The English Springer Spaniel: History And Characteristics
The English Springer Spaniel is the oldest of all sport hunting dogs. Its original purpose was to find and bring the prey to the net. At present it is used for all phases of the hunt: to find, scare and collect the prey for the armed hunter.
History of the English Springer Spaniel
At the beginning of the 19th century the English Springer Spaniel was recognized as a breed. From that moment on, the spaniels were divided into two groups: those who weighed less than 11 kilos and were called cocker spaniel, while those who exceeded that weight were called English Springer.
It was in 1902 that the English Kennel Club wrote the first breed standard. And in 1910 the American Kennel Club recognized it. However, it was not until 1927 that the general breed standard was established with a revision in 1932.
Starting in the 40s, the English Springer Spaniel is bred according to its specific role. One for the conformation and beauty competition, named after the Springer Spaniel bench (exhibition). Another bred and trained for obedience and field competitions, he goes by name: Springer English field .
Characteristics of the English Springer Spaniel
The Springer is an easy-to-train medium-sized dog with an affectionate, cheerful, intelligent, active and attentive temperament. It is usually very attached to its owner. In addition, it is good with children, which makes it a great choice as a pet for a family.
It has a life expectancy between 12 and 14 years. Females weigh between 18 and 23 kilograms and males between 20 and 25 kilograms, with a height of 46-51 centimeters in females and 48-56 centimeters in males. This dog is robustly built for its size, with plenty of bone volume and large legs.
The English Springer Spaniel has a medium-length coat that can be straight or wavy. It has additional hair on the fringes of the ears, as well as on the back of all four legs and chest. The colors that occur most frequently are liver red and white or black and white, although there are also tricolor and dotted variants.
Appearance differences between the field and the bench
The differences between the English Springer Spaniel varieties: field and bench are due to a rigorous selection carried out by breeders. Which are distinguished from each other by three aspects: coat color, markings and amount of hair.
The bench Springer has a symmetrical dark coat all over its body. In addition, it has long ears, a white collar on its neck, white legs and many fringes on its fur. In some cases, the head and ears have some colored patches. Most have a short tail and a deep chest.
The Field Springer has a more pointed snout with less lip and the ears are higher. Being one of its distinctive characteristics that it is almost completely white and its coat is short and wavy. Also, its tail may be short, but it is usually longer than that of the bench .
Health and personal care
The English Springer Spaniel is a fairly healthy breed. However, like any other breed, it can suffer from certain inherited disorders. In their case, they often suffer from elbow and hip dysplasia, a disorder that can be extremely painful and cause serious mobility problems. Therefore, it is recommended that an English Springer Spaniel owner do regular hip exams.
Springer Spaniels are also prone to ear infections due to their drooping ears. For this reason, it is recommended to check the ear canals weekly to keep them as clean as possible. They can also suffer from autoimmune diseases and some allergies, although this is rare.
