Springer Spaniels pull because they're built to quarter fields at pace. Walking slowly beside you on a loose lead is unnatural for them. They want to cover ground, investigate, and follow their nose. Adolescent Springers pull even more as impulse control deteriorates and arousal regulation fails.

Be realistic about managing what is ultimately completely natural behaviour. This means practising in low-distraction environments where success is possible (your garden, quiet parks, other enclosed spaces), rewarding every moment of slack lead, and using tools like long lines during adolescence when pulling is worst. Front-clip harnesses help mechanically but don't teach the skill. You still need to train the behaviour.

As a positive-reinforcement trainer — and the science is 100% behind me on this, I can confidently say that punishment-based lead training (using devices such as prong collars, choke chains and even the supposedly innocuous slip leads) frequently creates anxiety, damages trust, and often makes pulling worse because the dog becomes more aroused and reactive on walks.

With Springers, you should expect expect to allow 6-12 months to build reliable loose-lead walking, with regression during adolescence (6-9 months). This isn't fast, but it's realistic for a high-energy gun dog breed.

Springers weren't bred as alert-barking dogs, but they are naturally vocal. Their gun dog genetics make them fast, sensitive and easily aroused, and when excitement, frustration or uncertainty spikes, their voice tends to come with it. Add a sharp nose and a brain that reacts quickly to movement and sound, and barking becomes part of how they process the world — long before it becomes a behavioural issue.

Barking ramps up if a Springer is under-exercised, under-stimulated or anxious. When arousal rises and impulse control dips, the barking does too. You won't eliminate barking in this breed, but you can shape it by meeting their needs, lowering overwhelm and rewarding calm. What doesn't work: shouting, punishment or devices that suppress the bark. Those only increase stress, which makes the barking worse.

Springer Spaniels are highly scent-driven dogs bred to work at distance. When they pick up a scent trail, the world narrows to that single focus. Your voice, treats, and presence become irrelevant. Recall failures are common in adolescence when impulse control is offline and competing motivations intensify.

Begin by building recall gradually and systematically in low-distraction environments first. Use a long line during adolescence and in high-distraction areas. Make yourself intensely rewarding (high-value treats, play, running away to trigger chase drive). Practise recall before the dog is fully engaged in the scent. Accept that perfect recall in a Springer is rare — management is part of living in harmony this breed.

Punishment for recall failure is completely counter-productive - why would you willingly come back to someone who was going to punish you in some way - when something much more interesting and rewarding is going on elsewhere. And repeating yourself over and over again doesn’t make them more likely to come back - it just tells them that coming back is optional if they don’t obey you the first time.

Be realistic - if you’re in an area where your Cocker is being bombarded with interesting smells outside (and, let’s face it, that’s most places for dogs!) - you’re not helping yourself or your dog if you’re trying to train a reliable recall.

Lower your expectations and respect your Springers’s genetic wiring - you’ll get there but just accept that it takes patience and persistence.

Springer Spaniels need 90-120 minutes of exercise daily, split across multiple sessions. This is more than most gun dog breeds. But exercise alone doesn't manage energy — type matters. A Springer needs mental work (scent games, training, puzzle toys) as much as physical exercise.

Give them outlets that genuinely burn off energy and let them do wht they were born to do: off-lead running (where safe), scent work, retrieve games, training sessions, and activities that let them use their nose. Swimming is excellent for Springers — many love water and it tires them quickly without joint stress. Variety matters. The same walk every day becomes routine and stops being mentally engaging.

Don’t just assume more exercise solves all problems. Over-exercised Springers become fitter and need even more exercise. Under-stimulated Springers become destructive, bark more, and develop anxiety. Balance is essential — physical exercise, mental work, and teaching calmness.

Springer Spaniels can be excellent family dogs when the household environment suits their temperament. They're affectionate, playful, and form strong bonds with family members. However, their suitability with children depends significantly on the household's noise level, activity patterns, and ability to provide appropriate management.

Springers are sensitive dogs who struggle in chaotic environments. Loud, unpredictable households with young children running, screaming, and creating constant stimulation often push Springers into chronic stress. When sensitivity meets overstimulation repeatedly, you risk creating a dog who either shuts down (becomes withdrawn, stops engaging) or develops defensive behaviour when they feel unable to escape or regulate arousal.

