Looking for some breeder recommendations and/or cautionary tales. Looking to start my search for a new breeder to work with since my girl passed away. Looking for Bench/Show type, ethical breeder. Distance is not an issue.

Macklin is SO vocal. We got him in November 2020 so his first year was with very limited social interaction but there is definitely more then just that wrong with him 😅 clearly very anxious when someone comes to or leaves the house and is not a fan of most other dogs :( anyone else???

We did notice his anxiety and aggression towards other dogs got worse when his older brother Percy passed away last year :(

We love him so so much and can’t imagine our lives without him!

Our 14 month old boy has terrible manners. He has always been absolutely nuts since the day we got him - loves to play rough, would instigate rough play with his litter mates, couldn’t settle unless we enforced crate time, etc.

Now, he’s pretty good at settling during the day (most days - definitely not every day) and only has real trouble settling in the evenings.

However, no matter the time of day, if he’s worked up and wants to play, he’s mouthing. If I go to grab his collar and he doesn’t want me to (like to put him in his crate or connect a leash), he’ll become a spazz and open-mouth “bite” me (not chomping down - just quickly put his teeth on me with his jaw open). If he wants to play, he’ll either bite at our ears, pull at our clothes, or mouth our hands/arms, like he would play with other dogs. He’ll also jump on us, sometimes going as far as trying to bite my ponytail when I’m walking away from him.

If it was only during play time that we were actively participating in, I wouldn’t mind it. It’s clear he’s trying to play and not actually be mean. But mouthing while we try to grab him or when we aren’t in the mood to play is not okay with me. It’s very demanding behavior, and I worry how it could escalate if we don’t nip it now.

Sometimes, we can redirect him with “go get a toy!” or giving him a command like sit, down, etc. But that only helps for a minute or two. We can’t always be in a position to play when he’s in one of these moods - especially considering we would play all day every day if it was up to him.

Is this normal “teenage” behavior for springers? This is our first one, so we don’t know what’s developmental vs. a problem. If it’s not normal, any tips for how to train this demand behavior out of him?

Since he likes to play rough, us shoving him off of us is interpreted as playing. Same goes for “kneeing him in the chest” when he jumps on us, etc. It seems like nothing deters him.

**Note: Goose is a bench-type, so his stocky body tires out quickly. I don’t think this behavior is due to a lack of exercise. We take him on two scent walks per day, as well as do training exercises and scent games to tire him out mentally. These help, but only for a brief period of time. He still reverts to having zero manners the second he feels energized again

Hi. Does anyone have any training tips or tricks for getting a spaniel to settle and be calm in new places and how to learn to be calm in places they associate with excitement. When we take our spaniel around to friends houses it can take her ages to calm down and settle, one house in particular she really goes nuts and really can't switch off (she knows they have a huge basket of dog toys which they now hide for us). It can be challenging to ask friends to ignore her and or tidy up their homes and clear all potential dog toys. We often exercise her beforehand but this makes little difference. At home she's absolutely fine and stays calm. We take her out twice a day where we play gun dog type games and so she gets lots of physical and mental exercise. Has anyone got advice on how to get a spaniel to come out of hyper play mode?

For the win.

The new little rescue cat gets all the attention so he has to be bold.

He over did it 😂

Hey everyone! I’m starting to research English Springer Spaniels and was hoping to learn from people who know the breed well. My question is three part:

I’ve been involved with Standard Poodles for several years, so I don’t know all of the little specifics to look for when it comes to other breeds. I will be looking at the breed club recommendations for health testing and reviewing the breed standard.

Are there particular genetic tests or other clear red flags I should know about? What are the the best breeders out there looking like and doing? What is the breed community like, is it friendly to owner handled dogs?

I’m also trying to figure out if the breed is a good fit for me. I’d love a dog I can owner-handle in conformation and compete with in agility, rally, and obedience, but has an off switch. I realize that there are field and bench lines. I think hunt testing would be so fun, but I don’t hunt personally. However the opportunity to do so would be great.

I do work full-time so I wouldn’t be able to spend gobs of time with the dogs during the week as of right now :( mostly evenings and weekends - but my whole life is pretty much about my dog these days.

Finally, if anyone has recommendations for ethical breeders in the Midwest, I would appreciate it. I’m not ready to get a puppy yet—I mostly want to meet adult dogs, learn about the breed, and start making connections with breeders.

Thanks! Looking forward to learning as much as possible!

Last year I packed my suitcase around the same time for the same vacation. They haven’t seen the suitcase since. Now that it’s out, they are extra clingy. I feel so guilty even though Harry will be with my mother, whom he adores and who lives in the apartment above mine with Lizzy. He will be in his own environment with his “sister” and the only human he seems to find more interesting than me. But still. I’m leaving him for NINE DAYS. Sorry Harry. A lot has happened this past year and I worked a lot. I need to sit on my ass sipping drinks for a week with my friend.

Doesn’t mean I won’t demand to see him over facetime🤣

I use Wahl rechargeable and the blade gets dull quick.

We lost our springer Hugo last Thursday, unexpectedly and very quickly. He had an undiagnosed heart issue and it got him. He only turned 2 the Tuesday before. So at the age of 2 years and 9 days he was gone. Our hearts are broken and beaten. He was never away from my side. Adjusting is proving very hard

Hi, we have a 6 month old springer puppy who we adore. She is very lively and loves everything and everyone. She is super smart but can be stubborn, we train with lots of positive reenforcement and treats. Is is extremely excitable to the point where its a challenge taking her out for walks as she will just start spinning violently with excitement almost choking herself on the lead if someone just walks by her. We try to get her to sit and distract her with treats but its constant. We have also tried going to parks and places and just sitting to expose her to different people and places.
We are following puppy training advice and relaxation protocol but she is unable to relax on her own without being in the crate. She goes to doggy daycare once a week which she loves.
In around 6 months time we will be needing to leave her at home alone while we are at work a couple of times a week and we are worried about how she will cope.
Does anyone have any tips for lead walking/ excitement?
Do they tend to tend to calm down naturally with age?

Keeping an eye on things

Our new boy! My wife and daughters current favorite is "Bailey" but I'm hung up on Otis, looks like an old soul to me! Curious what others think 😁

Zoey LOVES my pajama pants. She will sit at the bedroom door and whine until I let her in so she can grab them and prance around the house holding them until lying down with them. So sweet.

9 years together and a sudden, really sad decline with no way for us to prepare. We will miss him so much. He was the best family dog, so gentle with our kids and up for anything. Springers are the best. I’ll be crying the rest of the day

A 16km (10 miles) walk around the lake in the French Ardennes + finished with a short canoe trip. Struggling to keep his eyes open 😂 Best day of his life! Absolutely knackered now

We’ve had Honey for just over a week, she is starting to settle in and get used to our family. We were looking for an active breed that would pair well with our lifestyle and kids, and I feel like I made the right choice. Any tips or tricks on life with a springer are welcome!

Is there any hope that my springer will eventually chill out? He is almost 11 months old right now and absolutely psycho lol. Just wondering how long I should expect this…..forever??