45-427: Springer Spaniel refers to two different breeds of dogs, both of which are commonly called simply Springer Spaniel : English Springer Spaniel Welsh Springer Spaniel Topics referred to by the same term [REDACTED] This disambiguation page lists articles associated with the title Springer Spaniel . If an internal link led you here, you may wish to change
90-458: A London Metropolitan Police explosives search dog. He was deployed at Tavistock Square, Russell Square and King's Cross following the 7 July 2005 London bombings . The Springer is not limited to detecting explosives. Other varied uses for the Springer can include sniffing out bumblebee nests, illegal immigrants, blood and the superbug C. difficile. Springers are used for drug detection in
135-844: A dog may "spring" on his toy. Some experts believe that the Welsh Springer Spaniel and the Brittany share the same ancestry as there is a great deal of resemblance between the two breeds. The colours of the Welsh Springer, while exclusive from the English Springer, appear in the Brittany and the Brittany and Welsh Springers are both of similar sizes. The Welsh Springer is larger than the English Cocker Spaniel . The Welsh Springer Spaniel
180-609: A life expectancy of 11.92 years for the breed, above the average of 11.23 years. A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 13.5 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds . A 2005 Swedish study found 29% of Springer Spaniels died by the age of 10, less than the overall rate of 35% of dogs dying by the age of 10. Skin conditions the breed is predisposed to include: acral mutilation syndrome , intertrigo , lichenoid psoriasis–form dermatitis , Malassezia dermatitis , otitis externa , and primary seborrhoea . An American study reviewing over
225-688: A light setter-like feathering. Nostrils are well developed and are black or any shade of brown; a pink nose is penalised in the AKC standard for the show ring, in Britain the colour is not specified in The Kennel Club's breed standard . In showing, a scissors bite is preferred with an undershot jaw severely penalised. Unlike the English Springer Spaniel and English Cocker Spaniel, there is no divergence into show and field styles of
270-519: A longer muzzle; their eyes are not as prominent, and the coat is less abundant. The major differences between the Welsh Springer and the English Springer are that the Welsh have more limited colors and tend to be slightly smaller. Field-bred dogs tend to have shorter, coarser coats than the longer furred show-bred dogs. They normally only shed in summer and spring months but shed occasionally in
315-500: A million cases presented to 27 veterinary teaching hospitals in North America found the English Springer Spaniel to be prediposed to canine hip dysplasia , with 4.39% of dogs having the condition compared to 3.52% overall. A survey of UK breed club members found cancer to be the most common cause of death at 26.7% of deaths. English Springer Spaniels have a predisposition to chronic hepatitis . The form of chronic hepatitis in
360-620: A modern dog show, while a show dog would not have the speed or stamina to succeed in a field trial. The English Springer Spaniel field-bred dogs tend to have shorter, coarser coats than show-bred dogs. The ears are less pendulous. Field-bred dogs are wiry and have more of a feral look than those bred for showing. The tail of the field-bred dog may be docked a few inches in comparison to the show dog. Field-bred dogs are selected for their sense of smell, hunting ability, and response to training rather than appearance. Show dogs have longer fur and more pendant ears, dewlaps and dangling flews. The tail
405-459: A survey of over a hundred breeds of dog conducted in 1997, the Welsh Springer Spaniel was ranked 14th for worst hip score , with the average score of the breed being 18.45. A 2024 UK study found a life expectancy of 14 years for the breed compared to an average of 12.7 for purebreeds and 12 for crossbreeds . Welsh Springers can be prone to entropion , which is a disorder that affects the eyelids. The condition causes them to curl inwards, pressing
450-399: A working dog, bred for hunting, and while not as rare as some varieties of spaniel, they are rarer than the more widely known English Springer Spaniel with which they are sometimes confused. The origin of the Welsh Springer Spaniel is unknown, but dogs resembling the breed with its distinctive red and white coat are frequently depicted in old pictures and prints. This type of dog was known as
495-421: Is docked to a short stub in those countries that permit docking . They are generally more thickly boned and heavier than field-bred springers. The English Springer Spaniel is similar to the English Cocker Spaniel and at first glance, the only major difference is the latter's smaller size. However English Springers also tend to have shorter, and higher-set ears than English Cockers. Springers also tend to have
