Now Girls and Boys...

I have two springers - one male and one female. I'm going to tell you a little bit about them and what they've taught me about boy and girl springers.  I'm not an expert but have had two of my own and known many many spaniels and spaniel owners. So what you read here is simply based on my own experience. Both males and females are GREAT pets. I've been told that spayed females make the best hunting springers but I can't back that up with any of my own experience - any duck on my table comes from the frozen section of the grocery store. Both are great learners - all springers have an apptitude for training and feel at home in a training setting.  I know both boys and girls who do agility with ease.  Both are loyal and devoted pets but the way I sum up the main difference between males and female springers is this:  males love YOU to love THEM, females love to LOVE YOU.  When I sit down in my family room (where dogs on furniture are allowed) Pogo (my male) wants me to pet him so he's all over me including muzzle gently pushed under my hand no matter what I'm doing (reading the paper, working on my laptop...) where Juno's (my female) preference is to be on the floor with her head resting on my feet. If she does lay next to me, it's never looking for attention, she just likes to be near me.  This is an important difference - their needs are different.

Just briefly let's talk about spaying and neutering your dog.  There are people who like to keep their pets 'intact'. I'm not one of them. If you want to breed your dog, of course that's a different matter.  But for pets, if you go the 'intact route' I think the temperament will be different than what I describe above.  Altering your dog may well change their temperament and behaviour but I would argue, it's for the better. I haven't known many 'intact' springers but have known at least one un-neutured male whose efforts to escape his yard made Harry Houdini look unimaginative.  Just sayin'...

Let's talk rescue dogs.....

When we decided to get a second dog we didn't do it lightly.  It took us a while to decide that it was really the right decision for us.  We did it with a lot of help and support from the Springer Rescue of Eastern and Central Canada (SRECC) who have a thorough and well though-out process for organising springer adoptions.  Below I will list my five best reasons for choosing to adopt a springer - or indeed any dog.  Before I do that though, I would first emphasize that doing some research and finding a reputable rescue is a critical first step. Just like I've recommended researching your breeder - I would do the same for a rescue organisation.  Ensure that you feel confident in their commitment to and understanding of the breed that interests you - in this case springers.

1. You give second chance and save a life.  In many cases you are saving a dog that might otherwise be put down.  Many shelters will only keep an animal for so long.  When you take them they have usually been surrendered by their owner, found as a stray or taken by a rescue organisation.   Many many owners of springer spaniels who don't do adequate research before they get a puppy, find that by the age of 18 months or 2 years they have more dog than they can deal with and surrender them. There are many springers in need of loving homes. When you take in a rescue you save them and give them a second chance.

2. You skip the puppy stage.  We all love our springers but there is no puppy that is as much work then they're young.  My Juno would have happily chewed her way through all my soft furnishings given half a chance.  Training, training and more training has made her into a wonderful pet and companion and puppies ARE SO CUTE but skipping this stage isn't necessarily a bad thing....especially the second time around!

3. You know what you're getting.  A good rescue organisation will have a foster care program where dogs in need of rescue are placed with a foster family for a minimum amount of time so they can be objectively assessed to determine they issues and needs.  Full disclosure is the key to successful adoption. If the dog is timid, hates cats, prefers women, gets possessive with toys or food, it's best to know this up front and be able to decide if you are the right 'forever home' for the dog. Such a system also ensure that any health issues are identified and remedied.  The rescue should have the dog vet checked at the very least but will most likely provide any necessary veterinary care for the dog.

4. It's cheaper.  Purebread Springer Spaniels can be expensive. A rescue dog will cost you just a an adoption fee which goes toward the operation of the rescue. Once you understand all it takes to run a really good rescue, you won't mind providing them with the fee to finance the good they do.  The rescue also wants to know you're serious about the dog and will therefore expect you to pay this fee. It's part of their responsibility as a rescue.

5. You feel really good.  Do not underestimate this one. When you save a life and see the second chance you've given a dog, it just makes you feel good.  With our rescue, it gives us endless pleasure to see how happy he is. He was five when we adopted him. We know his story (which wasn't a happy one) and our whole family feels pride and joy at seeing him healthy and happy in his new life.