English Springer Spaniel

The English Springer Spaniel

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 term "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 (16^th 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. The first type is rather large and sturdy with long paws; they seem to have nothing in common whatsoever with the second type, which are the “real” springers, especially as regards their nature. Working Springers are about 5 cm smaller (with shorter paws); they are calmer, more intelligent and have all of the above qualities. So choose a working Springer Spaniel!

You can see the other features in the photos. One trait worth noting is the compact, smooth, waterproof fur. They come in liver and white, and black and white colours; consider the three-coloured varieties a little more carefully.