I have never had one, but OH has 2 labs who both looove swimming and he was considering having a companion with them. He was thinking an ESS as they  like similar things ie, tennis balls and retrieving things, but the question is......... do they like water????

Mine did :D Couldn't keep her out of it ;) There are plenty books on Springers that you could do research on before considering getting one. They can be very hyper. Please do more research before getting one. The worst thing you could do is to get one when you are unprepared for it.

I can't keep my springer out of water - whether that's puddles, cattle troughs, streams, rivers, canals, etc....

It might be a good idea to do a good bit of reading about spaniels if thinking of getting one as they like to do a little more than chase tennis balls  -  LindyLou is right.

In my experience there is an awful lot of difference between having two dogs and three, something else to be taken into consideration perhaps.

i agree with lindylou, research the ess throughly, i own a sprocker (essxecs) he isnt as hyper as my previous ess but he isnt much off it :) i also have 4 labs (2 are xlabs) and jack (my sprocker) runs 10 miles before the labs have done 1 :D and water do they like it? i spend half the time mopping up after jack, i did have someone say to me last year that i was cruel for making my dogs swim when it was cold, to which i said 'it is impossible to keep them out of it and if they thought it was too cold they wouldnt get in, being gundogs they have double coats and even though they appear wet they are warm and dry underneath' i got back 'hmm i suppose' and he then walked off :D

good luck in your research and searching

tanya

A working type ESS isn't for the faint hearted.  This was my family's first dog and he was noisy, bolshy, I wouldn't say hyper as he wasn't a nutter but he had GREAT stamina.  You could walk him for hours and he'd still come home not tired.   And they are quite long lived too - Louis lived until he was almost 15.    Munsters are a walk in the park compared to ESS's!   I believe the show type ones are a bit more sensible.

My friend's show Springers were certainly pretty lively, I don't think I could cope with them, let alone a working type!! Stick with my Cavs and my Yankee, me!! :-D

Same here, can't keep him out of it - my pond is fenced in now :D

Second what LindyLou says - do the research.  My pup is only 7 months, and I'm his third home - the first was a woman with 7 kids who 'couldn't cope' (she didn't train him at all, and judging by his soft pads and terrible leash habits, didn't walk him much) - the second gave up after 3 days.  A lot of dog but worth it if you've got the energy :D

Just to echo ALL the other posts.  Our first girl was a rescue field trial type ESS.  Fortunately for us someone in her history had done a fabulous job of training her for obedience and hunting so despite her high energy she was easily controlled.  Maybe the fact that she was also very submissive helped.  Our current bench type Lab girl is also very submissive and easily controlled but there is a world of difference in the two.  Here's an example.  Car travel with the ESS demanded she sit in the back seat, away from us, because she was constantly on the alert leaping from side window to side window to see whatever was out there, especially if it was birds.  I don't think that dog ever once slept in the car.  Lab likes to watch the birds too but then snuggles up against us and goes to sleep.

I've met several people over the last few months who've had that slightly hollow-eyed look that comes from trying to tire out an ESS! All of them accompanied by a soaking wet spaniel that had been in and out of the river like a possessed thing! And at least one of these owners said, rather faintly "She's beautiful and we love her dearly but I wish I'd known quite how hyper they can be". So I can only second the need to do some careful research!

Thanks for all the replies, it looks as though a springer would enjoy water almost as much as the Labs!!

As for research, well that is what we are just beginning ;-) we are not in a rush to have one and the soonest it would be is 18 mth and probably more like 2 yrs, plenty of time to read up on them! a friend of mine had a BC x Springer and that was never remotely tired!!!

We already have had more than 3 dogs at one time, in fact OH was up to 11 at one point

The only thing we wanted to be sure of before doing anymore research was that it would be as mad on water as the Labs as that is a big part of their training and exercise. They get lots of walking and off lead country walks at that, i didn't mean to give the impression that all our dogs get is a bit of playing with tennis balls. ;-)

Thanks for all you input, perhaps we will start some more intense research now............ :D

Please pleaase do, research it for a long time, yesterday i picked up 5 young boys all under 2 from the pound and transported them to springer rescue. The most common reason for them to end up in rescue is people are surprised by just how much work they need, and there is a big difference between show and working, we had a show boy in not long since who we said had to be wound up with a key to get going compared to teh working strain we get through

ive already posted about researching but as an idea on how clever and energetic springers are, i collected Jack from the kennels on thursday we arrived back in norfolk at about 8.30pm so jack was very tired and bewildered although it isnt a long journey it took a while as i got stuck in traffic, friday morning however jack jumped over a 5ft iron railing fence, (he had to jump it clear as there is nothing that he can climb on,) he then went running up and down the lane looking for me, i spotted him luckily when i was out with wilf and mel the vizslas, so jack came out with me for an hour and half running and swimming, he then went into the kennel with the vizslas from which he escaped, so he was put into the cattery sick bay until i could sort something for him. when i had finished work he then had the run of my garden and had a quick training session, he went in and laid down but didnt settle. Saturday morning when i got up i let the dogs have the run of the garden, they were outside while i got ready for work, when i called the dogs in no jack, so i went running through the garden to bosses house ran in said jack gone, weve gone flying outside to find jack sat waiting by my car, saturday night jack thankfully stayed in the garden, sunday morning i saw how jack escaped so i was able to block the gap up, this morning however jack escaped again, so all in all jack has been in norfolk with me for 4 days and he has escaped everyday, this is inspite of having an hour and half of off-lead exercise, playtime in the garden with the other dogs and training sessions, so i would definitley say a springer isnt for the faint hearted

