# English Springer Spaniel.....



## lozb (May 31, 2010)

One of my neighbours has a ESS under 1 year old....
I saw them outside school today, said 'how's he doing'.... the fella said 'free to a good home'....I offered to foster and find a breed-rescue but he was only joking....

However, they are having problems with him....... He's, obviously, full of energy.....and is proving difficult to walk....

They are thinking of getting a harness to help - can anyone suggest the 'best' type for him please? 

I did try to emphasis how much exercise the breed needs and I don't know exactly how much he gets....but they keep him mostly outside in the garden because that's where "he likes it best"...he said he's thinking of getting a kennel outside for him... they have 2 young children who he adores but is obviously quite rough/giddy/jumpy....

I want to help them & their gorgeous dog without coming across as patronising/condescending... Any tips please? 

Thanks


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## grandad (Apr 14, 2011)

lozb said:


> One of my neighbours has a ESS under 1 year old....
> I saw them outside school today, said 'how's he doing'.... the fella said 'free to a good home'....I offered to foster and find a breed-rescue but he was only joking....
> 
> However, they are having problems with him....... He's, obviously, full of energy.....and is proving difficult to walk....
> ...


Suggest they get someone like a trainer or behaviourist in that knows spaniels. Can assess the dog and the family's interaction with the dog. They can give them a training/rehabilitation regime. Contrary to popular belief the breed does not need loads of exercise. It does need mental stimulation and games that satisfy it's natural instincts. My spaniel, gets 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon. We don't go further than 1 mile, but he is totally knackered after that mile/hour. It's not the distance or the time but what you put into the distance or the time.


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## lozb (May 31, 2010)

grandad said:


> Suggest they get someone like a trainer or behaviourist in that knows spaniels. Can assess the dog an dthe family interaction and can give them a training/rehabilitation regime. Contrary to popular beliefthe breed does not need loads of exercise. It does need mental stimulation and games that satisfy it's natural instincts. Myspaile, get 1 hour in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon. We don't go further than 1 mile, but he is totally knackered after that mile/hour. It's not the distance or the time but what you put into the distance or the time.


Thank you..... 
I think that's what I meant, mental stimulation..... and I'm not sure how much he's getting, if he's in the garden, on his own, with the door shut....
They did say he goes shooting (I think) on a Saturday with the owners relative and then he sleeps all night..... they said he's crated but his water bowl is in there and he wets his bedding with it every night.....
I will try and find a trainer in this area and pass on their details.x


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## springerpete (Jun 24, 2010)

May I suggest that you explain to your neighbours that if their dog is from a working line he'll have a very high 'Hunting' drive hotwired into him. It might help if they satisfy this instict by simulating hunting conditions in the play the give him, Buy a couple of training dummies and instead of just throwing a ball, hide them to enable him to hunt for them. I've just gotten a new Springer and even at 12 weeks old his desire to hunt is plain to see. For me that's great, he's going to be a working spaniel so even at this young age I'm encouraging him to 'Use his nose' without putting him under any undue pressure.
I love spaniels, I've had, and worked quite a few over the years along with my 'Goldies, but they are very active dogs, with loads of energy that may not suit everyones lifestyle. I hope they can get things sorted, it's a shame to see a potentially good dog going to waste.


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## Rolosmum (Oct 29, 2010)

I have 15 and 18month old springers, they are working bred, they get an hour ish twice a day, we only use tennis balls, but they are often having to hunt for them in undergrowth and long grass, they like it best with no lead on and walk better to heel without the lead than with it.

The best way to get on lead walking to heel is by training, the problem with harnesses on spaniels is the risk of getting caught when they run in and out of hedgerow, so it is best to train the llw or heel walking.

We do spend some time most days either in small bursts of training or hiding food in boxes, plastic bottles to stimulate them. We have kongs but dont use them much.

Our springers are very laid back in doors and switch on when out. It is a case of calmly, consistently and gently applying the rules, using treats and rewards that interest the dog to gain their focus and harness their absolute willingness to please. We only use tennis balls when out, they have a few toys indoors but not balls (other than a huge rope one), they only get the tennis balls they love when out. (we tried dummies but they preferred the balls and they take up less space to carry!)

By focussing the dog from a young age it is possible in a pet environment to harness some of their prey drive onto a ball, we have as yet not had the chase after rabbits, deer, pheasants etc, just by the control a ball and whistle recall give us.


