How to Identify an English Springer Spaniel

The English Springer Spaniel is a breed that is eager to please. It is a friendly dog that learns fast and is very willing to obey. These traits are important in the field. With its style and enthusiasm, the dog can easily keep going under all hunting conditions—helped along by his medium-sized, powerful body. This breed should not be excessively timid and should not show aggression toward other people and dogs. English Springers love their family, and will generally stay close to their owner. Even though they make great house pets, their sporting background requires owners to provide lots of daily exercise. They also need grooming every day to keep mats from forming in their coats.

Instructions

    • 1

      Look at the general appearance of the animal. The English Springer Spaniel is a medium-sized breed with a compact body. Its overall look suggests lots of power, endurance and agility. Its hallmarks are style, balance and enthusiasm. The dog should have proper leg length, and the sound gait must be well-balanced.

    • 2

      Make sure the structure shows the endurance that gives this breed its agility, speed and resilience. Males should be 20" at the shoulders and females should be 19". Males weight about 50 lbs. and females weigh about 40 lbs. The body is a tad longer than the height at the shoulders, as measured from the point of the shoulder to the point of the buttocks. If the dog is too short in length, the balance is ruined and the gait will lack power and agility.

    • 3

      Look at the impressive head. It should not be too heavy, but should show strength and refinement and be in balance with the rest of the body. The eyes give this breed its kindly and trusting appearance. Their color should match the coat—dark hazel in the liver-and-white dogs, and black (sometimes deep brown) in black-and-white dogs. The eyes should not be too small, round or protruding. The ears are long and hang close to the cheeks. The ear leather is quite thin and, when pulled forward along the snout, reaches the tip of the nose. The nose is either liver or black, depending on the color of the coat, and is always fully pigmented.

    • 4

      Make sure the moderately long neck is muscular and slightly arched at the crest, and blends smoothly into the shoulders. The chest is deep and reaches the elbows, but is not too wide or round. The hips should be rounded and blended smoothly into the rear legs. The front legs are straight and are the same size all the way to the foot. The bone, while strong, should not be too round or heavy. The front feet are round or even a bit oval, but must be compact, well-arched and medium-sized, with thick pads and heavy feathering between the toes. The hindquarter setup suggests the Springer’s strength and power. The broad thighs are muscular. The rear feet are the same as the front feet, except a bit smaller. They may look more compact than the front feet.

    • 5

      Feel the medium-length outer coat. It may be flat or wavy. The undercoat is short, soft and dense. Denseness depends on the climate and season. The combination of the coats serves to make this breed weatherproof and waterproof. There are many combinations of colors seen in the English Springer Spaniel. including black or liver with white markings, blue or liver roan and black-and-white or liver-and-white with tan markings. While predominantly white with black or liver markings is also acceptable, this breed should never have a lemon, red or orange coat.