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The doghouse

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Original poster

Springer spaniel pup? -advice please

30 replies

vigglewiggle · 07/09/2012 09:13

we were considering getting a dog now that bouth our DD's will be at school full time and I will have loads of time on my hands .

We were planning to do the sensible thing and do lots of research etc, but I have been made aware of 2 bitches for sale. They are the last two from a litter of working dogs.

They are Kennel Club registered and have been legally docked and dew clawed. They are microchipped and have a vets certificate for all of this. They are 11 weeks old.

We are tempted to go for it, but any advice you can offer would be welcome.

OP posts:

Nigglenaggle · 07/09/2012 12:18

They are lovely and generally good with kids but will need an INSANE amount of exercise to keep them calm. If you have at least 2hrs every day for walks or want to join dog agility or similar (or work them) then go for it :)

YouveCatToBeKittenMe · 07/09/2012 13:27

I have a springer. He is lovely. I say go for it but they can be a bit mad. Mine prefers gun dog and working trials to agility, he knocks all the jumps over in agility, I think he thinks that is the point of it, like skittles

He is my second springer and they have both been very affectionate, cuddly dogs but very chewy (lego and batman are particularly tasty it would seem) so don't leave any precious children's toys around!

Your puppy is likely to be lively and wanting to work as she is from working lines. It is great fun to do gundog stuff with them, you don't have to compete or anything but it's fabulous watching them doing what they were bred for.

dottygamekeeper · 07/09/2012 13:38

We have a springer (now aged 7) - most affectionate and gentle dog I have ever had (but as I am comparing to Jack Russells in the past that may not mean anything)! She was very lively as a pup, but great fun - we use her as a working gun dog, but she also loves to retrieve balls (frowned upon really for working dogs) and anything else she can find - this includes eggs from our hen house, baby hares, rabbits and rats (all delivered unharmed), socks etc. She has been great fun growing up with our two children but yes - needs lots of exercise (throwing a ball is great for this in addition to long walks) and likes lots of attention. She was easy to train in terms of housetraining, lead, sit etc, and started retrieving eggs etc by herself before we had even thought she was ready for proper retrieving training. I have had dogs nearly all my life and she has been a star - is now very calm. She is also very communicative, more so than any other dog we have had - I am not sure whether that is her breed, her nature or just the fact that as I work from home I spend so much time with her. The children adore her - it is the only way to get my teenage DD to go for a walk.

Original poster

vigglewiggle · 07/09/2012 19:08

Thank you all. I've decided not to rush into such an important decision. I had my heart set on a Cocker spaniel, but I do love springers. I think the smaller size of the cocker would suit us more though. I think we need more time to mull it over and get properly prepared rather than rush into something we may regret.

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Nigglenaggle · 07/09/2012 19:49

Cockers are calmer but some of them can be a bit snappy/grumpy

Original poster

vigglewiggle · 07/09/2012 20:00

The springer breeder I spoke to told me this. My SIL has one, as does a good friend of mine and they seem ok (not a large-scale study, granted). I have a 4 year old and a very slight 6 year old and I just think they would cope better with the size of a Cocker.

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Nigglenaggle · 07/09/2012 20:30

If you want a dog that size how about a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel. Much more reliable temperament. But you need good medical insurance for them!

ThunderboltKid · 07/09/2012 20:32

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Original poster

vigglewiggle · 07/09/2012 20:40

Damn you!

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ChickensHaveNoEyebrows · 07/09/2012 20:41

I have a 3/4 cocker/ springer cross....He's awesome.

longjane · 07/09/2012 22:02

cockers needs loads of exercise and can bark loads and loads and loads

Original poster

vigglewiggle · 07/09/2012 22:11

I know about the exercise - not a problem - my DH has more energy than the springiest spaniel and he likes early morning walks. I can do the rest. The barking issue is something I hadn't heard before. Do you have a cocker longjane?

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SuperSlattern · 08/09/2012 09:33

Aww I remember Sam as a pup

Springers do make good family dogs if you are prepared for the commitment of training and walking.

They do have a good temperament with children. Sam loves DD (DD is 1, Sam is 3) and he loves to lick her toes, which makes her squeal . I think they will be inseparable when DD is older.

The only thing for me is he can get excitable and a bit boisterous. But your children are older and I wouldn't see a problem with that.

I've never heard about the barking issue, however I have heard about the grumpiness in cockers before.

Cavaliers can be barkers too. My SIL's doesn't stop.

Try the Gundog club website, they will have good breed information on there

RedBeret · 08/09/2012 11:09

I have had springers all my life. Love them to pieces. Always got 2 on the go. Great family dogs. Yes, they are completely bonkers and can pull like mad on the lead, but the rewards you get in return outweighs everything.
I just adore them. Wouldn't have any other breed.

iloverhubarb · 08/09/2012 12:42

Springer owner here. I think you are being very sensible. Take your time to get the right dog, and yes cockers are smaller and in my experience can do with a little less exercise. They are both lovely dogs with kids - I think the 'cocker rage' syndrome has been bred out now, tho I am no expert on that.