Size and speed create practical challenges. Springers are significantly larger and faster than Cocker Spaniels — a jumping Springer can easily knock over a toddler, and their speed means they can be across a room and into something problematic before adults register movement. Puppies are particularly mouthy due to retrieving instinct, and while the mouthing is exploratory rather than aggressive, it can be overwhelming for young children who don't understand breed-typical behaviour.

Always try to create predictable, calm routines. Teach children to approach the dog quietly rather than with excitement. Provide the dog with a safe retreat area (crate, separate room) where they can escape when overwhelmed — and enforce this boundary religiously. Train the dog to disengage from escalating play rather than letting arousal build until someone gets hurt. Supervise constantly, particularly during early months.

Don’t allow children to use the dog as a playmate without boundaries. Expecting the dog to "just cope" because Springers are good-natured. Failing to recognise stress signals (lip licking, yawning, turning away, freezing) and intervening before the dog feels cornered. Assuming that because the dog hasn't snapped yet, they never will.

For families with calm, respectful children and adults committed to management, Springers can be wonderful. For households with constant chaos and minimal supervision, consider a more robust, less sensitive breed.

Springers have strong retrieving instincts. They were bred to retrieve game birds without damaging them. Soft mouth, high mouth use — it's genetic. Puppies explore the world through mouthing. Adolescent Springers mouth during play. Adult Springers often carry objects compulsively.

Mouthing and biting intensifies and can become more challenging during teething (3-7 months) and when the dog is overstimulated or under-exercised. It's not aggression. It's how the breed interacts with the world.

Try to just ignore the biting (reacting in any way can make it all the more exciting and fun for them) - if you can’t manage that, redirect to appropriate items (toys, chews), reward calm behaviour, provide teething relief (frozen carrots, appropriate chew toys), and manage arousal (overstimulated dogs mouth more). Teaching "drop" and "leave it" is essential. Time also helps — most Springers mature out of excessive mouthing by 12-18 months.

Never punish the dog for mouthing (creates anxiety without addressing the drive); manage the environment - if they find something to chew that you don’t went them top chew, it’s your fault for leaving it where they can get at it. And please don’t mistake it for aggression - they’re just doing what comes naturally, and they should be allowed to do it, albeit in a way that works for you all.

Springer Spaniels were bred to work at distance from their handlers, covering ground independently for extended periods. This working heritage means they're more capable of independence than many people assume — provided alone time is introduced thoughtfully and their substantial physical and mental needs are met consistently.

Separation problems in Springers are often misdiagnosed. What looks like anxiety is frequently boredom, under-stimulation, or adolescent destructiveness in a dog with enormous energy and no appropriate outlet. Springers are vocal dogs — barking when alone doesn't automatically signal distress. Destruction often reflects unmet exercise needs rather than panic.

Genuine separation anxiety can develop, but it's less common in this breed than in companion breeds with no working heritage. Problems usually arise from sudden changes in routine, inconsistent alone-time training, or chronic under-exercise rather than inherent fragility.

Make sure you build independence as a normal part of daily life from early puppyhood. Leave and return neutrally — dramatic departures and reunions make absences emotionally significant. Provide appropriate physical and mental work before alone periods. A tired Springer with a job done settles far more readily than an under-exercised dog with pent-up energy.

Enrichment needs to match the breed's intensity: durable chew items, scatter feeding across multiple rooms (engages scenting drive), frozen Kongs, and rotating novel items work better than passive entertainment. Some Springers settle well with access to a safe space; others prefer a crate introduced positively. Predictable routines help more than constant presence.

Critically: distinguish boredom from anxiety. If your Springer is destructive, vocal, or restless when alone but settles immediately with adequate exercise and mental work, that's under-stimulation — not separation anxiety. Genuine SA involves panic behaviours, escape attempts, prolonged distress, and doesn't resolve simply through more exercise.

If true separation anxiety is present, professional help matters. But for most Springers, independence is a learned skill that develops readily when exercise needs are met and alone time is taught systematically. They're working dogs bred for stamina and independence — capable of far more resilience than popular narratives suggest.

Slowing down doesn’t come naturally to a dog built for sustained movement. Many Springers simply haven’t learned how to rest unless it’s been actively taught.

