The English Springer Spaniel is the breed I have chosen carefully, after a lot of thought. The reason can be summed up in just one sentence: if you have a dog, you must love it and a Springer has everything he needs to make himself loved.

• He is faithful, always happy and affectionate.
• He loves to play, be made a fuss of and be praised.
• He is easy to live with in the home and loves being with his owners (what an unfortunate term! Even though many think it is extreme because they do not know what they are missing, I would use the terms "adoptive parents") and it is wonderful to find him at the foot of your bed in the morning, eager to fill another day with his joie de vivre.
• He loves the countryside and outdoor life (indeed he is an excellent hunter), though he never wanders too far from his owner, which is ideal for just going for a walk or doing a bit of jogging.
• He is patient with humans, but never too intrusive.  
  He can easily be trained to follow you everywhere: on holiday, to the restaurant, for a walk in the city.
• He is very strong, tireless and can live to a ripe old age.  

Origins – Their origins go back over 2,000 years; Spaniels have been known in England since the Middle Ages, the first reference to the word spaniel can be found in The wife of Bath's tale by G. Chaucer (one of the Canterbury Tales, about 1390). A piece of writing (16th Century) by J. Caius (John Keys) spread the origins of these dogs from Spain (because of the assonance with the name, spaniel). Today this theory is no longer accredited and the name is believed to come from Celtic ("rabbit"). Caius was also the first to classify spaniels, dividing them into Spaniels who hunted on land and Spaniels who hunted in water. We have to wait until 1803 for Reinagle (drawing on a representation that appeared in the Sportman's Cabinet) to divide Spaniels accurately into springing spaniels (to spring in English means "to lift" the game, pursuing it) and cocking spaniels (considered perfect for hunting woodcocks). The first Spaniel Club was set up in England in 1885, but the breed was not officially recognised until 1902.
Characteristics – They are about 50 cm high (48 for females) and weigh between 22 to 25 kg. These are the measurements for show breeds. However, in my research I have found two types of springers: show Springers and working Springers. Not only that, but you can also find an American Springer Spaniel who is to real springer spaniel as the American Cocker Spaniel is to the classic one.
Working Springers are smaller than show Springers and they would have been selected to sharpen their hunting skills. The conditional is a must, in the first place because a show Springer can be a real hunter (especially in the field and not in work trials lasting half an hour; if the hunting day lasts eight hours, there is no doubt that a robust dog is more productive) and in second place because many people suspect that work Springers were obtained by crossing Springers with other breeds (for example, the border collie, a highly trainable breed, but giving the springer a more pointed face).
The skull is wide, slightly rounded, with a groove between the eyes that are often crumbling, looking very sweet. The ears are long, firmly attached to the skull at eye level. The springer is muscular, but agile at the same time, with strong limbs providing their characteristic gait. The tail wags brightly, but is carried low, never over the back. One trait worth noting is the compact, smooth, waterproof fur. The coat can come in several colours: white and liver, black and white, tri-color, never solid colour.