Other names/Nicknames:
- None
Country/Date of origin:
- Great Britain
- 1800′s
Height:
- 19 to 20 inches
Weight:
- 40 to 50 pounds
Personality:
- Gentle and easygoing.
- The typical spaniel personality.
- Very affectionate with everyone.
- Gets along well with other dogs.
- Playful and loves to engage in rough-and-tumble games.
History:
The English Springer is a member of the British family of spaniels. These hunting dogs are used before the gun to spring or flush birds into the air. Cockers and Springers were once found in the same litter. The smaller ones were used for woodcock and became known as Cockers. The larger ones became known as Springer or starter spaniels and eventually became a separate breed. The versatility and hunting prowess of the English Springer makes it the spaniel of choice for hunters in the United States. It was accepted into the American Kennel Club (AKC) in 1932.
Body Type:
- One of the tallest spaniels, it is distinguished from the Cocker Spaniels by its longer legs and heavier head.
- The tail is set low and carried nearly horizontal. It is always moderately docked.
- The long, wide, hanging ears are never altered.
Coat:
- Flat, wavy, and of medium length it is sufficiently dense to be waterproof.
- Marked feathering on ears and legs.
- Permissible colors are liver or black, with white markings; liver or black and white, with tan markings; blue or liver roan; white with tan, black, or liver markings.
- The most commonly seen are the black and white and liver and white varieties.
- Requires moderate grooming to prevent matting, with occasional professional trimming.
Health and Wellness:
- Hip dysplasia.
- Gastric dilatation and volvulus syndrome (GDV, also commonly called bloat).
- Calcinosis circumscripta.
- Phosphofructokinase deficiency.
- Fucosidosis.
- Ventricular septal defect.
- Congenital deafness.
- Myasthenia gravis.
- Otitis externa.
- Atopy.
- Food allergy.
- Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA).
- Cushing’s syndrome (AT).
- Skin tumors.
What you should know:
- One of America’s favorite dogs.
- In the top twenty five in popularity.
- Adapts well to city life but needs plenty of exercise.
- Rowdy when young.
- Obedience training is recommended.
