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English springer spaniel

The springer is the original flushing spaniel from which most others descend, named for its job of springing game into flight for the gun or the hawk.

It split from the cocker in 1902 on size — the smaller pups became cockers, the larger springers.

It is a medium, compact, powerfully built spaniel with a medium-length coat and moderate feathering, usually liver and white or black and white. Show and working lines have diverged sharply: working springers are lighter, faster and considerably more driven. Both are cheerful, biddable and enthusiastic to a degree that can be exhausting.

Origin
England
Size
18–25 kg, 46–56 cm at the shoulder
Lifespan
12–14 years
Coat
Medium-length double coat with moderate feathering
Temperament
Cheerful, biddable, energetic, people-focused
Exercise
1.5–2 hours daily, more for working lines

Related: American English coonhound · American water spaniel · Boykin spaniel · Cavalier King Charles spaniel · Clumber spaniel

3 english springer spaniel photos, newest first

  • Bracken, a english springer spaniel

    Bracken

    Bracken hits the water at a flat run and the ears take a moment to catch up.

    FrostyOtter · 5 days ago

  • Plum IV, a english springer spaniel

    Plum IV

    Plum IV was promoted to train dispatcher handling one tiny late train; unfortunately, a basket of yarn unravels around everything.

    FrostyOtter · 1 week ago

  • Plum IV, a english springer spaniel

    Plum IV

    The exact moment Plum IV heard the fridge open.

    SunnyHeron · 2 weeks ago

Living with a english springer spaniel

Brush twice a week and keep the ear feathering and feet trimmed; check ears weekly, because drop-eared spaniels get infections.

Ask which line a puppy comes from. A working springer in a pet home without a job is one of the more commonly rehomed dogs there is, simply because the drive is real and relentless.

Hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy, fucosidosis and phosphofructokinase deficiency all have screening or DNA tests. Ear infections are near-universal without routine checking, and the breed is prone to skin allergies.

General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual dogs vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.

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