There is many hobby possibilities with springers. In this chapter we will tell you about some of those.
One of the most common hobbies with dog is also dog's work and this is hunting. The english springer spaniel is up chasing (gallinaceous and water birds), but also a great retriever/bringer. This dog can also hunt rabbits. Sometimes springers are used also to trace the wounded deers. English springer spaniel's temperament fits fine for hunting. This dog wants to gratify its owner and springer has also the ability to concentrate and it is fast and strong.
While the dog is hunting it crisscrosses its owner in sik-sak shape. Fetching and searching should be covering and it should extend 15-20 meters to both sides of the owner (this means the sik-sak shape's width should be totally about 30-50 meters). The dog should not run over 10 meters ahead the owner (dog should work "under the shotgun"). Dogs working should be dynamic and aiming to game. The search should always end to chasing up. If the dog is slow searching, it loses easily the connection to the running bird. The search should be quiet, but some individuals might bark from different reasons. Immediately after chasing the birds up the dog has to stop (it does not matter if the dog sits or stands, but if it is in water it has to swim circle), because this way you manage to avoid to hurt your dog when you gun down the game. When the game is shut down, the dog should retrieve it from owner's behest and bring it to the owner. When giving the game to the owner, the dog sits front to the owner and gives the game to owner's hand.
Your dogs hunting abilities can be tested in hunting tests. First hunting tests in Finland were in 1965 in a place called Vesilahti. At first the test were water bird tests, but later most of the tests have been gallinaceous bird tests, where the pheasants, black grouses, Western capercailzies and red grouses are as a game. Nowadays there is about 20 hunting tests for spaniels around the Finland every year (SPME = spanieleiden metsästyskoe = hunting test for spaniels & SPVE = spanieleiden vesilintukoe = water bird hunting test for spaniels). Most of the tests are SPME-tests (hunting tests) and most of the spaniels in the tests are english and welsh springer spaniels and cocker spaniels (but sometimes also other Finnish Spaniel Club's breeds).
You have at least one hour time for the test and if needed the dog gets more time (extra games). In hunting test the estimation targets are searching, ability on up chasing, ability to find the bag or wounded game, retrieving and bringing the game, water work, obedience, ability to co-operate and general impression. From all targets the dog gets points from 0 to 5 and different parts are stress with different factors. The owner can direct and control the dog during the test and ban it to do any mistakes. Dog may not be chastised during the test and dog may not be connected (only if there is some clear elements of danger). And of course the owner should be very careful with guns.
Before it was required the dog had a show result if it took part of the hunting test, but nowadays it is not needed. BUT if you desire your dog to be a Finnish Working Champion, the dog has to have at least one second prize in quality class from the dog show (and dog must have had this prize when it has been over 15 months old). To be a working champion spaniel has to have three winner-1 (VOI-1) results from two different judges in hunting tests (SPME, land bird test) and at least one result has to be gained from the water bird hunting test (SPVE). Hunting test has 3 competition classes: intermediate class (NUO), open class (AVO) and winner class (VOI). If your dog is less than 2 years old it is in intermediate class. After your dog has had the first prize in the open class it will start to competing in winner class.
More information about Finnish hunting tests you find from Homepage of Finnish Spaniel Club or Homepage of Finnish Springer Club.
One exercise possibility is obedience tests and trainings. English springers are very obedience and easy to train (even if they feel like it...). Sometimes they can have problems to concentrate and other things going could interest them more. But mostly springers are very quick to learn and obedience dogs.
Every dog should have some basic training (even dogs of mixed breed) and this means also small dogs. You should start training while the dog is still puppy. This assures that your and your dog's symbiosis will be much easier for the next 10-15 years. Especially for a start of the training you should remember to praise your dog every time it does something right. The dog must notice it is nice and fun to obey the owner. You should motivate to obey you and you can do it for example with "sweets" like sausage... but you have to remember that your dog has to be obedience also without any candies or other motivation equipments, because it is not allowed to use these in obedience tests. Still the dog's willingness should stay, because in higher classes of obedience tests the willingness and speed (without mistakes) are in important role to do well and win.
