English Springer Spaniel

[Troy]

The English Springer Spaniel

ANKC Standard

(from http://www.ankc.org.au/home/breeds_details.asp?bid=81 )

Group: Group 3 (Gundogs)

General Appearance: Symmetrically built, compact, strong, merry, active. Highest on leg and raciest in build of all British land Spaniels.

Characteristics: Breed is of ancient and pure origins, oldest of sporting gundogs; original purpose was finding and springing game for net, falcon or greyhound. Now used to find, flush and retrieve game for fun.

Temperament: Friendly, happy disposition, biddable. Timidity or aggression highly undesirable.

Head And Skull: Skull of medium length, fairly broad, slightly rounded, rising from foreface, making a brow or stop, divided by fluting between eyes, dying away along forehead towards occipital bone which should not be prominent. Cheeks flat. Foreface of proportionate length to skull, fairly broad and deep, well chiselled below eyes, fairly deep and square in flew. Nostrils well developed.

Eyes: Medium size, almond shaped, not prominent nor sunken, well set in (not showing haw), alert, kind expression. Dark hazel. Light eyes undesirable.

Ears: Lobular, good length and width, fairly close to head, set in line with eye. Nicely feathered.

Mouth: Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. Upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck: Good length, strong and muscular, free from throatiness, slightly arched, tapering towards head.

Forequarters: Forelegs straight and well boned. Shoulders sloping and well laid. Elbows set well to body. Strong flexible pasterns.

Body: Strong, neither too long nor too short. Chest deep, well developed. Well sprung ribs. Loin muscular, strong with slight arch and well coupled.

Hindquarters: Hindlegs well let down. Stifles and hocks moderately bent. Thighs broad, muscular, well developed. Coarse hocks undesirable.

Feet: Tight, compact, well rounded, with strong full pads.

Tail: Docked: Set low, never carried above level of back. Well feathered with lively action.

Undocked: Set low, never carried above level of back. Well feathered with lively action. In balance with the rest of the dog.

Gait/Movement: Strictly his own. Forelegs swing straight forward from shoulder, throwing feet well forward in an easy free manner. Hocks driving well under body, following in line with forelegs. At slow movement may have a pacing stride typical of this breed.

Coat: Close, straight and weather resisting, never coarse. Moderate feathering on ears, forelegs, body and hindquarters.

Colour: Liver and white, black and white, or either of these colours with tan markings.

Sizes: Height: approx. 51 cms (20 ins).

Faults: Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect upon the health and welfare of the dog, and on the dog's ability to perform its traditional work.

Notes: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

See photos of the English Springer Spaniel

QUESTIONS

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc)

2. Where and why was the breed first developed?

3. How common is it in Australia?

4. What is the average lifespan?

5. What is the general temperament/personality?

6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult?

7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with?

8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods?

9. How much grooming is required?

10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)?

11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of?

12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be)

If you wish to contribute to the knowledge about this breed, please answer the above questions. (Copy and paste them into a new post).

• Please only answer if you breed or own a pedigree example of this breed.
  
• You do not have to answer all questions
  
• Please keep posts limited to answering questions or for asking further questions if you require more (or expanded) information.
  

See photos of the English Springer Spaniel

English Springer Spaniel Breeders

English Springer Spaniel Puppies For Sale

[Del678]

Seeing and there's no other answers...

Relationship:

Grew up with springers. Now just a regular babysitter for my mum's

Where and why: england, gundog. They would flush out and fetch game birds and possible rabbits to. This makes springers very naturally inclined to fetch, run around in circles, and chase ducks from your pool. One we taugh to fetch would bark bark bark until you threw something for her she loved it so much. She woukd fetch and chew anything but ironically and unfortunately died (put down) with mouth cancer.

Common? I see them every now and then.

Lifespan: ours get to 14 or so. They will run like crazy until their last days. Very little slowing down in old age.

Temperment: happy, bouncy, Playful. They SPRING!!! Also smart and recognise family heirarchy. When i left home after many years of studying in front of our latest,, she disappeared for a few moments then brought a pack for highlighters to mum, dropped them and looked for an answer. Aw moment.

