A Dog is a Man's Best Friend

Once you have made the basic decisions about the gender and colouring you are seeking when you buy your springer spaniel pup, and you have found a couple of breeders with litters which are ready, then the time comes to visit the breeders and choose a pup. How do you choose a pedigree pup - what should you check, how will you spot a pup with a problem? Here are some tips to help you prepare for the visits and with the process of choosing when you buy your springer spaniel pup.

Tip #1

Read up on the Breed Standards so that you know what looks good to a show judge (you can get these from a Kennel Club or Breed website). Write out a summary of the points, together with a list of the hereditary problems (e.g hip dysplasia) which occur in the breed - Springers are fortunately very good in this respect. You will not know for sure that the pup you choose will develop correctly, but you can check his parents (almost always the mother and sometimes the father) when you visit the kennels. You will also come across as more knowledgeable to the breeder and this will help with the process.

Tip #2

Check the paperwork of the litter - there are abbreviations used which indicate the show success of the bloodline. The main abbreviations are Ch., Sh.Ch. and F.T.Ch. (Champion, Show Champion and Field Trial Champion respectively). These are usually highlighted and the more the merrier! If there is a veterinarian's report, read that too, cross checking against your list of potential hereditary problems. If the parents are winnning prizes though, then that is a good sign.

Tip #3

When you walk to the area where the pups are kept, watch their reactions as you approach. Are they excited, do they come forward with tails wagging? Are there any that hang back - this is not always a bad sign - they may just be lower down in the pecking order. If there are only a couple left, this is not a bad sign either - the breeder may be keeping the best till last (which might affect the the price).

Tip #4

Depending on their age, the breeder may not be keen for you to handle the pups. If the breeder is keen for you to handle a particular pup, then check this pup carefully. Once a pup is in your hands and the children are keen, then the decision is going to be hard to reverse. If the dealer is overly keen on selling you a particular pup then be very careful, as this can be a warning sign of a pup with problems which might only be obvious to experts. In this event, make sure you have a veterinarian's report. However, most dealers are very reputable and protect their bloodline keenly.

Tip #5

You should check their eyes, which should be bright (the darker the blue the better) and not weeping or running, the coat should be glossy and smooth and the nose should be cold and wet without pink markings (small marks may grow out, but lots of pink is a show weakness). The pup should not be too scrawny, not too fat, and check the tummy - a large tummy could be indicative of worms.

These five tips should help you when picking out your English Springer Spaniel pup. If you are looking for a potential prize winner then besides his pedigree there are other checks you should make. Once you have made your choice, then you can look forward to years of fun for you and your Springer.