I am about to buy an english springer spaniel pup, but so many people have said they are too energetic for pets and should be working only?

a lot depends on the bloodline.if the pup is from working strain then they do tend to be more highly strung but its not always the case .we had a litter of 8 pups last year and all but 3 went as pets ,as far as i know the new owners havn't had any problems .my mum had a pup from us as a pet and he has a lovely gentle nature but give him an inch and he'll walk all over you.we kept 2 bitches ourselves and only one is suitable for hunting the other is the softest most loving pet you could ever wish to have.so...do they make good pets? i would say yes but choose carefully, most breeders would help you to pick out what they would consider to be the most suitable pup.