tanya

Yep thats springers don't you just love em

as much as he is being a little g*t at the moment i love him to bits and wouldnt change him for the world, hopefully he will soon realise that this is his new home and will stop trying to get back to essex :D

tanya

A friend of mine had to fully enclose his dog run so his springer didn't jump out :D

My munsters have never tried to jump out of the garden - a 3' fence would be so easy for them ;) Go through the fence, yes, but over it? No ;)

Of course if your OH is a lab lover and you want a springer too, why not think about working them in the job they were bred to do?  Contact your local gamekeeper!

Would love to be a fly on your wall Tanya.
Do you ever get any rest LOL
Lea :)

nope no rest for me :D yesturday morning whilst drinking my first cuppa i wasnt paying any attention to the dogs, when i got up i discovered that the 5 of them had chewed up the cusion for my lazy boy chair in the dining room fluff everrywhere, it was while i was clearing the cushion up that jack escaped, i swear it was just a diversion so he could get out, when i found him Bo (one of work dogs) wanted to come and play :) everytime he has got out he has made sure Bo knows so that she comes back with me :) so the 5 of them create a diversion so that jack can escape so that he can knock to see if Bo wants to play and then the 6 of them terrorise the cats and rabbits :D

tanya

I have a springer and four labs (all field trial dogs). All are active, hard-working dogs, however the springer has more drive, power and energy than the labs combined!

She works harder, faster and more bravely than the labs with a greater recovery rate. Meg (the springer) has a lovely temperament is devoted to me and is a great companion. I love the breed and would never want to be without one, however, I cannot envisage why anyone would want a working bred springer as a pet! If I didn't shoot / pick-up / beat and compete in field trials I really doubt I'd keep one.

No book or research can really prepare for their explosive intensity and drive. They're not all like that, but it's the way that the serious field triallers like them. Looking at Meg's five generation pedigree I would doubt that any of the dogs or bitches listed would ever have been pets.

Some of the field trial lines can be nervy and neurotic needing loads of encouragement and socialisation to be happy in a family lifestyle whereas others can be complete head-bangers! Meg is very willing to please, intelligent and cooperative, however she acts with such speed, drive and intensity that an inexperienced or inept handler would probably seriously struggle with her.

The working springer's biggest motivation is to hunt. As soon as mine is given the release command, she is in flat out hunting mode.  If this isn't put under control early, and robustly then problems are almost inevitable. I keep her hunting within about 15 yards of me as befitting a working spaniel. If I didn't she would happily be hunting into the next county!

I don't really bother with walks. I tend to give short, sharp hunting / training / retrieving sessions which give her a better workout in a much shorter time. These take the steam out of her more than a walk and most importantly exercise her mind.

For stamina building I tend to exercise her alongside a bike.

Meg loves water, although it should be borne in mind that their coats afford them less protection from really cold water than a proper labrador coat. Spaniel trials don't test extensively for water retrieves so their love of swimming for its own sake is less certain than for labradors.

If you really want a working type springer just as a pet, my advice would be not to follow the usual advice of seeking out a high profile successful breeder. Instead look for someone who keeps their springer as a pet / occasional worker who is striving to breed similar offspring. Get to know the bitch as much as you can to see if she is the kind of dog you could live with.

Hope that helps.....

Brilliant post Havoc.  Very well put and I totally agree with your advice.

I guess I will make another post too, in relation to escaping and working.  Our ESS was trained when we got her but very well.  Our yard is fenced with page wire with openings she could easily go through.  After her first attempt she was told not to and NEVER did again.  We had wide openings on either side of the house which she rarely breached.  We only installed gates to keep the neighbours' dogs out.  When visiting the relative with an unfenced yard it took only a couple of walks with me around the perimeter and Whisper knew where the boundaries were and stayed inside them.  I used to run around our small village at night with Whisper at heel and off leash, on the roads.  To attain this extreme level of obedience I think must have taken some awfully dedicated training, which was done before we got her by some previous owner.  But surely it does show the ESS's also extreme desire to please and ability to learn?

One of Whisper's very few breaches of our ungated yard came when the next door neighbours decided to get ducks and let them roam all over.  Just too much temptation for a hunting dog and over she went when I was not looking and brought back a duck one day.  The duck we returned, unhurt though displeased, and the neighbour was much impressed as his own big Lab was gun shy and would not hunt.  On another day a different neighbour's Siberian went over and killed all the ducks.