For spaniels it is not always enough to train the "home obedience". So sometimes it is better to continue the training a bit longer. You can train your dog almost everywhere. The dog clubs around the Finland arrange controlled obedience trainings. If you visit these controlled trainings with your spaniel, remember that you should do it also in different places (not only in training field or your own back yard). This assures your dog learns to obey you everywhere. And when you train your dog in different places, the obedience test place makes no different to your dog (while there is a lot of people, dog and noises...).
Sometimes to take part of a test is a kind of doorstep to dog owners... well, it is easier to start testing when you start the career in smaller and gentle competitions. This raises the confidence of both the owner and the dog.
In obedience tests there are four different classes: beginners (alokasluokka ALO), open (avoin luokka AVO), winner (voittajaluokka VOI) and special winner (erikoisvoittajaluokka ERIVOI) classes. You can start the obedience test career with your dog from beginners class when it is more than 10 months old. When you have at least one first prize from the beginner class, you can change to open class. From open class to winner class you can change when your dog has had at least one first prizes from the open class. And from winner class to special winner class you will change when your dog has had at least one first prizes from the winner class. When you dog has gained three first prizes from the special winner class, it will became the Finnish Obedience Champion (FIN TVA = Fin Ob Ch). With some breeds there is also required to have a result from a obedience test to become a Finnish Show Champion, but this is not required when you own a spaniel breed (spaniels have to have a result from spaniel working ability test to get a Finnish Show Champion title).
In higher classes the judgement will become more rigorous and the tasks will be more difficult. When your dog is competiting in beginners the tasks are accessibility (lets the judge come close), immobility for two minutes, following when connected, following when NOT connected, laying down, coming to owner when called, standing and free jump. When moving to higher classes there comes more tasks like stopping from the move, remote controlling, different retrievings etc.
Couple of facts of the obedience tests:
- also non-registered dogs may take part to obedience tests, but they will not get the obedience champion title
- from beginners class to open class you need one first prize from the beginners class, at least 160 points (maximum is 200 points)
- from open class to winner class you need one first prize from the open class, at least 255 points (maximum is 320 points)
- from winner class to special winner class you need one first prize from the winner class, at least 255 points (maximum is 320 points)
- dog gains the obedience champion title when it has three first prizes from the special winner class and at least second prize from a dog show's quality class (this is why non-registered dogs can't gain the champion title)
- during the career the dog might get three different test medals: bronze when dog raises to open class, silver when moving to winner class and gold medal when the port to special winner class is open (when dog has gained three first prizes in special winner class, it will have a golden medal, which is edged with sprigged frame)
- every dog taking part to obedience tests must have a competition book, where is marked every test results of the dog
- in obedience test dog gets 0-10 points from every different tasks/moves
- the right way to do every task and move is closely set and the degree of difficulty changes when moving to higher classes
One very good hobby with your springer is dog shows. It is quite common hobby and nowadays the springers have also succeeded in Group and BIS rings, so bigger success is not impossible idea. Of course it is required the dog is accordant with breed standard when going to dog shows and of course all extra beauty and carisma is only good (while there is a lot of beautiful dogs competiting with your dog). It is VERY HARD to say from a puppy if it will be a successful one or not (you do not know how the puppy will be after a year or two). But you can go to dog shows with your dog even if it is not the best and most beautiful or successful dog from all the competitors. Dog shows are the best place to meet other springer and other dog owners and breeders, so there you meet other people. Beside this you can also be exited of your or some other people's dogs's result, learn more about springers and other dogs... it is also important that in dog shows your dog learns to communicate with other dogs and people while having social dealings with different kind of dogs and people.
Even if english springer spaniel is not the most common breed in agility fields, this brand is a very good hobby to have with your springer. Agility dog should be flexible, agile, fast and sharp and you can find these all from your springer. It might look better when a smaller terrier shows its skills in agility field fast and lightly, but sometimes these dogs are so impatient, that they do easy mistakes. Spaniel does everything considering, so the performance is slower, but normally they don't do any mistakes.
To gain a Finnish Champion Title english springer spaniel must pass the spaniel working ability test (it is not required to have very good result, accepted is enough). And of course three CC's are required from dog shows. Read more about this working test from our guide Spaniel's working test.
Other hobby possibilities are for example flyball, blood tracking, draught dog sports, water rescue and other rescue sports.