The English Springer Spaniel is the largest and best known of all the spaniel breeds, developed as a working dog that has also become a popular and valued family pet.
Built for long days in the field, the English Springer is a sturdy medium-sized dog that bears the classic spaniel appearance of long floppy ears and a kind trusting expression. Their double coat is of medium length, can be flat or wavy, and comes in several colours, most commonly liver and white or black and white. English Springers are playful, energetic, cheerful dogs who love human company, having been bred to work alongside people. As such, they make excellent family dogs and get on well with children, other dogs and household pets. They relish long walks, swimming and playtime with their owners, especially any activity that involved chasing and fetching. Their eagerness to please means that they are easy to train and they will excel at and enjoy obedience, agility and field trials. With enough mental and physical stimulation, the English Springer will happily settle down at home in the company of its owners. Their high intelligence and wonderful nose also mean that this breed is often used as police sniffer dogs and search and rescue dogs. English Springers are hardy dogs that can often live into their teens.
History
The English Springer Spaniel descends from spaniels that were used as hunting companions as far back as the 1500s. They gained their name by their practice of ‘springing’ forward to flush out the game. In the 1800s the Duke of Norfolk developed his own line of spaniels, originally named the Norfolk Spaniel, which later became known as the English Springer Spaniel.
