English Springer Spaniel

The physician John Caius describes this spaniel in his book Treatise of Englishe Dogs published in 1576. This book is the first to describe the various British breeds and their role. In 1801, Sydenham Edwards explains in his Cynographia Britannica that two types of spaniels can be observed, the "springer" and the cocker. Several spaniel breeds appeared during the 19th century, and often bear the name of the region they come from, or according to their owner, often nobles. There are then two main types of "springer" dogs, the Norfolk Spaniel and the Shropshire Spaniel, which are grouped in the 1850s under the name of Norfolk Spaniel. In January 1899, the Spaniel Club of England and the Sporting Spaniel Society pool their standards for the first time. Two years later, in 1902, the physical standards of the Spaniel Club of England and the abilities described by the Sporting Spaniel Society lead to the official recognition of the English Springer Spaniel (English Springer) by the English Kennel Club, then by the American Kennel Club in 1910.

The English Springer is a medium-sized dog, quite compact. Its coat is medium in length, and waves to form a few locks on the legs and tail. It is well-proportioned and balanced, with a friendly expression and a tail that it wags cheerfully. This breed shows a very marked division between the hunting line and the show line, more than any other breed. Two different lines can be observed, one with hunting dogs and the other with show dogs, but they are registered together. In fact, these lines have been genetically different for at least 70 years. Animals destined for hunting have shorter hair than those destined for shows, and have less pendant ears. They look wilder, and are selected for their sense of smell and hunting ability rather than their appearance.