There are two types of Springer Spaniel - the Welsh Springer and the English Springer. They form part of the Spaniel family.
In the 2010 Crufts Show in London, there were eight Spaniels breeds in the Gundog Group:
* The Cocker Spaniel
* The Clumber Spaniel
* The Field Spaniel
* The English Springer Spaniel
* The Welsh Springer Spaniel
* The Sussex Spaniel
* The Irish Water Spaniel
* The American Cocker Spaniel
Some experts would also include the Koikerhondje ('cocker hound') and the Dutch Partridge Dog (Drentsche Patrijshond) in the gundog group as spaniels; others would include the Brittany Spaniel. There are in excess of 25 different spaniels recognised around the world (for example the Tibetan Spaniel), though some of them fall outside the Gundog Group.
So, you see that there are basically two types of Springer - the English and the Welsh. They are quite similar with the most obvious differences being in colour and body conformation. The Welsh Springer is a little lower at the withers and a couple of pounds lighter; it has only one coloring - red and white - whilst the English springer has liver and white and black and white with 'optional' tan markings given a range of four basics under the English Breed Standards. The American breed standards are slightly different and have blue or liver roan as other acceptable colors.
You will sometimes hear reference to a Field Springer. This term can be ambiguous as it could refer to the Field Spaniel or to the working line of the English Springer (which has two lines - the working line and the show dog line). These English Springer lines are distinguished by the working line being more compact and having a lighter bone structure. Its proper use is in reference to the working line of the English Springer.
The personalities of the English and Welsh Springers are much the same, including intelligence (they rank about thirteenth on the list of breeds by intelligence (according to some research), loyalty and high activity levels. 'Fun-loving' is a phrase often used in connection with Springers, as is the word 'biddable' - that is, ready and willing to follow commands. This is important in a working dog situation when there are gunshots and retrievals underway.
The two Springers, though obviously distinctive breeds, must share a common ancestry as they are so close in many respects. For the English Springer, the ancestry includes some Cocker Spaniel and some Clumber. The English Springer's antecedents are traceable through the now extinct English Water Spaniel, back to the first century AD, but the breed only emerged as a distinct breed in its own right in the early nineteenth century. The Welsh Springer by contrast, was first registered by the Kennel Club in England in the early twentieth century.
There is still some debate about where the roots of the English Springer lie - Shropshire or Norfolk? It is reasonable to speculate that the Shropshire line found its way across the border country into North Wales and thereafter the Welsh Springer developed its breed identity in the sheep country of North and Mid Wales. Speculation that may be, as the official Kennel Club view is that the Welsh Springer is an ancient breed of pure origin. Certainly, it's coloring is so distinctive that the lineage must have been pure for several centuries.
Author Resource:
The author is an enthusiast of these great companions and has kept both Springer Spaniels types. You can get a no-cost mini-course on this great breed of dogs at www.springerspanieladvice.com - there are 10 parts, delivered straight to your inbox. Click over and get yours now!
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