English Springer Spaniel

The largest of the Spaniel family, the English Springer Spaniel, also known as a Springer, boasts major intelligence, an attentive and alert nature making them highly trainable and eager to learn. They have been a popular choice of pet for many years and are perfect for people who love the great outdoors. With a strong desire to be around people, they are happy in a home environment as well as in the field — but this requires early training. It has been known that being left for long periods of time can cause them to get Separation Anxiety, as they don’t do well without company which could lead to destructive and bad behaviours.

Breed Group: Gundog
Life Span: 12–14 Years
Colours: Liver & White, Orange & White, Lemon & White, Tri-Colour, Black & White, Red & White.

What Height and Weight Should My English Springer Spaniel Be?

Height: Males: 46–51cm Females: 43–48cm
Weight: Males: 20–25kg Females: 18–23kg

Exercise

As a member of the Gundog family they are energetic, active and athletic meaning they require lots of daily exercise. Ideally two hours a day minimum will help their mental stimulation and lack of exercise will cause them to get bored very quickly which can lead to destructive behaviours. As a very obedient breed, training should be relatively easy — be sure to use treats as rewards. Shop our range of dog treats here.

Grooming

Their double layer coat sheds quite quickly so it is important that you brush them around three times a week to prevent any tangles or mats and help to keep their coat clean, healthy and shiny. Many Springers have the occasional trim around their head, neck, ears, tail and feet to prevent any matting as well as making them look neat and tidy. Trimming is recommended around every six to eight weeks. As their ears are heavy and don’t allow air to circulate they can be prone to irritation or sometimes infection so you should check their ears weekly for any redness, rashes or any build-up of dirt.

Feeding

Some Springers develop allergies which could be triggered by either their diet (cereal or grain-based foods) or environmental factors such as pollen, dust mites or grass. If your Springer has food allergies, then we would recommend the Sensitive range to eliminate grains from their diet as they are a common allergen. The Puppy Salmon & Potato would be suitable until around ten months old were then you can gradually switch over to the Adult Sensitive range with either the Salmon, Lamb or Duck. If they do have food allergies, then you should avoid Chicken based diets as this is also a common allergen. Many Springers don’t have food allergies so if this is the case the Rice range would give your Springer a balanced diet if you don’t want to feed a grain free food. Starting off on the Puppy Chicken & Brown Rice, you can you can stick with the Chicken & Brown Rice in the Adult range or switch to the Adult Lamb & Brown Rice.

You should be able to swap between the flavours with no issues as long as you remain on the same range.

Overall, the English Springer Spaniel is a fantastic companion pet for anyone who loves the great outdoors whilst remaining a good house pet with the correct training from a young age.

Originally published at www.simpsonspremium.com on May 4, 2017.