English Springer Spaniel Explained

English Springer Spaniel
Also Known As:	Springer Spaniel
Country:	England
Kc Name:	The Kennel Club
Kc Std:	https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/breed-standards/gundog/spaniel-english-springer/
Fcistd:	http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/125g08-en.pdf

The English Springer Spaniel is a breed of gun dog in the Spaniel group traditionally used for flushing and retrieving game. They are descended from the Norfolk or Shropshire Spaniels of the mid-19th century; the breed has diverged into separate show and working lines. It is closely related to the Welsh Springer Spaniel and very closely to the English Cocker Spaniel; less than a century ago, springers and cockers would come from the same litter. The smaller "cockers" were used in woodcock hunting while their larger littermates were used to flush, or "spring", other game birds, hence the name. In 1902, The Kennel Club recognized the English Springer Spaniel as a distinct breed.^[1] They are used as sniffer dogs on a widespread basis.

Description

The English Springer Spaniel is a medium-sized compact dog. Its coat is moderately long with feathering on the legs and tail. It is a well proportioned, balanced dog with a gentle expression. This breed represents perhaps the greatest divergence between working and show lines of any breed of dog. A field-bred dog and a show-bred dog appear to be different breeds but are registered together. The gene pools are almost completely segregated and have been for at least 70 years.^[2] A field-bred dog would not be competitive in a modern dog show, while a show dog would not have the speed or stamina to succeed in a field trial.

The English Springer Spaniel field-bred dogs tend to have shorter, coarser coats than show-bred dogs. The ears are less pendulous. Field-bred dogs are wiry and have more of a feral look than those bred for showing. The tail of the field-bred dog may be docked a few inches in comparison to the show dog. Field-bred dogs are selected for their sense of smell, hunting ability, and response to training rather than appearance.^[3]

Show dogs have longer fur and more pendant ears, dewlaps and dangling flews. The tail is docked to a short stub in those countries that permit docking. They are generally more thickly boned and heavier than field-bred springers.^[3]

The English Springer Spaniel is similar to the English Cocker Spaniel and at first glance, the only major difference is the latter's smaller size. However English Springers also tend to have shorter, and higher-set ears than English Cockers. Springers also tend to have a longer muzzle; their eyes are not as prominent, and the coat is less abundant.^[4] The major differences between the Welsh Springer and the English Springer are that the Welsh have more limited colors and tend to be slightly smaller.

Coat and colors

Field-bred dogs tend to have shorter, coarser coats than the longer furred show-bred dogs. They normally only shed in summer and spring months but shed occasionally in the autumn.^[2] The coat comes in black or liver (dark brown) with white markings or predominantly white with black or liver markings; Tricolour: black and white or liver and white with tan markings, usually found on eyebrows, cheeks, inside of ears and under the tail. Any white portion of the coat may be flecked with ticking.

Sizes

Males in the show dog line are typically approximately 19inchesto21inchesin (toin) at the withers and weigh 40to. According to the UK Breed Standard, the English Springer Spaniel should be 20inches at the withers. The females should be 18inchesto20inchesin (toin) and usually 35to. Working types can be lighter in weight and finer in bone.^[5]

Temperament

The English Springer Spaniel ranks 13th in Stanley Coren's The Intelligence of Dogs

Health

A 2022 UK study found a life expectancy of 11.92 years for the breed, above the average of 11.23 years.^[6] A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.5 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds.^[7] A 2005 Swedish study found 29% of Springer Spaniels died by the age of 10, less than the overall rate of 35% of dogs dying by the age of 10.^[8]

Skin conditions the breed is predisposed to include: acral mutilation syndrome, intertrigo, lichenoid psoriasis–form dermatitis, Malassezia dermatitis, otitis externa, and primary seborrhoea.^[9]

An American study reviewing over a million cases presented to 27 veterinary teaching hospitals in North America found the English Springer Spaniel to be prediposed to canine hip dysplasia, with 4.39% of dogs having the condition compared to 3.52% overall.^[10] A survey of UK breed club members found cancer to be the most common cause of death at 26.7% of deaths.^[11]

English Springer Spaniels have a predisposition to chronic hepatitis. The form of chronic hepatitis in the breed is more severe, affects younger dogs, and is more likely to affect bitches.^[12] One study found the English Springer Spaniel to be 6.3 times more likely to acquire the disease.^[13] Another study found an odds ratio of 5.3.^[14]

