English Springer Spaniel

Also known as: English Springer

The English Springer Spaniel is considered the oldest of the sporting spaniel breeds, and its name comes from the job it does, springing game out of thick cover directly toward the hunter's gun. The flat or wavy, medium-length, weatherproof coat with feathering on the legs and ears lets it work both field and water. Males weigh around 25 kilograms, with a compact, agile build that holds up for a full day outdoors. It's one of the most popular hunting breeds in the UK and is also widely used as a detection dog for drugs or explosives thanks to its keen nose. Energy levels run high, and without enough exercise the dog tends to grow restless indoors. Temperament runs friendly, and it gets along well with children. Life expectancy runs 12 to 14 years.

Browse dog food sized right for this breed

English Springer Spaniel: how old in human years?

46–56 cmHeight
18–25 kgWeight
12–14 yrsLife expectancy

American Cocker Spaniel

FCI group: Retrievers, Flushing Dogs, Water Dogs
FCI section: Section 2: Flushing Dogs
FCI: 125
Country of origin: United Kingdom

Energy level

5/5
Trainability

5/5
Family friendly

5/5
Grooming need

3/5

At a glance

Height

Males 48–56 cm

Females 46–51 cm

Weight

Males 20–25 kg

Females 18–23 kg

Life expectancy

12–14 yrs

Coat

flat or wavy, medium-length, weatherproof coat with feathering (medium-length)

Temperament & Family Life

English Springer Spaniel's average temperament and family-life score for this breed is high.

Family friendly 5/5
Good with children 5/5
Good with other dogs 4/5
Friendly with strangers 4/5
Intelligence 4/5
Trainability 5/5

Exercise, Energy & Space

English Springer Spaniel's energy and exercise needs are high.

Energy level 5/5
Exercise need 5/5
Apartment friendly 2/5
Prey drive 4/5
Hunting instinct 5/5

Guarding & Alertness

English Springer Spaniel's guarding and alertness traits are low.

Guarding instinct 1/5
Watchfulness 2/5
Barking level 3/5

Grooming & Care

English Springer Spaniel's grooming needs are low.

Shedding 3/5
Drooling 1/5
Grooming need 3/5

Living with the English Springer Spaniel

Six in the morning, a rubber toy placed carefully on the edge of your bed, and beside it a dog whose whole body is asking: are we going? The English Springer Spaniel was bred in Britain to spring birds from cover for the guns, and that is still its calling: sniff, search, plunge into the undergrowth and come back wet, muddy and blissfully happy.

Its energy is close to bottomless, so a stroll round the block will not cut it. Think an hour or two of real exercise, ideally off the lead, plus jobs for the brain such as retrieving, searching and tracking. Springers are wonderfully eager pupils, about as pleasant to train as dogs get, but a strong hunting drive means a rabbit or pheasant will outweigh your voice in a heartbeat, so work on a reliable recall from day one. A flat is a tight fit, and without enough to do a Springer will take its boredom out on the furniture.

At home it is gentle, affectionate and thoroughly sociable, great with children, other dogs and visitors, whom it greets like long-lost friends. Do not count on it as a guard. In the evening, well run out, a Springer will happily curl up beside you, but it does not like long hours alone: it was bred to work shoulder to shoulder with people and would like to keep it that way.

Grooming and coat

The Springer's coat is medium-length, flat or wavy, with feathering on the ears, chest, legs and belly: lovely, right up until the dog runs through a meadow. It will come home wearing burrs, thistles and twigs, so brush and comb the feathering a few times a week, and the same evening after any outing through scrub. Check the skin while you are at it, since a tick, a scratch or a red patch hides easily under feathering. Tidying the feathering on the feet and around the ears now and then helps too.

The ears come first. After every swim and wet walk, lift each ear flap, dry the inside with a soft towel and give it a sniff: a healthy ear smells of very little. Look at the eyes once a week as well, with no discharge building up in the corners, and after a run through dry grass make sure no seeds or dust have got in; a red, weeping eye should be seen by your vet.

How to do it:

By age:

Health and possible conditions

A dog that spends twelve to fourteen years largely on the run, diving into every pond and carrying a pair of long, heavy ears, comes with a few health quirks of its own. The joints, ears, eyes and nervous system are where to look. If something changes, do not try to guess the cause: that is your vet's job.

This is general information, not veterinary advice. For your own dog's health, tests and treatment, see a vet.

Elbow and hip dysplasia

Dysplasia is a developmental joint fault: as the puppy grows, the surfaces of the elbow or hip joint do not fit together properly, and over time the joint wears down. You may notice your Springer stiff the morning after a long day in the fields, limping, or no longer in a hurry to jump into the car. For a dog built to work through cover all day, joints are the tools of the trade, so ask the breeder about joint screening of the parents and talk through a growing puppy's exercise with your vet.
Ear infections

An ear infection is inflammation of the skin lining the ear canal, where bacteria or yeast have moved in. You might see head shaking, scratching at the ear or rubbing it along the carpet, and catch an unpleasant, sweetish smell. A Springer's long, heavy ears cover the canal and trap moisture after every swim, so if you notice these signs, see your vet.
Progressive retinal atrophy (PRA)

Progressive retinal atrophy is an inherited disease in which the retina, the light-sensitive layer at the back of the eye, gradually wastes away until the dog loses its sight. The first sign may be uncertainty after dark: a dog who races around confidently by day hangs back from a dark garden at night or bumps into things. Ask the breeder about the parents' eye testing, and if your Springer starts behaving differently at dusk, have your vet check its eyes.
Epilepsy and seizures

A seizure is a sudden, uncontrolled burst of electrical activity in the brain, during which a dog may fall over, jerk, paddle its legs, drool or briefly lose consciousness. Beforehand a dog sometimes acts oddly, hiding, clinging to you or staring into space, and afterwards it can be confused for a while. Any seizure in a Springer is a reason to talk to your vet, and if one lasts longer than a few minutes or they come one after another, your dog needs a vet immediately.

Food for large breeds — cheapest per kg

This list is chosen by the breed's weight (25 kg) rather than the breed itself: shops label food by dog size, so every breed of the same size gets the same list. Prices are updated daily.

≈ 295 g of dry food a day, from €16,14 a month For a neutered, normally active 21,5 kg dog. Calculate for your dog