~ Notes of Distinction ~

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Any quick google search on the English Springer Spaniel may leave one a little confused, with results sometimes being inconsistent or even conflicting. That is because the English Springer Spaniel can look very different in different countries,

and even within the same country. Here's why...

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Field and Bench

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In North America (and in England) we have bred to serve 2 functions: showing and hunting.

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• The bench-bred dogs are those that are used in the show ring. These dogs have been bred to have longer and fuller coats with feathering. They are larger boned and are generally calmer.

• The field-bred dogs are those that are used for hunting. They dogs have been bred to have shorter coats and be higher energy. They are stocky, more muscular and have more drove and longer stamina. 

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While researching the origins of the English Springer Spaniel, I learned about the evolution of the breed in North America. Since its introduction here in 1913, our selective breeding practices have resulted in some significant alterations to the breeds appearance and functionality. We've essentially divided the breed into 2 distinct types: the bench-bred and field-bred.  And after more than a century of selective breeding, the current english springer spaniel here doesn't resemble the old photos of the breed that go as far back as the 16th century. Many of what I consider to be the most appealing traits, have been bred out of the North American english springer spaniels. The bench-bred now have very little markings on their white fur and have uncharacteristically thick coats, while the field-bred now have a very different appearance all together. Neither are dual function dogs, you would be hard pressed to find a field-bred who got anywhere in the show ring or a bench-bred that was capable of hunting.

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North American and European

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I stumbled across some European english springer spaniels and was delighted to see that they still resemble the look of the breed from hundreds of years ago. Their appearance is of course a bit different than either the North American field-bred or bench-bred types. The European english springer spaniels have prolific ticking on their white fur, long pendulous ears, a less dense & straighter coat, and a slightly bigger stature. Not only that but the European english springer spaniels are still dual function dogs: they compete in both field trials and the show ring, quite successfully!

 

I was excited to realize that the English Springer Spaniel I had admired from old black & white photos still existed (or at least something very close). This initiated my desire to own and produce the English Springer Spaniel as close to its historic roots as possible. After lengthy research and many hurdles, I was finally able to finally bring our first European english springer spaniel here to Canada. It has become an important goal within our breeding program to be able to produce European english springer spaniels.