Owning dogs, especially taking care of the english springer spaniel, is nothing new for humans across the world. Some zoologists speculate dogs were domesticated sometime between twelve thousand and 25,000 years ago—and that dogs evolved from wolves. Since then, we have selectively bred more than 400 breeds, which range in size from 4-pound teacup poodles to Irish wolfhounds, who have earned the distinction of the tallest pooch. However, the most widespread dogs are non-pedigree dogs—the one-of-a-kind dogs known as mutts. The english springer spaniel is another popular choice among canine owners. Many owners are uninformed, however, of some important english springer spaniel care tips.
Cost of care for your english springer spaniel
The yearly cost of caring for the english springer spaniel—including food, to veterinary care, toys and license—can range between four hundred twenty and seven hundred eighty dollars. This is not even including capital expenses for spay/neuter operations, a collar and a leash, dog carrier and a dog crate. Tip: Be positive you have obtained all your supplies before getting your english springer spaniel home for the first time.
General english springer spaniel Care
How To Feed your english springer spaniel
- english springer spaniel puppies between 8 and 12 weeks need 4 bowls of food in a day.
- Feed english springer spaniel pups 3 to 6 months old 3 meals in a day.
- Feed pups six months to one year old 2 meals in a 24 hour period.
- When the english springer spaniel makes her 1st birthday, one feeding daily is typically enough.
- Sometimes adult english springer spaniels, however, prefer two smaller meals. It is your responsibility to learn your english springer spaniel’s eating tendencies.
Top-quality dry dogfood ensures a well-rounded diet for full-grown english springer spaniels and may be mixed with broth, canned food, or water. Your english springer spaniel may love cottage cheese, fruits and vegetables, and cooked eggs, but these additions should be less than ten percent of her daily food. english springer spaniel puppies need to be fed top-quality, brand-name puppy food. Try to cut down on “people food”, though, because it can result in vitamin and mineral deficiencies, tooth and bone concerns, and may result in some extremely finicky food choices as well as obesity. Clean, fresh water should be available only, and make certain to clean food and water bowls very often.
english springer spaniel Care Tips: Make sure your english springer spaniel does plenty of daily physical activity
english springer spaniels need daily exercise in order to stay fit, stimulate their minds, and stay healthy. Daily physical activity also really helps english springer spaniels fight boredom, which can lead to destructive behavior. Supervised fun and games would quell most of your english springer spaniel’s instinctual urges to retrieve, dig, chew, chase and herd. Individual exercise needs will vary based on your english springer spaniel’s level of health and his or her age—but ten minutes in the backyard and merely a walk down the street every day probably will not do. If your english springer spaniel is a six to 18 month adolescent, his requirements will be a little more.
Grooming tips for english springer spaniels
You can help reduce shedding and keep your english springer spaniel clean with frequent brushing. Check for ticks and fleas daily during the summer or other warm weather. Many english springer spaniels don’t need a bath more than a few times a year. Before bathing, cut out or comb all mats from the english springer spaniel’s coat. Carefully rinse all soap out of the coat, or dirt will stick to the soap.
How to Handle Your english springer spaniel
Pups are clearly the easiest to manage. To carry your english springer spaniel pup, put one of your hands beneath your dog’s chest, with either the forearm or other hand supporting his or her back legs and rump. Don’t attempt to grab or lift your puppy by his or her front legs, tail or nape. When you need to lift a larger, adult english springer spaniel, lift from underneath, bracing his chest with 1 of your arms and rump with the other arm.
Housing the english springer spaniel
english springer spaniels need a warm quiet spot to relax away from all breezes and off the ground or floor. You may want to think about buying a dog bed, or think about making one from a wood box. Place a clean sheet or pillow inside the bed. Wash your english springer spaniel’s bed covering frequently. If the english springer spaniel will be outdoors frequently, be certain he has access to plenty of cool water and shade in the summer, and a warm, dry, covered shelter when it’s cold.
Licensing and Identification for english springer spaniels
Heed the community’s licensing regulations. Be certain to connect the license to your english springer spaniel’s collar. This, along with an identification tattoo, will most likely help you recover your english springer spaniel should he go missing.
english springer spaniel Temperament Facts
Training Your english springer spaniel
A well-behaved, companion english springer spaniel can truly be a blessing to own. However, when left untrained, your english springer spaniel will most likely be trouble. Training your english springer spaniel on the minimums—”Sit”, “Stay”, “Come”, “Down”, “Heel”, “Off”, and “Leave it”—strengthens the relationship with both the english springer spaniel as well as the family. If you’re the owner of a puppy, start training him on manners ASAP! Use little bits of food as recognition and incentive. Puppies can start obedience courses when they have been adequately immunized. Call your local SPCA or humane society for obedience schools. It is wise to walk your english springer spaniel leashed when, even while a pup. Be sure your doggie will come to you every time you say so. A disobedient or aggressive english springer spaniel can’t play with others.
Your english springer spaniel’s Health
Your english springer spaniel should visit the vet for a full check-up, immunizations and a heartworm screening each year, and immediately if he is hurt or ill.
english springer spaniel Oral Health
While many of us might simply dislike our english springer spaniel’s bad breath, we must pay attention to what it may mean. Bad breath is a sign that your english springer spaniel needs an oral screening. Plaque caused by unhealthy bacteria results in a bad smell that necessitates professional treatment. Once you have given your english springer spaniel a professional oral cleaning, her mouth can be kept healthy by brushing regularly, feeding a special diet focused on dental health, and eliminating table food. Your veterinarian can give you other guidance for reducing oral diseases as well as bad breath. You can easily clean the english springer spaniel’s teeth with a doggie toothpaste or a homemade paste made of baking soda and water once or twice per week. Clean them with a gauze pad, nylon pantyhose stretched across the finger, or a child’s soft toothbrush. Periodontal disease,which is an infection between the gum and tooth, sometimes affects english springer spaniels. This painful condition can possibly result in loss of teeth and propagate infection to the rest of his body. The vet can sometimes clean her teeth as a regular part of your english springer spaniel’s health program.
