Springer spaniels

[ESSGuy]

Ive been a springer owner for over 25 yrs, own 4 now, blood lines that include some of the Midwest best FC and AFC and NFC lines, my question is this: most people on this forum seem to buy labs. Why?   why don't many of you give a serious look at a springer? 

[leech~~]

Someone suggested hitting F5 when having issues to refresh the page. it did work for me the last time I had an issue.

[monstermoose78]

I looked at springers my inlaws have one but I got wanted a duck dog. I wish my chihuahuas could hunt something other than mice.

[Bobby Bass]

I have had two English springer spaniels, fair grouse dogs but I found them to be a little nippy around kids. Matter of fact I asked my daughter about what she remembers about them and she said she thought they were always mad at something. I was also running a female lab and as things happen I ended up with a litter of lab/springer's. I kept two of them who grew up to be Buddy and Barney who I wrote about for over ten years and when they passed they were fifteen. I thought they were a good combination of the two breeds. I have a chocolate lab now (Duncan) but we are testing the waters with the wife about maybe bring a golden into the house. Neither the wife or Duncan are to thrilled about that.

[Rick]

You probably had Bench bred springers. Field bred Springers wouldn't pass muster if they did that.

[RoosterRedneck]

I've had 2 springers in the past.  Good dogs and I enjoyed hunting behind them and in the duck boat,. Now that I only pheasant hunt I wouldn't want anything but a shorthair.  I see labs and springers as a jack of all trades dog, master of none (maybe duck hunting for labs).  If I were to duck and pheasant hunt I wouldn't choose a lab because most friends I have all their labs seem to be prone to hip/shoulder problems later in age.  I think I'd take a springer for that reason or a lab mutt mix to get away from all that inbreeding.  Just my 2 cents.  

[Rick]

Pointers are great for singles and more often than not the retrieving is suspect as is going after runners.

Lab or Chessie for ducks. Springer for pheasants. Especially late season when they bunch up and run.

Let's not forget cattails. Labs aren't bad pheasant dogs...they just don't have the motor for quartering through cover like a springer.

[RoosterRedneck]

I guess we'll have to agree to disagree Rick.  I did/do love the springers I had.  They were well trained and did everything I asked of them.  Great dogs.  However any time of the season, retrieving, running down birds, 5 days of all day hunting in SD, etc I'm taking a shorthair.  I haven't hunted with as many shorthairs as I have with labs and springers but I've never seen any of them having retrieving problems.  In fact I have to call my shorthair off otherwise I have to carry all the birds:). Let those other dogs get a few and bring them back to their owners.

[rundrave]

15 hours ago, Rick said:

Pointers are great for singles and more often than not the retrieving is suspect as is going after runners.

 

Rick, I would encourage you to just one time visit a NAVHDA utility test or even a mock test and I assure you, your opinion would change on pointers and retrieving downed birds over land or water. You could even get a good idea watching the younger dogs do the bird drags in a Natural Ability test. The tracking is where it separates the good dogs from the bad.

I just think your blanket statement of more often than not is pretty far off.

[Rick]

I don't doubt you at all, but I've been with quite a few, both hunting and training dogs from good lines. Some did retrieve.