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## lozb (May 31, 2010)

springerpete said:


> May I suggest that you explain to your neighbours that if their dog is from a working line he'll have a very high 'Hunting' drive hotwired into him. It might help if they satisfy this instict by simulating hunting conditions in the play the give him, Buy a couple of training dummies and instead of just throwing a ball, hide them to enable him to hunt for them. I've just gotten a new Springer and even at 12 weeks old his desire to hunt is plain to see. For me that's great, he's going to be a working spaniel so even at this young age I'm encouraging him to 'Use his nose' without putting him under any undue pressure.
> I love spaniels, I've had, and worked quite a few over the years along with my 'Goldies, but they are very active dogs, with loads of energy that may not suit everyones lifestyle. I hope they can get things sorted, it's a shame to see a potentially good dog going to waste.


Yup.. you've struck a cord... he did say when he walks he has his nose to the ground constantly......... sounds like a worker to me!
Do you think a harness would help with the walking?
They are a lovely family but I'm not sure they know the breed 100%.... I could be wrong... but I think he needs more stimulation..?


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## lozb (May 31, 2010)

Rolosmum said:


> I have 15 and 18month old springers, they are working bred, they get an hour ish twice a day, we only use tennis balls, but they are often having to hunt for them in undergrowth and long grass, they like it best with no lead on and walk better to heel without the lead than with it.
> 
> The best way to get on lead walking to heel is by training, the problem with harnesses on spaniels is the risk of getting caught when they run in and out of hedgerow, so it is best to train the llw or heel walking.
> 
> ...


Thanks 
I might print out your words and pass them on, very constructive and helpful.
Thank you  x

eta: when I get my printer sorted out!


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## Rolosmum (Oct 29, 2010)

lozb said:


> Thanks
> I might print out your words and pass them on, very constructive and helpful.
> Thank you  x
> 
> eta: when I get my printer sorted out!


I dont do a lot of onlead walking, but in the few bits i have done i have applied turn in a circle to get the dog back into the right position etc, and after just 10 minutes twice a week for a couple of weeks (only was able to do this going back to the car in one place), it made a huge difference to them walking on lead. I use tactics like a treat held in the right place, clicking my hand just up from and in front of their face to get attention, keep an upbeat voice and keep getting their attention on me if they are just looking like they might even be thinking of walking on, they dont really spend the time sniffing now, because they have been able to do this on the walk. I have also started briefly on walks, putting one then the other, then both on leads to walk nicely intermittently, to reinforce as i cant do the other place where i started the training with the darker nights!

They are still like greyhounds out of the trap when we first get somewhere, so a lot of the places we walk are ones where we have taken the leads off when they get in the car crate and we just open the door and they go! It is harder at the start of a walk, so we are still a work in progress but we have only very recently been working on it.

(Rolo was a star pupil in his rally obedience class and i think the continuous training up until he was a year old really helped to focus and keep him on track)

Also if our pup did get a little giddy indoors all it took was a few minutes of training practice or just getting him to sit, not absolutely forcing him to stay with you, but just encouraging him to relax and showing him that it was okay to chill with a cuddle or stroke.

Last word, when the breeder of my 15 month old saw him at 6 months old (for the first time since we got him at 9 weeks), he was gutted he let him go as he was the most promising looking worker from the litter with a huge natural instinct, he tried to get us to swap him for the 9month bitch we had gone to get in addition!, and so it proves you can harness their instincts successfully and make them work as a pet happily.

Hope your neighbours succeed and enjoy their pup they really are the most amazing of breeds.


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## cinnamontoast (Oct 24, 2010)

I've tried every harness/gadget and frankly, none really work except the canny or halti, both of which the dogs hate. Training to walk to heel without leads is preferable, time consuming but worth it. A harness allows the dog to use all of its weight-think husky pulling sled.

Mental stimulation is important: mine have each other to play with and they are tennis ball obsessed, especially the oversized Kong ones that squeak (Pets at Home). They also keep occupied with pigs' trotters every now and again, or goats' feet. Yucky, but they like them.


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## Amy-manycats (Jun 15, 2009)

I think the dog may need more stimulation and plain old interaction. Mine is a cuddle moster and mega chilled in the house. She is working bred, and mum definately worked ( as opposed from just having the lines). There is a big difference in working stock too though. Mine is pretty low drive, .

Jess as gone regularly to obedience from puppy classes upwards we have also started agility and do some limited gundog work, we also do clicker training. typically we do some training every day up to 30 mins (except agility night) Has this turned he into wonder dog? No. It made her what some people consider a normal dog. Oh I didn't know springers were so calm, you must spend all day walking her, oh i'll get one now I know they are so good :mad2:. 

What I am saying is they are really clever, like a clever kid in a bottom class at school, if bored they will take the micky and find ways to amuse themselves.

