Springer spaniels are lively, loveable and great family dogs that have high levels of energy and enjoy an active lifestyle.
Many people consider Springers as pets or as working dogs and often wonder about the trainability of the breed and how difficult is it likely to be to train a Springer.
The great thing about Springer spaniels is that they are very easy to train. The Springer spaniel is a loyal, smart and friendly breed and, if you are looking for dog that is easy to train then the Springer spaniel is one of the best.
When should you start to train a Springer spaniel?
Training your Springer spaniel should start as soon as he as settled into his new home and when he is a youngster.
You can begin with simple training such as ‘sit or hup’, encouraging him to return when you call his name and simple games of ‘fetch’ with soft items such as rolled up socks.
Early training such as this should always be as much fun as possible and should never become a chore, either for you or the puppy.
As your Springer spaniel grows up and gets older you can introduce more complex training.
Our article Basic Spaniel Training will help you with this
Springer spaniels enjoy mental training too
It is important to remember that all spaniels, Springers included, love mental stimulation.
Being able to work out a problem such as finding a tennis ball hidden in long grass, is great stimulation for a dog such as a Springer.
He will need to hunt, using his nose, working with the wind and using his sense of smell to find the ball.
This level of stimulation will not only help him to learn but will also help to tire him out in a positive manner.
Always try to come up with challenges for a Springer to figure out, he will be a better dog as a result and he will enjoy the exercise.
Springers like routine and boundaries
Most dogs are free spirits and this is what makes them so amenable to people, Springers are not an exception to this and have a passion for life that is simply incredible.
To help you and your Springer with training it is important to have some simple boundaries and ‘house rules’. Rather than being restrictive they will help you and your spaniel to be consistent.
Try to feed and exercise at similar times daily
When you train do it in small, bite sized lessons when he is young
Keep consistency in the house
Let children play with him – they are great at socialising puppies
Always be positive
If you maintain a positive attitude towards training a Springer then the process will be a lot easier.
Adopt a philosophy of rewarding good behaviour and, whenever possible, try to see things through your dog’s eyes.
If you encounter a problem, then don’t get ‘worked up’, take a breath and think it through, try to think of a different way to do the exercise or simply take a break and do something that the dog does well.
Never lose your temper with your spaniel – if you feel that you are ‘fizzing’ then stop the training and have a cup of tea instead.
Final Words
English Springer spaniels are one of the most intelligent and trainable of all dog breeds.
Whether you have a Springer as a family pet or working companion they have a love of learning and pleasing others.
Train them with simple commands that are easy to remember, be consistent in your training sessions, and don’t rush things when you’re working on their skills.
If you do all these three steps well then they’ll learn quickly and you’ll have a well-behaved dog and companion.
