English Springer Spaniel

AKC Group: Sporting

Club: English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association, Inc.

Corresponding Secretary : Mary Parszewski
Address: E 9538 Kanaman Rd., New London, WI , 54961
Website: www.essfta.org
Email: mparszew@athenet.net
Club Type: Specialty

General Apperance:

The English Springer Spaniel is a medium-sized sporting dog, with a compact body and a docked tail. His coat is moderately long, with feathering on his legs, ears, chest and brisket. His pendulous ears, soft gentle expression, sturdy build and friendly wagging tail proclaim him unmistakably a member of the ancient family of Spaniels. He is above all a well-proportioned dog, free from exaggeration, nicely balanced in every part. His carriage is proud and upstanding, body deep, legs strong and muscular, with enough length to carry him with ease. Taken as a whole, the English Springer Spaniel suggests power, endurance and agility. He looks the part of a dog that can go, and keep going, under difficult hunting conditions. At his best, he is endowed with style, symmetry, balance and enthusiasm, and is every inch a sporting dog of distinct spaniel character, combining beauty and utility.

Size:

The Springer is built to cover rough ground with agility and reasonable speed. His structure suggests the capacity for endurance. He is to be kept to medium size. Ideal height at the shoulder for dogs is 20 inches; for bitches, it is 19 inches. Those more than one inch under or over the breed ideal are to be faulted. A 20 inch dog, well-proportioned and in good condition, will weigh approximately 50 pounds; a 19 inch bitch will weigh approximately 40 pounds. The length of the body (measured from point of shoulder to point of buttocks) is slightly greater than the height at the withers. The dog too long in body, especially when long in the loin, tires easily and lacks the compact outline characteristic of the breed. A dog too short in body for the length of his legs, a condition which destroys balance and restricts gait, is equally undesirable. A Springer with correct substance appears well-knit and sturdy with good bone, however, he is never coarse or ponderous.

Coat:

The Springer has an outer coat and an undercoat. On the body, the outer coat is of medium length, flat or wavy, and is easily distinguishable from the undercoat, which is short, soft and dense. The quantity of undercoat is affected by climate and season. When in combination, outer coat and undercoat serve to make the dog substantially waterproof, weatherproof and thornproof. On ears, chest, legs and belly the Springer is nicely furnished with a fringe of feathering of moderate length and heaviness. On the head, front of the forelegs, and below the hock joints on the front of the hind legs, the hair is short and fine. The coat has the clean, glossy, "live" appearance indicative of good health. It is legitimate to trim about the head, ears, neck and feet, to remove dead undercoat, and to thin and shorten excess feathering as required to enhance a smart, functional appearance. The tail may be trimmed, or well fringed with wavy feathering. Above all, the appearance should be natural. Overtrimming, especially the body coat, or any chopped, barbered or artificial effect is to be penalized in the show ring, as is excessive feathering that destroys the clean outline desirable in a sporting dog. Correct quality and condition of coat is to take precedence over quantity of coat.

Temperament:

The typical Springer is friendly, eager to please, quick to learn and willing to obey.

History:

The name "springing spaniel" included in one classification the ancestral stock from which many of our present-day land spaniels emanated. In the 1880's, Springers and Cockers were often born in the same litters, size alone being the distinguishing factor. In 1880, the American Spaniel Club was founded, and anything over 28 pounds was classified as a Springer. In 1902, the Kennel Club (England) finally granted Springers and Cocker separate breed status. Though several individuals in America pursued hunting with Springers, it was not until 1924 that the English Springer Spaniel Field Trial Association was formed, eventually becoming the parent club of the breed.

The breed's AKC standard, formed in 1927 and revised in 1932, was made as nearly as possible to foster the natural ability of the Springer as a hunting dog. Unquestionably, the present standard has helped to make the Springer much more uniform as a breed, and as a result the dogs as individuals have become much more uniform at bench shows and field trials. They are admittedly great sporting dogs whose one purpose is to hunt and find game, but the inherent elegance and economy of movement is unmistakable.