Bad english springer spaniel Breath
Even though oral disease alone is not very serious when it is found early, the foul odors may indicate fairly serious, long-term issues. Liver or intestinal diseases may cause halitosis, whereas a fruity, sweet smell can often be indicative of diabetes. If your english springer spaniel’s breath smells like urine or ammonia, kidney disease may be the cause. Set an appointment with a veterinarian whenever your english springer spaniel has halitosis along with other signs of disease like excessive urinating or drinking, depression or lethargy, weight loss, nausea, or decreased appetite.
Dealing with Fleas and Ticks in english springer spaniels
Daily, regular checks of your english springer spaniel for ticks and fleas in the warm seasons are critical. Remove and find fleas with a flea comb. There are many new methods of flea elimination. Talk with your veterinarian about his recommendations.
Heartworms in english springer spaniels
This parasite lives in the heart and passes from an infested dog to your english springer spaniel by way of mosquitoes. Many english springer spaniels die each year due to heartworms. It is very critical you ensure your english springer spaniel takes a blood screening for this parasite annually in the spring. A once-a-month tablet given in mosquito season can help to protect your english springer spaniel. Your english springer spaniel should be on heartworm medication throughout a winter trip to a warmer climate. There are some areas, usually the places with more moderate climates, where doctors recommend parasite medication be used all the time.
Toxins and Medicines
If you’re contemplating giving your english springer spaniel medicine that was not prescribed for her by his vet, don’t even think about it. Did you know that one regular-strength ibuprofen tablet will most likely cause stomach ulcers in english springer spaniels? Keep rat poison and other rodenticides away from your english springer spaniel. If you suspect your dog has been exposed to a poison, notify the doctor or the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 twenty-four hrs. a day for help.
english springer spaniel Reproductive Operations
It is recommended that male english springer spaniels should be neutered – the extraction of the testicles – and females spayed – the removal of the uterus and ovaries – by six months of age. Spaying before maturity greatly reduces the breast cancer risk, a common and often deadly disorder of older female english springer spaniels. Spaying also eliminates the possibility of an infected uterus, a traumatic issue in older females that necessitates surgery and intensive medical care. Neutering male english springer spaniels prevents prostate and testicular diseases, some hernias and certain types of aggression.
english springer spaniel Innoculations
- Your english springer spaniel puppy should be vaccinated with a combo shot (called the “five-in-one”) at two, three and 4 months of age, and again once each year. This shot protects your english springer spaniel puppy from parainfluenza, parvovirus, leptospirosis, hepatitis, and distemper. Your english springer spaniel puppy’s innoculation program cannot be completed prior to 4 months of age.
- If you have the rare english springer spaniel who has not been vaccinated and is older than four or 5 months, she must have a series of 2 vaccinations given 2 or three weeks apart, followed by a yearly innoculation.
- english springer spaniel puppy vaccination and socialization should go together. You can bring your english springer spaniel puppy to socialization classes by eight to 9 weeks old, as recommended by many doctors. They should have already received their first immunizations by then.
Regulations are so different between different areas, the best thing is to contact your community doctor to get rabies immunization info. As an example, New York City statutes state that pets older than three months must be innoculated for rabies. The initial rabies innoculation must be followed up by another innoculation a year later, and then every 3 years after that. There are a variety of immunizations that may effective for your english springer spaniel. Ask your english springer spaniel’s vet for her opinion. Also, if your english springer spaniel gets sick because he is not immunized, do not administer the vaccination until the dog has made a full recovery.
Worms in english springer spaniels
english springer spaniels are often exposed to worms—in all areas, both rural and urban. Tiny eggs produced by roundworms and hookworms are transmitted through an infested english springer spaniel’s feces. Most pups, even from healthy mothers in good homes, carry roundworms or hookworms. An accurate, early detection is the key to treatment. This will make sure that the medication is effective against the worms your dog has. A dewormer that eliminates hookworms, for example, will not kill tapeworms. Your doctor can best identify the culprit—and decide the best medicine.
english springer spaniel: Miscellaneous Care Tips
Checklist of english springer spaniel Supplies
- Top-quality dog food and treats specifically for english springer spaniels and similarly-sized dogs
- Food dish
- Water bowl
- As many safe toys as you can provide, especially chewable
- Brush and comb for grooming, including a flea comb
- Collar with license and ID tag
- Leash
- Dog carrier (for pups)
- Training crate
- Box or dog bed with sheet or towel
- Dog toothbrush
The no-no list
The following items should never be fed to english springer spaniels:
- Alcohol, beer, wine or liquor
- Chocoloate or any food with caffeine
- Raisins or grapes
- Spoiled or moldy food of any kind
- Onions, garlic & chives
- Bones of chicken, turkey, or any other animal (choking hazard)
- Salt or salty foods
- Tomato leaves, stems & unripe fruit
- Dough
The scoop on poop
Unless you are at home, or in a secured, fenced-in spot, always keep your english springer spaniel on a leash. When your english springer spaniel does #2 on a neighbor’s yard, the sidewalk or any other public spot, please dispose of it! Don’t forget to check out these other articles about english springer spaniels
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