Breeds 101: Meet the English Springer Spaniel

The lovable English Springer Spaniel is the focus for today’s “Breeds 101” series. English Springers are eager to please, love to spend time with their families, and excel out in the fields hunting birds.

Spaniel type dog first emerged as early as 300 AD, many generations of breeds later each individual type of Spaniel would emerge. English Springers gained an excellent reputation in the fields hunting both pre and post use of the hunting rifle. The dogs work in tandem with the hunters to flush the birds out of brush and bushes, then they retrieve the downed birds and return them to the hunter.

According to the American Kennel Club’s breed standard the English Springer Spaniel is a “medium-sized sporting dog, with a compact body and a docked tail. His coat is moderately long, with feathering on his legs, ears, chest and brisket. His pendulous ears, soft gentle expression, sturdy build and friendly wagging tail proclaim him unmistakably a member of the ancient family of Spaniels.”

The English Springer Spaniel can come in a variety of standard colors including: black & white, black white & tan, liver & white, liver white & tan, white & black, white & liver. Though English Springers can come in red, orange, and lemon combinations with white these colors are considered unacceptable by the breed standard.

The English Springer Spaniel are loving and obedient dogs that make excellent companions both in the home and out in the fields bird hunting.

English Springers stand approximately 20 inches (male), 19 inches (female) and typically weigh 50 pounds (male), 40 pounds (female). These sporting group pups have an average lifespan of 12-14 years.

With their long hair, weekly brushing is a must. This helps keep their coat free of mats and tangles while also keeping it healthy and shiny by disturbing the oils evenly. Professional grooming to keep their hair neat around the feet, under the tail, and around the face is also important for Springers.

These pups make excellent family dogs with proper exercise. They love to spend time with their people either on the couch, out on a long walk, playing, or out hunting. Because of their brains and eager to please nature they excel in dog sport activities and competitions like: agility, rally, obedience, and tracking.

Highly ranked on American Kennel Club’s most popular dog breeds list of 2020, the English Springer Spaniel pulls in at 26 out of 195.

While generally a very healthy dog, there are a couple conditions to watch for. Because of the long, floppy ears they must be regularly checked for infection; regular cleaning can help limit these. Other conditions to watch for include hip and elbow dysplasia and different eye conditions.

English Springer Spaniels have made their way into the homes of many well known citizens. George W. Bush owned an English Springer named Spot and George H. W. Bush  owned an English Springer named Millie. Oprah Winfrey owned two English Springers named Sunny and Lauren. Other famous owners include: Princess Grace, Luke Bryan, and Tilda Swinton.