The springer spaniel holds the greatest appeal of all gundog breeds for me. Springer spaniel skills include multi-tasking, drive, pace and style. No other breed comes close to a hard-going springer. However, the behaviour of some springers in the field has given the field a somewhat chequered reputation. Springer faux…
Spaniels
Gundog and spaniel are two words you’ll often hear together. But there are so many different breeds of spaniel from which to choose. Which would suit your purposes best? How should you choose a puppy? How to train it? Here our experts have written about the characteristics of each breed: classic working cocker spaniel, springer spaniels, Clumber spaniels, Brittany spaniels and of course the Sprocker.
Brittany | Working Cocker | Clumber | Springer | Sprocker | Welsh |
13 reasons why cocker spaniels and springer spaniels are different
Both springer and cocker spaniels are capable of doing a useful day’s work out in the field. Both are biddable. However, they do have different characteristics. Differences between cocker and springer spaniels Springers have a size advantage over cocker spaniels Cocker spaniels have a better engine and more staying power…
What exactly ARE the differences between cocker spaniels and springer spaniels?
Our two most popular breeds of spaniel Cocker spaniel or springer spaniel. Which is better? Choosing between the two breeds has never been more difficult. According to the Kennel Club’s (KC) figures, cockers are the most popular of the two, with 23,297 registered in 2018, compared with just 10,152 English springers.…
The Irish water spaniel
The joker in the spaniel pack. No, not my words, but those of an Irish water spaniel owner and enthusiast, talking about the foibles and idiosyncrasies of his favourite breed. The Irish water spaniel, he assured me, could lay claim to being the only HPR native to these islands. He…
The law on tail docking
Docked tails: I want to ask my new picking-up team about their dogs' docked tails.
How to teach a gundog puppy to run straight
Gundog training: Tony explains how to train your dog to take a line straight to the fall.
Are British gundogs the best in the world?
Gundog standards: HM The Queen's reign has coincided with rising gundog standards in all areas.
How to train a spaniel puppy that lacks confidence
Gundog training: Tread carefully when training a spaniel puppy with a gentle temperament.
Just why is the “sprocker spaniel” becoming so popular?
A friend was torn between gundog choices. Should he go for an English springer, or an equally speedy but rather smaller cocker? In the end he compromised. He bought a sprocker spaniel, combining, he anticipated, the best of both breeds. Sprockers becoming increasingly sought-after In recent years, sprockers — intended crosses…
Which breed of spaniel should I buy?
Don't overlook the minor breeds, like Clumber, Welsh springer or Brittany spaniels, although their natural hunting, retrieving and training ability probably won't be as strong as a Cocker or Springer
How to teach a spaniel puppy to retrieve
Spaniels have been bred for generations to hunt out game from stick piles, patches of bramble and thick bracken banks, and a well-bred puppy should be pre-programmed to get its nose down. However, if you do too much early hunt training with a young spaniel this can become the most…
Which is the best of the working spaniel breeds?
Working spaniel: I want to buy a working spaniel and don't know which to choose.
We took a cavalier King Charles spaniel to a game fair. What happened next?
Some years ago we had a friend’s cavalier staying with us in July, so she accompanied us, with our springers, to the Game Fair. The fact that the fair was at Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire and she was a Blenheim cavalier seemed appropriate (red and white cavaliers are known as…
Is your gundog a fussy eater?
One of the remarkable things about dogs is that they will apparently happily eat the same thing every day, every week, throughout the year. A skinny spaniel stayed with us recently while its owners were away on holiday. The dog was delivered with its bed, food bowl and a big sack of so-called complete food. “She loves…
How Camrosa can treat spaniels with skin problems
FOLLOWING A RECENT column when I wrote about problems with working spaniels’ ears, I had a charming letter from Edwina Le May, founder and director of the company that markets Camrosa Ointment. It is aimed specifically at treating animals with skin problems, especially those caused by mites. Though I was aware of Camrosa, I’d never tried it, but when I mentioned…
Should I choose a spaniel or a Labrador?
I go rabbit and pigeon shooting, and now intend to get a gundog. I am not sure which breed to go for. A friend says Labradors are born half-trained and spaniels die half-trained! I ideally want a dog to flush game and to retrieve it. Any advice, please?
There are big differences between Labradors and spaniels …
As the shooting season draws to a close it is time for us to reflect on what has gone well with our gundogs, but more importantly what has gone wrong and will need working on during the spring and summer months. For a few of us the search for a new shooting companion will start in earnest and the…
A day in the life of a working sprocker
Every Monday starts full of excitement and anticipation. I watch as the curtains are opened, praying for good weather. Sometimes we’re blessed, sometimes we’re not. Today fog fills the valley and as we travel out of the village the mist slowly disappears. Slowly the sun’s rays break through and by…
Gundog ears badly designed
All our gundog breeds have floppy ears though, of course, some are a great deal floppier than others. Labrador ears may turn downwards, but they are functional and only covered in short hair, which might explain why ears are one of the areas of least concern with the breed (don’t mention hips or elbows). It is the…
My gundog embarrasses me in front of other Guns
A: You probably allowed him to hunt quite freely on his first big day as he was so well behaved, but hunting game is far more exciting than walking at heel. He got to enjoy meeting other beaters, who probably greeted him in a friendly way. Dogs quickly learn to do things when they gain pleasure from…