Exercise: yes please! They will keep going and going for as long and you let them. Down to about an hour by the time they are 10 but then will be ready to go again after a short break

Solo? Yes. Does fine. They aren't a barking dog. While they love to run aounrd and love people, they don't get destructively bored and will lie in the sun for hours or just sniff around pretty harmlessly while you're out at work. Just be sure to give them love and exercise when home so they don't get loenly and sad. They are happy being an outside dog but like all dogs prefer to be part of the family inside.

First time owner? Absoluetly. Healthy, easy temperment, easy for basic training, friendly, just be sure you have time to walk them.

Grooming? Here in qld we keep her hair short in summer. They don't shed much. Just have to watch for knots and burrs in their long hair. Also need to keep their beautiful floppy ears clean and watch for ticks etc.

Young children and old ppl? They are soft mouths so might play around with kids but would be pretty incapable of hurting them if they wanted to. They will nip if annoyed but that would take a lot. Only issue might be jumping on little (and big) people or playing a bit too energetically.

Hereditary: possibly but we've never had any issue before a ripe old age. I think ears, eyes and gums because they are a floppy faced dog... One vet offereed to give the latest a face lift... Very amusing. We declined.

Puppy buying: not sure, they say get a bright awake puppy but ours was sleepy and she's perfect now.

[Kym]

I'll give my perspective, too.

1. What is my relationship with the breed? (ie breeder, first time owner etc)

Owner. Have also owned other spaniel breeds (Cocker Spaniel and Welsh Springer Spaniel) so have some ability to compare them.

2. Where and why was the breed first developed?

Companion gundog, originally bred to flush and retrieve game to hand. Although officially recognised in 1902 by the UK Kennel Club, they are an old breed that has been referred to by the name English Springer as early as 1835 (and by the name "Springing Spaniel" even earlier than that).

3. How common is it in Australia?

Around average. The number of Springers registered with the ANKC in Australia in 2010 was 382, which is nowhere near as common as Cockers (1489 registered) but far more common than Welsh Springers (81 registered).

4. What is the average lifespan?

12 years.

5. What is the general temperament/personality?

Springers that have been raised correctly should be biddable, confident, happy, and friendly. They should not be timid or fearful. A great summary of the breed from 1903, which I still think applies today, stated that Springers should have, "power without lumber, gentleness without fear." They are also very intelligent, trainable dogs that LOVE to learn. They are never happier than when you give them a job to do. In saying that, they can be very "birdy" so you need to be prepared to be patient if training in an area where lots of birds are around.

6. How much daily exercise is needed for the average adult?

This depends to some extent on whether you get a working type or show type dog. Although I have no first-hand experience with working type Springers, everything I have heard indicates that they are extremely energetic dogs that need LOTS of exercise in order to be happy. Show type Springers have more variability and can range from "couch potatoes" to highly energetic. Even the "couch potatoes", however, need at least 30-45 minutes of exercise and training (mental stimulation) a day in order to be happy and content.

7. Is it a breed that a first time dog owner could easily cope with?

Yes, provided that they do their research and get the type that would best suit their lifestyle.

8. Can solo dogs of this breed easily occupy themselves for long periods?

I don't have any first-hand experience with this as we've always had more than one dog, but I doubt they would suit being left alone for long periods of time.

9. How much grooming is required?

Again, depends on the type. Working type dogs have a lot less feathering than show type dogs so require less grooming. Show type dogs should be brushed regularly in order to keep knots and mats out of their feathering (especially the ears). Some people get their dogs clipped off but given how easy it is to maintain the coat, I honestly don't see the need. Provided you brush through their feathering every other day (only takes 5-10 minutes if you stay on top of it), they have a gorgeous coat that can be easily maintained using a Coat King (for the body), thinning scissors (for the head), straight scissors (to trim the fur between the pads of the paws), and a clip on the underside of their neck. A "big" groom like this only takes around an hour if you do it regularly (i.e., every 1-2 months), and maintaining them like this has the added advantage of reducing their shedding significantly!

10. Is it too boisterous for very small children or for infirm people (unless the dog is well trained)?

They can be great dogs with children. Like all dogs, though, they need supervision as they can get excited and jump (spring!) when they play. Children also need to be taught not to do things like pulling their ears. Not sure about the infirm.

11. Are there any common hereditary problems a puppy buyer should be aware of?

They are generally a healthy breed but can be prone to allergies, hip dysplasia, hereditary eye diseases, fucosidosis, and epilepsy (although to my understanding the incidence of this appears to be relatively low). Like most of the spaniel breeds, they can also be prone to ear infections so you need to be prepared to clean them regularly. Females of this breed are also highly at risk of developing mammary tumors but this risk can be reduced by spaying. The UK parent club has lots of information about hereditary problems of the breed: http://www.englishspringer.org/health-problems.php

12. When buying a puppy, what are the things you should ask of the breeder? (eg what health tests have been done (if applicable) and what is an acceptable result to those tests so the buyer has an idea of what the result should be)

The sire and dam should be hip scored (current Australian breed average is 11.35), DNA tested clear of PRA Cord1 and fucosidosis, and have annual eye certificates. All Springer puppies should be happy, confident, and friendly. They should have had their eyes checked by a vet and be vaccinated, wormed, and microchipped.

Edited November 17, 2012 by Kym

[sandgrubber]

 

Dear Customer,

 

Congratulations on acquiring your spaniel.

Please find the instructions for your particular model listed below:

Although your spaniel comes fully assembled, due to particular issues during production, we do occasionally have issues with components such as screws. They invariably are either loose or missing altogether. 

Mode 1: This is the sleep mode, activated for the majority of the day as the spaniel ages. This is normal and you should not worry about it, just accept the peace and quiet while you can.

Mode 2: Anarchy. Although we have tried to ease the effect of anarchy mode, it’s not always possible. There are inherent issues with the timer settings of anarchy mode in regards to there being none. Should your spaniel suddenly go from comatose to running around the walls, we cannot stop this feature.

Sunlight: Do not allow your spaniel to stay in the sun too long. They can burn if left unattended but they also recharge. Too much of a charge and mode 2 can be activated without warning.

Energy consumption: This has been an ongoing issue as their energy consumption is too direct. We have tried to put baffles, non return valves and diversions in place but none seem to work adequately. Safe to say what goes in comes out, in both solids and gas. The  gas, although noxious, can only inhibit breathing of the owner for up to ten minutes.

Naming: Your spaniel comes untitled as we feel owners should use names of their own. If you are unsure, we have listed below a few names our owners like to use:
Shithead
You’re kidding me 
Is that yours?
Don’t you dare
Ok, you
Asshole 
Put that down 
Why?
Get that out of your mouth

The zipper: We ask you not to try to open a spaniel’s zipper on their back as this will invalidate your one hour warranty. Rumours that they are merely toddlers in a dog suit is highly contested.

Software: Your spaniel is pre-installed with the highest software and hardware. This includes the loyalty chip, the love every one chip, fun chip and, of course, the highly popular mayhem chip. They are all running on the Whatthehell operating system 12.2. Although this has been in circulation for many years, we have found it simply cannot be improved upon.

Should you have any queries you can reach us on 118-what-did-I-do 

Thank you. 

We hope you have many years of enjoyment with your spaniel. 

Please be aware that by the time you have read this,  your warranty will have run out. 
Unfortunately, we do not renew warranties and we do not offer refunds or returns..ever. It’s your problem now.

[Boronia]

[sandgrubber]

They like water

https://fb.watch/o4ny2P96ql/?mibextid=9R9pXO

[marpera]

On 01/02/2010 at 1:37 PM, Troy said:

 

The English Springer Spaniel

 

 

 

 

See photos of the English Springer Spaniel

 

 

If you wish to contribute to the knowledge about this breed, please answer the above questions. (Copy and paste them into a new post).

 

• Please only answer if you breed or own a pedigree example of this breed.
• You do not have to answer all questions
• Please keep posts limited to answering questions or for asking further questions if you require more (or expanded) information.

 

 

 

See photos of the English Springer Spaniel

 

 

 

 

English Springer Spaniel Breeders

 

 

 

 

English Springer Spaniel Puppies For Sale

 

 

 

Thank you very much for sharing this complete file, it has been very useful to me.