English Springer Spaniel is a gundog breed from Spaniel family, usually utilized for flushing and retrieving game. The word ‘Springer’ derives from a notable hunting role, where the dog would flush (spring) birds into the air. The breed is more affectionate and emotional with a normal lifespan of 12 to 14 years. They are closely related to Welsh Springer Spaniel and very closely similar to English Cocker Spaniel. The Kennel Club documented the English Springer Spaniel as a distinct breed. Mostly the dogs are used as sniffer dogs.
Size and Weight
The males in show-dog line are usually 18 to 20 inches (46 to 51 cm) tall at the withers with a weight of 23 to 25 Kg (50 to 55 lb). According to UK Breed Standard, the males should be 20 inches (51 cm) at the withers and females should be 17 to 19 inches (43 to 48 cm); with a typical weight of 16 to 20 Kg (35 to 45 lb). The working type dogs can be lesser in weight and greater in bone.
Coat and Colors
The field-bred English Spaniels tend to have shorter, rough coats than the longhaired show-bred dogs. Usually, they shed only in summer and spring seasons but shed rarely in the autumn. The coat comes in black or liver (dark brown) with white markings or mostly white with black or liver markings; Tricolor: black and white or liver and white with tan markings, generally found on eyebrows, cheeks, inside of ears and under the tail. Any white portion of the coat may be flecked with ticking.
Springer Spaniel Temperament
The typical English Spaniel is friendly, excited to entertain, fast learner, and willing to obey. In the right circumstances, it can be a loving and even-tempered family dog. Its vigilance and attention make it a good hunting dog. The Springer Spaniel usually selects one person in the family to be most faithful with and likes that person as much as possible. The dog ranks 13th in Stanley Coren's ‘The Intelligence of Dogs’; known as an outstanding working dog. It has excellent stamina and desires a reasonable amount of activity, to focus its mind and to provide exercise, while this is different for each Springer Spaniel. It’s rangy built makes it the fastest dog of the spaniel breed.
It is a friendly breed that likes the company of children and other pets. However, the hunting breed may not be kept with cats. If they left alone for a long time, they can become destructive and ill-behaved through boredom. The English Spaniels love water, and they tend to get wet whenever they have the chance.
History
English physician Dr. John Caius defined the spaniel in his book ‘Treatise of English Dogs’ published in 1576. His book was the first work to define numerous British breeds by function. By 1801, Sydenham Edwards explained in the Cynographia Britannica that the land spaniel should be divided into two types, the Springing, Hawking Spaniel, or Starter; and the Cocking or Cocker Spaniel.
At this point in time, both cocker spaniels and springer spaniels were born in the same litters. The purpose of the breed was to serve as a hunting dog. The smaller cockers were used to hunt woodcock, while their larger littermates, the springer spaniels, would ‘spring or flush’ the gamebird into the air where a trained falcon or hawk would bring it to the handler.
Many spaniel breeds were recognized during the 19th century, and often named after the counties in which they were developed, or after their owners, who were usually nobility. Two strains of larger land spaniel were predominant and were said to have been of ‘true springer type’. These were the Norfolk and the Shropshire spaniels, and by the 1850s, these were shown under the breed name of Norfolk spaniel.
In January 1899, the UK Spaniel Club and the Sporting Spaniel Society held their trials together for the first time. Three years later, in 1902, a combination of the physical standard from the UK Spaniel Club and the ability standard from the Sporting Spaniel Society led to the English Springer Spaniel breed being officially documented by the English Kennel Club. The American Kennel Club followed in 1910. In 1914, the first English Field Champion was crowned, FTC Rivington Sam, whose dam was a listed cocker spaniel, Rivington Riband. Sam has considered one of the foundations sires for modern field lines.
Also see: Cute Pictures of English Springer Spaniel Puppies