The English Springer Spaniel as a gun dog

The Springer is the classic pheasant dog and a pleasant house companion. Here is what the breed was made to do and how a hunting Springer is commonly taught.

A flusher, not a pointer

The AKC describes the Springer as a spaniel used to flush out, or “spring,” game. The dog is expected to stay within gun range. A pointer holds still, while a spaniel pushes the bird out.

That makes the Springer a natural fit for pheasant and chukar cover on preserves and public land in California. See the comparison guide if you are weighing the styles.

Show lines and field lines

Springers are bred for the bench and for the field, and the two types can look and work quite differently. Field-bred Springers tend to be lighter, faster and more driven. A bench-bred dog can still hunt, though a hunting-focused pup from field lines often has more of the pace and nose some hunters want.

Ask Richard about your dog and what you hunt. He works with dogs from top-level field trial and hunt test dogs to everyday hunting dogs and home companions.

How a Springer is usually started

The quartering pattern is the heart of spaniel work, and it is taught by hunting the dog in cover and rewarding the right range.

1. Recall, sit and a reliable whistle stop
2. Bird introduction and chasing control
3. Quartering within gun range
4. Sit to flush and shot, so the dog is steady
5. Marked and blind retrieves on land, and water if you hunt it

A note on pheasant and training birds

Springers are most often used on pheasant, chukar and quail, including released birds on preserves. California requires a hunting license and the proper tags for released game, and has rules for training dogs with birds under 14 CCR 677. Check the current regulations on the CDFW site before a hunt or a training session, and see training birds and California rules for an overview.

Matching programs

Richard's programs are built for pointers and retrievers, so for a springer, ask Richard about your dog before you plan anything. Tell him its age, drive and the birds you hunt, and he will say whether Puppy Camp or lessons make sense. board-and-train gives a dog from anywhere in California daily field work at Hastings Island.