Quick Links: Table of Contents
- English Springer Spaniel Breed Overview
- History of the English Springer Spaniel Breed. Where English Springer Spaniels came from
- What the English Springer Spaniel Looks Like
- How Much is the English Springer Spaniel Puppy?
- Best English Springer Spaniel Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the English Springer Spaniel
- English Springer Spaniel Growth
- What Colors do English Springer Spaniels Have?
- The Temperament of the English Springer Spaniel
- How Long English Springer Spaniels Live
- English Springer Spaniel Litter Size
- How Fast English Springer Spaniels Can Run
- Good Names for English Springer Spaniels
- How Intelligent are English Springer Spaniels?
- How Popular are English Springer Spaniels with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in English Springer Spaniels and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of English Springer Spaniel
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to English Springer Spaniels
- Other Things to Know About English Springer Spaniels
English Springer Spaniel Breed Overview
The English Springer Spaniel is a medium-sized dog.
The adult English Springer Spaniel stands 1 foot, 6 inches to 1 foot, 10 inches tall at the .
The English Springer Spaniel belongs to the Sporting Dogs group.
Dogs in the Sporting Dogs group, like the English Springer Spaniel, were bred to help hunters catch and retrieve feathered game. Some sporting dog breeds such as Retrievers, which were built for swimming, were bred to hunt waterfowl in water.
Whereas sporting dog breeds like setters, spaniels, and pointing breeds were bred to hunt quail, pheasant, and other game birds nest on grasslands.
Many Sporting Group breeds have thick, water-repellent coats that protect them from harsh hunting conditions.
The fact that the English Springer Spaniel belongs to the Sporting Dogs group is one of the reasons why English Springer Spaniels have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the English Springer Spaniel is generally described as:
- Active
- Affectionate
- Alert
- Attentive
- Cheerful
- Intelligent
History of the English Springer Spaniel Breed. Where English Springer Spaniels came from
In 1576, the English physician John Caius described the different breeds of British dogs by function for the first time in his book.
There are two types of land spaniels, according to Sydenham Edwards in the Cynographia Britannica of 1801.
They are the Springing, Hawking Spaniel, Starter, and the Cocking, or Cocker Spaniel.
The Cocker Spaniel and the Springer Spaniel were born in the same litter.
They were used as hunting dogs.
In the 19th century, many spaniel breeds were developed and named after the counties where they originated or their owners, who were often nobility.
Traditionally, there were two types of large land spaniels.
It was a mix of Norfolk and Shropshire spaniels; by the 1850s, they were called Norfolk spaniels.
A joint trial was held between the Spaniel Club of England and the Sporting Spaniel Society in January 1899.
Three years later, the English Springer Spaniel was officially recognized by the English Kennel Club based on physical standards from the Spaniel Club of England and ability standards from the Sporting Spaniel Society.
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What the English Springer Spaniel Looks Like
English Springer Spaniels are small to medium-sized, compact dogs.
Its tail and legs are feathered in addition to its moderately long coat.
With a friendly wagging tail and a calm expression, this dog is intelligent, well-balanced, and well-proportioned.
This breed is probably the only one that exhibits such a great deal of divergence between its working and show lines.
Field-bred dogs may look different from show-bred dogs, but both breeds are registered.
Since the gene pool was almost completely separated, it has been at least 70 years.
Field-bred English Springer Spaniels tend to have shorter, coarser coats than show-bred dogs.
The English Springer Spaniel is very similar to the English Cocker Spaniel, and the only real difference is the latter`s size.
Show-bred dogs have longer, smoother coats than field-bred dogs.
It is normal for them only to shed in the summer.
In general, they shed only in the spring and summer, but sometimes they shed in the autumn as well.
English Springer Spaniels can be black or liver with white markings or white with black or liver markings; Tricolour: black and white or liver and white with tan markings commonly found on eyebrows, cheeks, inside of the ears, flecked with ticking.
Ticking may appear on any white part of the coat.
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How Much is the English Springer Spaniel Puppy?
The average price of a English Springer Spaniel puppy is $1310. The price of a English Springer Spaniel puppy ranges from $950 to $1600.
A lot of factors determine the price of the English Springer Spaniel. These factors include what health records the English Springer Spaniel puppy has, the lineage of the English Springer Spaniel puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy English Springer Spaniel based on the many factors that determine the price of the English Springer Spaniel puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the English Springer Spaniel puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the English Springer Spaniel breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best English Springer Spaniel Breeders
We have researched reputable English Springer Spaniel breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable English Springer Spaniel breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
C and D Farm
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Patti Crowther
Puppy Price: $1,200
Stacy DeGeer
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Richard Ivy
Puppy Price: $1,000
Hoover Springers
Puppy Price: $1000
Adopting or Rescuing the English Springer Spaniel
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, English Springer Spaniels included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male English Springer Spaniel named Barnaby that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely English Springer Spaniels like Barnaby on pefinder.com.
Cam is the name of another English Springer Spaniel (Male) on petfinder.com that is looking for a new forever home.
You can find more English Springer Spaniels that are available for adoption on petfinder.
English Springer Spaniel Growth
New English Springer Spaniel owners need to know about the growth of their English Springer Spaniels. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the English Springer Spaniel will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their English Springer Spaniel early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your English Springer Spaniel puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the English Springer Spaniel at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your English Springer Spaniel
What Colors do English Springer Spaniels Have?
