Meet the Springer Spaniel

Springer Spaniels have a reputation for being even-tempered, gentle, friendly and sociable dogs. Our Tail Wagger of the Month is no exception! Sophie PJ is almost 4 years old and has been coming to Wagging Tails since July 2011. True to her breed, she loves the water and bath time is one of her favorite things ever. We look forward to cuddles during her Playdays every week and her spunky attitude fills the playroom with joy. It’s easy to see why Springer Spaniels make such great family dogs, she is so playful, energetic and good natured!

Did you know that there are two different types of English Springer Spaniel? Field types and show types. Field types are bred for hunting, have more white on their coats and less hair. When bred for show, Springer Spaniels have longer silkier, fuller coats and have more black or brown coloring in their coat. They are closely related to Cocker Spaniels, in fact less than 100 years ago they actually came from the same litter! The smaller spaniels hunted woodcock while their larger littermates were used to flush (or “spring”) game. As you can imagine, their official names came from these historic hunting roles.

Springer Spaniels are more than great hunting dogs, they are also fantastic sniffers. They are commonly used by authorities to sniff out not only explosives and weapons, but cell phones that have been held by convicts! Their willingness to work also makes them a great choice for search and rescue operations. In fact, their desire to work means that they shouldn’t be left alone too long or they can cause mischief because of boredom. It’s no wonder that Sophie loves her time at Wagging Tails, with a tail that is always in motion, there is never a dull moment!