English Springer Spaniel
There are two distinct types of English Springer Spaniel: the field dog and the show (conformation)
dog. If you ask two breeders, a breeder of show dogs and a breeder of field
dogs, which is the better dog, you will probably get very different
explanations with one common denominator – their type of dog is the best. The
funny thing is that everybody thinks their dog is the best.
At Kirby Mountain Sporting Dogs,
we raise the field type dog, and I will explain why. As with the four other
breeds of dogs raised at Kirby Mountain Sporting Dogs, our motto is that we
breed our dogs for the health and trainability of the offspring. What this
means is that our main concern is not the look of the dog, though we
know that the look of a dog can be important.
The separation of the field and
show Springer is not something that happened yesterday. The separation occurred
about seventy years ago.
Physical
Attributes/Health
The field Springer is shorter and longer than the show dog.
The female reaches a height of 19”, and the male reaches a height of 20”. The
female weighs approximately 35 lbs. as an adult, and the male weighs
approximately 50 lbs. as an adult. The field Springer has a shorter coat than
the show Springer.
The Springer
breed is not a dog free of health
problems. The two major health issues with the breed are hip dysplasia and
P.R.A. (Progressive Retinal Atrophy). One of the major diseases found in the
show dog exclusively is Springer Rage.
This is a condition where middle to older age males will bite for little or no
reason. This is not a problem in the field Springer.
Temperament/Trainability
The field Springer is a great choice of dog for many
reasons. It is a very happy, eager to please, and trainable, medium sized dog.
It loves people, enjoys playing with children, and can be a part time hunter
with very little training.
However, with continued
training, this dog could be a bird hunting phenom.
The Springer is a flushing dog. What this means is the dog quarters (hunts back
and forth in front of you) and, when it approaches game, it flushes or pushes
up the bird to the sky. This dog hunts very close - usually
around 25 yards to the hunter. This trait is very appealing to many hunters who
like having their dogs close as the dog naturally wants to be near the
hunter.
Remember, even if you don’t want
to hunt, the Springer will. This does not mean they are going to run over the
mountain chasing wild animals, but they will flush the robins and squirrels in
your yard. They love to play ball and Frisbee, too! This dog loves the water
and swims very well.
All in all, this is a great
family dog that can do it all as a hunting dog and a companion/family dog.
Lines at Kirby Mountain Sporting Dogs
The line of the English Springer Spaniel at Kirby Mountain Sporting Dogs has come from the United Kingdom. The British have been raising these dogs for hundreds of years. Some of the outstanding dogs in our lines are AFC Columbia’s Remington Flush, AFC Saxon’s Shot, FC AFC CFC CNFC Windmillwood Storm, EFC Rytex Rocky of Bellever, FC AFC Halaze Dunnock of Saradynpark, EFC Badgercourt Moss, and EFC Windmillwood Superskeet.
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Updated 7/15/03 |
goldy©2003 |