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#1732798065500540-597: Is a breed of gun dog in the Spaniel group traditionally used for flushing and retrieving game. They are descended from the Norfolk or Shropshire Spaniels of the mid-19th century; the breed has diverged into separate show and working lines. It is closely related to the Welsh Springer Spaniel and very closely to the English Cocker Spaniel ; less than a century ago, springers and cockers would come from
585-411: Is a compact, solidly built dog, bred for hard work and endurance. Their body can give the impression of length due to its obliquely angled forequarters and developed hindquarters. The build of the Welsh Springer Spaniel should be slightly off square, meaning that the length of the dog should be slightly greater than the height at the withers . However, some dogs may be square, and this is not penalised in
630-539: Is acceptable and any white area may be flecked with red ticking. Welsh Springers are often confused with the English Springer Spaniel, but there are marked differences. The Welsh Springer is slightly smaller, and its reddish markings on a white background as opposed to the English Springers black or liver-coloured markings. Both breeds are admired for their hunting abilities and their trademark trait of "springing" at game. This can be seen during play also, as
675-445: Is active, loyal, and affectionate. They may meet strangers barking when in their territory , or act aloof, cautious or wary. The breed is well known for being friendly and demonstrative to all members of the family, especially children, and accepting other pets of the household with a friendly, playful attitude. The breed is quick to learn but can be headstrong, though with correct training can become very obedient. The Welsh Springer
720-452: Is an autosomal dominant inheritable trait in the breed. It is a leading cause of blindness in dogs, and is where there is increased fluid pressure within the eye. If the fluid is not reduced, the pressure causes permanent damage to the retina and optic nerve . Loss of eyesight can happen as quickly as within 24 hours if the pressure if elevated enough, or slowly over time if it is only a mild elevation. The sudden, rapid elevation of pressure
765-476: Is more common with narrow/closed angle glaucoma which is more common to the breed than the slower open angle glaucoma. Symptoms can include redness in the eye, the eye itself looking cloudy, sensitivity to light and the dog may rub at their eye, or even rub it along other objects and carpet as the condition is moderate to extremely painful. Treatment can vary depending on the severity of the condition but if inherited glaucoma appears in one eye then it usually occurs in
810-588: Is used as a sniffer dog . Notable search dogs have included Buster , a Dickin Medal recipient, Royal Army Veterinary Corps arms and explosives search dog serving with the Duke of Wellington's Regiment in Iraq, for finding an extremist group's hidden arsenal of weapons and explosives. Another example is Jake, aka Hubble Keck People's Dispensary for Sick Animals Gold Medal and Blue Cross Animal Hospital Medal recipient,
855-693: Is used in the 1867 work The Dog in Health and Disease by Stonehenge and he further describes the Welsh Cocker and the Devonshire Cocker as "both being of a deep-liver colour". The Welsh Springer was relatively unknown during the 19th Century, but this changed in 1900 when Mr. A. T. Williams of Ynis-y-Gerwn won the team stake at the Sporting Spaniel Club Trials. The trials were held on Mr. Williams' own estate, and it
900-594: The American Cocker Spaniel which registered 610 in 2000, and 599 in 2004. The breed remains more popular than some other breeds of Spaniel, including the Clumber Spaniel , Field Spaniel , Sussex Spaniel and Irish Water Spaniel . Total registrations in the UK during 2016 fell to 299 qualifying it to be included on The Kennel Club's list of Vulnerable Native Breeds . The Welsh Springer Spaniel
945-646: The Cynographia Britannica that the land spaniel should be split into two kinds, the Springing, Hawking Spaniel, or Starter; and the Cocking or Cocker Spaniel . At this point, both cocker spaniels and springer spaniels were born in the same litters. The purpose of the breed was to serve as a hunting dog. The smaller cockers were used to hunt woodcock , while their larger littermates, the springer spaniels, would "spring"—or flush—the gamebird into
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#1732798065500990-528: The English Kennel Club . The American Kennel Club followed in 1910. In 1914, the first English Field Champion was crowned, FTC Rivington Sam, whose dam was a registered cocker spaniel, Rivington Riband. Sam is considered one of the foundation sires for modern field lines. An English Springer Spaniel is foremost a game bird flushing dog. There are several skills that breeders train the dog to perform for their occupation. The Springer Spaniel
1035-660: The PDSA Gold Medal for animal bravery: Awarded the PDSA Order of Merit Welsh Springer Spaniel The Welsh Springer Spaniel ( Welsh : Llamgi Cymru ) is a breed of dog and a member of the spaniel family. Thought to be comparable to the old Land Spaniel, they are similar to the English Springer Spaniel and historically have been referred to as both the Welsh Spaniel and
