BREED GUIDE
YOUR SPRINGER SPANIEL PUPPY
Springers were bred to hunt all day, quartering a field with their nose down and flushing birds for the gun. They're happy, people-loving dogs, and as puppies they're busy with their noses and their mouths, so the first weeks are about giving all that energy a job.
WHAT I'D START IN THE FIRST WEEKS
THE NOSE
USE THE NOSE ON WALKS
A Springer that only gets ball throwing can end up wound up rather than tired. Hide treats, scatter their dinner in the grass and let them hunt for things, because that's what really settles them.
RECALL
RECALL BEFORE RABBITS
When the hunting kicks in, your voice can disappear. Make coming back the best game going from day one, practise somewhere quiet first, and use a long line around fields and woods.
GIVING BACK
TEACH A SWAP
Springers love to carry, and some don't want to give things back. Swap for something tasty and give the toy back most of the time, so they learn that bringing things to you is a good deal.
