Springer Spaniel behaviour

Tobedebtfree

I don't know how to multi quote but I reply I will try to reply to all I've been asked.

He is from farm working dogs. I think this may be part of the 'problem' so to speak, he constantly wants to be doing something. He could however go all day given the opportunity.

He is walked (well run) once or twice a day, but this does rely on my husband at the moment as I really cannot cope with him on his lead (and I am very fit/fairly strong). So I think a harness of some type may be the way forward.

He has only just become interested in balls and if you throw one at him he will catch it in an instant. Crate trained, yes, but again his behaviour changed at about 7 months.

One thing he was interested in , which incidentally draws upon the idea that he needs to work, is that we distract him while my daughter hides in bushes etc (big bushes), he doesn't stop looking until he finds her. On one occasion she wandered off to the nearby park area and although we knew where she was, he didn't. This led to him crying and howling until he found her.

He has been amazingly quiet since he got back from the vets, trying to cuddle everyone rather than the normal jumping up. Feeling very sorry for himself, the car journey was the best ever!

I am going to take the opportunity over the next few days to try and re-establish some sort of authority if I can, the vet said 5-10 minute walks only, so I will do that while he is not pulling on the lead to see if it is something that we can continue once he is feeling his normal self.

Many thanks for the replies,I have taken on board all of them even if I haven't replied to all questions. At times I feel that he is just like my teenage sons, they don't appear to listen to a word I say either and anything I say not to do is almost seen as a challenge.

OH is at work tomorrow so i guess we will just see what tomorrow brings

WTFH

Springers need a lot of physical and mental stimulation. Ours is 4, she wakes around 6am. 45-60mins walk off the lead in the morning, never left on her own (she goes to work with my wife) and then a similar or longer walk in the evening. After she's had her dinner (she gets 2 meals a day) she normally has half an hour or so of playing with us.
She always likes to be carrying something to present you, or play with.
In the summer if we're in the garden she will frequently have a 5 minute run around the garden at full tilt and when we go to the coast at any time of the year she runs into the sea and will swim for as long as we throw the ball in the water.
Neutering should calm him down a little, but not much, after all he is a Springer.

krlyr

Ohh, a 1 year old working line Spaniel, it makes total sense now!

I would look at the kind of exercise he's getting, not just the amount. As someone else said, giving him a job may wear him out a bit more. It could be worth looking at what the breed is bred to do (e.g. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English_Springer_Spaniel#Skills ) and thinking about how you could apply those skills to his exercise regime.

So, using his knack for scenting, and perhaps start teaching him some tracking - you can get books online that will teach you the basics.

Don't just throw a ball and get him to fetch - but get him to 'hup' to practice some self control.

Teach him to follow hand signals, hide a toy in long grass in the park and direct him to it.

A good mix of physical and mental exercise should tire him out more than just running about.

meritaten

my Springer meggy (long deceased) was from a working line. She was a lovely affectionate gentle girl - but her energy level was high and she could be totally insane! she wasn't the brightest dog I have ever met but quite easily trained! (in fact she was as thick as two short planks - people thought she was clever because she had an extensive repertoire of 'tricks' she had been taught). she couldn't think for herself in the way my staffy had. Now she was clever.
meggy didn't settle down until she was spayed, she tore around like a mad thing and like you I hated walking her - She once pulled me through someones hedge cos she smelled the bbq they were cooking - and I cant count how many time I ended up face down in the dirt!
I solved that by buying a halti - she didn't like it much but it did stop her antics!

geoffky

Let him think he is a working dog and it all clicks,,, ...Then when it all goes pear shape..just admit it is because he is a springer and you will get peace.
Letting them think they are working is the key.

Tobedebtfree

He is very rarely left alone, I am at home all day and I do think that generally it is my problem, although the other 4 in the household do admit that he is extremely hard work. He is very attached to my husband. For instance this evening OH was sat on the floor with him, and Alfie was laid alongside him. I sat down next to them (so with Alfie inbetween us) and he jumped up onto the settee behind us (this is despite the op earlier in the day), and placed his front paws on OH's shoulders and started licking him. I moved and he laid back down next to him!

I do find it amusing as there does appear to be a slight male/female divide in our house at the moment, Oh leaves the room and if myself or my daughter is in the room he cries until he returns, whereas if one of the boys is here he just goes and sits by them.

In terms of re-enforcing good behaviour and ignoring the negative behaviour, I do this also but if I do ignore him he tends to jump up at me until I react or almost fall over and it becomes tiring.

He does love the sea, we are only about 30 minutes from the coast so when it is slightly better weather that is something that we will continue with.

I will certainly look at the above link and the exercise he is getting, as before Christmas I had read up a bit on how to train him in line with his heritage, I guess I am just finding it hard at the moment as I feel unable to walk him but at the same time I am the person here all the time who he gets the majority of the attention from.

I think I sort of know what I have to do, I am just dreading it. I can see that he can be trained as he is a bright dog.

On the bright side he is very loyal, and protective of my daughter and and extremely handsome dog but it is like having a baby, or twins, he wants constant attention!

meritaten

I wouldn't ignore negative behaviour. A sharp 'NO', then 'Alfie SIT' and 'good boy' if he sits. believe me - NO is an essential to teach them!

I sympathise - my meggy was only happy when she was active - so as I was mostly home during the day it seemed I was constantly 'training' her! she loved learning Tricks and Commands - but, until she was spayed and calmed down a lot I had to virtually have my pockets stuffed with treats all the time!

krlyr

Here's a good review of the Mekuti harness

http://www.unleashedforum.co.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=43&t=4499

Video of it in use
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6L-EdCl-Lk

Another front-attaching harness
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7gzfgVjkSQ

Raksha

Instead of ignoring unwanted behaviour, try teaching him what you'd prefer he do instead. So instead of jumping up, get him to sit before anyone makes a fuss of him. Ignoring has its place, but only if attention is part of the reason for the dog doing it in the first place.

jetplane

As others have said your springer needs stimulating, you can walk or run a springer ragged but he will still want more and be bored. It is worth paying for a dog specialist to pay you a visit at home on a one off consultation it could prove invaluable and cheaper than replacing destroyed property.

There are plenty springers age 7 month up for sale as this is when they start misbehaving, they are working dogs, think sniffer dogs, and they need to learn to track eg play hide and seek with their toys. Watch other dogs play fetch with a big stick and watch a springer hunt in ever decreasing circles sniffing out a twig that you've given him a whiff of. Fantastic dogs.