
Agree with the comments about spaying the bitches, ours had 3 or 4 seasons before we got her done, it was quite painful watching her go through phantom pregnancies, however the op resolved that
I wouldn’t hesitate getting another one as they are brilliant fun and make excellent pets.

Here’s a few pictures of Louis, as Andys photos suggest above these are one breed of dog that do not care about getting muddy!

Pah 4×4’s are useless compared to me!

Before we get muddy!

Waiting to go in on a shoot!

Failed pin and that’s his dog tag, not his balls before anyone asks!

New bigger pin!

Why does it have to be a pedigree? Why not a cross-breed? I am sceptical about the breeding methods/inbreeding and the issues you can get with alot of pedigrees. If not physical there can be mental issues with pedigree dogs IMO. The best pet I ever had was a Patterdale Terrier crossed with another (can’t remember- probably Jack Russell) and it was the sweetest natured dog.