Anyway our Lola springer could happily enjoy two hours walking every day. And more. And she was a NIGHTMARE as a puppy. I think this is normal, so if you do not have experience of dogs and especially puppies, please spend abit of time with someone else who has just got a puppy to see the reality. I spent alot of time nearly weeping with frustration in the first four weeks as she tore the house apart and my 12yo DD lived in wellies, as this tiny little flurry nipped us on the ankles ALL THE TIME. Past puppy stage however, she is fab and a much loved member of the family.

That's my pennyworth. Good luck!

SrirachaGirl · 08/09/2012 13:46

We have a six-month old Springer (see profile). She's crazy and needs a lot of exercise and stimulation but once she's had a good off- leash run (she must have one every day) she's fantastically mellow and a wonderfully loyal and affectionate girl. We have some great trails near our house and Lucy loves romping around in the woods with me and retrieving her faux-quail. I hope to be able to take her running with me when she's a bit older. They are very clever and obsessed with food so you need to be on your toes in the kitchen and when the children have snacks etc... I grew up with a cocker who was lovely too (much calmer than Our Springer but similarly greedy) although very grumpy with small kids...my Mum used to get really worried about her when we had small relatives visiting.

Original poster

vigglewiggle · 08/09/2012 19:56

Totally confused now! I remembered that our butcher has springers, so told DH to ask about cocker spaniel breeders when he picked up our sunday joint. It turns out our butcher has a cocker and springers. He recommends springers over comers every time. They also recommended a breeder who has a bitch for sale.

So if we decide on a springer - do we go for a bitch or a dog? And are there any other considerations?

Thank you all for your advice so far.

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Original poster

vigglewiggle · 08/09/2012 19:58

srirachagirl - love your photos!

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ThunderboltKid · 08/09/2012 20:28

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This has been withdrawn at poster's request

Original poster

vigglewiggle · 08/09/2012 20:35

I'm tending to look at work-type and the butcher's dog (so to speak) is a working springer.

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tuckingfits · 08/09/2012 23:02

We have a 6 month old working Springer. He is mental but adorable! I take him to training classes now that they have started up again locally,but as soon as we got him at 8weeks old I started clicker training him because I grew up with (& my parents still have,although different dogs now) English setters who didn't get the necessary time spent on them to do more than a basic sit command when they felt like it. It's important to me that my dog is obedient & reliably so...

He is amazingly clever. Picked up the basic training so much more quickly than I expected he would (maybe I'm just used to dozy disobedient setters - wonderful dogs but too big not be well trained imo). I have to confess that I don't spend enough time training him at home but I find it difficult to fit it in around my 19 month old son.

Harris gets a 60 - 90 minute walk every night including off lead time (recall is generally very good - another thing I'm not used to) unless it's Thursday in which case it's my night with him & we do training class & then I take him for a good two hour run over about 7km of beachy terrain. Thursday nights are the only time he is properly knackered. Fridays he rarely gets into trouble for theft of toddler toys/food stealing etc.

If he doesn't get a walk at night (doesn't happen anymore) he is a total terror the following day as he has too much energy & turns it to channelling evil thoughts on what naughtiness he can get up to!

I haven't regretted having a Springer although people always ask if we're mad,in my limited experience thus far he is a great dog provided he gets enough exercise. The mental stimulation for him of concentrating on training seems as tiring,if not more so,as a 90 minute run through the woods/an afternoon charging around with my parents' dogs. I should take my own advice here & fit in more training sessions with him...

He is very affectionate,although sometimes a bit boisterous with my son,but they will.grow up together to be best friends I'm sure. Which was my intention really.

Very long,but I hope it is of some use to you!

kid · 08/09/2012 23:18

I have a show type springer who is very affectionate and so chilled out. He loves children and dogs but not too keen on cats or squirrels! He is 2 now and the largest springer I have ever seen.

I used to have a working springer, cocker cross who was mental. He used to run backwards and forwards across the room using the sofa as a catapult to pick up speed. It was really funny to watch but a sign of just how much energy he had. Sadly he died when he was 7 months old so I don't know how big he would have got or if he'd have calmed down a bit once he reached 2 years old.

I think springers and cockers are adorable dogs.

tuckingfits · 08/09/2012 23:22

Oh yes,Harris has used the walls above the setters as catapults too when chasing the reflection of.a watch face across the ceiling! Only once though...

tuckingfits · 08/09/2012 23:23

Jesus! Settees not setters,although that too possibly.

ThunderboltKid · 09/09/2012 07:10

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