English Springer Spaniels come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- Brown / Chocolate
- Black
- Bicolor
- Tricolor (Brown, Black, & White)
- Merle (Red)
- White / Cream
- Apricot / Beige
English Springer Spaniels come in the following lovely secondary colors in addition to their primary colors:
- White / Cream
- Red / Chestnut / Orange
The Temperament of the English Springer Spaniel
The temperament of the English Springer Spaniel based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the English Springer Spaniel for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the English Springer Spaniel here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 67.1 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 57.5 percent |
| Prey Drive | 56.7 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 55.0 percent |
| Energy Level | 53.4 percent |
| Excitability | 47.2 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 42.7 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 42.5 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 34.6 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 28.5 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 24.7 percent |
| Owner Directed Aggression | 21.9 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 13.5 percent |
| Stubbornness | 11.8 percent |
How Long English Springer Spaniels Live
The lifespan of the English Springer Spaniel is typically from 9 to 15 years.
Moreover, a few years back, veterinarian researchers performed a scientific study to determine the lifespan of the English Springer Spaniel. In this study, the scientists collected data on how long 90 pet English Springer Spaniels lived.
From the study, it was found that English Springer Spaniels have an average lifespan of 12 years. Furthermore, the study found that it is not uncommon for English Springer Spaniels to live as long as 19.5 years.
Note that you need to put in some effort if you want your English Springer Spaniel to live long.
English Springer Spaniels live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
There are also dog supplements that you can give your English Springer Spaniel to improve your English Springer Spaniel`s quality of their life.
Click here to learn more about how to make your English Springer Spaniel live long.
English Springer Spaniel Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 74 different English Springer Spaniel birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that English Springer Spaniels can have is 7 puppies. Also, the English Springer Spaniel can have as few as 1 puppies per litter and as many as 13 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the English Springer Spaniel will have depends on factors such as the age of the English Springer Spaniel, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your English Springer Spaniel will have and how the litter size of the English Springer Spaniel compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast English Springer Spaniels Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 151 different English Springer Spaniels, the average speed of the English Springer Spaniel is 22.4 mph (36.1 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the English Springer Spaniel ran in a race is 28.49 mph (45.9 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a English Springer Spaniel is 3.33 mph (5.4 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the English Springer Spaniel compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for English Springer Spaniels
Here are some really good names that are typical for the English Springer Spaniel ranked by popularity:
- Smurfy
- Hunter
- Koa
- Bailey
- Baron
- Superior
- Cody
- Benny
- Cowboy
- Barnaby
How Intelligent are English Springer Spaniels?
| English Springer Spaniel | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 13 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 5 To 15 Repetitions |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the English Springer Spaniel has an obedience intelligence rank of 13 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put English Springer Spaniels in the `Excellent Working Dogs` category.
This means that English Springer Spaniels tend to learn new commands after 5 to 15 repetitions.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| Papillon | 8 |
| English Cocker Spaniel | 18 |
| Brittany | 19 |
| Belgian Malinois | 22 |
| Pomeranian | 23 |
| Vizsla | 25 |
| Chesapeake Bay Retriever | 27 |
| Airedale Terrier | 29 |
| Cairn Terrier | 35 |
| Affenpinscher | 37 |
| Curly-Coated Retriever | 41 |
| Bichon Frise | 45 |
| Alaskan Malamute | 50 |
| Chinese Shar-Pei | 51 |
| Pug | 57 |
| French Bulldog | 58 |
| Lhasa Apso | 68 |
| Shih Tzu | 70 |
| Basset Hound | 71 |
| Borzoi | 75 |
How Popular are English Springer Spaniels with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the English Springer Spaniel.
The popularity of the English Springer Spaniel averaged over the years is Number 26 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in English Springer Spaniels and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The English Springer Spaniel is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a English Springer Spaniel puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your English Springer Spaniel breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen English Springer Spaniels for:
- AKC DNA Profile
- Autoimmune thyroiditis
- Canine Good Citizen Certification
- Cardiac Evaluation
- Degenerative Myelopathy
- DNA Bank
- Elbow Dysplasia
- Eye Examination
- FUCOSIDOSIS
- Hip Dysplasia
- PFK
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) DNA Test
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for English Springer Spaniels here.
How to Take Care of English Springer Spaniel
To take good care of your English Springer Spaniel, you need to make sure that you groom your English Springer Spaniel regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your English Springer Spaniel regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your English Springer Spaniel`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your English Springer Spaniel daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your English Springer Spaniel.
Also, you need to feed your English Springer Spaniel high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your English Springer Spaniel from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the English Springer Spaniel and how much food to feed the English Springer Spaniel at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your English Springer Spaniel has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your English Springer Spaniel needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to English Springer Spaniels
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the English Springer Spaniel.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the English Springer Spaniel:
- Australian Shepherd (81 percent match with English Springer Spaniel). Learn more about the Australian Shepherd here.
- Field Spaniel (84 percent match with English Springer Spaniel). Learn more about the Field Spaniel here.
- Wirehaired Pointing Griffon (82 percent match with English Springer Spaniel). Learn more about the Wirehaired Pointing Griffon here.
Other Things to Know About English Springer Spaniels
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the English Springer Spaniel that you need to know about the English Springer Spaniel breed: