Dog's Name & Age:
I am writing about my first Springer, Prince. He lived to be 16 years old.
In a Word, My English Springer Spaniel Is…
He was a very intelligent, laid-back dog who reasoned out every move.
Best Characteristics of the Breed
Their easy going nature. They are ready for anything.
Most Challenging Characteristics of the Breed
Keeping them in shape. They tend to be a lazy dog sometimes.
When, Where and How I Got My English Springer Spaniel
My parents bought Prince when I was 13 years old. From that point on for 45 years, I raised, trained. showed, and hunted Springers until I had to give the larger dogs up to live in apartments. We bought him from a breeder and went from there to Champions. Prince was a small Springer but an alpha dog in all situations. He never led his pack into trouble though. He was my "nanny" throughout my teen years. My parents knew they could leave me in his care and he would take care of me till his death. He did save me several times in my life. He was always good with children and would never think of hurting them.
I'd Describe My Dog As…
Prince was one of the smartest dogs I have ever known. He always sized up a situation before doing something. I was never able to get him to jump the broad jump unless I jumped it with him. It was too easy to walk across and why on earth would you want to expend all that energy to jump when you could walk across. As a teen I was not supposed to play on some cliffs near our cabin at the lake but one day I decided to go with friends. I knew Prince would not let me go so I locked him in the cabin. I spent the next two years babysitting to pay for the damage Prince did in trying to get out to save me. I could go swimming alone as long as I had Prince with me because he never left my side and would not let me go beyond where I could stand up. If I did he grabbed my little finger and pulled me back to shore. He did pull me to shore one time when I was knocked out while jumping off a dock. He then went and brought my Father out to me. Lets just say that I had a lot of freedom I would not have had had I not had Prince to raise me. In his older years he loved my children and, while he would carry on and growl, he would never hurt anything young. They could crawl all over him and while he would flinch because of arthritis, he would never think of snapping at them.
Advice
- Springers are wonderful dogs but do need some guidance in their younger lives to become the wonderful companions they can be. I have had many of them and while they all have many different personalities, they are all very loyal and loving. With training they can be a child's best and most loyal friend. Please make the time to train any puppy to be the most wonderful companion they can be.
