The English Springer Spaniel is the first of all the English hunting spaniels. During the Renaissance, it was considered as the ideal companion for the European hunter, but it’s only in the 1700′s that the breed began to be popular in America.

This breed hunts on land and water and makes a fine retriever. It can also be used for tracking, watchdogging and agility

Breed Group

Sporting

Size

Male: 19-21 inches

Female: 18-20 inches

Weight

Male: 45-55 lbs

Female: 40-50 lbs

Color(s)

The English Springer can come in different combinations of colors.
It can be black or liver with white markings or white with black or liver markings, blue, liver roan or tricolored.
The tricolored dog has a black and white or liver and white coat with tan markings.

Coat

The English Springer is double coated. The outer coat is of medium length, flat or wavy on the body.
On the head, on the front of the legs and below the hocks joints, hair is short and fine. On the ears, the legs, the chest and the abdomen, the English Springer is moderately fringed.
The undercoat is short, soft, dense, waterproof and weatherproof.

Life Expectancy

12-14 years

Personality

The English Springer is very intelligent dog that tends to be willing and very obedient. Calm and gentle, this breed is excellent for children. This dog loves everyone with its affectionate, friendly and sociable temperament. Springers need to be with people as much as they can. If not, they can become trouble makers. This is a very playful breed that demands a lot of exercise. This loyal dog is very brave and cheerful.

Care

The English Springer is prone to hip dysplasia, PRA (eye disorder), PFK (blood disorder), epilepsy and HD. As this breed tends to gain weight easily, it must never be overfed.

The coat of the Springer is very easy to take care of. All it needs is a regular brushing with an extra care for long-haired Springers. The ears must be regularly checked to prevent ear infections.

Training

Springers need a firm handler that will know how to show that he is the boss, but the training must also be done softly.

Activity

Springers are very active dogs and will take as much exercise as you can give it. This breed needs a lot of chances to spend its energy by running, playing, swimming or retrieving.

The Setter was first developed in France in 1500 and comes from the Spanish pointer and the French pointer.

It’s only in the early 1800′s that the English Setter was developed by Sir Edward Laverack. A second strain of English Setters was also created by the English breeder, Llewelling.

Breed Group

Sporting

Size

Male: 24-27 inches
Female: 23-26 inches

Weight

Male: 55-80 lbs
Female: 45-70 lbs

Color(s)

The English Setter is a white dog with colored markings in a pattern known as the Belton pattern. Its coat has patches of color on the head and ears with flecks all over the coat. There can be blue Belton (black and white), orange Belton, blue Belton with tan markings, lemon Belton or liver Belton.

Coat

The coat of the English Setter is flat, with feathering on chest, abdomen, ears, under the thighs, back of the legs and on the tail.

Life Expectancy

About 10 – 12 years.

Personality

The English Setter is a very calm dog with mild manners. This gentle and friendly breed is excellent with children. Always asking for affection, it needs lots of companionship. The English Setter is a sensitive, enthusiastic and lively dog that enjoys playing with other dogs. They are very good companion dogs and can make adequate guard dogs.

Care

The English Setter is prone to hip dysplasia. This breed must never be overfed as it tends to gain weight easily.

The English Setter needs regular combing and brushing to prevent matting. Bathe or dry shampoo only when necessary. The hair on the feet must be trimmed and the nails, clipped.

Training

The training of the English Setter should start early and must never be done harshly.

Activity

The English Setter is very energetic; it needs plenty of daily exercise, preferably off the leash, to be manageable.

The English Cocker Spaniel or Cocker Spaniel gets its name from the woodcock, a bird that hides in dense thickets and for whom this spaniel was originally bred to hunt.

The different types of English Cocker Spaniels were separated into seven breeds; the Clumber, the Sussex, the Field, the English Springer, the Welsh Springer, the Irish Water Spaniel, and the Cocker.

The English Cocker Spaniel is a hardy, alert and energetic breed, known as a lovable, sweet and affectionate dog.

Breed Group

Sporting

Size

14 – 17 inches tall (at shoulder)

Weight

26 – 34 lbs

Color(s)

The English Cocker Spaniel colors are white appearing in combination with solid black, black and tan, liver or red markings, orange, or lemon.

Coat

The Medium-length coat is silky and smooth. Short on head, medium-long on body.

Life Expectancy

About 12 – 15 years.

Personality

English Cocker Spaniels are generally considered affectionate, joyful and as an active friends to all people. This happy little dog loves to play and makes an outstanding companion for kids and enjoys being included in family activities.

This dog gets along very well with other dogs, cats and family pets in the household.

Care

Prone to occasional ear problems his long ears require regular care and attention, especially during the summer. Clean out excess wax and check for ticks and signs of infection. They may also suffer from PRA (progressive retinal atrophy) and rage syndrome. His fine smooth coat required regular grooming and it may be necessary to take the dog to an occasional professional trimming. Regular combing and brushing of the coat is required, as the coat is prone to tangles. Bathe or dry shampoo as necessary.

Training

Naturally willing to learn and with a real desire to please the English Cocker Spaniel breed is widely easy to train and quickly understands what is expected of it. Males tend to be more cooperative than females who are fairly dominant.

Cockers should be handled with gentleness and firmness as they are sensitive but also independent, otherwise it may try to take over your role. The talents of this breed are hunting, tracking, watchdogging, agility, competitive obedience and he was also utilized for retrieving game from the water.

Activity

If it is sufficiently exercised the English Cocker Spaniels will do ok in an apartment life, but they do best when he gets plenty of outdoor exercise in an average-sized fenced yard. He enjoys country walks, swimming, fetching a ball and as much exercise as you can give it.