Settling is a skill, not a reward for being tired. Calm routines, reinforcing quiet behaviour, and providing clear rest periods all help the dog learn how to switch off.

Some Springers relax more easily when they have a defined space for rest, as long as it’s introduced positively.

Springer Spaniels learn behaviours quickly when training conditions are appropriate. They're responsive, food-motivated in low-distraction environments, and form strong working bonds with handlers. In a training class or at home, Springers often appear highly trainable — they pick up cues fast, generalise well, and seem eager to cooperate.

The challenge isn't teaching the behaviours. It's maintaining those behaviours when the dog's working genetics activate. A Springer who sits beautifully on cue in the kitchen may completely ignore the same cue when they've picked up a scent trail. This isn't disobedience or poor training — it's competing motivations where genetic drive (scenting, chasing, covering ground) overwhelms learned behaviour. Training works until it doesn't, and the trigger is usually environmental rather than anything about the training itself.

Arousal management is the real training challenge in this breed, not cue work. Teaching a Springer to settle, to recover from excitement, and to regulate their own arousal is significantly harder than teaching sit-down-stay. Without arousal regulation, you get a dog who knows every cue but can't perform any of them once arousal spikes — which happens frequently in a breed built for sustained high-drive work.

Distance and independence create training conflicts. Springers were bred to range ahead of handlers, working independently at significant distances. Teaching reliable recall or close positioning works against these instincts. You can train it, but it requires more work and maintenance than in breeds selected for proximity to handlers (like Labs or companion breeds).

Sensitivity shapes training pace and methods. Springers learn quickly but also form negative associations quickly. One harsh correction during recall training can damage that behaviour permanently. One stressful training session can create a dog who shuts down rather than engaging. Training must be carefully paced to avoid overwhelming the dog's emotional capacity.

If "easy to train" means a dog who learns cues quickly in training contexts — yes, Springers are easy. If it means a dog whose training holds reliably in real-world environments regardless of distraction — no, they're demanding. Success requires understanding that you're training a wide-ranging, scent-driven working breed, not a companion dog bred for obedience.

Adult Springer Spaniels typically need 90-120 minutes of daily activity split across multiple sessions, though individual dogs vary significantly. Working-line Springers bred from gun dog stock often need substantially more than show-line dogs, and the type of exercise matters as much as duration. A two-hour slow lead walk often leaves a Springer restless, while 45 minutes of off-lead running, scent work, and retrieve games produces a settled dog.

Repetitive routes and restricted movement frustrate the breed's natural ranging instinct rooted in their working heritage. Access to different environments — fields, woodlands, beaches, parks — maintains mental engagement better than the same location repeatedly.

Mental work is non-negotiable. Scent games, training sessions, retrieve work, and problem-solving activities engage the working drive that physical exercise alone doesn't address. An under-stimulated Springer with adequate physical exercise remains restless and often develops problem behaviours — barking, destructiveness, poor settling — because their brain hasn't been engaged.

Puppy exercise requires careful management. Springers are high-energy from young ages, and owners often over-exercise trying to tire them out. Extended forced exercise during growth (under 12-15 months) risks joint damage and builds fitness rather than managing energy. Short, varied sessions with plenty of sniffing and gentle exploration work better than attempting to exhaust the puppy. Let the puppy set the pace — when they slow or disengage, stop.

Adolescents (6-18 months) appear limitless and can build remarkable fitness if over-exercised. More exercise creates a fitter dog who needs more exercise, creating an escalating cycle. The goal isn't exhaustion; it's meeting mental and physical needs through appropriate activity types while teaching the dog to settle between sessions.

Under-exercise produces obvious problems: destructiveness, excessive barking, poor impulse control, inability to settle. Over-exercise creates different but equally challenging issues: super-fit dogs requiring increasing activity, difficulty winding down, chronic arousal, and sometimes injury from repetitive strain.

Balance requires understanding that exercise serves multiple purposes: physical conditioning, mental engagement, scenting opportunities, social exposure, and training practice. Sessions should vary in type, location, and intensity throughout the week rather than identical activities daily. Teaching calmness and settling is as important as providing activity — Springers need to learn recovery between sessions, not just how to maintain high activity levels.

