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Springing is in Their Genes
Before they spring, they have to locate the game, and they do this using their excellent noses and hunting ability. From the time of being small pups, they are searching with their noses. As the pup develops, it is important not to dampen this trait that they have and to let them wander off and seek. Their loyalty will bring them back. Their excellent noses mean that they are widely used by armed forces and police forces as sniffer dogs. They just love sniffing around!
They Love to Retrieve
Because they love to retrieve, they are always returning with sticks - a swim in the river or sea will rarely see them returning without something in their jaws, ready for a throw and a fetch and barking for action. They are always active, ready and willing to hunt and fetch. With a little preparation, this can lead to a lot of fun for dog and owner alike.
Provided they have been trained by an enthusiastic owner who can inject some excitement into the command 'fetch' then treasure hunts using old socks or gloves will give them hours of fun. When you go walking, take a couple of these 'dummies' with you. As you walk, hide them in bushes or under behind trees. As you return, then send your springer ahead with command 'fetch', and watch him go seeking the dummies.
Intelligent
Although some of the things they do might seem crazy, they are very intelligent and sensitive to mood and moment and will get infected by family fun and laughter. I have a picture of one of my daughters at the age of 3, sitting in the dog basket and sharing a tub of dairy cream with Jasper, an English Springer. Both of them were plastered with the double cream.
They Love Water and Mud
They are water lovers and mud lovers, as befits hunting dogs. It can be very annoying at times when they find a patch of muck and come back pleased with themselves having rolled in it. But on reflection it does make you laugh, simply because to them it is such fun. I can remember recalling one of my dogs late one summer evening - he was swimming in the harbour on the last of the outgoing tide - he came back running through the harbour mud. Moments like this seem trivial, and yet they stick in my mind as very happy memories of fun loving dogs, even though I was very cross at the time!
So, yes, springer spaniels are great fun but you do have to be prepared for the muck and the cleaning up. Always wear old clothes when walking them, and keep a couple of blankets or an old tarp ready in your truck or car for the inevitable dirty dog or clean wet dog.
A search online will quickly turn up some great pictures of these dogs having fun. For me, they are the best all-round breed there is, combining a compact size with intelligence and loyalty, and of course, the infectious ability to have fun!