History

The English physician John Caius described the spaniel in his book the Treatise of Englishe Dogs published in 1576. His book was the first work to describe the various British breeds by function.^[15] By 1801, Sydenham Edwards explained in the Cynographia Britannica that the land spaniel should be split into two kinds, the Springing, Hawking Spaniel, or Starter; and the Cocking or Cocker Spaniel.^[15]

At this point, both cocker spaniels and springer spaniels were born in the same litters. The purpose of the breed was to serve as a hunting dog. The smaller cockers were used to hunt woodcock, while their larger littermates, the springer spaniels, would "spring"—or flush—the gamebird into the air where a trained falcon or hawk would bring it to the handler.^[16]

Many spaniel breeds were developed during the 19th century, and often named after the counties in which they were developed, or after their owners, who were usually nobility. Two strains of larger land spaniel were predominant and were said to have been of "true springer type." These were the Norfolk and the Shropshire spaniels, and by the 1850s, these were shown under the breed name of Norfolk spaniel.^[17]

In January 1899, the Spaniel Club of England and the Sporting Spaniel Society held their trials together for the first time. Three years later, in 1902, a combination of the physical standard from the Spaniel Club of England and the ability standard from the Sporting Spaniel Society led to the English Springer Spaniel breed being officially recognized by the English Kennel Club. The American Kennel Club followed in 1910.^[17] In 1914, the first English Field Champion was crowned, FTC Rivington Sam, whose dam was a registered cocker spaniel, Rivington Riband. Sam is considered one of the foundation sires for modern field lines.^[17]

Skills

An English Springer Spaniel is foremost a game bird flushing dog. There are several skills that breeders train the dog to perform for their occupation.^[18]

• Retrieve to Hand Most hunters and all hunt test or field trial judges require that a dog deliver a bird to hand, meaning that a dog will hold the bird until told to give it to the hunter directly.
• Soft Mouth Springers are taught to deliver game with a soft mouth, meaning he does not puncture it with his teeth. The game should always be fit for the table. If a springer damages the bird, it may be hard-mouthed. This is a serious fault, but it can be difficult to determine whether it may have been genetic or caused by poor training methods. Breeders generally avoid using any springer that is hard-mouthed.
• Quarter A flushing spaniel's primary role is often as a game bird flushing dog. Dogs must work in a zig-zag pattern in front of the hunter seeking game birds. The dog is taught to stay within gun range to avoid flushing a bird outside shooting distance. This pattern is one of the primary criteria used to judge a dog in a field trial.
• Scenting Having the ability to scent game is of vital importance to the hunter. A springer should have a good nose in both wet and dry conditions. A dog with a good nose will learn to use the wind as it quests for game, ever adjusting its pattern according to the nuances of the wind.
• Flushing The springer should have a positive flush. It should not hesitate or point when encountering game. Some field trial dogs will often get airborne during a flush. This is exciting to watch but is not necessary to win. Most hunters prefer that their dog not flush in that style, as it can present a risk to the dog.
• Hup This is the traditional command to sit and stay. When hupped the dog can be given direction called by the handler. The ability to hup a dog actively working a running bird allows the handler and any gunners to keep up without having to run.
• Follow Hand Signals Game bird hunting involves pursuing wild game in its native habitat. Gun dogs must investigate likely covers for game birds. The dog must be responsive to hand signals for the hunter to be able to direct the dog into areas of particular interest.
• Steady When hunting game birds, a flushing dog should be steady to wing and shot, meaning that he sits when a bird rises or a gun is fired. He does this to mark the fall and to avoid flushing other birds when pursuing a missed bird.
• Blind Retrieve An adequately trained and experienced working springer can be expected to use all of the aforementioned attributes to be conducted by hand, whistle and command to a position whereby an unmarked lost game bird can be picked and retrieved to hand.

Detection dog

The Springer Spaniel is used as a sniffer dog. Notable search dogs have included Buster, a Dickin Medal recipient, Royal Army Veterinary Corps arms and explosives search dog serving with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment in Iraq, for finding an extremist group's hidden arsenal of weapons and explosives.^[19] Another example is Jake, aka Hubble Keck People's Dispensary for Sick Animals Gold Medal and Blue Cross Animal Hospital Medal recipient, a London Metropolitan Police explosives search dog. He was deployed at Tavistock Square, Russell Square and King's Cross following the 7 July 2005 London bombings.^[20]

The Springer is not limited to detecting explosives. Other varied uses for the Springer can include sniffing out bumblebee nests,^[21] illegal immigrants,^[22] blood^[23] and the superbug C. difficile.^[24] Springers are used for drug detection in the United States,^[25] United Kingdom, Sweden,^[26] Finland,^{[27] [28]} Isle of Man,^[29] Ireland,^[30] Canada CBSA^[31] and Qatar.^[32]

The Springer Spaniel is also used as a search and rescue dog by mountain rescue and Lowland Rescue teams, where their willingness to work and cover rough terrain makes them an excellent choice.

