Excellent springer individual (male), photo: Tarja Hovila
Excellent springer individual (male), photo: Tarja
Hovila
English springer spaniel is well-proportioned, compact, well postured and strong dog. It has medium length skull and clear stop, flat cheeks and medium wide muzzle. Expression is a bit sad (field trials usually do not have sad expression). Eyes are middle size and hazel-nut brown. The neck is long, muscular and slightly arched. Ears are hanging, long and wide. Springer's body is compact and hip muscular. Fore legs are straight and strong. Hind legs are moderately angulated. Paws are compact and round.
The coat is straight or a bit curly, shiny and enough dense to protect from the weather and thick undergrowth. The coat length is medium. Tassels in ears, stomach and back of the limbs. Allowed colors of the coat are black, liver and white in different combinations, with tan-markers or without them. In breed standard is not defined the colors of different parts of the dog, but most of the springers have dark ears and head and light muzzle.
Hunting type springers (so called Field Trials) are slimmer and lighter structured than show type ones. When the dog is slim it is easier to dog to move in difficult and rough land than to a heavier dog. On the other hand show type springer's heavier body is noticeably more impressive and beautiful. Field trials have so different appearance to show type springers, that often people think they are a whole different breed. Strong back and a bit longer than high body guarantee the dog has enough body and strength when labouring in difficult land and cold "duck waters". Breeders are trying to breed the show springers to look as same as possible the breed standard says (so everyone has the same line). This is why the show springers are so alike with each other, while field trials are not. This is because field trials are breeded thinking more about actions and working (not that much how the dog looks like).
Tail has been truncated also in Finland, but nowadays it is prohibited by law here (so the tail is as the nature has meaned it to be). In Finland also it is not even allowed to exhibit official shows, competitions or tests with docked dog, if born after 1.1.2001.
European show type springer's hight is about 50-55 cm, while hunting springer's or field trial's hight is only 42-47 cm. American type springers are in the middle of these two types, about 48-52 cm. The weight of springers is from 20 kg to 28 kg.