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sringer spaniels

38 replies

milesysgirl · 12/09/2005 21:21

has any one got any useful tips or info on them please good and bad...

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starshaker · 12/09/2005 21:23

mental dogs but great with kids

milesysgirl · 12/09/2005 21:26

thanks ss we have been offered one the owner has said hes not that mental for a springer and he is brilliant with kids and hasnt got a bad bone in his body ....

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milesysgirl · 12/09/2005 21:28

hes 3 as well she said hes fully house trained ,walks of the lead, very obedient,doesnt bark or whine for nothing...

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milesysgirl · 13/09/2005 09:00

anymore advice please.....

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munz · 13/09/2005 09:01

are they the ones which go blind or is that cocker spanials?

milesysgirl · 13/09/2005 09:03

havnt a clue munz ill have to try and find out ......

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macwoozy · 13/09/2005 09:05

I used to have a springer, really lovely dogs. Loads of energy though so will need plenty of walks. I've never heard about any eye problems.

shorty3 · 13/09/2005 09:08

Thats cocker spaniels that go blind. We have had spaniels all our lives while growing up, they are lovely with kids. Although we had a couple that had been treated badly before coming to us and they weren't so great.

They need a lot of walking to burn off their excess energy.

I would love a springer of my own but it wouldn't be practical for us.

milesysgirl · 13/09/2005 09:10

ok thanks for that we are going to have a look at him later today ,hope hes right for us ...x

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CalicoPie · 13/09/2005 09:12

Apparently they are wonderful for children. Very lively, though.

I have a friend who's got one - she's in the police and they got a retired sniffer dog which meant that it was already wonderfully trained. I'm not sure if they're available to the general public but it may be woth asking.

CalicoPie · 13/09/2005 09:13

Oops sorry. Didn't read your post properly - I see you've already been offered one.

milesysgirl · 13/09/2005 09:14

thanks cp for you advice xxx

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shorty3 · 13/09/2005 09:15

Are you taking your kids with you to look at it. If you do and the dog goes more or less straight to them you pretty much know that it will be ok with them.

TwinSetAndPearls · 13/09/2005 10:40

We have a springer with whom I have an on and off love hate relationship, but that is because my dp pampers him to the ridiculous, I have posted about him before.

But on a balanced view they are a lovely dog and ideal for with children as they seem amazingly tolerant, my dd climbs all over him, pulls his ears and he just takes it and comes back for more. Ours seems to be a people dog, he prefers our company to doggy company and is very loyal. When I was injured last year and as confined to my bed he sat guard over me the whole time. They don't like to be left on their own a lot which is another consideration if you are all at work every day.

They are not a dog to be taken on lightly as the are a lot of work, I think you could erect a giant hamster wheel in the back garden for them to run endlessly on and they still woudn't be tired. I think the recomended excercise is two hours a day, ours get hlaf an hour in the morning, I take him out for about forty five minutes in the afternoon an then depending on the weather he gets an hour to two in the evening. At the weekend we take him walking so he gets a good six hours or so. Springers will be hard work if they do not get this excercise, I think they also need neutering, a bone of contention between my dp and I as he wants to breed from ours.

They do slobber a lot especially when being exercised, only a minor point but it does turn my stomach when he turns quickly and I get covered. You need to factor in the costs of grooming, spingers do shed a lot of hair which ends up all over your house if grooming is not kept on top of.

As puppies they are very naughty, I thought it was just ours but have asked other Springer owners, we seem to be living in a Springer haven here, and they are very destructive especially when left on their own. Ours damaged walls, wrecked dp soft furnishings and even buried the kettle in the back garden on regular occasions.

THey are hard work, I am not saying this to put you off but just so you know what you are taking on. I had our Springer thrust on me and I didn't know what I was taking on which has been difficult. But he is lovely, a funny sense of humour and almost human like and my dd adores him and he seems to bring out the best in her.

TwinSetAndPearls · 13/09/2005 10:41

A last point, the do need training. I think they are quite easy to train and take to it quite well, but an untrained Springer is a nightmare!

milesysgirl · 13/09/2005 18:58

hi for anyone whos intrested we have just arrived home with rex and he is lovely so affectionate he adores ds ,just trying to get him used to the cats they are petrified at the moment !!! hope it doesnt take to long for them to get to no each other!!

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milesysgirl · 13/09/2005 22:34

me again how the hell do i get him and my cats to like each other?????

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Passionflower · 13/09/2005 23:43

Am watching this with intense interest as I am thinking about getting a puppy, either a KC Spaniel or a springer (if I'm feeling brave)and have two gorgeous but precocious tonkinese cats who aren't going to like it one little bit!

TwinSetAndPearls · 13/09/2005 23:57

WE have a cat as well as our Springer, the dog adores the cat and tries to follow it everywhere although he can be a bit nervous of her at times as like most cats she is a tad unpredictable.

The cat seems ammused and irratated by the dog and she knows he is nervous of her. She will eat his food in front of him and he is too scared to do anything. Every now and again she hisses at him to keep him in line, but it is all good natured and they often sleep together in the afternoon.

AS I said before Springer's are people dogs and they do get jealous so I think it would be important not to favour the cat over the dog and to share your affection equally. I am not sure a cat can be trained to like a dog though.

TwinSetAndPearls · 14/09/2005 00:01

Our Springer once growled at the cat making her run away and he was so chuffed, was swaggering about as if to say i am the man. he even dared to sit in her favourite chair in front of the window for a sleep.

The cat skulked in the garden for a while before creeping up on the dog and giving the loudest hiss I have ever heard. Our dog must have jumped a mile in the air before hiding in the utility room for well over an hour - we had to coax him out with a pigs ear! He has never growled at the cat again!

milesysgirl · 14/09/2005 08:46

hi every one had a good night he just slept in the front room by him self not 1 bark or whine really pleased we are getting really close to him now ,have got him a vets appointment later just for a health check ,have noticed his front 2 legs are slightly bowed is this normal or something to be worried about ....i hope not.

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milesysgirl · 14/09/2005 08:48

as for the cats 1 slept out last nite the other 2 were under my bed ,the thing is when he sees them he runs towards them ,wanting to play. i think they think hes gonna kill them!!

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curvybebe · 14/09/2005 19:56

I paid Rex a visit today he is lovely... Does he smell better after his bath?? xxx

milesysgirl · 14/09/2005 20:01

hi mate yeah he smells and looks a lot better now chased cats round house earlier so still a bit worried about that. i suppose i just need to give them all time to settle in....[fingers crossed!!!]

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ebbie22 · 14/09/2005 20:07

Glad you finally got ur dogxx