Notable English Springer Spaniels

Awarded the Dickin Medal for conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving in military conflict:

• Theo
• Buster

Awarded the PDSA Gold Medal for animal bravery:

• Ghillie

Awarded the PDSA Order of Merit

• Max

See also

• Dogs portal
• List of dog breeds
• Hunting dog
• Sporting Group
• Cocker Spaniel
• Mountain Rescue

Notes and References

1. Web site: English Springer Spaniel Dog Breed Information. Akc.org. 11 December 2017.
2. Web site: Know The Difference Between A Show Bred & Field Bred English Springer Spaniel . English Springer Spaniel Information and Field Trial Page . 9 July 2007 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070630213919/http://www.essft.com/fieldshow.html#FIELD . 30 June 2007 . dead .
3. Web site: English Springer Spaniel . SpringerSpaniel.org.uk . 25 October 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100509032143/http://www.springerspaniel.org.uk/english_springer_spaniel.htm . 9 May 2010 .
4. Web site: Gormish . Denise . English Cocker Spaniel Club of America . A comparison of English Cocker Spaniels, American Cocker Spaniels and English Springer Spaniels . 13 September 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101121224038/http://ecsca.org/difference.html . 21 November 2010 .
5. Web site: English Springer Spaniel Standard . The Kennel Club . 12 February 2024.
6. Teng . Kendy Tzu-yun . Brodbelt . Dave C. . Pegram . Camilla . Church . David B. . O’Neill . Dan G. . Life tables of annual life expectancy and mortality for companion dogs in the United Kingdom . Scientific Reports . Springer Science and Business Media LLC . 12 . 1 . 2022-04-28 . 2045-2322 . 10.1038/s41598-022-10341-6 . 9050668 .
7. McMillan . Kirsten M. . Bielby . Jon . Williams . Carys L. . Upjohn . Melissa M. . Casey . Rachel A. . Christley . Robert M. . Longevity of companion dog breeds: those at risk from early death . Scientific Reports . Springer Science and Business Media LLC . 14 . 1 . 2024-02-01 . 2045-2322 . 10.1038/s41598-023-50458-w . 10834484 .
8. Egenvall . A . Bonnett . Bn . Hedhammar . å . Olson . P . Mortality in over 350,000 Insured Swedish Dogs from 1995–2000: II. Breed-Specific Age and Survival Patterns and Relative Risk for Causes of Death . Acta Veterinaria Scandinavica . 46 . 3 . 2005-09-30 . 1751-0147 . 16261925 . 1624818 . 10.1186/1751-0147-46-121 . free .
9. Book: Hnilica, Keith A. . Patterson . Adam P. . Small Animal Dermatology . Saunders . St. Louis (Miss.) . 2016-09-19 . 978-0-323-37651-8 .
10. Witsberger . Tige H. . Villamil . J. Armando . Schultz . Loren G. . Hahn . Allen W. . Cook . James L. . Prevalence of and risk factors for hip dysplasia and cranial cruciate ligament deficiency in dogs . Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association . American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) . 232 . 12 . 2008-06-15 . 0003-1488 . 10.2460/javma.232.12.1818 . 1818–1824.
11. Adams . V. J. . Evans . K. M. . Sampson . J. . Wood . J. L. N. . Methods and mortality results of a health survey of purebred dogs in the UK . Journal of Small Animal Practice . 51 . 10 . 2010-10-01 . 10.1111/j.1748-5827.2010.00974.x . 512–524.
12. Bexfield . Nicholas H. . Watson . Penny J. . Aguirre-Hernandez . Jesús . Sargan . David R. . Tiley . Laurence . Heeney . Jonathan L. . Kennedy . Lorna J. . DLA Class II Alleles and Haplotypes Are Associated with Risk for and Protection from Chronic Hepatitis in the English Springer Spaniel . PLoS ONE . 7 . 8 . 2012-08-01 . 1932-6203 . 22870335 . 3411618 . 10.1371/journal.pone.0042584 . free . e42584.
13. Bandara . Y. . Bayton . W. A. . Williams . T. L. . Scase . T. . Bexfield . N. H. . Histopathological frequency of canine hepatobiliary disease in the United Kingdom . Journal of Small Animal Practice . 62 . 9 . 2021 . 0022-4510 . 10.1111/jsap.13354 . 730–736.
