owning a springer spaniel advice

monkeysnapper

I love dogs and always wanted one but until I had a house of my own I put it off, I always wanted a springer spaniel my whole life and when we bought our house 8 years ago my wife persuaded me that these dogs needed more attention , exercise than we could give it.

So we got a westie , then after 12 months I got another westie to keep my boy company during the day .

Ive felt the last 8 years have been a learning curve , I still want my springer and ive always felt that I need to prove to mysef that im capable.

I live on outskirts of a small town on estate , I have a small enough run for my dogs outside during the day but I walk them every morning and evening and they come in after theyre evening walk , we live next to fields and a lake and 10 mins from sea.

Ive read up on springers and they are defo not a dog for the untrained human owner. Ive seen quite a few 6month/12month springers on animal rescue sites over last few years which confirms to me people take them on without enough experience.

Id like to get some feedback from some owners on having a springer, I truly believe getting the other westie was a huge success because they get on so well but not sure I could fit 2 springers in my back yard down the road sometime . I defo always want to have 2 dogs.

Im probably a couple of years away from having one but every time I see one on a rescue site I know one of these days im going to ring that number !!!!.

cocker5

To be honest OP your wife is right, springers (all spaniels) need a MASSIVE amount of exercise.. now if you have the time then that's cool... but i have a cocker (very similar to a springer) , hes pretty big in size, looks very like a springer etc, hes nearly 10 and still needs / craves a good hour of walking each evening and much longer for off lead and swimming at the weekends...hes a wonderful dog, very clam in the house due to all his exercise but ADORES the running, walking, sniffing etc plus they are very social dogs they like to be with their humans all the time.... while they are very social with other dogs... they LOVE humans... so they do better being with their families etc and not outside

But spaniels are great dogs, great personalities, temperments etc but they do need lots of exercise...

That's just my opinion anyway!

Best of luck!!

Springwell

If you're going for a Springer (I have several!) consider gun dog or agility training. They desperately need a job to be happy and walking rarely tires them out. Read Pippa Mattisons website about them, she does lots of remedial work with spaniels and gives a very good over view of the breed - they are not the sort of dog to buy to take on long walks with the family.

A show bred dog might be different to a working strain.

jimf

as an owner of ess for years you will find it hard to get a more loyal and honest family dog great with kids etc

exercise is not just a walk im afraid they do need to run free and I find if you have access to water swimming can be incorporated into the daily exercise they just love water well mine do anyway

they do need to be socialised from a very early age so if getting a pup choose wisely a pup from a family background would be ideal as it will have had plenty handling etc

just be warned once you have 1 you will soon want more

best of luck and please post pics

Vancity

My family had 2 Welsh springer spaniels - both lived to be 17 years old and they were active and energetic literally up until they were about 15. Looking back, we didn't know how to properly care for them - they got 2 walks per day, off leash and plenty of swimming in the canal but we didn't train them as well as we should have, we just didn't know how at the time.

One of them was a total escape artist - she could climb fences, squeeze under the tiniest of spaces to free herself, clear massive walls with ease and was generally impossible to keep track of. My poor Dad was exhausted building and mending fences and gates from her! The other was much gentler and happier to hang out at home during the day. I would say they'd be happier having a job to do - agility, hunting etc.

They have great temperaments though - as children we did a ton of the wrong things - pulling out of them, climbing on them, putting our faces right in their faces etc and neither of them so much as barked at us. Never a risk of them being aggressive, they were totally sweet dogs.

Stinjy

I've had two cocker spaniels and one of the neighbours had springers, man they're hyper active and require a lot of excercise but my experience of spaniels is that they are very gentle and if they've got their exercise they'll chill out. Have had both of our guys around kids who took toys and poked them and neither ever even growled. So if you need a good tempered dog go for it but they need the attention too!

gregers85

I have a 2 year old Male, Fantastic breed! very friendly and loving! Great with kids and other dogs!

They have very very high energy levels! require lots of exercise on and off lead!!

Our lads goes for a 3-4 mile walk every morning with my Dad before work and in the evenings I take him with me on my run, I run on a river bank, about 5-6 miles, but its great, I can leave him off the lead to go berserk haha, loves the freedom to run and go swimming! If i can't go for a run I try and take him out for a cycle with him running beside me on lead. (I cycle at his pace!!) They definitely suit a more active lifestyle!

monkeysnapper

Thank you all so much for your advice.

Last year I looked after my neighbours lab while they were on holiday and took him down the lake with ball, and he loved swimming and chasing the ball, so I know what you mean, my two westies are nothing energy wise compared to even him .

The one thing defo going for me is that land and lake is very well suited .

At moment my schedule is I take my westies out around 3 to 4 mornings a week and every evening , 20 mins in morning and 30 mins in evening .
I'd need to be doubling this I'm thinking.

Springwell

Mine can manage with a couple of thirty minute training sessions a day. Training/using their brain for memory retrieves, blind retrieves etc really tires the out more than just running about on their own times.

jayobray

Great dogs if you have access to a beach! Ours get 30/40 mins walk in the morning, an hour in the evening and a couple of hours on a weekend day. Our lad gets tired quickly enough at the beach, but he'll run for hours in fields or woods. Took a long time for him to perfect recall, as he'll set off after a scent so quickly. He loves pottering around the garden on his own, but hates being in the house if he knows there's someone there. Our other dog is a Samoyed, and having her has helped calm the springer down a bit. He's 3, by the way.