Whisper got walks and cross country skiis of one to two hours a day and countless hours loose in the yard.  If a ski or walk was 10 km long she must have done at least triple that distance as she hunted all the way.  The only thing I ever saw slow her down was heavy snow deeper than her back.  After a winter of trying to hunt through the snow while I skiied she was solid muscle and hard as a board when I petted her.

I'm not sure I could attain that level of training and obedience myself.  We were lucky someone else had done it.

Its simple why, people want a working Springer as a pet, they are fun! fun to be with, fun to train, fun to have around the house, fun to just lob a ball for all day. I have two working springers both predominantly as pets, i do some gun dog training with them ,and i am also looking to do agility with one of them next year. But best of all they are such characters.  i will never be without one they make my life so much more interesting and rewarding no longer do i come home and slob in front of the tv, no longer do i get bored on weekends.All my time is spent interacting with my dogs

>Its simple why, people want a working Springer as a pet, they are fun! fun to be with, fun to train, fun to have around the house, fun to just lob a ball for all day.

I wouldn't disagree. However, there are people who like their dogs to have some sort of "off" switch. :D

Its the same reason why people get collies really. I like my dogs to have lots of energy and bounce. But i do agree they are not for the faint hearted. THey have an awful lot of intelligence though, murphy has learnt almost as much as my collie has learnt in 4 years in just under 2! At training the other day we were trying to get out dogs to lay down on a blanket, pick up a knotted corner and roll over so that the blanket covered the dog. Murphy amazed us all by only taking 3 attempts before he got it, yet he had never been asked to do it before!
Mind you, when hes out on a walk its a different story, once he gets a scent its like hes never heard a recall whistle at all (infact its just like hes completely deaf!)

I wouldn't disagree. However, there are people who like their dogs to have some sort of "off" switch.

whats an off switch!!!!

The off switch is also known as being steady, something that given time and patience can be taught.

I have three springers, one works regularly, one occasionally, and the third will work next season, its remarked over and over again by other springer owners how calm they are, they're not calm, they're steady, I'm fortunate to have the time to spend many hours a day with them, stimulating them, training them and exercising them so they don't feel the need to run round like lunatics 24/7, people who take on a springer need to realise, as others in this thread  have already  pointed out, that springers need their brains worked as well as their bodies, and taught to be calm when needed, but then that applies to all breeds I would think :)

Sorry Robert....Munsters are perfect!  ;)

How true Robert!  People often remark that my springer isn't hyper like theirs!  He's just well trained and can certainly be hyper if allowed to get that way.

I didn't actually say mine were hyper, they get a proper work out daily  i include in that exercise and mental work, ie training, one of mine does gun dog training and is looking to start agility in the new year, unfortunately the other one is not in a position to, because someone who didn't know what a springer needed had her before me and along with shutting her up, probably beat her for being a springer.so i think for now i will just work on getting her straight. Sorry if i come across as abrupt but i help out in springer rescue and this week alone 7 springers have been saved from death row, with another 2 just been handed in. I probably paint them as worse than what they are because i am fed up of them ending up in homes that don't know what to expect or what they need

I don't think you came across as abrupt at all, lizzy. Instead you posted a realistic picture of what people need to consider before getting a springer. They're a lovely breed but not for everyone and I'm very sad to hear of so many needing to be rescued because their owners hadn't been able to cope with the particular needs of a springer.

i have been told by someone that they think a springer is an ideal dog for a first time owner, as i and others have said they are not for first time owners nor are they for those who want a dog to be a 'fair weather dog' , springers need stimulation,both for the mind and body, and they are dogs that thrive on routine it certainly make jack feel secure, (i think this is main reason i am having problems with his escaping at the moment) im fortunate enough that i now live 'on-site' at work. Jack when alone is a steady dog but when out with the labs always has to keep ahead of them, Jack does the occasional bit of sniffer work and im hoping to do some agility with him, i was looking to doing a bit of field work with him too, but he is scared of loud bangs (fireworks ) so i may have to think again on that one, he is starting to respond to whistle commands, something i had never tried with him before moving to norfolk, he already responds to hand signals, i am constantly trying to tire him out, his body tries to give up long before his mind does, he is sat at my feet asleep but the twitches tell me he is ready to explode at any time :D and all the time i spend working with jack is a little less time spent with the others, although to tell the truth i only really spend time working with Jack and Mya as they are both active dogs with high drive suitable for my line of work,
and the point of my rambling? springers need to do some kind of work people dont realise this and hence why so many are in rescue :( so lizzy i agree with roz you were not abrupt people need to know the truth and it is best they dont go into springer ownership with rose tinted glasses

tanya

That was the [point they do need to work, but that work doesn't necessarily have to be "work" it can be anything that works their mind, and wears them out, they love to learn and they love to do something new, if people go in to them with their eyes open and understand this, they do make great pets, but yes we live in Wellies from october through to march, and my waterproof trousers are hung by the door, because they HAVE to go out, and thats what owning a springer is like.