14. Bexfield . N.H. . Buxton . R.J. . Vicek . T.J. . Day . M.J. . Bailey . S.M. . Haugland . S.P. . Morrison . L.R. . Else . R.W. . Constantino-Casas . F. . Watson . P.J. . Breed, age and gender distribution of dogs with chronic hepatitis in the United Kingdom . The Veterinary Journal . Elsevier BV . 193 . 1 . 2012 . 1090-0233 . 10.1016/j.tvjl.2011.11.024 . 124–128. 20.500.11820/6d61eb61-cd9f-4d69-b12f-7f17036e581e . free .
15. Web site: Mindy. Mymudes. An English Springer History. 3 March 2002. 24 October 2009. https://web.archive.org/web/20100120183121/http://www.ariel-ess.com/essfaq/history.html. 20 January 2010. dead.
16. Web site: AKC MEET THE BREEDS: English Springer Spaniel. American Kennel Club. 24 November 2010. 22 November 2010. https://web.archive.org/web/20101122113434/http://www.akc.org/breeds/english_springer_spaniel/. dead.
17. Web site: The History of the Springer Spaniel . 24 October 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090913111912/http://www.westwingsess.com/ESS_History.htm . 13 September 2009 .
18. Web site: Petwave.com. English Springer Spaniel – Key Field Skills. 25 October 2009. 2 January 2013. https://web.archive.org/web/20130102100826/http://www.petwave.com/Dogs/Dog-Breed-Center/Sporting-Group/English-Springer-Spaniel/Field-Skills.aspx. dead.
19. Web site: PDSA Dickin Medal: 'the animals' VC' . PDSA.org.uk . 9 November 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20080417001934/http://www.pdsa.org.uk/page309_2.html . 17 April 2008. dead.
20. Web site: Police dog Jake is awarded . 10 January 2007 . Met.Police.UK . 9 November 2009 . https://archive.today/20120717114736/http://cms.met.police.uk/news/policy_organisational_news_and_general_information/police_dog_jake_is_awarded . 17 July 2012 . dead .
21. Web site: Toby the bumblebee sniffer dog . Bumblebee Conservation Trust . 9 November 2009 .
22. Web site: Agency sniffer dog finds illegal immigrants attempting to smuggle themselves into the UK . 2 February 2009 . UK Borders Agency . 9 November 2009. http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20140110181512/http://www.ukba.homeoffice.gov.uk/sitecontent/newsarticles/sniffer-dog-finds-illegals?area=NorthEastYorkshireandHumber. 10 January 2014 .
23. News: On scent of success: sniffer dog Keela earns more than her Chief Constable . McVeigh, Karen . 30 December 2005 . The Times . UK . 9 November 2009 .
24. Web site: Meet The English Springer Spaniel Who's Sniffing Out A Superbug.
25. News: The streets of Fresno are a little safer when Buster is on the job. The Fresno Bee.
26. Web site: Drug detector dogs . Swedish Customs Service . 9 November 2009 .
27. Web site: Drug detector dogs of Finnish Customs . Tulli Customs . 9 November 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110410064154/http://www.tulli.fi/en/finnish_customs/publications/brochures/general/Drug_detector_dogs_08.pdf . 10 April 2011 . dead .
28. Web site: About our dogs . North Yorkshire Police . 9 November 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110717010846/http://www.northyorkshire.police.uk/index.aspx?articleid=2460 . 17 July 2011 .
29. Web site: Dogs and Handlers . Isle of Man: Department of Home Affairs . 9 November 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20100108071620/http://www.gov.im/dha/prison/dogs.xml . 8 January 2010 .
30. Web site: Sniffer dogs: hot on the trail with the pet detectives. Irishtimes.com. 11 December 2017.
31. Web site: Minister Toews Welcomes Graduation of CBSA's First Tobacco Detector Dog Teams . Christine . 13 August 2014 . 13 August 2014 . 14 August 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140814022925/http://www.marketwired.com/press-release/minister-toews-welcomes-graduation-of-cbsas-first-tobacco-detector-dog-teams-1370448 . dead .
32. Web site: Qatar Military Dog Show Enhances Bilateral Relations . Senger, Dustin . 13 April 2009 . dvidshub.net . 9 November 2009 .