This dog sounds like it just need some consistent boundaries, firm but gentle training, and not to be allowed to just run and run, nor kept on lead. Nothing to the extreme.

Personally I am not sure they are always the best family dogs, just because they are a big time commitment in training and consistency not the excersise.

Anyway, I do walk Jess on a slip lead in a fig8 over her nose. Our off lead heel work is good 90% of the time and on lead 85%. We always use the fig 8 for walks where we don't have the time to train and dont want to take a step backwards in the heel work. That may be an option for your friends dog. The lead can them be used as a slip for when you quickly want to call you dog back from anbother dog etc. I do have a harness but it is not used for swimming or anywhere that there is cover. It is a standard harness ( a Rogz PAH one) I always clip to the front though so should Jess pull (and she is very strong for a little dog) it pulls her sideways and she can't put her full force into it. 

Just incase the comment about free to a good home is only partially a joke there are some great spaniel rescues out there who really know the breed and would not PTS etc.

ESSW
SYESSR
NWESSR
SRS

Between them cover most of the county.

Hope they do get any niggle sorted as both parties could be having a great time with some work.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

I dont usually reccomend training books, probably because I never read any
but there was a book serialised in one of the dog mags that I found really interesting, it was all about having "gundog breeds" inc ESS as pets and training them, Was really good. You could suggest the Book
The Pet Gundog, by Lez Graham. If the serialisation or excerpts are anything to go by it would be a really good read with good idas of trainingfor them.


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## Jasper's Bloke (Oct 30, 2009)

All very good advice so far, but also suggest that they look at his diet. Poor nutrition can have a profound effect on behaviour.


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## abyler (Oct 18, 2011)

.but they keep him mostly outside in the garden because that's where "he likes it best"...he said he's thinking of getting a kennel outside for him


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## Izzysmummy (Oct 12, 2011)

lozb said:


> they said he's crated but his water bowl is in there and he wets his bedding with it every night.....


We had this problem with Izzy and her bed was getting wet every night so we now have a rabbit bottle attached to the side of her crate which she uses so now she can stretch out and fidgit around as much as she likes without getting her ear in her bowl! :thumbup: If you tell them to put some meat paste on the end which he'll lick off then soon realise that water comes out too. Izzy sometimes chooses to drink out of her bottle during the day too even though there is a bowl of water out all the time!


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## Rolosmum (Oct 29, 2010)

Just one more comment it also to me seems that problems would get worse if you keep a lone dog kennelled outside, it wont miraculously make them behave, in fact with so much less contact time with the dog it will in all likelihood make it much worse, learning to occupy its own time in its own way.

If the dog is primarily a pet it would be better to invest time and effort now and you will reap the rewards for a long time to come. A few good solid months of training, then although you can never stop you can relax a little.


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## grandad (Apr 14, 2011)

lozb said:


> Yup.. you've struck a cord... he did say when he walks he has his nose to the ground constantly......... sounds like a worker to me!
> Do you think a harness would help with the walking?
> They are a lovely family but I'm not sure they know the breed 100%.... I could be wrong... but I think he needs more stimulation..?


When you are walking a springer hether of lead ro on lead, you want the nose off the floor. Otherwise they are hunting when on lead, off lead and at heel. it sounds to me like your neighbour needs to see a good gundog trainer if he is taking him shooting. They will help with the basics and show them the correct methods for simulated training. 
Try the gundog club for a trainer in your area.

The Gundog Club


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## grandad (Apr 14, 2011)

Sled dog hotel said:


> I dont usually reccomend training books, probably because I never read any
> but there was a book serialised in one of the dog mags that I found really interesting, it was all about having "gundog breeds" inc ESS as pets and training them, Was really good. You could suggest the Book
> The Pet Gundog, by Lez Graham. If the serialisation or excerpts are anything to go by it would be a really good read with good idas of trainingfor them.


She has a new on out now called the advanced pet gundog. It's hot off the press and was only published last month

Gundog Trainer Wiltshire | The Pet Gundog


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## Rolosmum (Oct 29, 2010)

I also take my dogs water out of the crate at night, it used to be at about 8pm to give time for them to toilet before we went to bed, but now they are bigger it is as we go to bed and put more down again when we get up.

I have china spaniel bowls put on one of the pets at home rubber mats with raised edges, a little water gets on there but not much and i just empty back into the bowl when i am refreshing the water.


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## Sled dog hotel (Aug 11, 2010)

I notice someone mentioned he wets his bedding because the water bowl is in his crate. If they have a normal bowl it likely will, You can get a clip on water bowl that would be up off the floor at head height, that should solve the problem.


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