1080-567: The United States , United Kingdom , Sweden , Finland , Isle of Man , Ireland , Canada CBSA and Qatar . The Springer Spaniel is also used as a search and rescue dog by mountain rescue and Lowland Rescue teams, where their willingness to work and cover rough terrain makes them an excellent choice. Awarded the Dickin Medal for conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving in military conflict: Awarded
1125-712: The Welsh Cocker Spaniel . They were relatively unknown until a succession of victories in dog trials by the breed increased its popularity. Following recognition by The Kennel Club in 1902, the breed gained the modern name of Welsh Springer Spaniel. The breed's coat only comes in a single colour combination of white with red markings, usually in a piebald pattern. Loyal and affectionate, they can become very attached to family members and are wary of strangers. Health conditions are limited to those common among many breeds of dog, although they are affected more than average by hip dysplasia and some eye conditions. They are
1170-586: The withers and weigh 40 to 60 lb (18 to 27 kg). According to the UK Breed Standard, the English Springer Spaniel should be 20 inches (51 cm) at the withers. The females should be 18 to 20 inches (46 to 51 cm) and usually 35 to 55 lb (16 to 25 kg). Working types can be lighter in weight and finer in bone. The English Springer Spaniel ranks 13th in Stanley Coren 's The Intelligence of Dogs A 2022 UK study found
1215-566: The 1850s, these were shown under the breed name of Norfolk spaniel. In January 1899, the Spaniel Club of England and the Sporting Spaniel Society held their trials together for the first time. Three years later, in 1902, a combination of the physical standard from the Spaniel Club of England and the ability standard from the Sporting Spaniel Society led to the English Springer Spaniel breed being officially recognized by
1260-531: The Land Spaniel, and is considered to be similar to the modern Welsh Springer. John Caius , writing in 1570, said "Spaniels whose skynnes are white and if marked with any spottes they are commonly red". It is thought that these Spaniels may have made their way into the Welsh valleys where local sportsman and hunters managed to conserve them in a pure state. At one time called the Welsh Starter, it
1305-473: The air where a trained falcon or hawk would bring it to the handler. Many spaniel breeds were developed during the 19th century, and often named after the counties in which they were developed, or after their owners, who were usually nobility. Two strains of larger land spaniel were predominant and were said to have been of "true springer type." These were the Norfolk and the Shropshire spaniels, and by
1350-423: The autumn. The coat comes in black or liver (dark brown) with white markings or predominantly white with black or liver markings; Tricolour: black and white or liver and white with tan markings, usually found on eyebrows, cheeks, inside of ears and under the tail. Any white portion of the coat may be flecked with ticking. Males in the show dog line are typically approximately 19 to 21 inches (48 to 53 cm) at
1395-526: The breed is more severe, affects younger dogs, and is more likely to affect bitches. One study found the English Springer Spaniel to be 6.3 times more likely to acquire the disease. Another study found an odds ratio of 5.3. The English physician John Caius described the spaniel in his book the Treatise of Englishe Dogs published in 1576. His book was the first work to describe the various British breeds by function. By 1801, Sydenham Edwards explained in
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1440-420: The breed. Male dogs are 46 to 48 centimetres (18 to 19 in) high at the withers , with females a little smaller at 43 to 46 centimetres (17 to 18 in). On average, members of the breed weigh between 16 and 20 kg (35 and 45 lb). The back of the legs, chest, and underside of the body are feathered, and the ears and tail are lightly feathered. The only colour is a rich red-and-white. Any pattern
1485-412: The eyelashes against the surface of the eye itself and causing them to scratch it. This can lead to irritation and damage to the cornea . In most cases it only affects the lower eyelid on one or both eyes, but in some cases the upper eyelid can be affected as well. Symptoms can include tearing, squinting, the rubbing of the eyes, thick discharge from the eyes and rolling of the eyelid along with wetness on
1530-515: The hairs next to the eyelids. There is no medical treatment for entropion, and surgical correction may be necessary depending on the severity of the case. This condition may be present soon after birth, or later in life as a secondary condition to other eye related diseases or infections. Other breeds also affected by the condition include the Chow Chow , Great Dane , Golden Retriever and the English Springer Spaniel. Narrow/closed angle glaucoma
