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Hello and welcome to my blog.

I have 2 young working type English Springer Spaniels. At the time of writing, Bella is 19 months and Stanley is 15 months old. I often get asked if they are ‘pure bred’. Bella is tiny, my ‘pocket rocket’. She often gets mistaken for a cocker spaniel due to her stature. She is Kennel Club registered and is very definitely ESS.


Stanley is very different, he has ridiculously long legs and is a complete goof ball. You could be forgiven for thinking he has some Setter in him. I got him at 10 months old and he didn’t get the best start in life. He was very thin, and his coat was ‘stary’, standing up in a ridge along his back. He isn’t KC registered.


Personality wise, Bella is a feisty little minx and a typical ‘flusher’. She spends most of her time in the hedgerows hunting. She loves to flush out birds but there it ends. Living in the glorious Hampshire countryside, we often come across wildlife such as deer, hare and game birds. If she flushes them out she will start to chase but will immediately recall to the whistle and a scattering of hot dog sausage for her to seek out on the ground when she returns. She is fiercely intelligent and picks up new cues incredibly quickly, is very willing to learn new things and loves to seek out dummies and toys that I hide for her.


Stanley is a cuddly love muffin and outside it is all about the chase. If he gets after something and his blood is up, I have to get a bit clever as a food reward doesn’t interest him. I don’t believe he would actually do anything to an animal if he caught it, but I am not taking that risk. His favourite toy in the whole world is a squeaky ball. He is obsessive so it’s not something I generally let him have all the time as I want him to be a dog and do dog stuff. I have therefore paired the sound of a deer caller with his ball. Now if he gets on a chase, 2 squeaks of the deer caller is enough to turn him around. As he races back to me I throw his ball so that he can finish his chase and doesn’t feel ‘seen off’. No harm to any wildlife, phew! Normally he will recall to the whistle, but it is useful to have this in my pocket as an emergency backup recall.


Whilst Stanley is intelligent, he doesn’t learn in the same way as Bella. His concentration level is much lower and having been clicker trained in his previous life, if he isn’t immediately marked for a new behaviour, he will perform all sorts of antics to see what it is I am asking. Impulse control is something we are taking very slowly as he is so excitable and eager to please.


Bearing in mind all their physical and temperamental differences, for all the doubters and my own interest, I had them both DNA tested. I also had the test that would show up any genetic health issues.


Bella’s came back first and was exactly as expected, 100% ESS. Stanley’s recently came back and confirmed he is also 100% ESS. Now I don’t really care what they are made up of. I love them both to bits and have no intention of breeding from either of them so it’s irrelevant. I am more delighted that neither of them is showing any genetic issues.


It did get me to thinking though, that as trainers and dog owners, how vitally important it is not to generalise when we are looking at a breed but to look at and assess each dog as an individual. Yes, there are undoubtedly certain breed characteristics that are more likely in specific breeds, but never think for a second that they are all the same. Like us, they have their own likes, dislikes, personalities and ways of learning.


Of course, a lot is influenced by the breeder in those early weeks before they come to live in our homes. Certainly, research the general breed characteristics before you choose to bring a pup to live with you and your family, and ensure you visit the breeder more than once before parting with your cash. A good breeder will be happy for this. Look at the puppies together. Is the one you like roughing and tumbling with his littermates or the one sitting quietly at the back? How well have they been handled in those all-important early days and weeks? What temperament does mum have and what do you know about the father?


Don’t just be taken in by a cute face. All puppies are gorgeous. Choose carefully and wisely my friend. This pup is going to be an important part of your family for a long, long time.

Remember, your dog is an individual, not just a breed, just the same as you are and deserves to be treated as such.

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