English Springer Spaniel Dog Breed Facts & Information

English Springer Spaniels are vying to be your right-hand pup from day one. Not only do they love staying busy and active, but they also adore spending every moment they can with their favorite humans. This breed is best known for their brains, hunting and sport abilities, and those silky, soft ears you’ll want to pet all day long. But they’re also excellent with children and other pets, and are just as devoted to snuggling with you as they are to bounding through every field.

Is an English Springer Spaniel the right kind of dog for you? There are a lot of things to consider when adding a dog to your life, so we’ve covered just about everything you’ll need to know in this in-depth breed profile.

Breed Characteristics

Key

• Low
• Medium
• High

• Origin: Spain
• Size:
• Weight: 45-55 pounds
• Lifespan: 9 to 15 years
• Breed group: Sporting
• Activity level:
• Barking/howling level:
• Good with dogs: yes
• Good with kids: yes
• Good with cats:
• Shedding:
• Easy to groom:
• Easy to train:
• Protective:

English Springer Spaniel Appearance

With long, silky ears and a luxurious double-coat, there’s not denying this dog’s sweet spaniel genes.

But despite their dapper good looks, English Springer Spaniels generally have tough, strong bodies since they were bred for hunting and long days in the field. They stand around 19 to 20 inches tall, and usually weight between 40 and 50 pounds.

This breed boasts a soft coat that feathers out, and a docked tail (that’s usually wagging). Their fur comes in a variety of colors and patterns with the most common combinations being black or liver (a deep, reddish-brown) with white markings, and white with black or liver markings. They can also be tri-color, where they’re black and white, or liver and white, with tan markings. The possibilities of how they might look are endless!

And of course we can’t forget the English Springer Spaniel’s classic sweet and gentle expression – and their big, adoring eyes that are sure to draw you in for a good head scratch.

English Springer Spaniel Personality

Loving and sweet, English Springer Spaniels are wonderful family dogs because they get along with just about everyone – children and other pets included! They are also very eager to please their loved ones, which makes sense considering they were bred to hunt and work closely with humans.

Since they are a working breed they ADORE having a job to do, since it keeps them busy and out of trouble. Neglected English Springer Spaniels are miserable and bored – so giving them plenty of your time and energy is imperative. Plus, they tend to get noisy if left alone too much, and we know your neighbors won’t appreciate that.

Because they have such friendly, hard-working personalities, these pups excel at everything from therapy dog work, to dog sports and athletics.

Ideal Environment for an English Springer Spaniel

This breed loves being involved with everything you’re doing, so they need an environment where they’re welcome to do that.

Though they could live in both the city and the country, it is very important that English Springer Spaniels are given plenty of time and space to exercise – so if you’re living in tiny quarters, they’ll need to go for plenty of walks and trips to the dog park. Even better? Take them to a dock where they can go diving and swimming!

Ideal Human for an English Springer Spaniel

It’s essential that English Springer Spaniels have an active and engaged human who is ready to invest in their high-energy (and adorable) canine selves. They need someone who can give them enough time to keep them busy and entertained, and enough space where they can run around burn off some of their energy.

English Springer Spaniel Dog Training

Training an English Springer Spaniel is often a breeze because they love learning new things and are always motivated to please their favorite people. Plus, they’re smart as a whip which means they’ll catch on to new things rather quickly.

Always be careful when you’re working with this breed without a leash – you’ll want to be somewhere with a fence, otherwise their hunting instincts are likely to kick in and the’ll be off chasing a squirrel or bird in no time.

And as mentioned earlier, this breed hates being left alone and can sometimes suffer from separation anxiety. To avoid separation anxiety, start crate training early and never make a big deal when leaving or coming home (as this will just add to your pets anxiety). Practice leaving your pup alone each day starting with just a few minutes and working your way up. While it’s cute that our pets miss us so much, it doesn’t actually cause them serious stress which is not good for them mentally or physically.

Above all this breed really just wants to please their loved ones, and their smarts and charm mean that any effort you put into training them will be well worth it.

English Springer Spaniel Grooming

As with most breeds, grooming is essential to keeping this breed looking their best. Especially since they have such abundant, silky fur, you’ll need to brush their hair multiple times a week to avoid mats and tangles in their coat. This breed tends to shed all year long, so brushing them frequently will help keep at least some fur at bay.

English Springer Spaniels should also be taken to the groomer every few months for a trim, since their head, neck, ears, tail, and feet can get a little overgrown.

You’ll also need to pay extra attention to their cute, floppy ears, and even clean them weekly to help prevent ear infections. Your vet can help you decide what kind of ear cleaner, etc. to use on your particular dog.

And don’t forget their teeth and nails! Brush those chompers a couple of times a week to prevent gum disease and stinky dog breath, and keep their nails trimmed up so they can frolic around freely without any discomfort.

English Springer Spaniel Health

Though this is a generally healthy breed, it is common for them to get the occasional ear infection, so it’s essential to keep on top of their ear care and cleaning (especially after they’ve been playing in the water). They’re also prone to PRK deficiency, skin disorders and allergies, hip dysplasia, and PRA, which can lead to blindness, and generally strikes when they’re between 2 and 6 years of age.

English Springer Spaniels generally live from 9 to 15 years, and with the proper exercise, food, and regular trips to the vet, your pup will have a good chance at a long and happy life.

English Springer Spaniel Breed History

English Springer Spaniels originated in Spain, but were taken to other parts of the world on trading ships with the Romans. You can actually find mentions of this breed as far back as 300 A.D.

They are named for the springing motion they make when, prior to guns, they were used to flush game-birds and small animals by “springing” at them, and into the ground, so that they could then be captured by hounds or hawks.

Getting an English Springer Spaniel

English Springer Spaniel breeders

It’s always a good idea to meet the parents of your puppy, and to see how the litter interacts with each other. A good, trustworthy breeder should have records of the parents’ lineage, too and should be able to tell you more about the specific litter. 

The American Kennel Club website is a great place to start your search for a reputable breeder. Make sure you wise up on puppy mills and internet scams—following some simple steps can help avoid further funding of this terrible practice, and help you end up with a pet whose breeding and early-life experience will more reliably result in a well-adjusted dog.

Adopting an English Springer Spaniel 

As with many highly popular breeds, English Springer Spaniels often find their way to rescue centers for a variety of reasons, including dogs being rescued from puppy mills, but often it’s the simple fact that their previous owners simply felt unable to care for them any longer.

A surrendered dog will often already be well trained and simply in need of a new, loving home. You can find rescue centers local to you with a quick internet search.  An English Springer Spaniel can make for a wonderful friend and they’re sure to be a source of joy, with plenty of laughs and perhaps a little bit of mischief along the way. So whether you’re planning on adopting or finding a breeder to find a puppy, prepare yourself, your home and your heart to welcome a dog with plenty of personality and energy

Whether you’re planning on adopting or finding a breeder to find a puppy, prepare yourself, your home and your heart to welcome a dog with plenty of personality and energy.

More on English Springer Spaniel

If you’re simply in love with English Springer Spaniels, then you’ll be craving what we’ve got for you next. From the most important facts about English Springer Spaniels, to tips on how to groom them, to the most popular English Springer Spaniel names and more: 

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