What are Springer spaniel dogs like, are they good family dogs?

I suggest getting your Springer from their breed club. You can find it on the internet. Breed clubs usually have adults available and sometimes even puppies, but the advantage to using a breed club vs a shelter is the fostering they do. They temperament test and thus will know if the adoptable dog gets along with other pets and children, and any behavioral problems with the dog is usually taken care of before the dog is put up for adoption.

There is an anger problem with some Springer lines that is referred to as "Springer Rage Syndrome" so be careful if you decide upon a Springer. The breed club would know about this but I would be suspicious of any Springer that shows up in a shelter.

I would attribute the temperament Piran talks about in his crossbreed above, is more lab than springer.

They are wonderful family pets but they do need lots of exercise because this breed is a working breed. I'm sorry about your older daughter and can assure you that she will love the pet it will also help her but watch out for nipping because pups have 42 teeth on the way. I love the Spaniels they are so full of bounce they love life. Do not worry about the cat as I have a JR and a GSD they both respect the cats remember cats can jump out of the way let them have fun with together cats know how to sink a claw into a dog's nose then the chasing is cured.

Your young daughter seems kind hearted and I'm sire she will help with the puppy I hope it all goes well..

http://www.dogbreedinfo.com/englishspringerspaniel...

I recommend you contact the Breed Club and go visit a reputable breeder. By appointment. Even if they don't have a ltter on the ground, they should find time to sit with you and show you their adults - important as most puppies are appealing but they don't stay puppies for long. So it's important that you know exactly what you are getting into. A high energy breed!

I also urge you not to buy into mix-breeding. If you buy 'a breed' you'll know what you are getting. Mix-breeding is a lottery and how the dog will be would depend on which set of genes he favours. As all mix-bred puppies, even from the same litter, may not be the same, information from people with mix-bred dogs isn't really relevant. The one you get could be totally different. Also please don't contribute to the income of the BYB - fine if you adopt from a Shelter however.

I love Springers. They are beautiful dogs. I've never owned a Springer but my brother owns a Beautiful Spayed Female English Springer Spaniel named Sadie. My brother and his adult daughter trained and socialized Sadie, starting when she was very young. She is always provided with plenty of exercise, long walks and is a very active dog who loves to run and loves the water. She was well bred, she's a lot of fun, she has a very sweet temperament and she is very well behaved. She gets along with other humans as well as my brothers cat Kira. Sadie and Kira are always playing with each other. My brother and his daughter have never had any behavioral problems with Sadie. If you have an active lifestyle that this type of breed would fit into, you have the time to train, socialize and provide plenty of exercise and room to run around, so the dog does not become bored and destructive, you should not have any problems.

My brother has a very large securely fenced in backyard with tons of room to run, that Sadie has access to and can go in and out of the house as she pleases, knowing that she is secure and can't get out. Sadie also has good recall. She never wanders and always listens to commands. I would love to own a Springer, but I don't have the room for one.

I also have a neighbor who owns and walks 3 English Springer Spaniels at once, a few times a day and they are very calm, well behaved and you can tell that they are interacted with all the time, exercised and very well trained and taken care of.

If you find that an English Springer Spaniel fits your lifestyle and you can handle a really active dog, make sure that you get a Springer that is Well Bred and you train and socialize early, providing plenty of exercise and you will have a loyal, loving companion for life. Vet Care is an Absolute Must when you own a dog, so make sure you are financially prepared to take proper care of a dog and for Emergencies.

Here is more information about Springers.

http://www.yourpurebredpuppy.com/reviews/englishsp...

Maybe someone here who owns a Springer, will come along and give you more information. Here is a bunch of links to English Springer Spaniel Forums you can check out, where you can talk to others who do own Springers and get a better idea whether or not a Springer would fit your family's lifestyle.

https://www.google.com/search?q=English+Springer+S...

I once had a collie cross/springer spaniel and she was the best dog I have ever had. Springers do need a lot of exercise and love water and they are not that small,they are often used as gun dogs to retrieve shot fowl.

They are intelligent and trainable with a good owner but laying around doing nothing is not good for them. This site gives a good account of springers.

They are very very active, they don't make good house pets as they want to be out and about all the time. I had 2 Springadors - cross between a Lab and Springer. There was no way we could keep them in our garden ( which was 2/3 acre), they escaped almost every day and roamed the countryside. This went on for 14 years.

UK