Because something more interesting is happening! Springer Spaniels are scent-driven. When they pick up a trail, focus narrows completely. Your voice becomes background noise. This isn't disobedience or stubbornness — it's genetic drive overwhelming learned behaviour.

Adolescent Springers ignore you more as impulse control fails and competing motivations intensify. The recall that worked at five months stops working at seven months. This is normal developmental at this age (if you’ve got human teenagers you’ll be familiar with selective hearing!)

Rather than getting frustrated, you need to focus on building attention and engagement before distractions appear. Reward check-ins heavily. Use long lines to prevent rehearsal of ignoring you. Make yourself more interesting than the environment (fast movement, play, high-value rewards). Accept that perfect attention in high-distraction environments is rare in this breed.

As the notorious ‘Fenton, Fenton, FENTON’ incident beautifully demonstrated, repeatedly calling they don’t respond is utterly pointless and actually weakens the cue, and punishing the dog when they finally return just teaches them that coming back predicts bad things. Effective management and realistic expectations are part of owning a gun dog.

Springer Spaniels are not aggressive dogs, but they are intense ones. When behaviour issues arise, they’re usually linked to arousal, frustration, or poor recovery from stimulation rather than fearfulness or anxiety in the way it often appears in other spaniels.

Springers tend to escalate outwardly. When they’re overwhelmed, excited, or physically uncomfortable, they’re more likely to react quickly and visibly — barking, lunging, or snapping — rather than withdrawing or avoiding the situation. This can make their behaviour look dramatic, even when the underlying cause is straightforward stress or overload.

Management and training play a significant role. Springers cope best when they have clear structure, predictable routines, and sufficient outlets for movement and mental work. Without these, pressure builds and spills over into reactive behaviour, particularly in busy environments or around triggers such as other dogs, sudden movement, or frustration on lead.

Handling style matters too. Springers are responsive but not thick-skinned. Repeated physical restraint, harsh corrections, or inconsistent boundaries tend to increase arousal rather than reduce it. What looks like defiance or volatility is often a dog struggling to regulate itself under pressure.

Resource guarding can occur, as it can in any breed, but it’s not a defining trait. When it does appear, it’s usually tied to frustration, competition, or previous conflict around valued items rather than possessiveness by nature.

In most cases, concerning behaviour in Springer Spaniels reflects unmet needs, poor recovery from stimulation, or accumulated stress rather than intent to harm. With appropriate outlets, clear guidance, and training that focuses on regulation as much as obedience, Springers are typically stable, safe, and reliable dogs to live with.

Springer Spaniels don’t usually lack confidence — they tend to lose it under pressure. Unlike bolder breeds that push through novelty, Springers absorb stimulation very intensely. When socialisation goes wrong, the issue is less about fear of specific things and more about becoming overwhelmed.

This is why poorly socialised Springers often appear “fine” as puppies but struggle later on. They cope until noise, movement, or excitement crosses a threshold, then unravel. That can show up as sound sensitivity, frantic behaviour, or an inability to settle rather than obvious fear or aggression.

Because of this, Springers benefit more from learning regulation than from simply accumulating experiences. Calm exposure, early disengagement, and learning that it’s safe to pause and observe are more valuable than meeting lots of dogs or visiting as many places as possible.

Noise sensitivity illustrates this well. It’s rarely caused by a single loud event, but by repeated exposure when the puppy is already overstimulated. Teaching a Springer that sounds can happen without requiring action helps prevent the hypervigilance that often develops later.

The split between working and show lines is significant in this breed. Working-line Springers (field-bred) are lighter, faster, higher energy, and have stronger scenting drive. They're bred for performance, not appearance. Show-line Springers are heavier, calmer, and more suitable as family pets. They still have gundog instincts but at a lower intensity.

For training purposes, working-line Springers need more exercise, more mental stimulation, and more careful arousal management. Recall is harder. Impulse control takes longer to develop. They're brilliant dogs but genuinely challenging as pet dogs if you're not prepared for the intensity.

Show-line Springers are still energetic gundogs. They're not Labradors. But they're more forgiving for novice owners and better suited to family life if the working outlets aren't available.

If you're considering a Springer, ask the breeder which line the parents come from. It significantly affects what you're signing up for.