Notes on the English Springer
spaniel
The
Springer Spaniel gets its name from his method of flushing game:
he springs forward to drive birds out of hiding. This breed hunts
well both on land and water and is good at work in brush. He also
is a fine retriever. There are two types of Springers - field and
bench. The field type are bred for hunting and field trial work.
They tend to have more white coat than the bench type, much less
hair, and are more high energy. The bench type are bred for conformation
shows and have more liver or black than white, they have much more
coat, but are usually calmer.
The
English Springer Spaniel is a compact, hearty medium-sized dog with
long pendant ears. They should be sturdy and neither too light nor
too heavy. The dog should have a proud bearing, with a level back
approximately the same length as the height at the withers (never
longer). The head is strong, yet refined and not too heavy, in good
proportion to the rest of the dog. The length of the head should
be about the same as the length of the neck. The stop is moderate
with a groove rising between the eyes and gradually disappearing
in the middle of the forehead. The medium-sized eyes have a kind
expression. The eyes are either hazel or brown, depending on the
color of the coat. The ears are set in line with the eyes. When
pulled forward, the ears should reach all the way to the top of
the nose. The tail is customarily docked. The medium-length coat
is flat or wavy and feathered, and comes in liver & white, and black
& white (with or without tan markings), blue or liver roan. The
white may have flecks of coloured hair.
Most English Springers are even-tempered, gentle, friendly, and
sociable dogs that are great for kids. Intelligent, skillful, willing
and obedient. Playful, energetic and a quick leaner. Merry, brave
and sweet tail-waggers. Cheerful and courageous. It is affectionate,
good natured and sincere, this dog loves everyone. Springers do
best when they are with people as much as possible. They love water
and may constantly get themselves wet and muddy. Some are high-energy
and they are all intelligent.
This is the founder of all the English hunting spaniels. During
the Renaissance, it was considered the ideal companion for the European
hunter. Its popularity in America began in 1700.
