English Springer Spaniel is a hunting breed originating in England, known for its affectionate and intelligent personality. Distinctive features of the breed include their long, lobular, drooping ears and expressive almond-shaped eyes. Of all the English Land Spaniels, they are the slenderest and have the longest limbs.
General details
Dogs of the breed are medium-sized and strongly built. Males weigh around 23 kilograms, while females weigh around 18 kilograms. The height of males is approximately 51 centimeters, and females are about 48 centimeters. The life expectancy of this breed is 12 to 14 years. They belong to Group 8 of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI), which includes retrievers, hunting hounds and water dogs.
Breed history in brief
The English Springer Spaniel originated in England, where it was bred to detect game birds, flush them out of hiding, and then target and retrieve the downed bird. They were usually used to hunt hawks or sighthounds. The first records of dogs similar to this type date back to the early 17th century. As time went by, English Springer Spaniels became famous throughout Great Britain and Europe, and were exported to other countries such as the United States and Canada.
Today, the breed is still a highly respected and valued hunting dog, although they are also popular pets and working dogs in other fields, such as search and rescue or detection of drugs and explosives.
Breed characteristics
The English Springer Spaniel is a symmetrical and compact looking dog, with a slightly arched topline and a deep chest. Its eyes are almond-shaped, with a lively expression and a dark hazel color, while its ears are lobed, long, wide and drooping.
The coat is smooth, dense and resistant to inclement weather. The ears, limbs and body are adorned with moderately long bangs. The coloring may be liver and white, black and white, or either of these two patterns combined with tan markings.
The breed is known for its friendly, cheerful and affectionate character. They are intelligent and easy to train, and also have a moderate energy level and require regular exercise to stay healthy and happy. They are able to adapt to different environments, from apartments to rural farms. English Springer Spaniels are known for their social nature and establish a good relationship with children and other pets, especially if properly socialized from an early age.
Common health problems
The English Springer Spaniel, with optimal care and attention, can enjoy a long healthy life, although it is predisposed to certain health problems. Among the most common diseases or disorders are corneal dystrophy, cataracts, diabetes mellitus, ectropion and entropion, hip dysplasia, immune-mediated hemolytic anemia, lysosomal storage disorders, myasthenia gravis, phosphofructokinase deficiency, progressive retinal atrophy and retinal dysplasia.
In addition to the above disorders, the OFA (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals) Canine Health Information Center (CHIC) recommends a cardiac and ocular screening examination and testing to assess the following diseases: elbow dysplasia, fucosidosis and autoimmune thyroiditis.
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