Posts tagged "springer spaniel"

Cute Pet Name: Smudge

Location: Surrey, U.K.

Age: 10

Dog Breed: Springer spaniel

Favorite Toys: Anything with a squeaky in it.

Favorite Treat: Ground beef. And at Christmas and birthdays, he loves a bag of wrapped-up teddies.

Likes: Swimming, walks, and his owners car.

Dislikes: Swimming pools. He doesn't like the smell of chlorine.

Fun Fact: He smiles everyday!

Congratulations to our submitter, piinklady. If you'd like to submit your pet, upload your favorite pet photos to our Flickr pool!

More Cute Pets

Name: English Springer Spaniel

Personality: The Dog Breed Info Center describes English springer spaniels as "even-tempered, gentle, friendly and sociable dogs," as well as "intelligent, skillful, willing and obedient. The American Kennel Club backs this up, saying this sprightly breed "has been endowed with style, enthusiasm and an 'eager to please' quality."

Grooming: A constant yet average shedder, according to Dog Breed Info Center, the English springer spaniel boasts a coat that is easy to maintain with regular brushing using a stiff brush, bathing only when necessary, and keeping the hair around the ears and feet trimmed to prevent matting, discomfort and infection. PetGroomer.com recommends that weekly maintenance grooming (i.e. brushing) be supported by full grooming sessions (i.e. bathing, clipping, etc.) every six to eight weeks.

Common Health Issues: A relatively healthy breed with an average lifespan of 12 to 14 years, "some English springers are prone to hip dysplasia, progressive retinal atrophy... epilepsy and HD," says Dog Breed Info Center. JustDogBreeds.com also adds that English springer spaniel owners should be on the lookout for ectropion and glaucoma. The breed also gains weight easily, so be careful not to overfeed.

Training Tips: Dog Breed Info Center says that, like any active, energetic breed, English springer spaniels do best when their owners "can provide them with some kind of consistent structure where the rules are made clear." An an owner, you need to make sure your English springer spaniel knows that you're the leader of the pack. If it lacks this direction, it may exhibit destructive behavior, barking, and even biting. Dog Breed Info Center advises that, during walk, your English springer spaniel be "made to heel beside or behind the human, never in front, as in a dog's mind, the leader leads the way."

Were you bitten by a dog as a child? How did it affect the way you feel about dogs today?

My mom and my wife both were bitten as kids. Anna's bite was a lot more serious than my mother's, yet Anna loves dogs and my mom does not. What gives?

Anna's family got an English springer spaniel puppy when she was about four, and there seemed to be something wrong with her almost immediately. She snarled inexplicably and was very food territorial. They had to be sure not to walk behind her while she was eating. When Anna was six, the dog attacked her at the top of a set of stairs: "She knocked me onto my back and did not let go. She had my whole forearm in her mouth and bit me several times before my mother could pull her off of me."

She doesn't remember much about the aftermath other than (gross-out alert) "the blood and the tissue that I saw hanging out of the hole in my arm." Her mother cleaned the wound and took her to the hospital, where she got stitches in five places on her arm and a bandage she had to wear for weeks.