Springer Spaniel Muffin Reveals Her Secrets
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It was a gorgeous sunny afternoon and the sun was quite strong. You can’t beat a nice swim to cool down and swimming is great excercise for springer spaniels like me. We love to get wet, to splash about and it’s great fun coming back to your “upright” for a good shake! 
Oops! Sorry, did you get splashed?
Let me start by explaining that I’m normally a well behaved springer spaniel. However, there are times when I can get distracted by interesting smells (It’s a dog thing, you “uprights” won’t really understand) and other times when rabbits and ducks are just begging to be chased!
Anyway, getting back to the point.. did I even start on the point? See what I mean about being easily distracted?
This morning I took John for a nice walk down by the river and we got about three quarters of a mile down the path when we were confronted by a bunch of clouds on legs (I think you “uprights” call them sheep). So, John decided that rather than wait for these wooly objects to get out of the way, and disturb a manic and frustrated looking Collie, we’d turn off the main path and take the scenic route through the woods.
Late For Work
To cut a long story short and to make a long walk even longer..
I got distracted by some really energetic rabbits.. there were hundreds of them and I just couldn’t decide which one to chase so I chased them all!
Needless to say John had to wait for me and I was late for work. But at least he understands just how important it is for me to get lots of excercise and it does him a lot of good too.
Excercise keeps us both fit and healthy and it’s great to get out of the house at least twice a day. It gives us the opportunity to get refreshed and to have some fun.
Walking also offers excellent thinking time. John often walks along in a meditative state pretending to think.
So, make sure you set aside plenty of time to get out and get some excercise. We go out at least twice a day, each time for a minimum of 30 minutes.
Before you start to train a Springer Spaniel puppy, it is important that you are aware of your options. These days you can find many types of spaniel training, in many different places. We springers fall into three different groups: House pets, show dogs and working dogs. The training for each group will be completely different but lets begin with the basics..
The first type of dog training is known as puppy preschool. This is a dog training course meant for puppies that are about 6 weeks to 5 months old. These puppy preschool classes generally last for no more than 6 to 8 weeks. In these training sessions, your springer spaniel puppy is essentially taught how to socialize with people and as well as other puppies. Here your puppy also begins to learn how to sit down, stay at a place, and how to come.
The second type of dog training course is meant for the dogs that are at least 5 months old. This type of dog training is known as the basic dog training. The duration of these classes is usually about 8 to 10 weeks. This is the basic course, where your dog is taught the art of walking properly on a leash, sitting, staying, coming and heeling.
If your springer spaniel puppy is destined to become a working dog it is vital that they are not introduced to chasing balls or “playing” tug-of-war with toys. Many a puppy with great potential as a working dog has been ruined by a lack of common sense during its formative stages.
The third type of dog training course is known as the intermediate dog training. This dog training aims at teaching the dog mostly the same things that are taught in the basic training course, in a more detailed form. Here the dog is trained to stay for a longer span of time, and is also taught to follow the orders given by other people.
The intermediate dog training generally lasts for about 8 to 10 weeks, and is meant for those that are no less than 5 months old. It is essential for the dog to have completed its basic dog training course, or to be accustomed to the basic commands that could have been taught by the owner.
The next type of training course is known as the advanced dog training course. Here, once again, the course is quite similar to its previous one, i.e., the intermediate dog training course, except for the fact that this time it is more detailed. Here, the dog is taught how to sit even without you in the view.
This training course is about 8 to 10 weeks long, and is meant for those that have completed their intermediate training. Here, they are also trained to walk beside their owners without a leash.
Keeping this information in mind, you should be able to decide the dog training course best suited for your dog. However, you may seek the opinion of your local dog trainers.
My Name Is Muffin
Hi. My name is Muffin and I’m an English Springer Spaniel. I happen to live in Scotland so, to keep the locals happy, I just call myself a Springer Spaniel.
I live in a cottage on the banks of the River Esk in Langholm in South West Scotland, with John who I take for walks and play fetch.
I’m not sure I’ve got the fetch thing right.. he throws the ball and I do all the running!
There are some great walks around here with lots of intesting countryside to explore.
There are also some great places to go swimming and chase ducks! Oops.. did I say that out loud? Chasing ducks is frowned upon around here so please keep that to yourself!
As an eight year old Springer Spaniel I’ve learned a lot about my breed and I’m going to share some of my hints, tips and secrets to help you to have fun and enjoy living, working and playing with a Springer Spaniel of your own.
I’ll be honest with you right now.. we can be challenging, we can be willful and with the right care and attention we can also be loyal and well behaved companions.
Of course, I’m “always” well behaved!