Mary Allen
The ancestors of the modern English Springer Spaniel belong to the oldest type of hunting dog in England, the so-called “gundogs”. Originally, these “gun dogs”, which were particularly popular as a leisure sport at the peak of hunting, only had to find the prey and drive it in front of the hunter’s gun. Later they also had to bring the killed game back to the hunter. The first mention of this archetypal spaniel type can be found in the “Treatise of English Dogs” written by the doctor John Caius in 1576. An illustration of a spaniel from “The Sportsman’s Cabinet” is dated 1803. The Spaniel Club was founded in England in 1885 and today has many branches in other countries. Most of today’s spaniel breeds, including the English Springer Spaniel, were created from this original Spaniel type by crossing other breeds. In 1902, the breed standard of this dog breed was officially recognized by the English Kennel Club as well.
For a long time, the English Springer Spaniel was bred purely as a hunting dog. Great importance is attached to his performance and talent as a scavenger and retriever. However, because his beauty and his balanced and friendly nature also became very popular among non-hunters, a breeding line has now developed that places less focus on his qualities as a hunting companion. Thus, in the 21st century, it is more often kept purely as a family dog.
