Where do Springer spaniels get their energy from ?

[WildRosie]

Not just springers but Weimaraners and Vizslas too. I've seen a few of all off their leads this weekend, without exception charging and racing in every possible direction and failing to run into anything. How do they do it and can they easily be called to heel when needed ?

Perpetual motion. Once they pop they don't stop! 😀

My pointer has 2 speeds. Sleeping and bat shit crazy. She has great recall, but was very hard work to achieve. She is very prey driven.

Im guessing it’s in the nature - hunting breeds so made to be on the go and alert for many hours when out supporting the hunt.
My experience of cockers is the recall/heel can be an issue. Guess it depends on the training and the dog.
my friend has a Vizla and he is very good on heel.

I think most dogs do that when off the lead and given the chance! Mine always did (Australian Shepherd). They never ran into anything or tripped because they learnt coordination as puppies. I took over a six year old dog once who had never been taken for a proper walk, and he hadn't learnt it. He couldn't go off his lead in the mountains, for example, because he would fall into streams, trip over rocks etc. He was in danger of doing himself real harm. It really brought home how much the dogs I had had since puppyhood had learnt.

All mine came to heel fairly easily. I might have to call a couple of times if they were very focused on something else, but it was never a problem to get them in. It depends on the breed though. I had a hunting dog once and she couldn't go off lead as if she got a scent, it was like her ears shut down and she wouldn't hear me calling.

Their delicious velvety ears. True fact.

We've always had springers, we love them. They certainly are bouncy and full of energy!

Of our current two, older dog only has recall when she feels like it so she's on a long lead most of the time. We can let her off at the end of a walk when she's tired herself out a bit, then she's happy enough to come back when called. In her younger days she'd be two fields away if you took your eyes off her for a second, thankfully at ten she's slowed down a little.

Younger dog is amazing, he runs off following his nose as spaniels do, but his recall is perfect - one whistle and he's instantly by my side. He can safely be off lead anywhere, no matter what the distraction.

Both are very easy going and very good with other dogs and with children. They seem to know when they can be bouncy and when not to be.

Where I work, I sometimes see the HMRC sniffer dogs in action, usually spaniels of some sort. It's remarkable to watch them running and jumping all over everywhere and then suddenly concentrate all that energy into something, however vague, that's caught their attention.

Cocker Spaniel here and I agree with @HemanOrSheRa its the ears with spaniels they are the source of all their bounce and thats why there's so much of it 😁
Recall/heel is great because she's a working breed bred to hunt in english woodland, hence the fast zig-zag everywhere, they are bred to search over woodland so its in their blood to be constantly jumping over/under/around stuff at speed.

DramaAlpaca how do you manage the long line? Do you not get dragged/tangled everywhere? We have a cocker/terrier cross who has zero recall despite our best efforts. He's mainly walked on a short lead as the longline was lethal. Any tips?

I walk a cocker spaniel as part of my dog walking activities. I call him The Bounciest Dog In The World 😄 he does the zig zag walking thing and plays constantly with a ball. He refuses to go where I want him to go, eats random stuff off the ground if I'm not careful and jumps in puddles. He's such a cheerful soul 😃

I have three, 2x7 month old puppies and a nearly 12 year old. One of the puppies is a Duracell bunny, everyone else is calm, relaxing, he gets a toy, then another and he wants to wander round, chew the toy, throw it round etc. He makes me die! His recall has vastly improved this week, but I’m reluctant to let him off the long line (reel it in quick if someone is coming or drop it so it doesn’t tangle people/other dogs, I’m hyper vigilant. I also swap between a short lead and the longline, I tend to take a game bag with me, holds everything, dummies, balls, longlines, harnesses, treats, poo bags).

His brother pushes boundaries, will get items from the recycling then do zoomies round the garden being chased by his brother. He wanted to get up at 6.30 but after 29 minutes was ready to have a nap.

I’ve worn out all three today, they’re all fast asleep.

@Scandishores222 I know long lines are controversial on here. What we do is keep a close eye on her and shorten the lead when approaching anything she could get tangled on. Then let her have the full length of the lead going through open fields etc. She's usually walked in open countryside so a long lead works well. In woodland it has to be kept short. She doesn't tend to drag us, she's actually very well behaved on a lead whether long or short, it's just off lead she's a pain!

DramaAlpaca thankyou, sounds like it works well for you. Our boy just runs to the end of the line and then pulls like a demon or tangles himself up, more practice needed I think!

Cockers are basically Springers on speed.

our spaniel is the same and she has amazing recall. I was looking at a video of her as a puppy when we were training “come here!” In the house, she must have been only about 2.5 months and already she was completely fantastic at it! I think it’s just instinctive for certain breeds as I don’t think we did anything particularly special to get a dog with perfect recall. She’ll pull me down the street to the park though 😂

I’m always amazed at how she runs so fast and never seems to stumble - long may it continue! Sometimes I watch her with my heart in my mouth!!

Our weim gets 10 miles a day and could easily do more. That is off lead, through fields and woods. She gets this over 2 walks. One of 1hr and one of 1.5hrs. Inbetween she's pretty chilled.

Having had border collies and flatcoats, my springer isn't too bad. Compared to the flatties, he has amazing recall - straight back to my side with the whistle. I love it when they do zoomies.
Two good walks a day plus garden and our fields at home, seem to keep him sane.

Exercise and good training, combined with a good diet.

We have a working cocker and he is always busy !

They are lovely happy dogs aren't they. I don't have one but a friend does and her dog makes every walk a pleasure. He bounces and bounces around the countryside but is still well behaved.

Our Springer is an absolute nutcase had perfect recall up until 10 months then decided he wasn't coming back for no whistle, he's chasing the birds!
He is such a loving dog, he loves everyone and is so calm around other dogs, if he could get over the bird thing he'd be perfect!!
He does need 2/3 hours walking a day to tire him though!!

11 year old Cocker spaniel here. She doesnt rest, on a walk she is off sniffing,I am not allowed to sit down anywhere while out without her barking at me., If I do sit even after a long walk she wont sit or lie, she circles round all the time, same at home. Never had such a restless dog before, always had Gordon setters who were full of ping, but not like her ! Yes to the spaniel ears too, I wonder she doesnt knock herself out with them

We used to get police sniffer dogs practising in our office occasionally. I loved watching them. One of them showed a keen interest in a spare pair of shoes a senior director had in her office. She was not amused.

I'm not a fan of dogs but I love springer spaniels. Placemarking for pics of your springers.🙏

It was mainly very busy Cocker spaniels on today's walk. No springers in sight. Two golden retrievers just plodding sedately, one Ridgeback lookalike (probably a crossbreed) and a curly-coated retriever-first one I've seen.