English Springer Spaniel Newbie

[Willowlane]

Im looking into buying an English Springer Spaniel puppy and am trying to research as much as possible about them before making the final decision. I currently have a welsh springer spaniel and a cocker spaniel both just pets and I adore them!

So I was wondering if people could share their experiences with this breed both as pets and as show dogs (this is something I would very much like to get into with guidance).

Things like:

1.Temperament

2. Grooming

3. Health

4. Cost of showing, entry fees etc

5.how strong/competitive is the breed in the ring

. trainability

7.do they get easily attached to people/other dogs

8. Energy levels

9.do they bark a lot

10. Are they loyal?

11. How often can you show, every weekend, once a month?

12. Is showing enjoyable or is it really as bitchy as everyone says it is?

13. Successful nsw studs in the ring, who are they, can you give me some names or bloodlines to lookup?

14. Where should I look for a puppy? What reputable kennels are there in NSW and Victoria?

I have found a litter due soon that I'm very excited about and my fiancee and I are hopefully going to see the parents this weekend. The breeder was amazingly helpful and giving of her time so fingers crossed for us!

Thankyou to anyone willing to help

Willowlane

Sorry for the messiness of my post i have typed it on my phone as my laptop has died....

Edited February 17, 2015 by Willowlane

[Ally @ Pawshake]

Hiya! I dog sit for a 6mo pet English Springer regularly, so I'm not an owner but I can hopefully tell you a bit about one girl's temperament!

Grooming - she barely sheds. Occasionally a few stray hairs will come off during a really good pat but nothing you can't blow off. I actually can't find a brush in Lotus' doggy stuff so who knows if she even has one...

Trainability - We almost mastered fetch and drop with a tennis ball in one afternoon (drop is the tricky one). Lotus is motivated by play (rather than food) so she is relatively easy to train and reward.

Energy Levels - Highish. Lotus doesn't really sleep during the day, she just sits and reluctantly waits for me to finish whatever I'm doing that doesn't involve playing with her. When walking she is a terrible puller as she has to be everywhere and smell everything. She gets really stroppy when it's time to go for walks because of this, and will playfully run away from me when I bring the gentle leader harness out, and lay on the ground moping or smooshing her face against things when it's put on. Work in progress with that one!

Noise - I have never known Lotus to bark at anything aside from once or twice during really boisterous play! She's also not a whiner. Very quiet dog... not good as a guard dog at all! ;)

[Dogsfevr]

If your thinking of showing then i would attend the English Springer Spaniel club champ show in NSW over the Easter weekend .

Things like:

1.Temperament Should be out going & social

2. Grooming Show grooming is an art that also includes daily work on the pee feathers

3. Health Parents should be DNA for PRA / Fucosidosis & have yearly eye tests /hips etc

4. Cost of showing, entry fees etc % 12 give or take plus travel * accomadation if you go outside of your area plus membership to dogsNSW

5.how strong/competitive is the breed in the ring Any breed is strong it comes down to the effort you put in & the pup you get ,keeping in mind pups show potential only

. trainability very trainable

7.do they get easily attached to people/other dogs Springers are gundogs so like most gundogs there owners are there person

8. Energy levels high but can be lazy ,lines can vary

9.do they bark a lot like any dog if you let them

10. Are they loyal? again like any dog loyality comes with respect

11. How often can you show, every weekend, once a month? every weekend or some week days

12. Is showing enjoyable or is it really as bitchy as everyone says it is? Showing is like any hobby sport it comes with its good & bad ,i don't now of any activity that doesn't

13. Successful nsw studs in the ring, who are they, can you give me some names or bloodlines to lookup? Success isn't that simple & lines depends on what you are wanting pure UK lines/blended /American

14. Where should I look for a puppy? What studs? From someone that shows & has success,don't expect to get a pup overnight .A stud dog isn't the only part of the package the dam is just as important ,it takes both sides to create a type & have good health ,Going to shows is your best place to see what is out there & what you are committing to.Owning the dog is the easy part showing means effort ,no effort no results,no fun

[Pjrt]

Good advice as always already , but I think what the OP means when they say 'stud', is the names of good kennels, not so much just a stud dog.

[Willowlane]

Thankyou very much for your replies.

Yes I was more meaning reputable studs/kennels in NSW and also Victoria now.

[Kym]

I don't post here much, but as I've owned more than one show line English Springer, Cocker Spaniel, and one Welsh Springer, I thought I'd weigh in.

1. Temperament - Different to both Cockers and Welshies. Words I would use to describe my English Springers: extremely biddable, playful (in a goofy kind of way), people-oriented, affectionate (one of mine is very demonstrative in her affections; she loves to hug!), confident, soft (they do better with positive reinforcement than correction-based training), friendly, can be pushy/strong-willed, intelligent, reliable/steady. Be aware that timidity can be found within the breed. If you want to show, you need "look at me" confidence in the ring to be truly competitive. I recommend making a point of seeing the parents in a show environment if possible.

2. Grooming - Less work than a Cocker, but more work than a Welshie. To some degree this depends on lines. Generally speaking, American lines have more coat than English lines, but there are some heavy coated English lines. Bitches have less coat than dogs. If you haven't groomed an English Springer before, I highly recommend getting a copy of the "Trimming DVD" from the UK English Springer Spaniel Club website so you'll know what you're in for.

3. Health - As showdog said, parents should be DNA tested, hip scored, and have yearly eye tests. Ask to see relevant documentation. Be aware that there are issues in the breed with mammary cancer for entire females (I suggest having a read of this paper for more information) and autoimmune issues can be found as well. Unfortunately, these are problems that can't be tested for, so you need to do as much research as you can and talk to breeders. Once again, a good starting point for learning about health is the UK Club website.

4. Cost of showing, entry fees, etc. - Showdog has covered it.

5. How strong/competitive is the breed in the ring - Again, showdog has covered it.

6. Trainability - Highly trainable; they're wonderful to work with. The only problem is their distractibility, especially around birds. My Cockers have been a tad more focused (but slightly less biddable).

7. Do they get easily attached to people/other dogs - Very! They love their people and other dogs (and cats).

8. Energy levels - Moderate to high, but should also have an "off switch" around the house.

9. Do they bark a lot - Mine have been very quiet. They only bark to let us know when someone is at the front door. They aren't as naturally "talkative" as the Cockers have been.

10. Are they loyal? - Yes, but I don't think they're any more loyal than any of my other dogs have been.

11. How often can you show, every weekend, once a month? - Depends on your location unless you're willing to travel long distances. If you're in a CBD region, generally every weekend.

12. Is showing enjoyable or is it really as bitchy as everyone says it is? - As showdog said, it comes with good and bad. I would recommend going with a local breeder so they can show you the ropes. It helps to start out with a supportive network in your area. That said, my experience has been that Springer people are generally friendly and helpful.

13. Successful nsw studs in the ring, who are they, can you give me some names or bloodlines to lookup? - Take a look at the Dogz Online leaderboard and filter to NSW. There is a split between American and English "type" (although some breeders mix lines), so you need to take that into consideration as well.

14. Where should I look for a puppy? What reputable kennels are there in NSW and Victoria? - I recommend joining the NSW breed club. If you follow their newsletter for a little while, it will give you a good idea of what's going on in your state. Also make a point of attending the NSW breed specialty shows that are held around Easter every year.

If you haven't done so already, I really recommend getting hold of some breed books and giving them a thorough read. They cover most of your questions, but in a lot more depth. My favourite is "The Complete English Springer Spaniel" by Colin Muirhead, but "Best of Breed: English Springer Spaniel" by Celia Woodbridge is also good. And if you're interested, "The Sporting Spaniel Handbook" by Loren Spiotta-DiMare is great for providing a comprehensive comparison between all the spaniel breeds; as someone who already owns a Cocker and a Welshie, you might find this helpful. The UK Club also has an "Interpreting the Standard" breed video (if you still have something that can play video rather than DVD) which is a great help for learning to interpret the standard. It isn't long, but it contains lots of examples.

I hope this helps!

Edited February 18, 2015 by Kym