Springer Spaniel Info Please

[coreyjay]

Hiya

We are thinking of buying a Springer Spaniel Puppy (10 weeks old) but have never had this breed before so were wondering if anyone can give us any advice on temperment/training/good with kids etc. We have 4 small kids so it is very important to us that this breed gets along with kids.

Thanks in advance for any help or advice any of you can give us.

[Julia]

As far as I know they can be very energetic and they need plenty of exercise

[lauraspetportraits]

I have two springers and they are great but not for the faint hearted!! They are mental and needs lots and lots of exercise. As a general rule they get on fine with kids but the best thing to do would be to meet your puppy's parents and check how they get on with kids. They can be very OTT, you don't say how old your children are but if they are young a springer could quite easily knock one over in excitement.

They are meant to be fairly easy to train and i've not had other dogs so can't compare and mine were ok - but they still have cloth-ear moments and ignore me completely. It's also fairly common for them to get the scent of a rabbit or something and be in the next county before you know it!

They have long, fine hair which needs to be brushed at least once a week. They will trample mud through your house because even on the driest day they will find mud and/or water, and leave piles of dog hair everywhere.

Ok - those were the bad things! - but they are great. They always want to be with you, they are nosey and love to have cuddles and I would think as long as your children are taught to respect the dog and it's not nervy they will have great fun chasing each other about. I love mine beacuse of their full-of-life attitude but they are just too much for some people.

[MISS K]

busy busy busy busy busy, hubbub ha ha thats a springer, as laurapetprtraits has said you havent said how old your children are, if your house is a madhouse already be prepared for it to double.

Sadly i lost my springer 8 months ago, i miss the hubbub, we got jake at 5 weeks when teen miss k was nearly 9, this was a good age, as she was able to have some control, but as the last post said the wiff of a rabbit and thats it, then you have to try get them off the rabbit (manys a good hike would be spoilt by the wait for jake to devour the rabbit)
I then had weany miss k 2 years ago, before her birth it had to be all planned around jakes excersise.....prams that would cope with woodland ( i have gone through 4 prams), backpacks for hill climbing, they need excersise not trips round the block, good hikes, jake climbed Ben nevis when he was 2 and still had bags of energy for the beach afterwards

Also childrens toys, jake would eat anything, most of weany miss ks toys were chewed to bits, we would have to be super vigilant on small pieces so he wouldnt swallow them, this could turn into a battle, child wants toys, dog wants to eat them....nightmare.

They are a super breed and as i say i miss him and the hype dreadfully, but again not everyones cup of tea ,when my relatives come to visit i can see..... not that they would say of course...but i know they prefer my big hunk of a lab now and not the ambush they used to get, and then have to entertain him for the whole visit.

If you love walking, hill climbing, country life then the springer is for you.

If you are houseproud, not fussed about walking, have no patience then another breed may be for you, i wish you well and hope when you do decide on what breed suits you, you have years of fun.

[Dadie]

they are very affectionate and loyal and soft dogs (as all we have ever had before getting Poppy our lab has been springers) but they need loads of exercise and dont calm down until they are oaps in the doggie lifespan ie about 8-10 years old but they are great with kids and will let them do anything to them but most of them seem to lack in the brain department ie if they had an extra brain cell it would be lonely!
they love water (the dirtier the better) and rolling in things (the smellier the better) and they are prone to getting things stuck in their hair (backs of legs, belly and ears)
They can smell out a chocolate button at 50 feet and will do anything for food but if out and they find a good scent no matter how much you shout you wont get them back until they are ready (selective hearing) but i would definately recommend springers as a family pet as they are very loving and loyal dogs and will love to share all the family life with you (even your couch and bed if you are not careful)

[neepnipper]

I have 3 springers, agree with everything that's been said.

They are hyper, loving, nosey, will steal socks, pants and anything else they can find (particularly good at stealthily pinching stuff from the washing machine whilst you'te trying to load it up!). Love ball games, very bouncy. will run all day and still be ready for more!

If there's mud or water they are in it, watch out for matted ears and matts on legs, tums, bums and belly!

Can get waxy ears so check them.

Very food orientated

Best dogs ever in my opinion, but would say not for little kids as too bouncy.

As long as you've loads of energy and time for training and are not too house proud you'll be fine!