1575-417: The legs and tail. It is a well proportioned, balanced dog with a gentle expression. This breed represents perhaps the greatest divergence between working and show lines of any breed of dog. A field-bred dog and a show-bred dog appear to be different breeds but are registered together. The gene pools are almost completely segregated and have been for at least 70 years. A field-bred dog would not be competitive in
1620-411: The link to point directly to the intended article. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Springer_Spaniel&oldid=933138819 " Category : Disambiguation pages Hidden categories: Short description is different from Wikidata All article disambiguation pages All disambiguation pages English Springer Spaniel The English Springer Spaniel
1665-570: The new name of Welsh Springer Spaniel. Until then the breed was shown alongside the English Springer Spaniel . The Welsh Springer Spaniel was transported to America in the late 19th century and gained recognition by the American Kennel Club in 1906. World War I caused problems for the breed in the United Kingdom, and when the war was over there were no dogs whose parents had registered pedigrees. The breed restarted with
1710-412: The remaining unregistered dogs, and it is these dogs that formed the modern day breed. The breeders in the 1920s and 1930s developed these dogs into the type of Welsh Springer Spaniel which remains today. The Welsh Springer Spaniel Club (UK) was formed in 1923, registrations slowly increased between the wars but all records held by the breed club were destroyed in an air raid during World War II. Following
1755-419: The same litter. The smaller "cockers" were used in woodcock hunting while their larger littermates were used to flush, or "spring", other game birds, hence the name. In 1902, The Kennel Club recognized the English Springer Spaniel as a distinct breed. They are used as sniffer dogs on a widespread basis. The English Springer Spaniel is a medium-sized compact dog. Its coat is moderately long with feathering on
1800-405: The show ring as long as the height is never greater than the length. Traditionally a docked breed, dependent on legislation in the country of origin, and where allowed the dew claws can be removed. In conformation showing, eyes should be brown in colour; yellow eyes do sometimes occur but are penalised in the show ring. Ears are small, pendulous (suspended and hanging), vine-shaped and with
1845-699: The two World Wars, it was thought that no Welsh Springers remained in the United States. The breed was reintroduced, and the descendants of those dogs make up the breed today in the United States and Canada. The breed was officially imported into Australia in 1973. In 2000, The Kennel Club registered 424 Welsh Springer Spaniels, compared with 12,599 English Springer Spaniels and 13,445 English Cocker Spaniels . Numbers remained steady, with 420 Welsh Springer Spaniels being registered in 2004, however numbers of English Springer Spaniels increased to 14,765 and English Cocker Spaniels to 16,608. Numbers remain closer to
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1890-644: Was bred for work and endurance, and as with many breeds of hunting dogs requires a regular exercise routine to keep them healthy and content. Without adequate exercise, a Welsh Springer Spaniel may appear hyperactive. Some Welsh Springers can become clingy towards their owners and suffer separation anxiety when alone. The Welsh Springer is generally a healthy breed, but some can suffer conditions common to many breeds such as hip dysplasia , Canine glaucoma and like other dogs with pendulous ears, they are prone to ear infections such as otitis externa . Some Welsh Springer Spaniels are predisposed to become overweight. In
1935-606: Was known as the Welsh Cocker. During the 19th century were several different varieties of Cocker Spaniel , including the English, the Welsh and the Devonshire as the term was used to describe the size of the dog rather than the breed. Unusually, in John George Wood 's 1865 book The Illustrated Natural History , an image is described showing a Welsh Cocker Spaniel as a solid coloured dark spaniel. The same inscription
1980-410: Was thought that when his team defeated eight well known teams it was because of the home advantage. This was disproved when dogs from the same kennel went on to win in successive years around the UK. His conformation show champion dog Corrin was the first Welsh Springer Spaniel to be photographed. Welsh Springers were recognised by The Kennel Club, after the breed had gained popularity, in 1902 under
2025-543: Was used to spring game, originally for hunters using falcons . The traditional red and white colour of the Welsh Springer was once also found in English dogs, but by the early 20th century any such dogs were considered to have "died out long ago". The Welsh Springer Spaniel was also at one time called the Welsh Spaniel, and also at one point was included in the Kennel Club (UK) studbook as Cocker Spaniels, and
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