E

The English Toy Spaniel originated in England and were bred to be a companion to people. It is thought that this breed is a mixture of the Pug or Pekingese with a Spaniel giving them the slightly pushed in face and the body of a smaller spaniel. These dogs were popular with English royalty and were found in various paintings from early English literature. The King Charles Spaniel (with black & tan colouring) is a variety of the English Toy Spaniel.

This breed has a pushed in face like that of a Pug or Bulldog, an under bite, and a wide nose with large nostrils. They have a compact yet solid body with soft fur and large floppy ears. This breed has a few different names for it depending on the colour of their coat. The black & tan variety is known as the King Charles Spaniel, the Blenheim is the white & red variety, the ruby colouring which is all red with a few white markings, and finally the Prince Charles which is the tri-coloured variety (black, white & tan).

The English Toy Spaniel is a shy, sweet and loyal little breed that loves human attention but can seem timid upon the first meeting. They make excellent family pets because they love children and will get along with other dogs and smaller pets very well.

Breed Group

Toy

Size

Males: around 10 inches high
Females: around 10 inches high

Weight

Males: 9-12 lbs

Females: 9-12 lbs

Color(s)

The English Toy Spaniel will come in 4 types of coat colours. These are the tri-coloured, red with patches of white, black and tan, and the white with red markings.

Coat

This breed has a silky, glossy coat that is wispy in appearance. Medium length and loosely curly, the English Toy Spaniel will be a low maintenance dog when it comes to grooming.

Life Expectancy

About 10 – 12 years.

Personality

The English Toy Spaniel is a breed that is energetic yet well behaved and polite. They are smart dogs who are loyal and are constantly eager to please their owners. As most breeds in the Toy Group are, these dogs make great lap warmers and are small enough that they can be brought almost anywhere. With a tendency to be shy, the English Toy Spaniel will need to be socialized around people, and other dogs as puppies to ensure they don’t become timid adults.

This dog is quite bright and will take to obedience training very well. They will make great watch dogs as their bark is a sound alert system but will make terrible guard dogs because they love people and become too excited to scare off any strangers.

Care

This breed will be a low maintenance breed to groom. They will need to be brushed about once every week or two and bathed according to how often their owner would prefer. The English Toy Spaniel is prone to ear/eye infections, mitral valve disease, luxated patella’s, and may show some breathing difficulties due to their pushed in face. On the whole this breed is healthy with only a few inherited diseases.

Training

The English Toy Spaniel will be quite easy to train as long as their owner is positive and has consistent methods. They are a bright dog and usually grasp certain ideas quickly, so basic obedience will be simple if repetition and short training sessions are implemented.

Activity

These dogs will need about one hour per day of exercise whether that be a long walk or time spent in an off-leash dog park socializing with other dogs. They use up most of their energy throughout the day. The English Toy Spaniel will do well do well in an apartment because they are such small dogs and do not take up much space. A backyard would be excellent so they can have an outdoor area to run around in.

The English Foxhound originated in England around the 1500′s and were primarily used for hunting. They are a type of scent hound most commonly used to hunt fox. This dog is a mixture of many breeds, some of which include the Fox Terrier, Bulldog and Greyhound breed. The English Foxhound’s variety of bloodlines serve a purpose to aid them in their speed, durability during a hunt, and intensity of the sport.

The English Foxhound is a slender and athletic dog who gets along well with other dogs, children, and other family pets. They are known to be very energetic and friendly making them great for families or for working. This breed loves human attention and thrives on time with the family.

Tall, muscular and agile, the English Foxhound was bred for its love to run. It is said that they can run literally all day long and only take a few short breaks in between. They have a large muzzle and floppy ears rounded at the tips. The English Foxhound’s body is lean and their legs are straight.

Breed Group

Hound

Size

Male: : 22-25  inches high

Female: 21-24 inches high

Weight

Male: 65-70 lbs

Female: 65-70 lbs

Color(s)

The English Foxhound’s coat is either a mixture of tan, white and black or a mixture of white and tan or white and black. For this breed, the colouring is not an important quality.

Coat

The English Foxhound has a shorter straight coat that is stiff yet durable for the different types of climates they work in. They are known to shed an average amount of fur, but more during the spring-summer months.

Life Expectancy

About 10-13 years.

Personality

The English Foxhound is an excellent working dog and an obedient partner. They have an extremely high activity level and joyful attitude towards their work. They are sweet and loving dogs that enjoy being around people and dogs alike. This breed would be perfect for a family as they love children and get along well with other family pets. There are two blood lines of the English Foxhound, the show type and the field (working) type. The show type is a bit bigger and less energetic where as the field type is smaller but more energetic. For families it is said the show type would be better.

As this dog matures they become much more obedient and loyal. The English Foxhound will need an owner who is patient when it comes to training as they can be stubborn and have more then obedience on the mind.

Care

Since the English Foxhound has a short coat, they will only need to be brushed about once per week and bathed when the owner feels that is necessary. They are prone to renal disease, hip dysplasia and in some cases, epilepsy. They are a very healthy breed with very few genetically inherited problems.

Training

The English Foxhound will need a very willful and patient owner. They tend to be a rowdy breed so obedience is going to be a bit more difficult in comparison to other breeds. Training must be firm but have positive methods as they are a happy breed that wants to both work for and please their owner. Around 6 or 7 years of age, the English Foxhound will begin to slow down in terms of their activity level.

Activity

The English Foxhound is a restless breed that will need constant exercise and mental stimulation. This breed will not do well in an apartment as they will need as much space as possible. They are not a breed to be left at home often as they need to have at least 2 to 3 hours of exercise per day. This should include either running or jogging alongside their owner or time spent in an off-leash dog park playing with other dogs or chasing a ball. If they are left alone on a constant basis they will become damaging to surrounding objects i.e. furniture.