Talk to me about Springer Spaniels please

[cameroonmama]

We have an opportunity to buy a one year old Springer, who has been trained by the local airline to be a sniffer dog and failed miserably. We currently have a 6 month old mongrel bitch and need/like to have another dog. We have loads of space outdoor, people at home all the time but 3 small dc 6,4,1. Please talk to me about their temperaments and suitability as a family pet.

Take it, take it, take it. Lovely temperament, intelligent, bit mad (though I suspect having been trained by airline he may have had that knocked out of him.

Wonderful family pets - ours is 14, came from a rescue home where rather than looking at the dogs, you tell them what you're after and they bring them out to you. I knew Max was for us when at the entrance to the door he ran in, jumped on my lap, and weed. Was love at first sight.

Poor little lamb can bearly get up off his hind legs now.

cameroon, don't want to sound mercenary but if you decide against it is there any chance we might be considered suitable?

We had one who had very aggressive tendencies and had to be pts after 7 years of failure to change it. A friend has one who is 5 who is also aggressive.

However on teh whole they make great family pets but have loads of energy.Ours used to go for hours walks on the moors each day and still have bags of energy.
Also an intelligent dog so need lots of stimulation (although yours might not be having failed sniffer dog thing!).

hercules, to be fair I think you can say any breed will sometimes have an agressive gene. My sister & her family bought a labrador (or was it a retriever)last year - precisely because it was a non-agressive breed. After several months, dog whisperers, trainers, vet appraisals it had to go back to the breeder because it was thought it would make a better working dog than family pet. And its father was one of those dogs that goes round hospitals/old peoples homes to be stroked.

cameroon, what was it trained to sniff? Don't suppose you have any cadavers lurking under your floorboards but you might be in trouble if your partner/DH enjoys an occasional spliff!

I agree 2sugars. If I had the energy I'd have another one quite happily.

They are very loyal, but completely mad! and hate being left alone

Thanks for your thoughts, my instincts scream 'take him', we can do energy and have loads of space for him to run, play with the ball and a friend for him to play with. Also I like the thought he may be quite well trained...

Actually I believe there are a few of them 2sugars, I would happily get one for you if you are willing to pay his plane ticket from Nairobi

ROFL laughing at the thought of the dog wheedling out any possible hidden stashes

Actually I don't know what he was sniffing out, probably bombs given that we are allegdly in a prime Al Quaeda stomping ground.

The alternatives are: Ridgeback pups, or good working stock black labs, 10 weeks old...

google 'it's a spring thing' (uk search)

website and forum.

Springers are great, wonderful with kids, very gentle but slightly mad and very energetic. Need a really good long walk every day to let off steam. Also great with other dogs.

Agree with everyone else - we have a 6 yr old male springer - he is gorgeous and playful and very good with the children. He requires ALOT of exercise, however over the last few months he has calmed down massively. Overall - if you have an outdoor, healthy lifestyle these dogs are great.

Ah.

I wonder if any UK airlines do the same thing, or how I'd find out about it ....